ALDI 101: What To Buy At Aldi
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This is the third and final post in our ALDI 101 series. But I have to be honest — I kind of don’t want this series to end!
I have been having so much fun reading your comments over email, tweets, Facebook, Instagram, and in the comment section below about Aldi! From those of you who have been longtime fans and have shared your great tips and favorite items, to those of you who may have never set foot in an Aldi but are considering giving it a try, it has been so cool to hear about each person’s unique experience with the store. I have to admit that a reader totally made my day when she shared that she ventured into an Aldi for the first time this week, and loved it. That is so cool!!!! :-)
Well after our first two posts — Why I Shop At Aldi and How To Shop At Aldi — today is the post that gets down to specifics on what to buy at Aldi. I feel like I should probably give a huge disclaimer that this post is based 100% on personal opinion. I have all of my own quirks and preferences, and as you will see below, there is a large section of the store (cereals, many non-organic meats, pet food, makeup, etc.) that I have not tried because those areas do not fall in my normal grocery shopping. And I’m sure there are plenty of items where our opinions may just simply differ! The pina colada popsicles that I adore just may not be your thing.
So please feel free to take this post with a a big grain of Aldi’s sea salt. ;) My hope is to offer a few starting points, and then hopefully you can try some new items and form your own opinions. To organize this post, I have included a few brief thoughts about each section of the store, and then a brief “to buy” and “not to buy” list of specifics. As always, I would love to have you share your thoughts on what you like to buy in the comments below.
This concludes our Aldi series! Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and I look forward to resuming regular recipe posting with you tomorrow!
Pantry Items
The pantry items are where I recommend people start at Aldi. Almost everything I’ve ever tried in this section is high-quality and consistently way cheaper than anyplace else. Granted, again, there is only one of most items to choose from. So you do not get the option of white whole wheat flour, unbleached or barley flour — there is usually bleached all-purpose flour, and that’s it. But this is an awesome section to stock your pantry, and even try a few of their specialty pantry items in the process.
What To Buy:
- baking essentials (flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, basic spices, condensed milk, etc.)
- real vanilla extract
- chocolate chips (semi-sweet, butterscotch,
- nuts for baking (pecan halves, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
- garlic vinagrette (with the garlic floating on the bottom!)
- Fit & Active light balsamic vinaigrette
- natural peanut butter
- clover honey
- breadcrumbs
- whole wheat pasta
- potato gnocchi
- strawberry light & crispy cereal bars
- granola
- oatmeal (any kind — there are lots of options!)
- rice
- dried beans
What Not To Buy:
The only iffy pantry item I have tried at Aldi is their chili powder, but I’m a bit of a spice snob. I think that you get what you pay for anytime you buy $1 spices at a grocery store. I’m also not a big cereal connoisseur, but I do know that their version of Cheerio’s does not taste exactly like the original. Just like at any grocery store, many of the cereals or granola bars are made with extra sugar, so be sure to check out the labels if you’re going for healthy.
Snacks and Sweets
There is actually a really wide variety of snacks and sweets to choose from at Aldi! I don’t usually let myself buy potato chips at the grocery store, but when most all of their chips are under $2, I have to admit that I have now sampled quite a few. And they are pretty much awesome. :)
What To Buy:
- dry-roasted almonds
- waffle bowls
- tortilla chips (restaurant-style, blue and multigrain varieties)
- sweet potato chips
- kettle chips (sea salt & vinegar and jalapeno are my favs)
- moser roth chili chocolate bars
- anise pizzelle cookies
- Haribo cola candy
- chocolate-covered coffee beans
What Not To Buy:
I don’t have any no-buys in this section. I will just mention that occasionally the lower prices equal lower serving sizes in some products. Again, to use chips as an example, often their bags are only about half full. So plan accordingly. (Or just use it as an excuse for portion control!) ;)
Dairy & Refrigerated Items
This is one category where it is “to each his own”. The majority of Aldi’s dairy products are not organic, although more and more organic options (and alternatives like almond milk!) are starting to pop up. The refrigerated section also seems to have a lot of variety and turnover, so while there may be marscapone and brie some months, they might not be there year-round. Still, my cart is always filled with lots of items from this section each time I go! And I always stock up on butter each time I’m there. It tastes great, and it is always so cheap!
What To Buy:
- BUTTER!
