Are there any grocery items worth getting at Aldi?

3,135 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by FlyRod
earwigfly
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I went the first week they were open and haven't been back. I guess their cheese and canned goods were perfectly fine and cheap, but I found their vegetables to be past their prime and was turned off.

Anyway, I was just wondering what people think of the store now. I haven't seen any discussion of the place since soon after it opened.
Oddity
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Honestly, one of the worst grocery store in town; if not the worst. I went a few times last year to look around and it reminded me of a slightly nicer version of the 99 cent store on Texas Avenue in Bryan. Just drive a little further and go to HEB or Kroger.
isitjustme
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AG
If you like low priced store brands made by the same comapanies that make the higher priced name brands, then Aldi is a very good option. It's a small store with low prices due to their store brand focus and low overhead. We go there often and not just for extra items we forget elsewhere, and we like saving $$ on decent quality items. It also seems to be gaining a larger customer base.

My suggestion is to go give it a try. You may be one that likes it, or not.
BrazosWifi
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We were in Aldi a bit when setting up internet for UrbanAir. The store seemed busy so they must be doing something right.
Stucco
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K-Cups, chips and snacks.
K2T2
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There's loads of great stuff at Aldi! Sometimes the produce might not be so great because the employees don't do turnover the same way other grocery stores do. You can get cheap as **** avocados and peppers there, and I can rely on them to alway have Brussels sprouts. The only produce I ever really had a problem with was onions - so take a sniff and a squeeze (ha!) before buying.

They have good deals on a variety of sauces (I regularly stock their soy sauce, both red and green sriracha, and their stir fry sauces), always have interesting flavors of hummus, and a bunch of cheap name brand snack alternatives for when I make Chex Mix. Don't bother with their baking chocolates, but their bar chocolate is supposed to be really good - it's from a chocolate place in Germany that's been producing since like 1900. And nuts! They have good deals on nuts and seeds!

They have good deals on frozen veggies, sugar that's not processed with animal bone char, and this week, they're supposed to have rip offs of Shun knives for $8 (a regular Shun chef's knife would run you $150+). All of their almond and soy milks are a good deal, too, and the canned beans/tomatoes/etc are a good deal, especially since you can get a bunch of that stuff in organic for cheap cheap cheap. No word on whether their meat or cheese prices are good or whether the product is good, I don't buy that kind of stuff.

There are always rotating special items each week that are only available for a short amount of time, and those things are usually really good, too. It's like a bare bones Trader Joe's (Aldi South is Aldi, Aldi North is TJs) - cheap in-house brands that are quality, and rotating trendy/seasonal things, with a surprisingly receptive finger on the pulse of food trends. I can take $20 into Aldi and come out with the stuff I need, and a buncha cool, fun things to try out. I think Aldi's great.
musicforall
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I'm in Aldi once or twice a month.

Things I buy regularly:
lactose free milk
sliced cheese and block cheese and brie
I always check the veggies - something basic is always on sale.
everything bagels
english muffins
chocolate bars and specialty chocolate for holidays
tortilla chips with flax seeds
sugar
turkey bacon
flavored sparkling water
Arizona tea
dog dental treats
copy cat cereal
eggs


Things I do not like:
yogurt
peanut butter
tortillas
fresh fruit does not seem as fresh as their veggies
sliced bread

I always check their specials of the week aisle, because there is usually something interesting there, same with the frozen goods. Oh, and if you are looking for a rare flavor of Blue Bell, check there, they tend to sell out less quickly. But no King Cake flavor, I checked.
nonag97
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Love Aldi! Yeah, you're not gonna find a lot of name brand items there. They mostly sell and push their brand, which is what makes their prices so great but I've yet to buy any of their brand of something and not like it. They have a rotating stock of random European style foods you can't get anywhere else and there's always something interesting in frozen foods. And always delicious.

Cheese is good, chocolate is good. They have knock-off girl scout cookies that, if you didn't know, you wouldn't realize they weren't the real thing.

I have to agree on the produce there. Sometimes it is less an appealing.

The aisle of random household knick-knacks you never thought you'd need is fun to browse and the things I've bought seem to be pretty good quality for the price.

I like it and will continue to shop there.

Fun Fact: There's two different Aldi companies, they split apart many years ago. One brother owns one and the other brother owns the other. In Europe, depending on which country you're in will depend on which Aldi is there. In America, there's obviously only one Aldi. The other Aldi operates as Trader Joe's.
nonag97
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musicforall said:

tortilla chips with flax seeds


Yes! Those chips are pretty incredible!
techno-ag
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AG
nonag97 said:

Love Aldi! Yeah, you're not gonna find a lot of name brand items there. They mostly sell and push their brand, which is what makes their prices so great but I've yet to buy any of their brand of something and not like it. They have a rotating stock of random European style foods you can't get anywhere else and there's always something interesting in frozen foods. And always delicious.

