So...Aldi

[vraiblonde]

The closest one to me is 10 miles but since I now have nothing important to do with my time I can make the trip (the whole 10 miles! ). So Sunday I did and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not an enormous fan of off-brands because they're always subpar (unless it's FM or WF store brand) so Aldi won't be my go-to store, but I did find some good bargains. It seems to cater to snackers and people who are cooking-averse - there was a ton of frozen pre-fab stuff that looked interesting until I remembered I can make it myself.

I did get a tub of maple butter, pasture raised eggs, German windmill cookies, and a can of German veggie noodle soup that was pretty good. I can see myself making a monthly trip just to see what they have that I never knew existed.

Some women like to shoe shop or clothes shop - I like to food shop. It's a cheaper hobby and the purchase gets gone instead of hanging in my closet frowning at me because I never wear it.

 

[RoseRed]

I do most of my shopping there. A lot of their store brands I find comparable to National brands;
Bermans mayo = Hellman's
Bermans ketchup = Heinz
Bermans mustard = whatever the national brand is

NO's are:
Onion soup mix is a no compared to Lipton's
Chocolate syrup is a no to Hershey's

The thick cut bacon is excellent.
The cheese selection is great.

 

[Sneakers]

Wednesday is the day they put out new stuff. Different stuff each week, pays to check back. You'll find as you get closer to the holidays, there will be a lot of German-based treats/cakes/etc that are very good. Meats are less expensive and of good quality. You just have to try different things to see if you like them or not.

During the summer they had smoked sweet pickle slices. Sounds weird, but they are delicious. I ground some up to make relish for burgers and dogs.

 

[GURPS]

I'm not an enormous fan of off-brands because they're always subpar

Most of these items are imported from Europe ... quality varies, the ' clone ' chips are good enough, some of the other stuff is really good.

My wife had a chunk of Salmon 2 weeks ago, she reports it was really good.

We get these bagels for our daughter, I enjoy the Nann ... we proqure items I cannot get via Walmart

 

[glhs837]

I concur on the salmon.

 

[RoseRed]

I concur on the salmon.

I buy that on the regular.

Their knock off Golden Grams =

 

[Sneakers]

I like the Amoroso rolls (wish they were a little longer) and the ciabatta squares. They make a great b'fast sandwich. Milk and eggs are far cheaper than anywhere else. I also get their pre-cooked bacon and keep a bunch in the freezer. It's very very thin so most won't like it, but it takes literally 50 seconds in the microwave for crispy bacon.

 

[LJ1999]

I really enjoy just browsing through and picking up odd things to try. I don't do my main shopping there but it is very handy to stop by and pick up veggies or fruit if needed. Much smaller store than Safeway and I can get in and out quicker.

I love their gelato!!!

 

[BadGirl]

I love Aldi. The prices are great, the house brands are generally pretty good, their cheese selection is amazing, and I like the odd things for sale in the "Aisle of Shame". Lidl is better than Aldi, but since we don't have one nearby, Aldi does the trick for me.

 

[lucky_bee]

It seems to cater to snackers and people who are cooking-averse

you say this every time and I don't understand how anyone sees Aldi this way

I cook what feels like 8 outta 7 nights a week and I have an ingredient household! In fact my step sons routinely complained about how I had no food in the house growing up - but by "food" they meant snacks and junk food. I only buy a few snacks for the kids lunches (just enough so they can't binge), but everything else gets made mostly from scratch-ish. All those pre-made meals they offer? I make myself, with Aldi ingredients. Boxed dinners too - stepson asked for hamburger helper but he knows I make it the homemade way. All those fun meals I listed in Sam's meal ideas thread? made from Aldi ingredients But you claimed you don't care for off-brand items, so I'm sure you're just looking right past the majority of what I'm putting in my cart. About 80-90% of my weekly shopping list comes from Aldi, the rest depends on the item. Teeter has more variety in international items, frozen stuff, obscure produce items, variety in herbs, and a few other things. Otherwise I might swing by Walmart.

@RoseRed I agree and I'll add to your list

No's for me are
plain chips (think Lay's type - but their "kettle" salt and vinegar?!...can't keep a bag in my house longer than a few days! )
frozen homestyle meatballs
frozen french fries (although I still keep a bag or two in the freezer for the kids bc they don't give a ### # but my husband and I prefer a different brand not offered there)
olive oil (but I get it from up north anyways bc I'm a snob, unless @Gilligan wants to share next time!)
tortillas - they work in a pinch, but if I know I'm stopping at teeter or wally, there's some better choices I'd prefer)
a few of their cereals, according to my husband BUT he's not supposed to eat them anyways so I buy them for the kids and to keep him from eating. I but their yummy bagel thins and guac for some avocado toast topped with an egg...or smoked salmon and cream cheese if I'm feeling fancy.