- fresh mozzarella balls
- hummus (roasted red pepper, garlic and cayenne are my three favorites)
- fresh salsas (I love the medium)
- marscapone
- soft cheeses (gorgonzola, blue, goat and feta are usually available)
- cream cheese (regular and reduced-fat)
- greek yogurt (often they have the Fage brand, and I also like their black cherry)
- original organic soymilk
- natural almond milk
- skim milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, heavy cream (none are organic, but they are pretty good!)
- eggs
- cinnamon rolls
What Not To Buy:
Obviously if you are looking for organic, anything that is not marked as such is a no. I also think that many of their block cheeses are ok, but probably about worth what you pay for.
Produce
Ok, people, this has become my favorite section of Aldi! Trust me — there is some amazing produce to be found here at some of the best prices I’ve found. But here’s the deal…
You must be smart about choosing your produce. Just like at the normal grocery store, not every piece of produce is going to be perfectly ripe or at its peak season each time you visit. Case in point — Aldi can have incredible deals on avocadoes. (They are $0.19 each this week!) But if the avocado is wilted, or hard as a rock, it’s probably not a good day to buy it. The same goes for if you see any produce that looks super over- or under-ripe. If it looks iffy, you should probably wait until your next trip. Or you may need to eat it immediately, or wait a week for it to ripen if need be. But most of the time, I am completely impressed with their selection of ripe, affordable, delicious produce.
Most of their produce is also not organic, so just a heads-up if that is an important factor to you. Also many of their produce items (onions, zucchini, oranges, apples, kiwi, etc.) come in bags or in bulk. So there is not always the option to buy a single of some items.
Still, I always load up my cart with Aldi produce, so here are some of my favs!
What To Buy:
- pineapple
- lemons/limes
- baby carrots
- celery
- mushrooms
- green onions
- sweet mini peppers
- specialty lettuce
- berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries)
- zucchini and yellow squash
- kiwi
- pears
- mangoes
What Not To Buy:
Again, anything that looks iffy. I find that their roma tomatoes typically are not very ripe or flavorful. And I would also offer a special note on the bananas — they are awesome, but often they are over- or under-ripe, so you need to eat them in the proper timeframe.
Refrigerated Meats
As I said above, I prefer to buy most of my meat organic, so I haven’t tried tons of Aldi’s refrigerated meat options. But they have some killer deals on meats, especially in their weekly fresh meat special buys! Be sure to always check for those specials when they are published each Wednesday, as they tend to disappear quickly! A lot of the meat at Aldi is also seasonal, so be sure around the holidays to check out their hams and turkeys. They are amazing!
What To Buy:
- turkey bacon
- ground turkey
- thick peppered bacon
- spiral-cut ham
- turkeys
What Not To Buy:
Just a heads up that their cheapest bacon is really thin and not very lean. I would “splurge” and go for one of the thicker cuts, since that is practically the same price as the inexpensive bacon at the regular grocery store!
Canned/Jarred Goods
Thus far, I have had 100% positive experiences with the canned and jarred section at Aldi. They have a great selection of your basic canned fruits and veggies, and lots of canned sauces and such to choose from. And the prices are fantastic! Once again, I would caution to read the labels. Their canned peaches have a ton of sugar, as the generic canned peaches do at most stores. And some of their sauces and soups contain more processed ingredients than I prefer, as is common in many jarred sauces. But still, don’t be scared of any of the canned produce from Aldi — it’s awesome!
What To Buy:
- canned veggies
- canned fruits
- canned beans
- jarred marinara sauce
What Not To Buy:
Anything that you might be iffy about being overly-processed. (Look for some Gimme Some Oven recipes for easy alternatives to make soups homemade!) And again, keep an eye on the sugar content with canned fruits.
Frozen Foods
To be honest, this is a section that I don’t know a ton about. I usually stick with pretty straight “ingredients” in the frozen food section — frozen fruit, fish, veggies, etc. So if any of you have insights on more of the prepared frozen foods, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
What To Buy:
- jumbo shrimp
- tilapia
- fruit popsicles (pina colada, lime and strawberry)
- moose tracks ice cream
- frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, mixed berries, etc.)
