Reco Mixing Bowls from CSN

I told you last week that free sample products for review are a great by-product of blogging and introduced you to CSN Stores, Inc.  Today I'm going to tell you about my experience with CSN.

 I had never heard of CSN when I got an email offering me the chance to receive a free review and/or giveaway product. After exchanging several emails with the publicist, and looking at the site, I decided there was a good chance that the outfit was legitimate, so I ran my first post, in which I introduced the company to you and used the recessed lighting link they supplied.  My post went up last weekend; on Monday the publicist told me to select my gift.  I did, and was promptly told it was out of stock--that I could wait a few weeks to get what I wanted, or I could pick another gift.  I decided to pick another gift.

Over the years most of the mixing/large serving bowls I received as wedding gifts have gotten broken. I've been wanting a new set, and I really wanted a rather large bowl.  I thought this set would be ideal.  My Reco Ribbed Mixing Bowls were waiting for me when I got home Friday, but I wasn't surprised, since I had received an email when my order was placed by the publicist (Tuesday) and when it was shipped (Wednesday).  The bowls were secured in cardboard packaging inside a box.  That box was placed in another box which was filled with packing peanuts, and it was shipped via FedEx.

The bowls themselves are nice.  They are heavy and the large one is big enough for a large batch of meatballs.  They are said to be dishwasher, oven, freezer and microwave safe.  So far, all I've tried is the dishwasher, and they all survived.  They will definitely get a lot of use around here!  The color is what I expected--kind of a yellowish off-white.  The bowls nest so I only had to find a space in the cabinet for one of them.

The last thing I did in preparation for writing this review was to look up these bowls on other websites, to see if CSN's prices were reasonable.  Basically, I found that by the time you added shipping, CNS's price for this product was in the ballpark--more than some, less than others, but never substantially so.  However, CSN's product pages have a link titled "Seen it for less?"  When you click that link it gives you a form to complete indicating the competitor's price, including shipping.  Instead of a "submit" button, the button says "Make Me an Offer" so maybe they will match lower prices.

As far as CSN's website goes, I'd give it a "B".  They offer a wide range of products at a wide range of price points.  The product pages show good-sized photos of the product and offer the needed information.  There is a link to product reviews.  They offer the ability to limit search by brand and price point. My only complaint is that the various colors of the same product are offered as separate products rather than as variations on one product.  By that I mean that I was searching for mixing bowls and this set was offered in quite a few different colors, as were other sets.  My search results numbered in the dozens and on one page of results I'd see these bowls listed several times, each time in a different color, and then when I'd go to the next page of results, there they were again, in yet more colors--along with other bowls shown on the first page of results, again in different colors.  I personally would have found it easier if each type of bowl was shown once, with a selection of colors available.  Once I had selected my product, I appeared that ordering was easy, and if the service I received is typical, orders are shipped promptly.  I will definitely add them to my list of of websites to check when I want to buy something.

Disclosure:  As noted above and in the other posts about CSN, I was solicited to write posts about this company in return for a pre-determined amount of product.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review and all opinions expressed herein are mine.