Aldi Markets??

[DMurray]

After seeing their commercials on TV, DH and I made a little trip to our local Aldi market today (about 30 mi away). I was not impressed. The selection was very limited, the prices weren't that great and it was poorly organized. There were quite a few people shopping there despite the fact that there are a couple large chain grocery stores nearby . . .what am I missing?
Deb

[GayeC]

I can't get excited about Aldi either, but I know people who love it.

[Kathy B]

There was a thread not too long ago about what items people bought at Aldi's. Some things are a very good deal, others not so much. Also, some of their items are very good quality. I go there for specific things, but sometimes find other items as well.

For one thing, the last time I was there, milk was almost $1 per gallon cheaper than my regular store. And the Aldi's brand was labeled guaranteed hormone free. Granulated sugar is only slightly less than my regular store, but the Aldi's bag is 5 pounds as opposed to 4 pounds at my store, so it ends up being quite a bit less.

I like their ground turkey, and some of the frozen fish I have tried is quite good. Frozen berries for smoothies are also very reasonable.

I do think there are differences between Aldi's regarding organization, cleanliness, etc, but I am happy with the one I shop at. It is not conveniently located for me, but I will continue to trek over there on a regular basis for the things I need. It is worth it to me.

[hlao23]

I posted suggestions on the other Aldi's thread. I use Aldi's to stock up on canned goods mostly but there are a handful of other things I buy there fairly regularly.

[funniegrrl]

The selection was very limited, the prices weren't that great and it was poorly organized.

That's sort of the point ... it's not intended to be one-stop shopping for all your needs. It's no-frills and sort of a treasure hunt, not a "supermarket." I'm surprised you think the prices at your other groceries are comparable, that's not the case in my area.

[hlao23]

I'm surprised you think the prices at your other groceries are comparable, that's not the case in my area.

That's true here too. I can get a cart overflowing at Aldi's for around $50. No chance of that happening at other grocery stores.

[wallycat]

I agree with everything said...
I buy their Mayo, which is EXACTLY the same ingredients as Hellman's, but hellman's costs almost $4.00 or more here while Aldi's charges 1.79.

Diced tomatoes are about 49cents/can at aldi's and over $1.00 at the grocery store.
Cream cheese, 79cents versus 1.29

Winking owl is better than $3.00 buck chuck at trader joes and it is 2.99 (this is not a WOW wine, but good enough to cook with and drink).

I thought I was a purist for coffee and decided to give theirs a try (2.99 for 12 oz)..I wasn't crazy it was preground but figured why not. I am very impressed. It is better than some of the high end stuff I was buying.

Velveeta cheese is almost $5.00 and they sell a similar product for 3.29.

Yes, you have to pick and choose. Some of their products have icky ingredients; others are better than the grocery store here.

[hlao23]

I thought I was a purist for coffee and decided to give theirs a try (2.99 for 12 oz)..I wasn't crazy it was preground but figured why not. I am very impressed. It is better than some of the high end stuff I was buying.

I love their Costa Rican coffee. :)

[heavy hedonist]

That's sort of the point ... it's not intended to be one-stop shopping for all your needs. It's no-frills and sort of a treasure hunt, not a "supermarket." I'm surprised you think the prices at your other groceries are comparable, that's not the case in my area.

mine either. the staples and cheeses and some of the condiments are good quality rock-bottom prices. i'd love to do one stop shopping, but i just can't afford to eat if i do. period.

[kaffee]

I love Aldi! But okay, I am shopping Aldi in Germany!!! Here it is a truly different shopping experience. However, when I am in the States, I find that there are some really great deals to be found. For the most of you that post here, it is definitely not going to be one stop shopping, but is worth the side trip to buy fresh mozarrella for $2.99.( which may sound like a great price,but I usually pay about $.80 for a large ball! )The German Roasted coffee is pretty delicious and competitively priced.

[vabelle35]

They opened 2 Aldi's in my town and I went to check it out.