- edamame
- asparagus
What Not To Buy:
Any of their frozen shrimp that are not “jumbo” are tiny. I have also not been super impressed with their frozen salmon. Like most salmon in that price range in any grocery stores, it seems a little lacking in flavor. Also a heads-up that most of the frozen meats are not organic.
Beverages
Gah, I wish I had more experience here! I promise you guys I’m not a super health nut, but I also pretty much stick to water, tea, juices and coffee in life. So I have hardly any experience here when it comes to beverages. But my friends tell me that most of their options (like the Aldi brand of Crystal Light, teas and flavored sparkling waters) are pretty much identical to the originals. Here are a few that I have tried.
What To Buy:
- sparkling juice (I love all of them!)
- refrigerated 100% orange juice (go for the nicer of the two options for better flavor)
- Naked juice (when in stock)
- flavored sparkling water drinks
- iced tea
What Not To Buy:
I am definitely a big of a snob when it comes to my coffee. So I shy away from any of the bulk or super inexpensive coffee options, but I am sure they are comparable to their counterparts in the regular grocery store. I was also unimpressed by the cheap refrigerated orange juice — seemed to concentrate-y for me.
Alcoholic Drinks
First of all, it’s important to point out that wine and liquors are not available in all Aldi’s. I live in KC, and our Kansas stores are not allowed to carry alcoholic beverages, but most of the Missouri locations do. So this will depend on your state.
A reminder to all who are iffy about the cheap wine at Aldi — this store is owned by the same company that is the home of 2-buck-chuck, Trader Joe’s! So before you immediately write off the drink section, I would recommend you try a bottle or two. In my experience, you get what you pay for and a little bit more. The $3 wines taste maybe like a normal $5 wine. The Bailey’s knockoff isn’t precisely like Bailey’s, but it’s darn close and a great deal for a fraction of the price. But my favorite of all time is available seasonally, and I wish it was offered yearround — Aldi’s sangria! Oh man. I never knew that I would like sangria from a bottle, but this stuff is crazy good. And you get an enormous bottle for like $4. If you see it, you must try it.
What To Buy:
- SANGRIA! (seasonal)
- wines in the $5-10 range
- Bailey’s
What Not To Buy:
I think you get what you pay for with the super inexpensive budget wines — they are definitely hit and miss.
Household Items
For some reason, I held out on this section of Aldi for years, and now I have no idea why. They have some terrific household products at amazing discounts! Especially since I typically get annoyed at having to spend money on these things anyway, it’s awesome to have a more affordable option at Aldi. Two areas that I have not tried are their pet section and the makeup. Would love to have you chime in if you have experience with either of these!
What To Buy:
- disinfectant wipes
- plastic freezer and sandwich bags
- trash bags (they are thin, but they do the job)
- Crest toothpaste
- women’s razors
- pain relievers (ibuprofin, etc.)
- ultra soft & strong toilet paper
- paper towels and napkins
What Not To Buy:
You totally get what you pay for with the super cheap ($1 for 4 rolls) toilet paper. It is super thin and not very soft. But their thick TP is awesome!
My Top 10 Favorite Items At Aldi:
10. edamame
9. roasted red pepper hummus
8. fresh mozzarella balls
7. sangria
6. sea salt pita chips
5. pina colada popsicles
4. artichoke hearts
3. almond milk
2. butter
1. pineapple
Other ALDI 101 Articles:
The spiral sliced ham is perhaps the best deal ever at Aldi. I believe $2.78 a pound regular price, but at certain times drops to under $2 a pound. Other than Honey Baked is my favorite ham around and price factored in can’t be beat.
I grew up on Aldi between my mom and the home daycare we went to. I love their produce and most of the time I can get away without having too much since its just me. I love their breakfast sandwiches, especially the Fit&Active. I love their canned soup, I will only eat their clam chowder. Fit&Active cheese sticks are a mainstay in my lunchbox for work. Their boxed baking mixes are police and fireman approved…I use them when I do my monthly gift to my hometown stations. I get almost everything there and what I don’t get their I can get monthly at Aldi’s sister store when I’m in the city on an off day.
