(10 Beans) - Kiva Gourmet Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans - Non-GMO, Raw, Vegan

These beans are soft and pliable and have a great vanilla smell. They are a good size, maybe a little thin, had to use a few more than I thought I would have had to in order to make what I was making but it wasn't a big problem. I will know more about the potency when I get the vanilla extract made. The packaging was really good, no air could get in at all to dry them out. They are much better quality than anything I can get where I live so I am very likely to order again when I need them.

I have never bought vanilla beans before. With that said, are they supposed to stink? I made ice cream with these (well only one bean, obviously), and the pod smells terrible, but mixing the inside of the bean into the cream tasted good until the aftertaste kicked in. It tasted like the nasty smell. I don't get it. Is this just the 'bourbon' vanilla? Am I missing an inside joke? Should I be using a different vanilla pod?

I received 2 sealed plastic packages like the item picture, one containing 5 beans, the other containing 6 beans (bonus!). The packaging is a thick plastic that is resealable, like a sandwich bag. I used all of my beans at once to make vanilla extract, so I don't know how they stand up to storage in the bag. The beans were plump and slightly oily, with a rich, almost overpowering scent of vanilla. My extract won't be ready until Yule, so I'll have to remember to come back to update my review if the final taste test is unsatisfactory.

these are great! i use these for my vanilla extract. i started the extract about 2 1/2 years ago and the stuff just gets better and better. I use these to add to the extract as I add more vodka to the blend. I will NEVER by vanilla extract again and people always compliment the dishes I use it in. these vanilla beans are moist and smell wonderful and i can't beat the price at the grocery store (where you get like 2 beans for $11!!).

The product itself was great! Slightly expensive, but I think it was worth it. The only problem I had is that my order was very, very late. Ended upalmost asking for refund.. simply because I had no idea if they were ever going to arrive!

I won't know for 8 weeks whether I like the vanilla that I made with the beans. I do like the size, smell, and condition of the beans as well as the packaging.

These beans smell amazing! However the taste is not as strong as I'd like them to be. They are good, just have to use a lot of them.

Made my own vanilla to bake with. So know it is real and fresh