Cheese is good, chocolate is good. They have knock-off girl scout cookies that, if you didn't know, you wouldn't realize they weren't the real thing.

I have to agree on the produce there. Sometimes it is less an appealing.

The aisle of random household knick-knacks you never thought you'd need is fun to browse and the things I've bought seem to be pretty good quality for the price.

I like it and will continue to shop there.

Fun Fact: There's two different Aldi companies, they split apart many years ago. One brother owns one and the other brother owns the other. In Europe, depending on which country you're in will depend on which Aldi is there. In America, there's obviously only one Aldi. The other Aldi operates as Trader Joe's.

Anywhere I can get cheaper year round Girl Scout cookies has my vote.
AggieBarstool
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Quote:

If you like low priced store brands made by the same comapanies that make the higher priced name brands, then Aldi is a very good option.
This right here.

It's been my experience that people who turn up their nose at Aldi, even if it's because they think the food isn't as "fresh", have done so because they find Aldi's store brand to be inferior when, in fact, it's the same stuff.

I bet if you did a blind taste test in your household, they wouldn't know the difference.
Oogway
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TBH, I keep forgetting to stop in at Aldi; it isn't on my route. However, I may check it out after reading these responses. I usually try a store brand on a per item basis as some store brands can vary widely in quality depending on the item. Some HEB brands are good, others are not. Kroger has a house brand of tomato sauce that I use and it is great. If folks judge me based on how I spend my money then they can go right ahead. I am so happy I can make them feel better about themselves....
Eliminatus
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AG
I have always been pleasantly surprised at Aldi. As above, the quality of the products don't necessarily go down if the name on the box is one you don't recognize. There are some I even prefer. Their cream of wheat is much better than name brand for example.

I grew up extremely poor and have traveled extensively to non first world countries. Our ability to get all hoity toity and pinky out when it comes to brand names that we are just gonna poop out anyways always amuses me. If the product is inferior, fine. But a lot of these "lower" quality stuff at Aldis is damn good or good enough.

I am also a struggling college kid again, so admittedly that may factor in some bias. I am a little more critical with my food bill.
Nutmegger
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AG
Do they carry organic? If I remember correctly, they are very small, so I'm guessing no.
isitjustme
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AG
Megj416 said:

Do they carry organic? If I remember correctly, they are very small, so I'm guessing no.
Yes they do. Fruits, vegis, eggs, milk, others from what my wife tells me. I avoid organics, which means more for people who buy them.
summergal
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Love the nuts, sweet potato chips, veggies when they look great. Cheese, milk, eggs and their organic ground beef. I love the fact that I can find some great German foods I found in Germany. DH loves the Braunschweiger. Oh and let's not forget the Winking Owl wines around 2.98. They are as good as two buck Chuck from Trader Joe's.
Tanya 93
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No longer live in BCS, but I shop Aldi's here for their cheap gluten free items and frozen fruit and veggies.

Sometimes you can get some great cheese and dips as well.
bushytailed
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AG
I buy eggs and milk regularly. I've never paid more than $2.10 for a gallon of milk. Shredded cheese comes in a 3-cup bag at the same price, if not less, than you'll find at HEB.

Cheese chunks (havarti, machego, etc.) will rotate in and out, but the prices and quality are good. There are always new items in the refrigerated section, but they vary week to week.

Winking Owl moscato goes down like koolaid with no hangover. A couple glasses of the merlot leave me with a headache.

Wasabi soy almonds ftw!
bushytailed
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AG
musicforall said:

I'm in Aldi once or twice a month.

Things I buy regularly:
lactose free milk
sliced cheese and block cheese and brie
I always check the veggies - something basic is always on sale.
everything bagels
english muffins
chocolate bars and specialty chocolate for holidays
tortilla chips with flax seeds
sugar
turkey bacon
flavored sparkling water
Arizona tea
dog dental treats
copy cat cereal
eggs


Things I do not like:
yogurt
peanut butter
tortillas
fresh fruit does not seem as fresh as their veggies
sliced bread

I always check their specials of the week aisle, because there is usually something interesting there, same with the frozen goods. Oh, and if you are looking for a rare flavor of Blue Bell, check there, they tend to sell out less quickly. But no King Cake flavor, I checked.


Shhhhhh, don't tell people about the Blue Bell selection!!!
FlyRod
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Is the Aldi any less people-of-Walmart than the Villa Maria HEB?
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