OH My!! How I LOVE Aldi’s!! We almost exclusively shop only at our local Aldi’s store!! Here are a few of my fav’s. Wine – We are so amazed at Aldi’s Landshut Riesling – AMAZING!! So good in fact we served it our Rehearsal Dinner and everyone loved it!! And at $4.99 a bottle it was a steal!!! Their Brie is fantastic!! I make Brie en Croute with it and you would never know we only paid $2.99 a wheel. I Love their produce – all of it is wonderful good quality!! I have to admit I have tried a few of the frozen items – their broccoli stuffed chicken breast may not be the healthiest option, but I have fixed them for my husband and myself ocassionlly and very much like them and only $1 each. Also, not homemade but a cheap,,quick, and decent meal is the lasagna – really good. Some of the Asia dishes for stir fries are good as well. Also, have purchased shrimp, salmon, tilopia all good quality. Their Kitchen Living items are Great!! I have purchased several of the coated cast iron cook ware costing no more than $30 each and they perform as well as the Le Creuset’s costing much more. I also purchased a mandoline and it slices time and time again perfectly. Hoping this helps!!
Thank you so much for making others aware of them gem we have in Aldi’s!!!
I just bought a bottle of the Riesling last week and was very pleased!
I am so glad that someone else loves Aldi as much as I do! I’d like to add that we have tried the whole frozen duck and it was great. It was the exact same brand that our “for everything else” grocery store, but seriously $7.00 less. I can also attest to the jarred roasted red pepper and the jarred artichokes. They don’t always have them, so I stock up when they do. And I live on their greek yogurt, the peach is a favor of both mine and my four year old. Highly recommend it!
We got to know Aldi in Belgium and we were so glad when they came to the Washington DC area. We buy the bulk of our groceries at Aldi so our kids grew up on Aldi cereals and some of the kids actually prefer them to name brands. When you are going to feed a crowd, Aldi is a great resource. I like the olives and pickles and the canned tomato products. The olive oil is okay for cooking; look elsewhere for the higher quality for salad dressing. The canned evaporated milk, flour, brown sugar, and white sugar are all good buys. Right now our Aldi has Kefir so we are buying boatloads. And my husband buys me a bouquet of fresh flowers from Aldi two – three times a month!
Thanks for these helpful suggestions — now I’ve got a few new things to look for.
One of the things I like about Aldi is that, because it’s a German company, they tend to have imported foods from the EU. E.g., in December, they have German stollen. (However, not everything in Aldi is from the US or the EU, so you still need to read the “Made in…” labels, if origin is important to you.)
One of the things I dislike about Aldi is that you can’t always count on finding the same items each week. Seasonal items, I understand. But my favorite salsa? I use the artichoke heart “salsa” as a bruschetta topping … or rather, I used to.
BTW, I live in a small town in SE Kansas. I usually drive to Pittsburg to go to Aldi’s. We do most of our grocery shopping in KC –Costco, Whole Foods, Hen House, Trader Joe’s, McGongle’s, Cosentino’s, and for splurges Better Cheddar or Dean & Deluca– but for some reason Aldi’s isn’t part of our regular KC circuit. Is there one store in KC that you prefer over others, or are they all about the same?
Just browsing food blogs and came across yours. A bit excited,not gonna lie.. I often wonder why my Nana enjoys Aldi, now I have some idea. Will definitely be checking it out now! Thanks for all of your information.. really enjoyed reading this :)
I would just like to say that Aldi Baby Nappies (Diapers,I live in England)are the best, far better than named brands and half the price, In England we pay £5 for a pack of 48 Aldi nappies, amazing price. I remembered reading somwhere that Aldi had won awards for them and when my Grandaughter gave birth to her little girl she decided to try them and I can honestly say that the nappies are wonderful,no leaking during he night so far and Lola is 9 now months old,I also have a 18 month old Grandaughter and I buy them for her and my daughter in law prefers them to Pampers, so we stock up well!! Also the make-up, face cream and body lotions are fantastic such good value, There are 3 generations of females in our family and we wouldn’t use anything else
I Just found this post and I told my hubby I will start shopping at Aldi’s again. We have one in the next town over(it’s about a 10 minute drive). I used to shop there when we had our first apartment, but haven’t done much shopping there since. I always liked their take and bake pizzas, we like to get those or parties and cut them into the smaller square pieces. So yummy! I also really enjoy their veggie chips! They taste just like the ones you could pick up at Festival(I believe it is a midwestern/Wisconsin thing)in the organic/natural foods section for almost double the price.
