Orange Tree Imports

Lots of great items… fun gifty things to kitchen gadgets and other culinary finds. Staff is friendly, but not overly pushy. They will answer questions when asked and are polite when they do. Some items are pricey, but not outrageous. They do carry a lot of local handcrafted products, so the higher price point is understandable.
Again, great gift spot for friends who are foodies, gadget-​people or just really in to Madison handcrafted stuff.

Orange Tree Imports is a great place to find a variety of items, from kitchen supplies to knick knacks to artisan-​made jewelry. My favorite things to buy are kitchen tools and earrings! They have so many high quality, reasonably priced kitchen items. I have bought so many– spatulas, wooden spoons, whisks, microplane graters, brushes, cookie sheets, and cake tins. There are always different items on special, making their already competitive prices way better than chain stores like Bed Bath and Beyond. With such a range of items, it’s always easy to find a gift for many special occasions. I highly recommend checking it out!

Yes to the Christmas santas they sell. So cool! Love walking around and checking out all of the gadgets. When you buy a Bucky Book, you usually get a free wooden spoon from this place. Sweet!

Orange tree imports is one of our favorite places to go to look for kitchen gadgets and gifts. We love the fact that it’s an independent store that stocks very unusual items. For years we used this for both family and friends.
But there is a certain attitude of the workers there that is sometimes off-​putting. In several interactions often the employees will spend a fair amount of time talking among themselves before they recognize you as a customer.
Although they can be helpful this snobbish type of attitude can be a deterrent for repeat business. Often we will not go back for a while and then realize why we don’t go that often.
I think orange tree imports would be such a nice place if they would put customer service first.

Orange Tree Imports serves as my inspiration whenever I need to find a gift for someone or am asked what I want as a gift for myself. Excellent selection of kitchenware and gift items (jewelry by local and independent artists, hand-​painted serveware) in a space that is much bigger than it appears from outside. Helpful staff, and the owner herself is often there to offer recommendations!
Some of the products are high end (Le Crueset, All-​Clad) and not usually discounted from retail, but there is a variety of brands and items, so there’s something for every price range. $ 200 roasting pan? Check. $ 10 set of wine stoppers for the oenophile? Check.
Fun chocolate selection too, with a variety of chocolate bars, baking chocolate, and hot cocoa mixes from several different chocolate companies.

Such a fun store! I wish I had more money to invest in the kitchen supplies, WINE accessories (!!!), coffee/​tea chotchkies, and random treats. I picked up so many presents at this store for family and friends. Anybody that knows me, knows that I struggle when it comes to gift giving so this store is a life saver.
I picked up a coconut chocolate bar that lasted me a week because I wanted to really experience it. That right there is unheard of… any chocolate maybe lasts a day with me. They also have Moonstruck which is from my old stomping grounds of Portland, which made me happy. They do have a great selection of local options as well.
I got a Madison mug that has a really artistic bike on it. I have been trying to add to my mug collection and this one was great to represent Madison! I have not been able to find a better and it is not the usual Starbucks city mug, much more personality!
yeah, so, if you want unique, fun and have some time to explore, hit up Orange Tree for shizzle.

Orange Tree Imports is a treasure to explore and although I would love to buy so many items at this store, browsing is such a fun way to spend an hour! The staff are very friendly and they have used or own many of the items they sell, they have high quality products that are functional and beautiful, and I feel that I’m always able to find things at Orange Tree that I can’t find elsewhere! If you are looking for a fun gift, card or to use in your own kitchen/​home, I highly recommend a visit to Orange Tree.

This is a fun place to find different kitchen items and gadgets. They also have a wide array of other items such as children’s toys, jewelry, candles, magnets, specialty foods, lotions, etc.
A friend and I signed up for one of their classes on cooking Middle Eastern food. While it wasn’t quite what we had expected, it was still enjoyable. We thought there would have been more hands on learning. The instructor was engaging and a pleasure to learn from. It was almost torturous not to be able to indulge until the end, I ALMOST felt bad for the customers who were getting free smells but no taste :)
I will probably only sign up for another class if it was something that I was very interested in, as I felt the classes were a little over priced.

