Our RITZ® Royale line of kitchen products is one of our most beloved lines and has been around a very long time. We received this lovely email last month from a loyal RITZ® customer and enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane. Read on for more!
Dear John Ritzenthaler,
Back around 1988, I bought 4 terry cloth pot holders from the new, expanded Dean & DeLuca store on Broadway in Soho, Manhattan.
I don’t recall where they were made or by what company, but they were fantastic. Pockets to protect the hands, thick and dense terry cloth so heat didn’t go through. We still have 2, a bit threadbare but still useable after 33 years. And we cook a lot, our potholders don’t sit unused in some drawer.
J.H.’s original RITZ® Royale Pocket Mitts from 1988.
We’ve purchased or been given many other potholders over the years, but none were as good. And Dean & DeLuca long ago changed and finally went out of business. I’ve searched everywhere to find some like the original but without luck… until last Friday on Amazon I found some potholders that appeared to be similar here. I ordered 4.
The current RITZ® Royale Pocket Mitts that can be found on Amazon.
They are identical, even the size!
I really can’t believe something this good is still being made after 33 years. I’ve ordered them as gifts for friends and relatives and told them to spread the word.
I now know who made them.
Thank you!
J.H.
We got to speak with J.H. for a delightful follow-up interview.
Background
J.H. is 82 and was born in Manhattan, NY, but lives in Garrison, NY now. He has lived in the Middle East and Paris and is retired from being an Art Director. He emailed us about how happy he was to find our RITZ Royale Pocket Mitts online to replace his mitts that he purchased 33 years ago!
How did you first hear about RITZ?
“Back around 1988, I bought four terry cloth pot holders from the new, expanded Dean & DeLuca store on Broadway in Soho, Manhattan. It’s since shut down, but they had mostly food and stuff and in the back, they had kitchen stuff.”
What do you like most about RITZ Products?
He has a serious kitchen and loves to cook with his wife. They have a six-burner range and two refrigerators. They are always looking for absorbent, large towels that last!
The RITZ Royale Pocket Mitts were the first RITZ products he ever purchased (and the only RITZ® products to his knowledge). His wife and him cook a lot and they used them daily and were shocked by the quality.
“They are TERRIFIC pot holders – such good insulation and they never wore out. That’s unusual! In this day and age, you don’t make a product that doesn’t wear out because then you don’t have a business!”
Do you like shopping online for kitchen accessories?
He said that he shops online for just about everything these days. He mainly shops on Amazon, but has purchased kitchen items from Bed, Bath & Beyond as well. He was so happy to see his favorite pocket mitts available on Amazon after such a long time.
We were so happy to get such a thoughtful email like this and we’d love to hear about your favorite RITZ® product and where you purchased it. Email: info@johnritz.com and let us know!
If you’d like to try our RITZ® Royale Pocket Mitts out for yourself, you can purchase them on Amazon here.
