Review of Williams-Sonoma's La Brea Boxed Stuffings
Last year, in our Store-Bought Stuffing Mix Showdown, all the boxed stuffing contestants were priced between $2.49 and $4.99. This year, we decided to defy the recession and test-run Williams-Sonoma's La Brea boxed stuffings, priced at the comparatively astronomical $10 to $12 per box.
I tested the two flavors on offer this year: Harvest Blend, with pecans and cranberries, and Classic, with Herbes de Provence and chestnuts. While the Harvest Blend is the pricier of the two at $12, the pecans and cranberries are included in the box, while the recommended roasted chestnuts for the Classic are sold separately at a whopping $16.50 a jar.
So how did they fare among our eager Serious Eaters?
Harvest Blend and Classic.
Women preferred the Classic and men the Harvest Blend—though Ed insists that he’ll stick with Pepperidge Farm again this year. The chunky consistency is the real draw to these mixes, but, though I preferred the Classic, I would insist on adding both the chestnuts (which I omitted in the test run) and a spicy turkey sausage to add a punch of flavor to the otherwise extremely herbal mixture.
The pluses: They had great texture, homemade taste, and required simple assembly. The minuses: Like all other boxed stuffings, they still need to be "pimped." Furthermore, the price appears prohibitive. Although, seeing as how they do feed 10 to 12 people, an un-doctored box of stuffing will cost under $1 per person.
How much would you pay for stuffing? Have the Williams-Sonoma boxed stuffings been worth it for you in the past?
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11 Comments:
Hells to the no! Sprucing up some PF boxed stuffing is easy and cheaper, and if Ed says he'll stick by it after trying the expensive stuff, then I'm inclined to agree. Plus, making stuffing yourself really isn't that hard.
Laurel E at 3:02PM on 11/20/08
Pimp up the self-made....bread, egg, broth, spice, bake...eat.
DeaconVolker at 3:21PM on 11/20/08
I dunno, I've always made mine from scratch (well, usually store bought broth). The only premium item is pecans or pine nuts. I reckon even with that, the price per person for my stuffing is about 35 cents to serve 12-14.
cybele at 3:31PM on 11/20/08
I tried Stove Top once, had to spit it out. Never again. I make my own from scratch. It's easy, and delicious.
cafire at 3:35PM on 11/20/08
Making your own is the only way to go.
Boscompb at 3:40PM on 11/20/08
How hard is it to buy a loaf of really cheap bread a couple days early and set it out to go stale? I've never understood boxed stuffing, and I'm from a household where nearly all other baked goods (including pie crust, excluding cookies) come from a box. Stuffing comes from cheap stale bread and Swanson chicken broth.
DTSSer at 5:35PM on 11/20/08
Those prices are obscene. Bread costs pennies to make... even great bread. Here's my opinion:
Make
Your
Own.
It tastes better, costs so much less, and you can control not only the ingredients, but the quality of the ingredients.
Brownie at 5:36PM on 11/20/08
I'm with Brownie. There are certain dishes that, yes, I will reach for a box on. Stuffing -- which to me is the highlight of any Thanksgiving meal -- simply isn't one of those things.
onalark at 6:04PM on 11/20/08
Every Williams-Sonoma in the country will be sampling this stuffing this weekend. If you want to find out if it's worth it, go try some. If it's just not your thing, don't.
tchaike at 12:28AM on 11/21/08
really? really? really? ten to twelve dollars for a box of stuffing? really?
carriebwc at 8:56AM on 11/21/08
I agree - it's just a few more minutes to chop up some stale bread, and it's the tastiest option.
MMinNYC at 4:58PM on 11/21/08