I love Orange Tree Imports. This is a really unique place in many aspects. First, they carry a very diverse range of items ranging from kitchen electronics, cutlery, utensils, tea sets, exotic foods, bake ware, creams and moisturizers, shower gels, home decos and toys and gifts for kids. The items they carry works great and are practical to have around the house. I especially like their Japan import section where they bring in cool teapots, sake sets, handmade bowls etc straight from Japan.
It helps that they have a different way in which they run the store. Each group member is assigned a specific section of the store in which they come up with the types of items to carry, how items are displayed and the associated logistics. In that way they can better cater to the needs of the customers and really know what they are looking for. Because of this, if there is something you would like, feel free to let the section manager know and there is a great chance he or she can order it in the next time an order is placed, especially if the item has the potential to be popular.
In addition, they offer great cooking classes here. This is the best part. I look forward to ending work on class days and then heading over to Orange Tree Imports to learn to cook. So far I have tried sandwich bread, miniature sweet treats and truffle making classes. In all of the classes I walked away knowing how something seemingly so difficult and impossible is made easy by the instructor. And I thought: This is something that I can totally do at home!
As you can see I am in love with Orange Tree Imports. As long as you stop by for a visit it is almost impossible not to fall in love with one or more of their stuff.

I would have to agree with previous reviews in that it’s a unique and fun store, but I too have been treated very rudely by employees. Not only do they sometimes look at you and not say hello, but when you go to purchase something they barely acknowledge you then too. I’ve gone back to give them various chances, but they are not exactly warm or inviting unless you are a 50 year old, upper class woman doing some damage. It’s rather unfortunate.

My wife loves this place. I think Capital One may be bribing her… I’m only kidding. I stopped in here on December 23^rd to pick up a few gift cards for a few special women in my life. I was in and out like that. They even gave me some nice envelopes to deliver them in.
Stop here sometime and head over to Pizza Brutta next door.
Great neighborhood and friendly staff makes this a 5 star place in my book.

I left my heart in a Le Creuset pot at Orange Tree Imports.
The double-​decker kitchen supply area is WHERE IT’S AT. It’s impossible for me to browse there and leave sans at least six unnecessary gadgets and four obscure contraptions that I just CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT in my kitchen. Most recent purchases? A tea strainer ball (really, it’s cold out, I need more tea), a ravioli stamp (I’ve been meaning to figure out how to make ravioli for a long time), and a math equations ice cube tray. No excuse for that one.
What I’m trying to say is that OTI is the bee’s knees. It can get expensive, so if you want to save the big bucks and some time, know what you’re looking for before you come. Otherwise, browse to your heart’s content and purchase your kitchen essentials locally! Keep your dollars on Monroe St. and the random culinary doo dads in your kitchen.

Since my first visit to Madison, I’ve loved coming here to quietly browse all the quirky culinary tools and baubles this place has to offer. You will find a wide selection of many interesting items, which makes this place both a joy and adventure to visit. However, this place does have to compete with online and other local stores that have offered similar or the same items at lower price points.
For window shopping or gift shopping, this is often a first stop for me, and it’s a fun place to take out-​of-​town visitors who want to do some local shopping. For items for myself while on a limited budget, I usually look elsewhere.

All you need to master the culinary arts
Far too many hours of my misspent adulthood have been spent wandering the narrow aisles of Orange Tree Imports (OTI). And that’s not a particularly bad thing. I attribute much of my growth as a home cook to the wonderful cooking classes I’ve attended. I also have OTI to thank for my serious addiction kitchen gadgets for which I am in search of a twelve step program. While the store has its idiosyncrasies, it’s a tremendous resource to those Madisonians who practice the home culinary arts.
Things I like:
* I am a HUGE fan of the OTI cooking school. For the cost of a dinner at a nice restaurant, you’ll gain some mad cooking skills, pick up some great recipes, enjoy a scrumptious meal and get a coupon for 10% off most anything in the store. It’s a crazy good value. I’ve taken about 20 classes there over the past five years and enjoyed the overwhelming majority of them. For instructors, OTI uses chefs from local restaurants or OTI staff members. Some of my favorites were the knife skill class taught by Clark Stone of Wusthof, bread baking class with an instructor from Batch Bakehouse, the pizza making class with an instructor from Roman Candle, a quick bread class with Angie Derr from the Creamery Café in Paoli, a dumpling class taught by Jeanne Tentis and anything taught by Francesco Mangano of Osteria Papavero. I’ve also scored some nice swag from attending classes sponsored by vendors like Le Creuset and Chantal.
* I’ve always found the staff eager to offer advice. OTI seems to hire people whose passion is cooking, so they often have personal experience with many of the items sold in the store.
* Selection, selection, selection!!! Cookware, cutlery, kitchen electrics, specialty ingredients, chocolates, coffee and tea brewing supplies, bakeware, cookbooks and gadgets galore — you can find it all at OTI.
Things I don’t
* Finding a parking spot on Monroe Street is a skill that seems to have eluded me.
* OTI can be difficult to navigate when it gets busy since the aisles are so narrow. The store can resemble a rush hour Tokyo subway during the holiday shopping season.
* Their prices are generally higher than what you can find on-​line. I have been able to offset that difference by using the coupons from the cooking school and the quarterly catalog (get on the mailing list!). They also have a customer rewards card that offers additional savings for frequent fliers. I also appreciate the advice I get from the staff and am willing to pay a premium for that.

