Fun Food Experiences for Everyone
Food classes and culinary experiences are expensive. In Portland, we live in an incredible food mecca with all the fancy ingredients that don’t live in our cupboards. Sure, it’s cool to learn to make Sushi or take a course on knife skills so you can turn a radish into a piece of art. All of this fun comes with a sizable price tag and skills that aren’t practical for the home cook.
Save yourself upwards of $100 per class by indulging in these free and cheap cooking classes, food tours and tastings in Portland.
In this list below we’re focusing on fun food-themed events that are mostly free, including cooking classes, recipe demonstrations, food tours, and food tastings.
Food Classes and Demonstrations
Basics Market
This grocery store’s free cooking and nutrition classes are all about empowering the everyday home cook. This boutique grocery store has a Nutrition Classroom and Basics Discovery Kitchen on site where their team of culinary teachers and nutritionists offer multiple classes a day. You’ll get helpful advice and know-how for making delicious, nutritious meals at home. They also have an extensive recipe library.
For upcoming classes and nutrition talks, view the Basics Market event calendar.
Basics Market locations:
Tualatin, OR
Williams Sonoma
The home goods company offers technique classes on select days and locations during the month. Culinary specialists at the store will demonstrate techniques and tips to help you cook. Classes for a fee usually include a gift, such as a book, cooking tool or store credit. There are also free one-hour classes to showcase tools and techniques.
For a list of upcoming cooking classes, check out the Williams-Sonoma Techniques Classes page.
Williams Sonoma locations:
338 NW 23rd Ave.
Portland, OR
9367 SW Washington Square Rd.
Tigard, OR
New Seasons Market
New Seasons locations throughout the Portland metro host events that follow local trends and the seasons bounty. Stop in for free cooking talks, tastings and services. Whether it is sampling the pick of the harvest and meeting with local vendors or getting your knives sharpened for $5, there’s almost always something happening at a New Seasons near you.
To see what’s coming up, view their events calendar.
Food Tours and Tastings
Brewery Tours
The brewery scene in Portland is huge, but it doesn’t mean you have to do an all-out bar crawl in order to appreciate our local craft brewers. If you really want to appreciate Portland brew culture, go to a brewery tour. Most of them are completely free and include tastings. These nine local breweries offer tours on specific days and times every week.
Make sure you wear closed toed shoes and show up early.
Find an upcoming brewery tour.
Bob’s Red Mill
The headquarters of this whole grains food market is located just south of Portland in Milwaukie. They offer free guided tours Monday through Friday beginning at 10 a.m. Learn about the wonderful world of stone grinding whole grains on a free guided tour of the BRM manufacturing facility. Tours last about 75 minutes and everyone who joins gets a free sample to take home.
To book your spot, email at Tours@BobsRedMill.com.
BRM location:
13521 SE Pheasant Ct.
Milwaukie, OR
Stumptown Coffee
Portland’s premier coffee company hosts weekly tastings. These events are promoted as fun and educational experiences that last an hour to a full 90 minutes. Tastings are held every Friday at 2 p.m. at the Stumptown HQ. Simply click the “sign up now” link under the location to RSVP. Tastings are free.
They also host events called “cuppings,” which is basically like a wine tasting, but for coffee lovers. These last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. These events happen daily and weekly, depending on the Stumptown location. Walk ins are welcome and you are free to attend.
For upcoming tasting events, check out Stumptown’s web page.
Stumptown Coffee locations:
Stumptown HQ
100 SE Salmon St.
Portland, OR
4525 SE Division St.
Portland, OR
3356 SE Belmont St.
Portland, OR
1026 SW Harvey Milk St.
Portland, OR
128 SW 3rd Ave.
Portland, OR
416 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR
Smith Teamaker
Every Friday at 2 p.m., you can take a tour of the Smith Teamaker factory. The 45 minute tour takes you through all aspects of sourcing, blending and producing the world’s finest teas. Tours are $10 per person and include a complimentary tea tasting. Book your tour online.
110 SE Washington St.
Portland, OR
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