I have been annoyed with whoever they've been getting their strawberries from this year, my kiddo is basically a walking strawberry he loves them so much, but theirs go bad within 4-5 days. I still buy them, he still eats them, but only until they go bad. Got a ton at my mom's Aldi in CT for our stay and they lasted us the full 2 weeks

 

[vraiblonde]

you say this every time and I don't understand how anyone sees Aldi this way

I didn't mean that they *only* have junk and prefab, just that there's so much of it in proportion to the real food items. There was meat and produce and pasta and such, but also a whole freezer wall of pot pies and taquitos. And you're right, I did scan past the interior aisles for a familiar brand.

I liked Aldi. I'm already planning how to work it into my regular grocery runs since it's right up the street from Sam's Club.

Off on a tangent:

My grocery shopping has changed a good bit since retirement. I used to go once a week, heading west because that's where Wally, Fresh Market, and Publix are, plus World Market and a bunch of other stores I might stop in. Now I go several times a week and one of those trips might be east into Panama City for the brisket place, Sam's Club, and now Aldi. I don't have a huge list for the week, I pick up a few things at a time depending on what I want to cook/eat. Entertainment shopping, basically.

When I was in Montreal there was a huge market a few blocks away from my rental. Monello and I went almost every day to buy things for that evening's meal. I love shopping like that! It felt very European, but with working toilets.

 

[RoseRed]

you say this every time and I don't understand how anyone sees Aldi this way

I cook what feels like 8 outta 7 nights a week and I have an ingredient household! In fact my step sons routinely complained about how I had no food in the house growing up - but by "food" they meant snacks and junk food. I only buy a few snacks for the kids lunches (just enough so they can't binge), but everything else gets made mostly from scratch-ish. All those pre-made meals they offer? I make myself, with Aldi ingredients. Boxed dinners too - stepson asked for hamburger helper but he knows I make it the homemade way. All those fun meals I listed in Sam's meal ideas thread? made from Aldi ingredients But you claimed you don't care for off-brand items, so I'm sure you're just looking right past the majority of what I'm putting in my cart. About 80-90% of my weekly shopping list comes from Aldi, the rest depends on the item. Teeter has more variety in international items, frozen stuff, obscure produce items, variety in herbs, and a few other things. Otherwise I might swing by Walmart.

@RoseRed I agree and I'll add to your list

No's for me are
plain chips (think Lay's type - but their "kettle" salt and vinegar?!...can't keep a bag in my house longer than a few days! )
frozen homestyle meatballs
frozen french fries (although I still keep a bag or two in the freezer for the kids bc they don't give a ### # but my husband and I prefer a different brand not offered there)
olive oil (but I get it from up north anyways bc I'm a snob, unless @Gilligan wants to share next time!)
tortillas - they work in a pinch, but if I know I'm stopping at teeter or wally, there's some better choices I'd prefer)
a few of their cereals, according to my husband BUT he's not supposed to eat them anyways so I buy them for the kids and to keep him from eating. I but their yummy bagel thins and guac for some avocado toast topped with an egg...or smoked salmon and cream cheese if I'm feeling fancy.

I have been annoyed with whoever they've been getting their strawberries from this year, my kiddo is basically a walking strawberry he loves them so much, but theirs go bad within 4-5 days. I still buy them, he still eats them, but only until they go bad. Got a ton at my mom's Aldi in CT for our stay and they lasted us the full 2 weeks

I agree about the meatball - yuk.

Also add, the crab/lobster ravioli. Double yuk. I actually threw the rest out.

 

[lucky_bee]

I agree about the meatball - yuk.

Also add, the crab/lobster ravioli. Double yuk. I actually threw the rest out.

I was just about to add, some of their pasta isn't worth it either, but also the past few years my tummy has been super picky about cheap pastas and their ingredients, so when I make it I splurge for the higher-end pastas, so that might just be a me-thing. Occasionally I grab their refrigerated cheese tortellini's, but the raviolis were always bland. I don't think I ever grab the frozen stuff, even if it sounds good. I was told by the chefs when I waitressed that those store lobster or crab pastas are stuffed with a tiny bit of real crab/lobster, and the rest with random cheap-ass fish, so I always avoid

 

[RoseRed]

I was just about to add, some of their pasta isn't worth it either, but also the past few years my tummy has been super picky about cheap pastas and their ingredients, so when I make it I splurge for the higher-end pastas, so that might just be a me-thing. Occasionally I grab their refrigerated cheese tortellini's, but the raviolis were always bland. I don't think I ever grab the frozen stuff, even if it sounds good. I was told by the chefs when I waitressed that those store lobster or crab pastas are stuffed with a tiny bit of real crab/lobster, and the rest with random cheap-ass fish, so I always avoid

I couldn't even taste it. All I tasted was the pasta, which I'm not a huge fan of anyway. When I make spaghetti, I make the meat sauce and usually eat it with Texas toast instead of pasta.

 

[RoseRed]

I must add as a definite yes is the shrimp tempura on a stick. I’ll buy those my the boxload!

I also belong to the FB group, a lot of people give their reviews https://www.facebook.com/groups/668881464321714/ ALDI Isle of Shame Community

 

[RoseRed]

@vraiblonde I've also seen kifer there.