I just don't get it I guess.

I'm a brand specific person, which is probably why it doesn't appeal to me.

I also like to get all of my stuff in one place. I know people don't mind going to 7 different stores to get all of their stuff, but I prefer to get it all in once place.

They also just opened a Super Walmart here last week. The grocery store staples are good prices but I don't go to Walmart often enough to make a weekly trip, so I would stock up when I do go.

We have Wegmans here, so the prices are good and the choices are excellent.

[heavy hedonist]

We have Wegmans here, so the prices are good and the choices are excellent.

See, I love Wegman's, but they have the highest produce prices in our area, not to mention that flour, sugar and butter are only doable there when they're on sale. Not to be a pain, but when i say must, i mean must. i must get my staples at lower prices even if it means waiting a week and going to a different store-- it's not a choice, it's necessity. we can't eat enough to live on otherwise. not real food instead of cheap ramen soup. choice is for people who can afford it, these days. and i am glad for all who can, but... for me 30 cents more per item is a difference i don't have to spend.
as for brands,well, that is something that an Aldi's shopper susses out over time-- they have different brands there, but many of them are excellent, despite the fact that millions of advertising dollars don't get spent to pump them into our consciousness. if you don't try it 'cause you don't now the name, you'll miss out. label reading is essential to learnig that, i guess. many of aldi's products are wholegrained, or use less chemical junk and sweeteners, than the prime brands. some have just as much.

[beacooker]

they have different brands there, but many of them are excellent, despite the fact that millions of advertising dollars don't get spent to pump them into our consciousness. if you don't try it 'cause you don't now the name, you'll miss out.

See, so far my experience with Aldi hasn't been that great. We do go on a regular basis to get milk (about $1 cheaper a gallon than anywhere else), but most everything else we have tried have been misses. For example, on the last Aldi thread, someone said they swore the Aldi's mayo was the same as Hellman's, so we gave that a try - blech. It was terrible. Its gotten so whenever we feed the kids something they don't like, their first question is 'Did you get this at Aldi's?' :D

I did find that they have decent quick cooking oats for a good price, so that is one item they have I am happy with.

[wallycat]

I get the blue label in the jar and I've compared the ingredients.
I'm surprised they don't taste similar.
I won't go back to Hellmans now.

[vabelle35]

I have heard that you have to try everything at Aldi's. To me, I don't want to waste money buying stuff that isn't good because I won't eat it if it's not good so I'd end up tossing it which is a waste of money.

For produce, I don't care what it costs as long as it's good quality. This summer, people in my gym were raving that cherries were 99 cents a lb at this new international grocery store that opened. First of all, 3 days into its opening the place smelled of rotting food. 3 days! The cherries were tiny and had no taste. Yes, Wegmans cherries were $3.99 a lb but they had flavor.

[vbak]

Hi, Kaffee!:) I am looking forward to our grocery store tours in December! No :rolleyes:

Love ya!:D

I do buy a few things there-coffee, German wine and beer, flour and sugar, peanut butter, butter, yogurt, and a few other things. I once bought some frozen fish there[breaded] that only had to go in the oven. When I saw that it was a product of China, my stomach started churning, and I couldn't eat it.

[TheodoraDavid]

I agree with everything said...
I buy their Mayo, which is EXACTLY the same ingredients as Hellman's, but hellman's costs almost $4.00 or more here while Aldi's charges 1.79.

Diced tomatoes are about 49cents/can at aldi's and over $1.00 at the grocery store.
Cream cheese, 79cents versus 1.29

Winking owl is better than $3.00 buck chuck at trader joes and it is 2.99 (this is not a WOW wine, but good enough to cook with and drink).

I thought I was a purist for coffee and decided to give theirs a try (2.99 for 12 oz)..I wasn't crazy it was preground but figured why not. I am very impressed. It is better than some of the high end stuff I was buying.

Velveeta cheese is almost $5.00 and they sell a similar product for 3.29.

