The best spices can’t always be found in supermarkets. The variety of spices at your grocery store may be constrained depending on where you live.
Many spices sold in mass markets may already be several years old when you purchase them, lacking the potent flavor and smell they are meant to offer.
The Spice House and Penzeys are the two most popular spice sellers online though they have a few physical stores also. In this article, we will talk about these two spice companies to let you know from where to get the best spices.
A Quick Comparison Table
Here’s a quick comparison table between The Spice House and Penzeys for your clear understanding-
| Specifications | The Spice House | Penzeys Spices |
| Company reputation | Moderate | High |
| Cost | Less expensive than Penzeys | Expensive |
| Customer review | Mostly Positive | Has both positive and negative reviews |
| Physical store | 5 stores | 50 stores |
| Variety of spices | Moderate | High |
Key Differences Between The Spice House And Penzeys
Now, it’s time to look at some major differences between these two companies so that you can pick the best one for your meal –
- Company Overview and Its Origin
The Spice House, which was established in 1957, sells the finest spices, herbs, mixes, and extracts to customers that include renowned Michelin-star chefs and everyday home cooks.
In order to provide their consumers with unmatched quality and selection, they have spent more than 60 years carefully selecting their extensive global network of premier growers and wholesalers.
Their products range from essential and rare spice varietals to proprietary rubs and blends.
In 2018, after establishing successful professions in finance and technology, Dave and Dan were looking for a more concrete and human-scale cause that they could love and share with their family and friends.
Then they purchased The Spice House and expanded it as they both shared a passion for cuisine and culture.
On the other hand, Penzeys Spices has a glorious history in this spice business. In 1957, William Penzey started a coffee and spice business, but eventually, it became today’s The Spice House.
In 1986, William Panzey’s son Bill opened a separate spice company on his own, and in 1994, they opened their first retail store.
Comparing their history and reputation to date, Panzeys Spices is way ahead of The Spice House.
- Cost Variation
Spices are one of the things that we use on an everyday basis. That’s why we tend to look for cheaper options but do not sacrifice the quality.
The Spice House and Penzeys Spice both ensure higher quality spices, and for this reason, their price is relatively higher than the general supermarket spices.
But if we compare the price between The Spice House and Penzeys Spices, we can see that Penzeys Spices has a relatively higher price.
However, the difference in their cost variation is very low. For example, ½ cup of regular chili powder from Penzeys Spices costs around $8.49 without shipping costs. On the other hand, ½ cup of the same spice costs $7.79 from The Spice House.
Sometimes, the price of a particular spice is the same on both websites. But overall, the price of Penzeys Spices is always higher than The Spice House, even though the cost variation is only a few cents.
- Customer Reviews
Customer reviews for both The Spice House and Penzeys are positive.
Customers sometimes give reviews about specific spices that they absolutely love.
For example, a few customers say that the ground cassia cinnamon from The Spice House aims to be the ultimate sweet-heat spice.
It can be both hot and flavorful, adding flavor where the food most needs it. Vietnamese cinnamon is used in that spice, which is very rare in the United States.
However, The Spice House has faced some negative reviews also. But most of the negative review was for their difficult website navigation and poor customer care service.
Customer reviews for Penzeys Spices are also good. Especially their Sea Salt Pacific, Tsardust Memories, and Penzeys Pepper got a lot of positive reviews and became the most popular spices on their website.
But the company received a lot of negative reviews in recent years because of its political standpoint in the USA. The rumor of finding heavy metals in the Penzeys Spices has also triggered negative reviews.
- Variety of Spices
The Spice House and Penzeys Spices both have a wide range of spices available on their website. However, Penzeys Spices is bigger than The Spice House both online and offline.
Penzeys Spices has around fifty retail stores all over the nation, whereas The Spice House has only five stores.
Not only the company’s size, but Penzeys Spices also has a slightly higher number of spices.
Their catalog is pretty extensive, and you can find any type of spice with just one click.
Numerous cinnamon kinds, including Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Ceylon species, as well as unusual spice combinations with names like Sunny Paris and Arizona Dreaming, can also be found in Penzeys Spices.
They also did a nice job with their jars, which typically come in two sizes, a quarter-cup, and a half-cup. The quarter cup size is particularly helpful if you want to try a new spice but don’t want to take the chance of wasting most of it.
Which One Stands Out?
Deciding the best one out of these two is very tricky as you have to consider multiple factors while making the decision. People always tend to trust big brands and companies.
So, if we consider the company’s popularity and size, Penzeys Spices is ahead of The Spice House. But if you are looking for spices that are less costly and also have the best quality, go for The Spice House.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, Penzeys Spices are really better than other alternatives. One taste is all it takes to determine that a Penzeys jar is superior to the norm. The flavors of Penzeys Spices are crisp and well-balanced and do not contain any dusty, confused flavor that frequently can be found in other options.