 

[Clem72]

you say this every time and I don't understand how anyone sees Aldi this way

I cook what feels like 8 outta 7 nights a week and I have an ingredient household! In fact my step sons routinely complained about how I had no food in the house growing up - but by "food" they meant snacks and junk food. I only buy a few snacks for the kids lunches (just enough so they can't binge), but everything else gets made mostly from scratch-ish. All those pre-made meals they offer? I make myself, with Aldi ingredients. Boxed dinners too - stepson asked for hamburger helper but he knows I make it the homemade way. All those fun meals I listed in Sam's meal ideas thread? made from Aldi ingredients But you claimed you don't care for off-brand items, so I'm sure you're just looking right past the majority of what I'm putting in my cart. About 80-90% of my weekly shopping list comes from Aldi, the rest depends on the item. Teeter has more variety in international items, frozen stuff, obscure produce items, variety in herbs, and a few other things. Otherwise I might swing by Walmart.

@RoseRed I agree and I'll add to your list

No's for me are
plain chips (think Lay's type - but their "kettle" salt and vinegar?!...can't keep a bag in my house longer than a few days! )
frozen homestyle meatballs
frozen french fries (although I still keep a bag or two in the freezer for the kids bc they don't give a ### # but my husband and I prefer a different brand not offered there)
olive oil (but I get it from up north anyways bc I'm a snob, unless @Gilligan wants to share next time!)
tortillas - they work in a pinch, but if I know I'm stopping at teeter or wally, there's some better choices I'd prefer)
a few of their cereals, according to my husband BUT he's not supposed to eat them anyways so I buy them for the kids and to keep him from eating. I but their yummy bagel thins and guac for some avocado toast topped with an egg...or smoked salmon and cream cheese if I'm feeling fancy.

I have been annoyed with whoever they've been getting their strawberries from this year, my kiddo is basically a walking strawberry he loves them so much, but theirs go bad within 4-5 days. I still buy them, he still eats them, but only until they go bad. Got a ton at my mom's Aldi in CT for our stay and they lasted us the full 2 weeks

They have one produce aisle, that's like 8 foot long. One meat counter that also like 8-10ft. Sure, you could find lots of things to cook, but it's a LONG ways away from what a typical grocery has. Instead of 6 types of onions you get 2, red and yellow. Same with potatoes. Lettuce, cabbage, spinach...Maybe?

If you're flexible about what/how you cook it's probably fine. If you're like me and have 5 or 6 things you have cooked the same way for decades it can be frustrating when you can't find one or two ingredients from each.

 

[Kyle]

@vraiblonde I've also seen kifer there.

Sutherland?

 

[RoseRed]

They have one produce aisle, that's like 8 foot long. One meat counter that also like 8-10ft. Sure, you could find lots of things to cook, but it's a LONG ways away from what a typical grocery has. Instead of 6 types of onions you get 2, red and yellow. Same with potatoes. Lettuce, cabbage, spinach...Maybe?

If you're flexible about what/how you cook it's probably fine. If you're like me and have 5 or 6 things you have cooked the same way for decades it can be frustrating when you can't find one or two ingredients from each.

There's a half aisle on the other side.

 

[lucky_bee]

They have one produce aisle, that's like 8 foot long. One meat counter that also like 8-10ft. Sure, you could find lots of things to cook, but it's a LONG ways away from what a typical grocery has. Instead of 6 types of onions you get 2, red and yellow. Same with potatoes. Lettuce, cabbage, spinach...Maybe?

If you're flexible about what/how you cook it's probably fine. If you're like me and have 5 or 6 things you have cooked the same way for decades it can be frustrating when you can't find one or two ingredients from each.

I guess I don't need 4 different types of spinach to choose from? Or onions? yellow or red suite me just fine, I could make dozens of meals that include only those types. I practically birthed a little fruit bat - every average fruit is available - berries, apples, pears, grapes, kiwis, mangos, etc. are in my cart every time. I don't need multiple brands of each to choose from. They have every possible protein choice most need: Italian sausage, HOT Italian sausage, pork chops, pork tenderloins, pork butts, pork ribs, chicken wings-thighs-breasts-roasters, chuck roasts and various steaks, flank steak, ground beef in every %... there's just less in QUANTITY to choose from. I get their fresh salmon weekly - its excellent quality. like 8 different options for bacon...

When I need produce a little more obscure, like specialty peppers, shallots, arugula or dill, I grab that when I run thru Teeter or Walmart - which I have to anyways. I've never been able to shop for 100% of my list all in one place without completely blowing apart my budget, so going to two stores has never bothered me. Grocery shopping doesn't take me hours either just bc I go to 2 places. Maybe that's why Aldi appeals to someone like me so much? I don't need the frills of a million choices. I know what I want and need before I even walk in, my family doesn't care about name brands, but we do care about quality and saving money. My weekly meal menus are anything but bland or boring.

I'm realizing I shop a lot more like a European than an American. Huge grocery stores don't really exist over there and the focus is always on gourmet-like meals from simple ingredients.