Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian: Find industrial-grade bargains at KC’s restaurant supply stores
Few things give me more pleasure than buying high-quality items at budget prices. That’s why I’m so happy with my new $24 fry pan.
It’s a 12-inch aluminum beauty that’s guaranteed to heat up evenly and has a silicone safety sleeve on its handle that can be removed so the pan can go into the oven.
I bought it while visiting with Brian Calvert at BJ Peerless Food Service Equipment, 236 N. Seventh St. in Kansas City, Kan. Professional chefs use the same one, he said.
Oh my. I need to learn to sear a strip steak.
Brian reached out to me after I bragged in these pages about the high-end flatware and white porcelain dishes that I’d bought on clearance from an online restaurant supplier. They were a fraction of the price of similar items at mainstream retailers like Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table.
Brian alerted me that local restaurant supply warehouses have brick-and-mortar stores that are open to nonindustry people. Though a huge percentage of BJ Peerless’ business is from commercial businesses, its doors are open to the public. So are those of Index Restaurant Supply, 521 Main St. Both are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
I toured the BJ Peerless storefront/warehouse with Brian, taking in the commercial vegetable dicers, french-fry cutters, wood pizza peels, pots and pans of every possible shape and size, a gleaming stainless steel cake stand with a Lucite dome top, chrome-plated serving trays, glassware, dishes and flatware.
He pointed at cutting boards in several colors, explaining that they’re for various uses to prevent cross-contamination, and showed off thermometers for every possible use: freezing, deep-frying, candy-making, grilling and smoking.
“Not only will you get stuff you can’t find in stores, you get the durability of a commercial-grade product,” he said, stopping to note that a two-speed commercial blender for $69 can put up with the rigors of daily use.
Victorinox cutlery, which hangs on a wall near the front of the store, is a popular merchandise line among people who walk in off the street.
“Everybody would love a good knife,” Brian said. “This is from the makers of the Swiss Army watch. They last forever, and they’re less expensive than Wusthof. We monitor, just like Amazon.com, what the competition is selling, so we can provide a better price.”
I recently bought a stainless steel colander at World Market. Too bad. I could have had a better one for about the same price from BJ Peerless.
An Adcraft panini maker for $320 at the back of the store sounds like it’d make a great gift for the avid griller who doesn’t want to cook outside in 4- or 90-degree weather.
“It’s made of cast iron, so over time it seasons itself,” Brian explained. “You can cook steaks and pork chops on it.
“A lot of people think when they cook a steak on the grill that they are searing it, but really they are browning it,” he said. “With this you lock in all the natural juices of the meat. It takes about 7 minutes to cook a steak. Sandwiches take 2 minutes.”
There’s also used refurbished equipment, including a refrigerator-size Smoke-Master wood smoker for $8,950.
Not everything at BJ Peerless is made for daily abuse, Brian said, picking up a cheap pair of tongs you could probably find at Wal-Mart. There’s also a lot of merchandise that’s not made for the long haul but is still worthwhile because the price is right.
HGTV hosts at Greater KC Home Show
Chip and Joanna Gaines, hosts of HGTV’s most popular show, “Fixer Upper,” will headline the Greater KC Home Show at Bartle Hall this month.
The show at Bartle Hall will feature 200 exhibitors, including builders, remodelers, landscapers, contractors and local interior designers. HGTV Design Star winner Jennifer Bertrand will be a guest.
The Gaineses, who will appear at 1 and 3 p.m. March 21, and at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. March 22, will share design tips for creating inspiring spaces and how Chip’s experience in construction combined with Joanna’s design talents added up to Magnolia Homes, their small-town home-renovation business, and success on HGTV.
Tickets are available online for $8 at KCHomeShow.com or at area Price Chopper stores. They’ll be $10 at the door. The Home Show will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 20 and 21 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 22.
This story was originally published March 6, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian: Find industrial-grade bargains at KC’s restaurant supply stores."