January 28, 2010 - 6:19pm
Current flour prices
Hi,
Those of us in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii think we're pretty much at the end of the road as far as purchasing things is concerned. So I'm just curious as to what typical flour prices are for, for example Gold Medal unbleached white, whole wheat and "Just For Bread"? I just bought some of all three on an in-store special for $3.50/5 lbs which is pretty cheap for here.
aloha,
Dave Hurd, Hilo, Hawaii
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In the Atlanta, Ga area, Gold Medal bread flour goes for about $2.59 for 5# at Walmart and I believe about $2.79 at Kroger. These are both regular prices.
Here, I use White Lily bread flour which runs $2.24 - $2.59 for 5#, last I checked. It is a very good bread flour. I say last I checked because around last Thanksgiving, I bought about 11 bags on sale for $1.49 each.
Aloha, David.
I recently picked up six five-pound bags of Gold Medal Better for Bread four at $1.78 a bag. I use this flour exclusively to refresh my sourdough, so am good to go for a while. It was on sale at our local WalMart. The "normal" price is about $2.68.
KA bread flour is 3.68, KA AP, $3.99 when not on sale.
I make it a point to check the flour section each time I visited a market, as what's on sale is not always advertised.
Flour may be cheaper here, but your weather on the BI is much better!
When the prices started climbing (and I couldn't buy enough at Christmas prices to last much past April baking) I started buying flour in 25 lb bags at Sam's. The price is half that per pound of grocery store prices.
I repackage the flour in one gallon zip lock bags, and label as to whether it's all purpose or bread flour.
I worry about the age of some flour in grocery stores as so many people no longer cook from scratch that it may have sat there for a long time. I've watched the flour at Sam's and it goes quickly from pallet to new pallet.
If you have a Restaurant Depot near you. They usually sell only wholesale you need a Business permit or tax ID. However I just joined "Kansas City Barbeque Society" they have a free membership to Restaurant Depot if you join only about $30 per year. All sorts of bulk and smaller items
Here are some NYC prices:
Fairway Market @ 74th and Bway
Gold Medal Unbleached AP: $2.00 for 5lbs (sale)
Gold Medal Bread Flour: $3.39 for 5lbs
Gold Medal WW Flour: $3.39 for 5lbs
Arrowhead Mills Organic Rye Flour: $2.99 for 1 lb, 14 oz
Westside Market @ Bway & W 110th St.
Hecker's Unbleached All Purpose Flour: $2.99 for 5lbs
Valente's Bakery Supply, Maspeth, NY
King Arthur Bread Flour: $18.00 for 50lbs (They will sell to you for cash. They have strange hours though) Will Slick let me know about these guys...
DeCarlo's Food Distributor, Holbrook Long Island. Has a cash and carry, 50 pound bag of All Trumps Hi Glutin Flour about $17
Thanks everyone for their input and suggestions. Geez, who knew we had almost the same prices as The City? Our KA flour is proportionately higher, generally running $6-7 for a 5 lb bag.
There is a Costco on the other side of the island - read 200+ mile round trip - that my younger daughter belongs to and some baker friends have been looking at as well. I'll look into that in more detail.
Hilo has a WalMart, a Safeway and an island-wide supermarket chain called KTA. There are several Natural/Whole food stores who've said they'd sell larger amounts to me. Lots more homework to do...
aloha,
Dave Hurd, Hilo, HI
All I've been able to find at Costco (Tucson, Albuquerque, and ElPaso) is bleached restaurantstyle flour - got all excited about the price (less than half of KA unbleached AP and Bread flours) unitl i realized it was bleached....Sadder still, I didn't realize it was bleached until I got it (25#'s of each) home - gotta READ the label!!