Crate

Took one class at Crate. The staff is extremely friendly and organized. But I am not a fan of the set up. Cooking with a group of 6-8 and only cooking a small portion of the meal. It's not truly a hands on cooking class. Since there were so many people, I don't really get a chance to cook. As a result, I don't think this was worth the money.

So, I got to attend a cooking class with Chef Rachel sponsored by WWP. Our menu was rosemary chicken, sweet potato rice pilaf, and an apple gallette. We were split off into groups of 4 and worked together to create the dish then everything was mixed and we were able to taste our handiwork. Honestly, I do love to cook and watch my fair share of food network. It was fun to learn some new skills (like how to properly measure flour). The best part for me was no dishes to wash :-D!!So, the store itself is also pretty nice with fancy cooking gadgets and some unique things. I did enjoy looking around during the class and did purchase. It is hard to say money and value because this was programming through WWP, but I think looking at their schedule it is worth it from the perspective that you get an activity, learn some things, and get to eat great food. We were offered leftovers, which is in contrast to another review. So I think it is what you are hoping for the night.

We attended the Barbecue Boot Camp and had a wonderful time! Our instructor was a chef as well as an educator, so he was able to explain things very well and was extremely helpful in answering our questions as he came around to the various stations where we were working.The store is beautiful, very well equipped and prices seem very good.We learned a lot, and the finished dishes we all shared were delicious! Lots of nice people to chat with, too. Chef Jeffrey also is teaching a sushi class soon, so we bought a gift certificate for our son and daughter-in-law-- I know they will enjoy it! Looking forward to returning soon.

I love kitchen stores, and Crate is one of the best in pittsburgh. Recently I read a few articles about the dangers of non stick cookware. None of them are really any good for any of us. I won't get into what the dangers of them are, but they are real and most non stick cookware will be off the market by 2015.I started looking into enamel coated cookware, Crate has a number of different varieties and bought myself a 3 piece starter set with an 8, 10, and 12 inch pans. Like non stick, no oils are needed and clean up is pretty quick.Crate in itself is a cooking gadget Mecca. If you love stainless steel cookware, they have anything you want from All Clad, made right in Canonsburg Pa. There's Fiesta ware from Wheeling, and If you want Emeral's professional cookware , Crate has it.You can take cooking classes here as well, they have a full service kitchen in back. Classes are limited to certain amounts due to space, but everyone sits after and enjoys the food they've prepped. It's top of the line cookware so it has top of the line prices. But well worth it!

I attended the sushi class on Monday night. The instructors were great: friendly, funny, helpful. The class structure was good, but certainly geared toward those who have never attempted making their own sushi before. Everyone had their own station and was able to make three different rolls. However, I seriously question the value. The course was to be two and one half hours in duration. After approximately seventy-five minutes, we began cleaning up to go home. It should be noted that the 75 minute class time included a 10-15 minute sales pitch of Crate's products. For $60 per person, I was beyond disappointed. It seems unethical and deliberately misleading to advertise the length of the class and barely run 50% of the scheduled time.The bottom line: good instruction, but you'll feel extremely cheated at the end.

This is a great kitchen store. They have a cooking demonstration room that you can rent out. My wife had her bridal shower here and her guests loved it. It was different than the typical, stale shower; plus everyone got a discount that day to shop the store.They have all kind of gourmet gadgets & appliances that you'd see in Williams-Sonoma but the prices are a little better, I think. The staff is super helpful and will go out of their way to help you. Look for their All-Clad "seconds" sales. This is when All-Clad merchandise is on sale that has minor (and I mean minor) defects. You can get top notch pots and pans at half the price. We stocked our kitchen with them and they are amazing. It's the kind of deal where maybe there is a scratch on them, but really you're going to use them once and scratch them up anyway!!! Seriously, go visit these folks!

Crate is wonderful! I have learned so much from Jen and my family enjoys my meals so much more! Her recipes are creative and able to be easily recreated at home. The products in the store are quality, varied and priced well. Jen and her staff are always upbeat and friendly. The perfect small business to support!

My husband and step daughter recently did a cooking class here. While excited for the experience they were quickly disappointed. When my husband tried to help our daughter cut an onion he was loudly scolded across the room by the instructor named Rachel saying "see dad is doing it wrong". They also were not allowed to bring their leftovers home, which seems very odd to me. He said he would not recommend this to any of our friends and children.

I recently purchased two tickets for my husband and I to take a Valentine's Day cooking class together as Crate. I will begin by saying that the instructors were friendly and promoted a clean environment. In addition, the meal was tasty, with a couple recipes that I would add to my rotation. However, my positives stop there.Being someone who enjoys a glass of wine as I cook in the kitchen, the disappointment began right at the beginning; as I opened a bottle wine and was told immediately that it was not BYOB. (Nowhere on the website can I find something that mentions this, and alcohol was served at the end) Okay, not a deal breaker, but definitely a buzz kill for the 3 hours that we were there. Next, we find that we are not cooking the entire menu, rather each group (6-8) people are cooking a portion of the meal for everyone (and you are unable to choose which portion you are making, so it very well could be something you already know how to do). I assume this is done for time purposes, but the advertising is misleading.When everything was complete, we sat down to eat the meal. Rather than a buffet-style, the instructors said they would plate everything (how nice I thought). As the plate was placed in front of us, we were underwhelmed by the portions, despite the amount of food each group made at their station. Thinking there would be more food for the $140 we spent on the class, but once again thinking "okay it is more about the instruction" (however this class is geared more for someone who has very little experience in the kitchen).However, what truly sealed the deal with the sour taste in our mouths was when my husband saw the chef putting food (that we paid for and made), into to-go containers. No mention to anyone that there was a little extra if anyone would choose to have more. Essentially, it ends up being a cost/value issue. I would not recommend this class. We headed across the street to Mad Mex to eat the rest of our meal and paid less.

I attended my first lunch and learn last week. The ladies cooking and serving were just wonderful. The food was delicious and easy to make. It was great to get the recipes as well. One thing I felt ruined the day somewhat was the woman who blurted out very rudely prior to the class that she wanted everyone to be quiet because some of us ( meaning herself and friends) want to hear. Later on she did the same, but blurted out " Lower, lower,lower" many of us who were not whispering felt it was inappropriate and kind of turned us off. Its a shame this happened. We had such a great time. I think the owner should address the situation rather than a rude patron.