Cookware at Ocean State Job Lot

OSJL is a new England chain which carries excess inventory from many types of stores. It’s a great place for jarred condiments, boxed/bagged foods, Polar soda… Sometimes quality cookware, though usually not well-known labels, is a bargain. I recently bought an induction burner online, and needed a suitable pot and skillet. They have maslin pans, with glass cover, helper handle, tri-ply bottom in 2 sizes, 5qt and 9.5qt., $20-30.

Not to go of the rails…but how do you like you induction gadget? Starts fast?

I have an inordinate fondness for Ocean State. I always get aluminum pans there. Twenty to twenty-five cents for an 8x8 brownie pan. They have a million sizes.

I also got a not-that-heavy-duty stainless steel stockpot with cover for about $12 for a 12-quart. It’s adequate as a stockpot, but I mainly use it to brew 2.5 gallons of cooked milk into Greek yogurt overnight in the oven at a 100 degree warming setting. It’s perfect for that.

It’s the kind of place where you search through random stacks of kitchen stuff and occasionally uncover really good finds. Kind of like Marshall’s used to be (now they have more steady stock but fewer real bargains).

They opened one near me, the place is like pot-luck-of-bargains. I never go needing anything, but I always leave with something I can’t live without!

Do they sell over the web?

Have you browsed the food section? They have certain things supermarkets here don’t carry which have become staples for me, e.g.,the jarred “family salad” from Poland. The brand can vary but it’s always pickled cabbage with onion, carrot, and other shredded vegetables. I like to drain it, then mix with mayo or ranch dressing to use as a substitute for tartar sauce or hot dog relish.

I don’t pay as much attention to the food section as much as my wife does. She is constantly buying some kind of odd-ball chips and dips that you don’t ordinarily find. I know they have great prices on Olive oil but the brand or selections can be hit or miss, as is the case with everything they carry.

would never have thought about looking here for cookware. my little non-stick skillet i use for scrambled eggs is about ready to be replaced and i haven’t been near china fair lately. will peek in ocean state though,

thx.

Look for the Fazer mints (if either of you are into chocolate-covered mints)–super creamy!
And, when it’s spring again, they have a fab selection of pots for your herbs and flowers.

Their entire garden/outdoor section is awesome in the spring.

1 Like

Recently I got a 6" ceramic chef’s knife there for $7. I have never used a ceramic blade before so have no basis for comparison, but I like it so went back for a spare, and the $5, 4" paring knife. There’s also a 5" santoku, same price as the chef’s. They each come with a sheath, and when they chip/break, it’s no big loss. I find very little about the company, Klok, online. Their website is “.au” - Austria? Australia? Unsurprisingly, given the price, the stuff is made in China.

I also noticed some white ceramic mini-loaf pans, less than $2 apiece, that would make a nice presentation for holiday quickbread gifts. They have a simple, elegant row of green pine trees decorating the sides.

gg-- which location? i just went to the one in wilmington after reading this thread. the cookware looked pretty shitty, but i got a GREAT deal on sheets and some condiments.

oh, eta: i wound up getting a new, non-stick swiss diamond skillet at kitchen arts on newbury st for THIRTY BUCKS. thing is the boss.

STOP IT! You found a Swiss Diamond skillet for $30? I love mine, but paid about four times as much for it. What size?

[quote=“hotoynoodle, post:12, topic:1460”]
gg-- which location? i just went to the one in Wilmington

It’s Tewksbury, not Wilmington. For some reason, that store has cookware in two different locations. The same pots and pans were displayed on the right side, beyond the food aisles, AND at the left front of the store, near the socks and holiday wrappings. The knives and mini-loaf pans were only in the latter spot.

A new branch just opened in Bedford, MA. It’s in the same plaza as The Great Wall, and though smaller than the Tewksbury store, better organized and stocked, in most cases. I really like the Klok tri-ply SS skillet and small milk pan I got at the Tewksbury store. They have good heft, heat up/retain heat well, and cook evenly.

7" skillet. small, but just the right size to cook 2 eggs!

1 Like

tewksbury/wilmington, whatever, lol. i do go by that bedford location sometimes too so will try to remember to stop in. trouble is i wind up buying shit i don’t really “need” in those kinds of stores!

hotoy, I’d also love to know what size your skillet is. That’s an amazing price for any size, better than China Fair!

[quote=“bear, post:17, topic:1460”]
hotoy, I’d also love to know what size your skillet is.
[/quote] Already stated upthread: 7"

Thanks, grey. Guess I should read more carefully!

Through Weds, March 9, if you buy $20 worth of “professional” bakeware - which is thick metal with a taupe-colored nonstick interior - you get a $10 gift card (invalid till the following day). The location I visited had quarter sheet pans, two-piece tart pans, and several sizes of round and rectangular baking/roasting pans. Same offer for disposable aluminum foil pans, of which they have a large variety.