Patty and Tom Erd, the sister and husband of Bill Jr., were left in charge of running the Spice House. Dave Grossman and Dan Yates, the new owners, purchased them two years ago. The rest of the tale is now known to you as well. The Spice House has been run by them successfully.
Bill Penzey is now the CEO and owner of Penzeys Spices.
Tom and Patti Erd are the owners of The Spice House in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They purchased this business from Patti’s parents in the twentieth century.
Final Words
Choosing the right spices for your cooking is not an easy task. A tiny degradation of the spice quality can ruin your whole meal. Similarly, great spices can make your meal ten times better.
Perfect spices can change the aroma of your food also.
The Spice House vs. PenzeysSpices is really a tricky topic to decide which produces the best spices. But you should not be holding onto this topic too long as both companies have amazing quality spices that can satisfy you to the fullest.
So, order now and enjoy.
Glad you said Penzey’s negative reviews were mainly due to very regular occurring crude political comment and articles. Our whole family of many serious cooks and bakers switched to The Spice House due to constant political irritation. It was uncalled for and offensive. Seemed so rude and low class.
I switched to The Spice House for the same reason as you. I don’t need or want a political lecture along with my purchase.
Absolutely agree. I have been a customer since 1988 and have gifted countless gift certificates as well as spending several hundred dollars on spices a year for my large family.
Bill Penzey is off his rocker. Offending on so many levels anyone not insanely WOKE, he states on his website “About Republicans ” that he is “willing to work” across the aisle and sell to them. Wow!
This guy deserves to have his business boycotted if only because he has no business sense at all — nor any concept of human decency. Our aged aunts and grandparents are highly offended, and my many very wealthy Republican friends are equally insulted by this asshat.
If only he had started dividing people by political party earlier, his business no doubt would have failed. He can’t grasp the concept of customer service or that the customers who launched his success are the people here is currently attacking. He apparently can’t keep phone people since there is no longer any way to call the company. I’m sure they got tired of calls from miffed customers, and quit.
At great personal sacrifice (since we have used his spices for nigh on 36 years) I am hereby boycotting Penzeys and I can only hope Bill can get some psychological help to quell his divisive viciousness.
THERE IS LEAD and other HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION in Penzeys overpriced spices, folks. Costco Vietnamese Cinnamon is a more than adequate substitute for Penzeys, by the way.
Get some help, Bill.
Lol you mention Costco, but never mind that in 2021 some of Costco spices also tested positive for heavy metal (about the time some of Penzey’s did)
Since this is pretty outdated I’d love to have more third party testing done before more accusations are made
Amen!
Totally agree with this review. I shop at The Spice House even though Penzy’s is just 15 minutes away. I want to shop for spices and do NOT need political infusion.
I agree with your comment. Our family left Penzeys because of his political rants. At one time he said in one of his rants that he didn’t want customers who were Republicans. So I obliged. Since then, he changed his tune a little and says he is willing to sell to Republicans. Willing? Sorry – I use The Spice House now, which was owned at the time I left Penzeys by Bill’s sister and her husband. I had emailed them and asked if they were politically motivated like Bill Penzey. They replied that politics is not part of their business and never will be. So I have been a loyal customer of the Spice House ever since. I do miss Penzeys vanilla extract and their Baking Spice. But I will not support someone who so obviously hates his customers.
Caryl, I agree. I found Penzeys about 2 years ago and loved the spices until I noticed all of their political comments and promotions. I want a spice company, not a company that promotes its specific political agenda and does so crudely.
I was searching for another spice company and found this article which lead me to The Spice House.
I also abandoned Penzey’s after being a regular customer for over 10 years. Bill Penzey’s constant stream of insulting emails was just too much for me. I wrote several emails to Penzey’s complaining about this and imploring them to stop the political commentary. They never responded and he never stopped. I am glad to see that I was not alone in abandoning Penzey’s. I’ve been quite happy with The Spice House as a substitute source ever since.
Lol emailing someone and asking them to stop their business model isn’t going to work. Of course you were ignored. Only thing that may work is if you take your business elsewhere
Yes! I found that forcing his politics upon his customers to be extremely unprofessional. It makes no difference as to whether one agrees or disagrees with his views, it’s just not the place for it.
Exactly why I searched for a competitor of Penzey’s. I love the product, hate the politics!
I agree. Don’t like the WOKE propaganda
Bill Penzey shoves in your face.
Thank you so much for the article . I have tried both spice companies and my favorite is penny’s .
I have used spices from both companies; from Penzeys for years and more recently from the Spice House. I think both are great and your review was very fair and spot on. Nice job.
What is your opinion of Burlap and Barrel and their spices ?
I have shopped both The Spice House and Penzy’s Spice. Why do I only get my spices and herbs from either The Spice House of Costco? Bill Penzy had to insert emails into all orders, even when I asked him to stop. I live near physical shops of both The Spice House (at Milwaukee Market) and Penzys Spice (several locations in strip mall location in MKE). I want herbs and spices not blends (except I have bought Asian blends from the Spice House.) The prices are slightly less at The Spice House and business attitude towards customer is appreciated. I had switched to Penzy’s because my daughter went there but too much politics for oregano! I do buy organic cinnamon from Costco.