There are a few things I wouldn’t buy there. Like milk for example, I am extremely picky about milk. I will only buy it from few places. (And now I may start buying it organic because they are petitioning to add aspartame to milk as a hidden ingrediant and I am allergic). The other thing I wouldn’t buy is the frozen dinner type meals and the meat. A few weeks back a read an article about how their frozen lasagna and a few other frozen dinner type meals tested positive as horse meat. I’m good. I like my meat to moo, not nay. ;)
We also like to buy food for our son, who has severe heart defects, as organic a possible, so I usually purchase his frozen foods from our other local grocery. He loves chicken nuggets.
But all in all, I am all for saving some money, so I am excited for my grocery tip next week! And I love your post! Especially hearing that they are bringing in more and more organic products. I can’t wait to check that out! <3
I’d just like to point out that I live here in the UK, and it was only our Aldi’s that were affected with horsemeat. They’re not shipping that stuff internationally from Germany to the States, so you have nothing to worry about (and it was just the pre-packaged frozen lasagna and spaghetti bolognese).
My choices in SWMO are Wal-Mart or Aldi. I choose Aldi, and exclusively and it’s working well.
Faves:
Hummus trio (cilantro…yum)
Jarred jalapenos
Winking Owl wines
Moser toffee milk chocolate, orange dark, or chili dark
Parmesan pita chips
Cranberry orange oatmeal packets (seasonal)
Vanilla almond milk
Romaine lettuce trio
Tzatziki sauce (can’t get this anywhere in this region)
Pepper trio (red, yellow, green)
Baby portabello mushrooms
Frozen breast meat chicken nuggets
Bratwurst and smoked sausage
Jarred marinara sauces
Fresh salsas
If I need to bring something to a party, and I don’t have time to make one of Ali’s recipes ;) I go straight to the deli section and grab cheeses, meats, dips, etc. Perfection.
We all love their Savoritz “cheeze-its”. My kiddos prefer them over the name brand, we love their 12 grain bread and cinnamon raisin bread too :)
We
shop at Aldi’s frequently as well and we love absolutely LOVE their sirloin steak but it is one of those things you have to get there early for. I love all of their meat they carry there it was always tender and delicious
I can shop for my family of 5 for $300.00 including meat/dairy/snacks for kids! I love Aldi’s!
I must warn everyone… Do NOT buy their dishwasher detergent, it doesn’t work!! I love Aldi’s for produce and pantry items. Their Kitchen Living items are wonderful! I just wish there was a store closer to me, I drive 30 minutes to the nearest store.
AMEN to that!! That is the only product of theirs that has not been a winner.
You didn’t mention the Animal Crackers. OH MY GOSH they are a wonderful shortbread with just a hint of lemon. Also their chex style mix called Party Mix-better than the name brand!
Wow, you didn’t even talk much about the great non-grocery special buys they have there! I have bought so many things for my kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, garden – you really never know what you’re going to find. They plan the items seasonally, so for example in January there are alot of health related items like workout gear, then in spring lots of gardening stuff (can’t wait for that!).
My favorite things to buy there:
Whole Wheat Bread
Cheddar Cheese Rice Cakes – my 4 year old loves them!
Greek Yogurt – Peach and Pineapple are my fave
AA and AAA batteries – 1.99 for 8 and they last a long time!
Razors
Pasta Sauces – They have a ton of variety now
Bananas – 10-15 cents cheaper/lb than Price Chopper!
Bagged Lettuce
Cheese – Again, it’s 50-75 cents cheaper there and taste is same or better than Kraft or Best Choice
I could go on all day about Aldi!!! Love them! Thanks for the series!
One of my other favorite things to do there is to let someone have my cart and tell them to keep the quarter. It’s a tiny Random Act of Kindness :-)
Thanks for posting on Aldi. I’ve been a shopper for awhile now and totally love it! I go there every other week and stock. My usual trip is to the Aunt Millies Thrift store for my bread products (if you spend $5 you can get their bagels, cinnamon swirl bread, hawaian bread, or english muffins for 49 cents!) I then stop at Aldi and then on to Meijer for anything I need that’s name brand.
My Aldi deals that can’t be beat (I’m not an organic mom):
-paper towels (3 rolls for $1.89!!!)
-bottled water- purified tastes better than the spring- 24 pack for $2.29!!
-Deli meat pack- makes 6-10 sub sandwiches at 80 calories a sandwich $4.99!!
