By the Pound — Attraction in Ann Arbor

This place is like Willy Wonka's factory but for bulk stores! Such a magical place. In order to properly rave about this place I will break down the reasons why I adore this place:

The incredible selection of everything: For a relatively small store they have a super vast spice selection which is perfect for our family since we make lots of Korean and Indian food. They have all sorts of grains and legumes and noodles (including Asian varieties!) too and oh the delicious tea and coffee selection! They have lots of liquids bulk goods like maple syrup and vinegars and oils and soy sauce and vanilla extract. I also appreciate how they've got a bunch of imported goods from the United Kingdom like PG Tips and Heinz canned beans. They also have local eggs and cheeses and ice creams and frozen produce. Recently they've got lots of new candies too from M&Ms to salmiakki. They've got it all!

Freedom in quantity and bulk good receptacle: You can bring your own containers which I really appreciate or use their bags or purchase their beautiful but reasonably priced containers. People also leave clean containers you can use for free too. I'm grateful that By the Pound I can come in to get just a teaspoon of dried sage but also get 4 pounds of green lentils. No pressure to get a while containers worth so you don't have to worry about wasting food or having an awkward bulky container of an herb you use just a teaspoon of then feel bad that you don't want to use more.

Good hygiene good atmosphere and good people: The store is very clean and organized and they do good quality control to make sure customers don't dirty any of the goods. The store is always playing gentle classical music and has cute antiques decorating the space. Glenn the owner is so sweet and helpful and the other folks working at the store go above and beyond with helping finding things and making your shopping experience superb.

I go to By the Pound every week and there's always a new delight to be found. Please check out this Ann Arbor institution with your favorite jars and...

Zero Wasters! SHOP HERE!

The last year I've been trying to make the switch into a mostly zero waste lifestyle -and one of the main switches you can make is switching a majority of your shopping to a bulk store. I've been to a lot of places that sell bulk in Southeast Michigan now - this place is my favorite. Every couple of months I will go out of my way to make a trip out to Ann Arbor to shop at By the Pound. They have the best prices, the best selection, and the most convenient shopping.

First of all - bring in your own containers!! They do offer plastic bags for you but come on - isn't that the point of bulk shopping - to not have to have all that extra packaging?? You can have your containers weighed at the counter before you start so you don't have to pay extra for the weight of your containers - and then you're off!

They have the best selections of spices and grains out of any bulk store. I love the Israeli style couscous and pastas they offer - things you don't usually find in bulk! They have oils, vinegars, and honey available as well to put in your own bottles. You can get multiple kinds of flour, sugars, chocolates, dried fruits, coffee, granola, oats, nuts, the list goes on. I'm not kidding. They carry like six different kinds of lentils. Four different kinds of oats. It's awesome.

I mean of course there's candy like other bulk stores - but there's so much more to bulk than just candy! I would highly suggest you grab some old jam and pickle jars and stop at By the Pound before running off to the local Meijer - you'd be impressed with how much...

This is a true local gem to find a huge variety of dry goods! Over a dozen different types of flour (cake, bread, whole wheat, grain mixtures, local, etc.) scads of spices, nuts, dried fruit, excellent candy and chocolate section, a huge variety of teas, snacks, grains, beans and probably a lot more that I can't think of off the top of my head. It's very handy to be able to buy just the amount you need, especially for a new recipe that only calls for one cup or one teaspoon of something. There are some boxed goods and a small refrigerator case for dairy and eggs, but most of the food is sold true to the name "by the pound". The staff are very friendly and helpful.

My favorite perk of shopping here is that you can bring your own containers and weigh them when you arrive and write town the tares so when you check out you're only paying for the weight of the food, and you don't have to use up the disposable bags they offer. They also have jars and other containers for sale if you don't yet...