Have used spices from both. They both are quality. I left Penzies because I did not want the left wing political lecture. I also do not want to give my money to his pet causes and being insulted because I think differently. Mr. Penzie obviously gets his input directly from the less than balanced TV. He knows nothing about real Republicans or those who do not wish to see the Constitetion destroyed. He only can repeat the propaganda of the Great Religion of the Progressives. Politics needs to be kept out of the market place.
I used to use Penzey but once I found the Spice House, i never looked back! I use A LOT of spices! I also give them as gifts. They are so beautifully housed in copper topped jars. I have never had a customer service issue with them. They’ve always been incredibly responsive! They are truly one of my favorite companies and the quality cannot be best!
Wasn’t The Spice House started by the Penzey family? (If not, how could both companies offer “Singapore Seasoning” with identical ingredients?) As to the political ranting, I also find it inappropriate and annoying and I’m a tree-hugging, immigrant loving, tax and spend Democrat! Both companies make damn good products but TSH is easier on my wallet.
We, too, left Penzeys because of Bill’s crude political commentary. We had been customers for decades. His enclosed letter in one of our orders stated that Republicans were mentally challenged and deranged. He doesn’t have an ounce of common decency, let alone the ability to critically think on any issue. What a putz! We switched to the Spice House and have been very happy.
I also left Penzey’s for the Spice House because of the offensive political commentary. I first bought spices at the Spice House when I was a student and it was located on Muskego Avenue. Starting in 1995 when we bought a house in Wauwatosa, I was able to walk three blocks over to the location on Glenview and Harwood, and did so frequently. I enjoyed conversations with the original owners while I was there. The current Spice House will ship flat packs of spices with no shipping charge; perfect.
I thoroughly enjoyed your article. It was hard for me to step away from Penzey Spices because the quality was so good, But the political rantings were highly offensive. I am so happy to have found The Spice House which I have already ordered from multiple times and those spices are equally fresh and delightful.
Glad to hear others are stepping away as well. Hard to hand my money over to someone who is verbally beating me up.
I totally agree! Maybe if enough customers fall off, they will get rid of the ranting CEO!
Same thing here. I called the spice house and asked if I would be subjected to the same political rants. They said no, and it’s true. No more aggravation just to order spices. Quality is equal in my opinion.
I started using Penzey’s spices BECAUSE of their courage in standing up and speaking out for important political issues. And I have never looked back. Their products are top-notch, as is their customer service. And while some of their spices may be a tad more expensive, they seem to always be offering specials that enable me to try new spices and blends at a fraction of the regular cost, and that more than offsets whatever measly difference in price may exist otherwise.
They’ve got a happy customer for life with me!
I am not one to leave a review or join in on an online discussion. I am not one to boycott a business for expressing political views that differ from mine. Bill Penzey has me acting outside of my normal behavior. We loved loved loved Penzey’s spices. I used to gift their spices to friends and family. I would open the jar of their Vietnamese cinnamon and invite my house guests to smell the wonderfulness. Overall, I spent a few hundred dollars there every year for almost a decade. It was hard to walk away. I knew I would miss their spices, but I felt that Bill left me little option. I knew every dollar I spent there would support his ability to keep dividing America. I even emailed Bill to see if he could give me any reason to believe he regretted being so negative to half of Americans. I was polite, I was respectful. He incorrectly assumed I was a Trump-supporting Republican and sent me a rude reply. He threw me away as a person and as a customer. He lost my business and motivated me to leave this lament.
I, too, left Penzys due to the insulting comments directed at me as an American by “bill”. I have a folded American Flag upstairs given to me by “a grateful country”. I’m sure bill doesn’t have one of those. I won’t tolerate treatment like that from ANY businessman. The Spice House now gets all my business and I have found them a pleasure to deal with. The quality of their spices seems top notch to me.
Wow. I am astonished by the hatred directed at Bill Penzey Jr. for standing up for his beliefs. I was tempted to try Spice House, but given the anti-Americanism of its customer base, I’ll stick with Penzey’s. I know the local store and the people who work there. Not MAGA types who want to physically injure people they don’t agree with. That’s “woke”? And you have a visceral problem with that?
Bye-bye Penzys. Crazy that I have been buying spices from you for 20 years both for myself and as gifts for family and friends and I am just now seeing your anti-Republican jaded and misguided rants. I have no visceral hatred for anyone. I bought spices from you because I enjoyed the local store and the catalogs as well as the amazing spices. I did not care about your political or social views. I assumed you didn’t care about mine. I now see I made the age-old mistake about assuming. As a business leader and a business owner I have learned to stick to what my company does best. From the looks of this thread, you are doing a fantastic job of driving away loyal and loving customers because you are on a sociopolitical crusade. It’s a shame you can’t simply stick to providing great spices. You asked me to leave…….Bye