CHEFS Catalog

Full review
Last weekend, I wrote and told you about the coffee maker that I purchased for my husband. I purchased it through Chef's Catalog site and I was extremely impressed with how quickly I received my order.

About Chef's
Chef's started out in the retail world back in 1979 as a mail order catalog business. Their purpose was to sell top-quality cooking equipment to both homemakers and professional chefs. Along the way, they expanded to the web market and were assimilated into the Neimen Marcus family.

Chef's carries all types of cooking related products including cookware, cutlery, small kitchen appliances & tools, and bakeware. The brands you can purchase from them include Cuisinart, KitchenAid, All-Clad, Krups, and Henckles.

The Web Site
Chef's web site reminds me a lot of the way that Linens-N-Things has laid out their site. The home page which boasts the colors of bronze and red, has categories at the top that allow you to navigate to other areas of the site. You have the opportunity to shop by category or by brand.

If at any point you get lost (which isn't likely to occur), you can always click on the 'home' page to make your way back to the home page.

Prices, Selection
As I stated earlier, Chef's carries a wide-array of items and the brands are plentiful. Price wise, you can expect Chef's prices to be competitive with other online retailers.

Ordering, Shipping
Once I found what I wanted, my entire purchasing experience took minutes to complete. Checking out, I created myself an account, filled out the basic demographic information, and paid by charge card. They accept American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, Discover, and Japanese Credit Bank.

For an extra $3.50, you can choose to have your purchase gift wrapped.

When you purchase merchandise that totals over $99, your shipping (standard) is free. Delivery occurs between 5-7 days after they ship from their warehouse. Chef's does not charge sales tax unless your particular state demands it. Indiana does not :).

Once I placed my order, I received an email receipt confirming it. When it was shipped the next day, I also received a confirmation with a tracking number attached to it. I was planning on checking in on my "order status" page but the coffee maker arrived before I had the chance!

And The Verdict?
I was quite pleased with what felt like a very transparent shopping experience. I ordered on a Monday evening and received our new coffee maker on Thursday. It was in perfect condition, packed nicely as I expected it would be. Should I need to order kitchen-related products again, I will not hesitate to shop at Chef's.