#Pampered #ChefMaking #Mealtime #Fun #WorthPoint
All it took to make the Pampered Chef a global kitchen gadget powerhouse was a determined stay-at-home mom who needed extra income. More than 40 years later, the company, known for its commercial-grade food prep tools sold through in-home parties, continues to thrive. Cooks and collectors covet its early pieces, which are now considered vintage.
Determination and a Dream
With a $3,000 loan from an insurance policy and a belief in the power of simply sharing a meal, Doris Christopher, a mother of two young daughters, founded Pampered Chef in her suburban Chicago home in 1980. It was perfect timing for such a business, as hers and other young families were enduring an era of high inflation and unemployment, prompting many to swap dining out for cooking at home.
“That need in the marketplace tapped into my love for cooking and my passion for shared mealtimes—that’s how the idea for Pampered Chef was born,” Christopher said in a 2021 Forbes interview. “I would offer quality kitchen tools, the kind only available to the commercial market, through in-home cooking demonstrations where guests would learn simple cooking tips and recipes that would help them become more confident in the kitchen.”
“But even more than that, I was looking for a job that would allow me to prioritize my family,” she added. “I wanted the freedom to control my schedule so I could be home when the girls returned from school and could share meals as a family each night.”
Christopher’s vision resonated with other moms interested in working from home, leading to the Pampered Chef’s rapid growth. Today, as part of Berkshire Hathaway, the company operates in the U.S. and Canada, Germany, Austria, and France, with about 55,000 independent consultants. All its products are still manufactured in the U.S.
Making Meal Prep Fun
In the early 1990s, like many moms, I dreaded making dinner after a long day at work. Then, a friend invited me to a Pampered Chef party. I bought a pizza stone that streamlined family pizza so much that I bought another one—no more struggling to fit a round pizza onto a rectangular sheet. The stone heated it evenly, kept it warm, and allowed the pizza cutter to glide smoothly. It even came with a handy scraper, making cleanup a breeze. The stone was the first item Christopher used to launch her business, and it’s still a top seller today, demonstrating its lasting quality and craftsmanship.
Soon after that first party, I attended others, determined to upgrade my cooking arsenal. I ordered the silicone scrapers, an ice cream scoop (which I still use!), a manual food chopper, an apple peeler, and a tart press I used to make crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (it beat the frozen store-bought “Uncrustables” hands down).
Thrifting Pampered Chef
As a reseller, I look for Pampered Chef tools in thrift shops, yard sales, online marketplaces, and estate auctions. I’ve also found that many products still come with the original box and instructions, making them even more valuable. Be bold in the thrift shops and hunt through the bottom shelves, where smaller gadgets like choppers, spatulas, and measuring cups may hide. I’ve found quite a few down there!
The most consistent sellers are vintage stoneware bakers, loaf pans, bundt pans, and casserole dishes. With extended use, these pieces have become seasoned, developing a nonstick surface that gives the food a unique flavor. If you find a stoneware piece that looks discolored and heavily used, realize it’s a good one worth picking up.
Additionally, pieces from the Family Heritage collection that emerged in the early 2000s are great for resale. The Pampered Chef logo is embossed on the bottom. Also, the square, rectangle, and round covered and uncovered bakers and pie pans have a glossy ceramic coating on the exterior in vibrant colors, including white, yellow, cobalt blue, and cranberry red.
Everyone Has a Favorite
Everyone seems to have that “go-to” item they can’t live without when it comes to cooking. That means, even if you find a Pampered Chef gadget that is broken or without all its parts, sell the parts. Plastic lids for mixing bowls, lids for saucepans, and replacement baker lids can be sold for reasonable prices because consumers appreciate it when they can make their favorite tool whole again rather than buying a brand-new one.
You can learn more about what consumers are looking for by searching social media, such as Facebook or cooking-related online groups.
Kate, a member of the 2PeasRefugees online group, praised her Pampered Chef tools:
“I bought one of the microwave pots 20 years ago,” she said. “My supervisor was having a ‘catalog party,’ and I felt obligated. Well, that darn thing is still one of the most-used things in my cabinet.”
Between excursions to hunt for antiques and vintage décor, Lynda Houston is busy restoring her 1950s cottage in Cincinnati, Ohio. She and her partner, Dave Beck, operate TheRustInPeaceShop on Etsy.
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