Yes, you have to pick and choose. Some of their products have icky ingredients; others are better than the grocery store here.

What she said. I've been shopping there for 10 years. Mind you, it's a twice-a-month run. They have the lowest prices on milk and eggs, far and away. I also stock up on their "Fit & Active" dried fruits. Best prices on almonds, pecans and walnuts also, as well as sugar and certain other baking needs.

They carry a wicked small line of stuff like marinated artichoke hearts, also low $$. And I agree about the coffee; I only drink decaf, and theirs is ok by me.

A lot of the stuff in the store I wouldn't touch, but it comes down to the same thing always. You have to read labels.

----> They also carry some of the best chocolate I've ever eaten, I forget the name, but it's a major motivator to get me over there. It's made in Austria. It is creamy, luscious, and to die for -- esp. the white chocolate + mocha combo. and CHEAP!!! I've been known to stop by just for the chocolate. :D

[heavy hedonist]

----> They also carry some of the best chocolate I've ever eaten, I forget the name, but it's a major motivator to get me over there. It's made in Austria. It is creamy, luscious, and to die for -- esp. the white chocolate + mocha combo. and CHEAP!!! I've been known to stop by just for the chocolate. :D

the mosel roth, right? i used that and their excellent morello cherry jam last year when i made Nigella's Chocolate cherry cupcakes a couple times-- definitely as good as when i used ghirardelli.

[granolagirl]

I have heard that you have to try everything at Aldi's. To me, I don't want to waste money buying stuff that isn't good because I won't eat it if it's not good so I'd end up tossing it which is a waste of money.

Aldi will give you your money back if you don't like something--just like Trader Joe's.

I go to Aldi occasionally. Love their produce specials--.99/lb strawberries, .39 bananas, .99 blueberries, etc. Most of their stuff I can get at my regular grocery store for a similar price, so I don't tend to buy a lot there. Everything I have tried has been very good. I like their paper towels, too. And I've heard good things about their line of skincare products--Lacura.

[heavy hedonist]

Aldi will give you your money back if you don't like something--just like Trader Joe's.

I go to Aldi occasionally. Love their produce specials--.99/lb strawberries, .39 bananas, .99 blueberries, etc. Most of their stuff I can get at my regular grocery store for a similar price, so I don't tend to buy a lot there. Everything I have tried has been very good. I like their paper towels, too. And I've heard good things about their line of skincare products--Lacura.

i tried one of the new mascaras there, and made it a real trial by choosing a waterproof one; i've always been too sensitive for most waterproofs. it works, it has good coverage-- the brush is odd, being equally thick at the top as at the bottom, but it's not hard to use... well, i'm a makeup artist so not much is hard for me to use, but aside from looking strange, the brush had no eccentricities! it wears well, too.

[crackers]

Stopped at my Aldi's today (I'm in the "love 'em" camp!) to see if they still had canned pumpkin, but alas! no luck.

They DID have plenty of bags of fresh cranberries, however, for 99 cents! What's not to like about that? :D

Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up on this!

[vbak]

Cranberries at my local Aldi's are $.89! Fresh pineapple is $1.49. and celery is $.59. I bought some chunk white tuna last week for $.49 a can, and it is WAY better than the national brands. I also bought some Fit and Active mayo[$1.89], but I haven't opened it yet because I have some of the national brand in the fridge.

When my kids were in college and living off campus, we would go to Aldi's when they came home for a week-end and stock up. They were amazed that an overflowing cart would would only add up to $50.00 or less.

[Rae]

I've only shopped there once, and just bought a couple of things. I did buy the Winking Owl wine and will definitely stop for more! I usually buy $20 box wine for everyday, and I like the Winking Owl better than the brands I usually buy. Though I do really like the convenience of the box for everyday.

I also bought some frozen wild caught Alaskan salmon that I haven't tried yet, but if it's good, I'm stocking up because the price was amazing!