-I love their coffee! I’ve read the negative posts but I like it!
-creamer- they have pumpkin spice in the fall and now they have italian cream!! Love it!!
-of course and you said it REAL BUTTER for (somtimes)$1.99!! It varies but still cheaper than bigger grocery stores.
-The cheeses, the cheese cakes, the cream puffs!! All perfect for showers and parties.
-Frozen pizza! $3.99 and very good! (I have teenagers)
-the produce!! strawberries for 99 cents sometimes!!
and someone mentioned it but their home store is awesome and around the Christmas season TOYS!!! at good prices! Crock pots, pots and pans, bathroom accents, rugs, workout equipment, in the summertime patio sets, garden supplies, etc. etc. etc. at the best prices!! and if you wait and keep an eye out their prices go down and down on these items!
Thanks again for the post! I knew I wasn’t crazy when I got addicted to Aldi’s!!
Love this store!!! Can you tell I love it by all the !!!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing your tips! Despite being raised shopping at ALDI, I learned some new things! Where my husband and I now live, ALDI is a bit further than our local Meijer, so I do my weekly shopping at Meijer, and visit ALDI about once a month. I, too, always stock up on butter and chocolate chips! Something else you might want to try is their version of Simply Lemonade and Limeade. They are almost as good as the original, and WAY cheaper.
Last year, I did a price comparison with ALDI vs. Meijer. I took a blank chart to ALDI and wrote down the price and size of everything we might buy there, then took it home and typed it up in my computer. I printed that out and took it to Meijer to compare. Of course most things were way cheaper at ALDI, but I was surprised by a few items that Meijer sale prices beat (like pretzels). It took forever, but was so worth it, especially because I now have the prices in my computer, and I can just double-check a sale price against the ALDI price to see if it’s worth it.
I totally agree with EVERYTHING you said here! I will add their laundry detergent in the red bottle. Its exactly like Tide and works and smells AWESOME.
I LOVE Aldi! I don’t get there as often as I’d like being there are 3 food stores closer to me, but when I do , I love their cake mixes (always get compliments how moist and good the cake is), their frozen cheescake slices (2 per pack ) for 1.99 AWESOME!!! they sometimes carry wholly guacamole at a fraction of what it cost elsewhere..and they have some really fantastic chocolates too…I could go on and on…I think I will be doing my grocery shopping this week at aldi’s! thanks for a great blog!!
Check the country of origin. Last time garlic was from China. In regular stores I cannot find mandarins oranges from China no matter what brand.
You are definitely wrong about the wines! Winking owl-their under $3 bottle of wine and their 2 buck chuck equivalent-consistently scores high on professional, independent rankings as well as personal word of mouth. Google the brand and you’ll see how much people like it! I can attest personally I love it and every one I have ever served it too comments that it’s a nice wine.
Also, the chili powder is great! You’re easily spending 4x the amount you would by buying name brand. Give it a try! Cooking is my hobby and it’s the only chili powder I’d use. And yes, I have bought bad $1 spices before-just from other stores, not Aldi.
I am a loyal Aldi’s shopper. I do the bulk of my shopping there, the rest is done pricematching at Wal Mart and then a few here and there stops for meat and specialty items. I buy all of my baking supplies at Aldi, the price for vanilla can’t be beat. During the holidays the price of chocolate chips drop to 1.29, stock up! These are great baking chips. I love their tortilla shells, they are one of my favorite items from there! Please try their diapers!!! I think they are the best out there and they are 4.99, at least $1 cheaper than any other generic counterparts. Love their wipes, I did notice that they have made the .99 package smaller as of this last shopping trip, but it is still a good value.
Now for my two ultimate favorite products ever! From anywhere! lol
1. Pumpkin cream cheese is a seasonal item that is just beyond words. I eat 5 pieces of toast a day when I have it. Soooooo Good!
2. Their version of nutella is great! It isn’t quite as creamy, don’t expect the exact same. However the price for it is 1.99 as opposed to 3.49 for the same size Nutella. Well worth the savings!
I also will have to disagree with your statement about the cheese. I am not a big cheese fan at all, but I think their block sharp cheddar cheese is great! I also enjoy the slices.
Don’t be afraid to try anything! They have a double guarentee!