It’s been over a year since I’ve been here, but before we moved I frequented Orange Tree Imports once a month or so and never experienced the rude service others have experienced. Sometimes I came by to buy some Scharffenberger chocolate for cooking and other chocolate bars to snack on. Other times I looked around for a cute apron, whisk, puzzle or other kid’s item. And then there were times where I had a few (precious) hours to myself and wanted to browse just for fun.
There are so many great food and just neat things here. Yes, they specialize in cooking supplies and ingredients, but I love their kids section. It’s hard to walk away without buying something for my own children or nieces and nephews.
I don’t want to dismiss what other reviews have said about being treated suspiciously, but fortunately for me I have never experienced that (other places, sure, but not Orange Tree Imports). I have also busted out with Bucky Book coupons with nary an eyeroll or scuffaw. I hope that Orange Tree Imports have addressed these issues seriously with its employees because this is a neat boutique that fits in really well on Monroe Street and in Madison.

You could spend hours at Orange Tree… HOURS.
For real.
There are shelves, floors, nooks and crannies packed with an incredible amount of giftable items for anyone and everyone. Kids. Adults. Kids at heart. Orange Tree has it all. I especially love the upstairs collection of cool kitchen appliances and nifty knives. It’s sometimes hard to find someone up there able to help, but zip back down the stairs and let someone know you need assistance and they’ll answer any questions you haven. I know a lot of people gripe that the prices are high when you consider what you’d pay at a big-​box-​er, but those that love to keep it local won’t mind spending a extra bucks to support the little guys this holiday season.
Sign up for their catalogue and you’ll usually find coupons on the back (typicallys $ 10 off a purchase of $ 50).

I remember going here when I was younger and visiting my grandfather. They have lots of chocolates, candy, and rolls and rolls of STICKERS! Remember sticker collecting and trading with your friends? I still have my sticker album– I am an 80s child! :D They have some of my favorite sticker makers, including Mrs. Grossman. They sell all kinds of foodie treats and specialty cookware. It is a bit overpriced, and I have occasionally gotten ‘the hard sell’, but it’s worth a trip for gifts and tchotchkes of all kinds. Also, they sell very high quality chef knives. Yes, it is kind of crowded, but it’s two floors of rather cozy and crowded awesomeness.

Finally got the rude service I’ve read about but refused to believe was true. On a recent visit I was intentionally ignored, nearly shoved out of the way by staff, and overall did not feel welcome. It was very busy when I visited and I understand that employees must have been under a lot of stress (this was before Christmas), but that’s not an excuse for treating me differently than the other shoppers nearby.
I was so unhappy with my visit that I emailed the owner, who, in my opinion, did not handle the matter adequately or professionally. I’m not returning to this establishment and am no longer recommending it to others. Spend your money elsewhere.

Very nice staff.
Nice assortment of merchandise.
Great place to find birthday and holiday gifts.

It’s a fun place if you’re looking to put together a pricey little care-​package.
Lots of cool high-​quality gift-​ty things for the hard to shop for kid or adult.
I usually stop in for their supreme collection of chocolates, local (ahem, Gail Ambrosius) and international. The chocolate and candy selection seems to be constantly changing, so I am constantly sampling. Most recently I tried their new singly-​wrapped spicy 50 cent carmels. oh la la. as sexy and spicy as they are sticky and sweet.