[heavy hedonist]

i tried one of the new mascaras there, and made it a real trial by choosing a waterproof one; i've always been too sensitive for most waterproofs. it works, it has good coverage-- the brush is odd, being equally thick at the top as at the bottom, but it's not hard to use... well, i'm a makeup artist so not much is hard for me to use, but aside from looking strange, the brush had no eccentricities! it wears well, too.

meant to add-- i did try a Lacura moisturizer, Q10 everyday. it's a thick cream, non-greasy but rich though it absorbs perfectly-- unfortunately it has a strong floral scent to it. i am not a fan of having scents on or near my face, and i have to watch my out for my lungs extra carefully, so this cream, while it does az good job, is not one i will buy again. but at 4.99 a jar, and decent ingredients, you can't fault it otherwise.

[RiverFarm]

I checked our local one out today because of the discussions here, and while it looks like it has some very good deals, they have no organic products. I did buy a pineapple for 99 cents, and some sugar for holiday baking, but otherwise there wasn't much there for me. I'm going to tell my DIL about it, though, because she doesn't insist on organic and you can obviously save some real money there!

[sapphirestar]

I love Aldi! But okay, I am shopping Aldi in Germany!!! Here it is a truly different shopping experience. \.

Oh, I miss Aldi's in Germany! We stayed in Germany for a month a few years ago and that was the first place we ever experienced Aldi's, and there was some really good stuff there. Grocery shopping in another country where you don't speak the language is pretty interesting!

Now Aldi's has come to Minneapolis, and I do go there every few weeks for certain things. The produce is iffy, sometimes very good with great prices, and other times it looks sad. Shredded cheeses are a good deal, as well as frozen fish. And I like their "healthy" brand of Jams-- (Fit Right? something like that). They are made with sugar, not HFCS, and they are a less-sugar brand with no artificial sweeteners. It pays to read the labels at Aldis, because sometimes I've just assumed that something wouldn't have great ingredients, but I have found some good things when I read what's actually in them.

[funniegrrl]

It pays to read the labels at Aldis, because sometimes I've just assumed that something wouldn't have great ingredients, but I have found some good things when I read what's actually in them.

Slightly OT, but I've found that's true of Target and Kroger brands as well. It's sort of common to assume that "store brand" = "lesser quality" but I've found many of these products that would meet or exceed even Whole Foods' rules for non-organic foods. One example is the Kroger Private Selection jams/preserves; another is the Target marinades/grilling/stir-fry sauces.

[crackers]

Another trip to Aldi's, along with a side-trip to Trader Joe's, and just thought I'd mention that at TJ's both the Candy Cane (minty oreos) and Peppermint (chocolate covered minty oreos) Joe Joe's are back in stock! (I believe I gained a pound just placing them in my cart. :p )


The Candy Cane (which sell for $2.99 a 16 oz pkg at my TJ's) are my favorites, and lo and behold! when I got to Aldi's I found they carried their own line of Candy Cane Sandwich Cremes for $1.99 - 17 oz pkg.
Love a bargain!

So while paying for another package (or two :eek: ) at Aldi's, I was chatting with the cashier and she mentioned that Aldi's and TJ's were owned by the same family/company. Guess I must have missed that info earlier, but it's no wonder I love both stores!


Time to get your Joe Joe (any version) fix now!

[RiverFarm]

I wonder why Aldi's doesn't have an organic line, then. I would shop there if they did. The nearest TJ's is an hour away - and not a fun drive, either - it's through a very built-up area with lots of traffic.

[wallycat]

Aldi's will have a cast iron enamel coated cookware starting the following sunday, for 29.99 ...for those that are looking to experiment with cast iron enamel without a huge investment.
Their ad on line showed a pretty red one.

[RiverFarm]

A problem with the less expensive ones, though, is that they are much more likely to chip. I'm assuming that Le Creuset and Straub don't.