I love shopping at Aldi!! My favorite item would have to be their cake mix, it’s 99cents and I’ve never had a miss with anything I’ve made with it!
The only bad item I’ve gotten there was Mayo, I don’t know what it was but it had a very off putting taste to it
OMG I miss Aldi!!! I had one within a couple miles of my home when I lived in SC. Now, I live in SA, TX and there’s not an Aldi in sight!
I do love Aldi’s and am so glad they moved to town. I shop there first and then fill in the rest of my shopping at Publix or Walmart. I will say there are just a couple of things I won’t buy there – their refried beans (blah, yuck, gross), their frozen hamburger (its knuckly), their cheapest bacon (for the same reasons stated in your article), and their cheapest american plastic wrapped cheese (the next price up is fine; tastes like Kraft). Oh – and I am very selective with their produce. I will get my root veggies there (potatoes, onions, carrots), and if the produce is in season, it usually is pretty good. I just recently purchased cuties mandarin oranges there and I could have eaten the entire bag!! I did want to say that their block cheeses are very good – especially their Wisconsin sharp cheddar and their Monterrey Jack, and their canned coffee is just as good as Folgers for a way, way cheaper price. Glad to read someone’s post that their laundry detergent is just as good as Tide; I’ll give that a try next!!!
WAIT a minute! I live in KC, too! Where are you finding the edamame?!? I love ALDI and am there almost every week, but haven’t seen edamame, yet! Please share! I like on the KS side.
I saw the frozen edamame at Aldi for the 1st time last week. I’m not really sure how to prepare the frozen whole beans or how long to cook them.
Steam them until tender and scrape the beans out of the pods with your teeth or steam, peel open and remove. To me, they already taste buttery enough where I don’t need to add anything but the possibilities are endless! :D
I’m so excited that Aldi has edamaaaaaame!!!
It is not a regularly carried item,,It is a special buy item. Therefore it is only brought in every so often.
Aldis owns Trader Joes so their milk is from the same company.
LOVE Aldi frozen Lemonade. Seasonal so buy when you can!
I’ve tried the makeup. For me, it was hit an miss. The mascara was goopy and never really dried properly. The face power is adequate, but comes in very limited colors. The Day/Night creams are hydrating, but break me out. :/
There are some reviews of the Lacura brand on YouTube, if that interests you.
Aldi’s has the best frozen pierogies I’ve ever tasted, and that includes ones from high end stores.
I used to work for Aldi and I loved a lot of their products. Their milk isn’t organic, but it is hormone free. Eggs are another great deal.
Also Hamburger & Hot Dog buns are good.
Every morning they hand sort through their produce and put out fresh.
Also not everything is available all the time. If the sign is in black it is a regular item that is carried year round. If it is in black & has written @ the top SEASONAL ITEM it will only be there for a season. If the sign is printed in red that means it is a special purchase, and will be there until supplies run out. They get a new shipment of special purchase every week. I like a lot of their special purchase items that are not food.
Hope this helps and draws in more Aldi customers. It is a great store with great deals.
While I do a bit of shopping at Aldi and love their sale prices on produce, I find that a lot of other things I can buy cheaper elsewhere. I can say this with confidence as I have price-compared 190 food items that I buy on a regular/semi-regular basis at 6 stores. Aldi only has the lowest regular prices on about 1/3 of the items. A lot of those items I find cheaper at other stores on sale. Also, I don’t like having to use my debit card there. We use our credit card for almost everything and pay off the full balance every month. We rack up cash-back, and though it’s usually only 1-2%, it all adds up. Overall, I like Aldi as a store, but to me it’s only as good as any other store. Plain and simply, I buy things where I can get them the cheapest and that’s not always Aldi.
I am a new ALDI shopper and have fallen in love with this store. Fiest of all, My 4 year old loves the face that we put a quarter in the cart and if she is good in the store, when i take the cart back she gets the quarter. I have found many products that are well worth the savings and that are just as good (if not better) than name brand products. My kids love the fruit snacks and cereal. I loved the Nutella and pita chips with red perrer hummus. Milk is an amazing buy and im excited to try the butter. I love ALDI!!!!
I have to disagree about the avocados. Most of the time they are hard, BUT if you know that and expect it, you can buy them ahead of time for later in the week. The quality of the avocados is the best out of any other store in town (except maybe Whole Foods or Trader Joes). Just keep them on your counter until they are ripe (feel like the tip of your nose if you press it).
