Went to a bakery expo in Portland last month. Disappointed.

The big booths were all selling the same premade mixes. No real technique talk. One guy tried to sell me a $400 oven thermometer that looked identical to a $20 one. Has anyone else noticed expos turning into shopping malls?

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elizabeth_ramirez5mo ago

Ugh, that $400 thermometer story got me. I went to a similar show in Denver a few years back and it was the same deal. The big vendors just wanted to push their pre-portioned dough buckets and overpriced tools... no one talked about fermentation or how to actually work with your hands. I remember one booth had a "master class" sign but it was just a sales pitch for their proofing boxes. It's frustrating when you go hoping to learn something new and just end up feeling like you're walking through a fancy warehouse. You're not alone in that disappointment.

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dakota_murphy904mo ago

Hold on, let me push back a little here. Those expos cost a ton of money to put on, and the vendors are there to make a living, not just hand out free lessons. Big companies spend hundreds of thousands on booth space, so of course they are going to show off their ready to use products. Most people walking through those aisles are home bakers or people running small cafes who actually need those pre-portioned mixes and proofing boxes to keep things consistent. A master class that turns into a sales pitch is just the reality of a trade show, you are there to see what's for sale. The real technique talk happens in the side conversations and small vendor tables that most people walk right past. Maybe the expo did what it was supposed to do, it just wasnt what you personally wanted.

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