[wallycat]

I've had a Le Creuset chip (at the edge of the pan) and they do have a lifetime warranty to replace or repair stuff...but for the cost of 29.99, I could just replace it. I just thought for those on the fence, they could try it and if they hate it, not a huge investment.
If they love it, Staub or Le Creuset could always be added :):D

[vbak]

I bought some white chunk tuna at Aldi's a week or so age, and it is truly chunked. The national brand that I usually buy labeled chunk isa can. shredded rather than chunky. Oh, yeah, it was $.49 a can.

[Fairydragonstar]

We had one open up in my town this last month and I had wondered about so figured I would stop and see

Milk and staple like stuff is cheaper then other stores

Canned goods depend on whether the other stores are running a special and if I have a coupon

What I like is that frozen fruit and frozen fish are often 1/2 the price of even Sams and in amounts I can use

What I don't like is the produce department is actually more expensive then my regular grocery store...and I have a larger variety

[granolagirl]

Thanks for mentioning that, wallycat! I might check it out next week.

I'm making beef stew in my Rick Bayless enameled cast iron which was inexpensive as well. I love it! I wish they still made his cookware. :(

[sfarler]

I've only been in Aldi's once and then I didn't buy anything.

But this weekend a neighbor was telling me that she now only buys her Christmas ham (spiral cut) from Aldi's. She said she used to buy Honey Baked and has now found the Aldi's to be much better (and a LOT cheaper).

I might check their hams out this year.

[KristiB]

Spam post reported

[granolagirl]

I bought some white chunk tuna at Aldi's a week or so age, and it is truly chunked. The national brand that I usually buy labeled chunk isa can. shredded rather than chunky. Oh, yeah, it was $.49 a can.
I saw this the other day and was going to get it, but I think it was .69 or .79 here. Hmm.

[barbara-cook]

I have been going to Aldi's for specific things the last few weeks just because I have sticker shock buying at Wegman's! I make a lot of soup in the winter months and I get tired of buying celery for $2.49 -$2.69 a bunch at Wegmans when Aldi's has it for $1.29 - $1.39. A bag of carrots? Same deal. Red/orange/yellow peppers at Wegman's for about $2.69 a pound, and Aldi's $2.99 for 3 (one of each)! There is produce that I just wouldn't buy in the winter (when the quality is usually a little lower and the price a little higher) if I couldn't get it a Aldi's.

Granted, their produce isn't quite the quality that Wegman's is. But more often than not, it's close! I've bought plenty of produce at Wegman's that I ended up tossing a few days later (especially things in bags, like onions, oranges, apples.)

A lot of us are watching our money very closely and if you're in need of staples like sugar, flour, salt, rice, canned veggies and fruit, Aldi's has very good stuff! It's kind of fun to walk out of there with a full bag or two for about half what you'd pay at Wegman's.

I live 2 minutes from a Wegman's and I still go there usually once a week. But I've figured out what I can get at Aldi's for a lot less and that stuff isn't on my Wegman's list! And Aldi's is only 5 minutes away, so it just makes sense to trek over there for all my soup making goodies!

It's definitely no-frills and you won't find many national name brands there. But you can definitely save some money. I don't think they set out to be a one stop store. But if you can figure out what you like (through trial and error), you would definitely see a drop in your food bill.

For the record, I also shop Target (for cereal and cookies, and some cleaning and health and beauty products), BJ's (for meat, coffee beans, frozen chicken breasts, and other "bulk" items), and another local grocery store when they have the occasional meat special. But then all of these stores are within 5 miles of my house, so it's not that big a deal.

[vbak]

We made our Aldi stop last week and among the things that I bought are decaf coffee 2.79 for 13 oz and yogurt for .37 a carton. Their Fit and ACtive yogurt has between 13 and 14 grams of sugar and 18-19 gr. of carbohydrates. This is one of the lowest carb yogurts that I have seen. This is huge for me since I am an unmedicated diabetic. A huge carb savings for anyone, and the price is right!

Vicky