We all have our quirks and mine is a love of juice. But not just any juice, I have a refined palate when it comes to them. I prefer juice that is straight up veg, no additives. I want to consciously be a healthy eater but I suck at it. I’m lazy. I wish I could eat 5 servings of fruit a day but I don’t get that hungry. So I like my fruit and veg to be convenient, hence juice form. 

Back in the US I had gotten into Suja, but they don’t have Suja in France. What they do have are an abundance of are juice bars. Unfortunately one can’t just show up at a restaurant these days.

Ironically I started dating a guy who loves juice as much as I do. It wasn’t exactly kismet, I dated his twin brother years ago, his brother and I stayed friends, and I we met him through him. He’s actually made a business out of it. Cold pressed juices to be exact. His business is popular, and finding a soulmate who also loves juice as much as I do taught me to stop being lazy. So I finally decided my daily juice bill was way too high and I needed to just bite the bullet and purchase a juicer. 

In America buying stuff is easy. I go on Amazon and Prime delivers it the next day. If Amazon doesn’t carry it, I Google “best juicer”, search for the one with good reviews, and order it. If not that then I go to the store. I just feel like America makes shopping so easy. I don’t quite have that same experience in France. Things are not as easy to come by. 

The weird thing about Paris is that it accommodates it’s tourist culture. Almost to the point of laziness. You don’t have to speak French because everyone speaks English. You don’t have to worry about making a home because it’s all taken care of for you (furnished). You don’t really need to think about things like “what is the best juicer” and “where can I buy it” because you can walk down the street and find a place that sells it.

But let’s say you decide to end up staying, then you’re screwed because you don’t know how to find everyday common things. When you come to Paris you don’t need to think about any of that. Everything right down to the spoon is already there for you. When it comes time to find stuff you’re scrambling to an IKEA because you know that at least you’ll be able to find something there. It’s only after you live in Paris for a while that you begin to learn how to buy things, what brands are for what, and what stores you need to go to if you’re ever in need of a microwave.

Enter Boulanger, FNAC, and Darty. If like me you read Boulanger and thought bread you’d be wrong. Boulanger is a home electronics store. No idea why they chose that name. Darty and FNAC are too. Think of them like Best Buy. 

Darty and FNAC are a bit different from Boulanger. At least from the ones I’ve been in, in Paris. Darty and FNAC are usually in very large spaces in Paris so there are many levels to browse through. FNAC sells electronics, but also books, movies, music, games, wrapping paper, cell phones, SIM cards, and tickets. The one on Rennes even has a Uniqlo. They’re pretty big stores. 

The Boulanger I used to visit in the 16th was much smaller and looked more “appliances” to me. I went in to buy a kettle and a toaster, but ended up getting it at Monoprix Home in Passy because Monoprix was cheaper. If you happen to have a Monoprix Home be aware that you can get stuff there too.

There are also specialty stores you need to shop in if let’s say you want a more expensive brand. For instance Miele has stores throughout Paris. Gaggenau and Bulthaup also need to be purchased at their respective stores. But most people aren’t seeking 5,000€ ovens so this article isn’t for that. 

I mention these stores because not every Paris apartment comes with everything you need. And France isn’t America. You can’t just Amazon Prime a juicer and have it there the next day. You can’t stroll into Walmart at 2am when you have a hankering in the middle of the night. Sometimes you realize you need an electric kettle and you gotta go out and buy it. From now on look for Darty, FNAC, or Boulanger. They have everything you’ll need.