Institute of Domestic Technology

From learning how to create your own signature bitters to coffee 101, pie making, bread or… THEY are the BEST. Super fun to hang out at the classes given in the kitchen or speakeasy at Greystone Mansion. Great to give a class as a gift.

I’ve wanted to see Greystone for a while so I figured a cooking class about coffee would actually get me there. Now I’m hooked! I took the Brewing 101 coffee class and although it was HOT in the classroom (why no air people?) I had a wonderful time. I left knowing how to make a perfect cup of pour over joe as well as a 100% homemade white russian to die for. I’m excited to take another class there and will most certainly arrive early next time to tour the grounds.

I took the Foodcrafting 101 class at the Zane Grey estate in Altadena last weekend. I saw the profile of this cooking school in the Martha Stewart magazine earlier this year and once I looked it up online I knew I had to take a class. They have some very interesting classes, and if it wasn’t for the price point I would love to try them all!
We made bread dough, strawberry rhubarb jam with balsamic and pepper, ricotta cheese and mustard that we flavored ourselves. The instructors are really great and helpful, and I learned a lot about the basics of cooking some of these standards.
I baked the bread the next day at home and it tastes amazing!
I was a little afraid to go solo, thinking everyone else would be in groups, but that was not the case at all. There were some couples, a few sets of friends, but a lot of people came on their own. So don’t be afraid– just go and you might even make a new friend!
They served coffee, tea and scones in the morning and a really great lunch of vegetarian lasagna and salad, plus incredibly delicious warm chocolate chip cookies. In other words, you are very well fed throughout the day and go home with a full belly and all of the treats you made in class.
Plus, there are goats on the property, as it is a dairy farm. Any time I get to get up close and personal with goats it is a win in my book!

I’m more of a baker than a cook, so I’d been waiting a while for the Institute to offer a class at Greystone that I could actually use. Pie Crust 101 was a great introduction. I loved the location and the fact that you get to not just see but actually work in a part of the mansion that’s always been off-​limits at other events I’ve attended there.
The instructor was extremely knowledgeable and very generous with her one-​on-​one time when any of us had trouble. It really felt like we were learning the very best techniques and would truly be able to crack the nut that is perfect pie crust. And I liked that we left with one of each type of crust, plus a tummy full of sample pies prepared by the instructor!
My only complaints are more about the administration of the class by the IDT, not the instruction. Despite the fact that we were up to our elbows in flour, we were not offered aprons or even told to bring them when we signed up. For a weeknight class, when almost all the participants are coming straight from work in their nice clothes, this was a bit disappointing. In fact, we received NO information prior to the class at all – what to bring, directions, parking instructions– just a PayPal receipt. I was also baffled by the lack of soap for washing our hands in the kitchen before, during and after class. Seems like a no-​brainer.
I love what the Institute of Domestic Technology is going for, and I think with a little more attention to detail, these classes could be perfect.

I went to the Cocktail Crafting class at Greystone Mansion. I went with a few girlfriends and we had a great time. We made our own bitters, learned about making liqueurs, and made our own cocktails at the end. Our instructor Daniel was fun and charismatic. The location at Greystone Mansion was amazing. We loved mixing in the old speakeasy located in the mansion and exploring the grounds before class begun. Class was $ 95. It was worth it and I highly recommend it to everyone that loves to learn how to make food and drinks. I would love to take another class with the Institute in the future.