Other favorite buys…
Whole wheat bread (no HCFS, whole wheat is first ingredient)
Sponges with scrubby part on one side ($0.99 for a pack of 3!)
apples (if you’re willing to buy non-organic)
string cheese sticks
sour cream
fritos & tostitos (generic store brand)
spice blends in grinders (love their pizza & pasta one, but they didn’t have it last time I looked for it)
chewy granola bars
onions when they’re on sale
alfredo sauce
~Betsy
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet- the Fit & Active Peppercorn Ranch dressing is amazing and under $2. I buy it just for dipping carrots and celery for lunches or snacks, and its the only kind I buy now. It doesn’t have HFCS, either.
Other Aldi’s products I love are their cheeses (esp. love to try out the imported varieties when they are available), milk, eggs, butter, sour cream (tastes just like Breakstone’s, my fave name-brand), chocolate (all, but we especially love the Mint Melt-aways), fresh boneless chicken fillets, pasta sauce, the veggie chips (best I have tasted from anywhere), and heavy-duty paper plates (exactly like Dixie brand for nearly half the price).
I also try to buy as much of my produce there as possible. Obviously there are some produce items they never carry that are staples for us(kale, green onions), so I try to stock up on those when I go to Target for our toiletry items. As far as the quality of Aldi’s produce, the only issue I have (with my particular Aldi’s store) is with the bananas- for whatever reason they always seem to be a bit overripe for my taste, which is strange because almost all the other fruits and veggies look and taste very fresh. Broccoli, romaine lettuce, carrot sticks, onions, potatoes, grapes, and lemons are some I buy regularly at Aldi’s, and I have always been happy with the quality and amazed at the prices!
Another Aldi lover here! I had seen them around, but figured it was just another grocery store until an elderly gentleman I knew was raving about how good it is. I had to check it out–that was 15 years ago and I still do the majority of my grocery shopping there. Hubby doesn’t like the cereal, not so much because of taste issues, but because there is significantly less in the box. Not the big savings you might think it is. Other than that, can’t think of any real clunkers. Years ago they made two spaghetti sauces, one was way cheaper than the other and out of curiosity we decided to try it. It was terrible! Turns out it was flavored with beet juice–and needless to say they don’t carry it anymore ;)
I LOVE Aldi! I have always shopped there as an adult. Before being diagnosed with celiac disease, my absolute favorite thing to buy there is the oat bread. It is a great way to get extra nutrients without tasting like cardboard. It’s a great price, too! I also loved to buy the Fit N Active pastas. Now that I have been diagnosed with celiac, it’s still very easy to shop at Aldi. They do a great job labeling their products. As gluten free is becoming more popular, they are carrying more GF items. The sweet italian turkey sausage and pepper trio are my new faves. I can’t beat Aldi’s prices anywhere!
In my experience, the produce at Aldi is not high-quality. Bananas especially are always green. Also, household items like toilet paper and facial tissue are actually cheaper at Walmart.
Being something of a peanut-butter snob, I also disagree with your endorsement of Aldi’s natural peanut butter. The label says, “Compare to JIF,” and that is what it tastes like. As I said, I’m a pb snob, and I don’t like JIF natural peanut butter. (But that’s just me.)
I would add that their bottled water is a good buy. And their coffee IS better than any other inexpensive coffee I’ve ever had.
These are helpful tips; thanks for taking the time to share these!
I bought some of the Makeup and face cleanser, and wish I had my money back. My husband and I actually love the coffe, we buy the big can for like $6. We buy the dog chews but I wouldnt buy the dog food, cause the dog has no way to tell us anything, unless he has a reaction. Just some thoughts on some of the things you hadnt tried. Most everything else I agree with you on, I do buy the meats and havent had any complaints.
I have bought Aldis dry dog food to stretch the more expensive dry dog food that I get. My dogs don’t seem to mind seeing as the ratio is almost 3 to 1 the name brand.
I do most of my shopping at Aldis. One of the biggest things I like about shopping there is that it is a small store and I know exactly where everything that I need/like is. I can get my shopping done in no time at all.
The only food item that i will not buy there is the hard cheeses. I haven’t tried the soft cheeses yet.
A couple of times I have returned an item and it was either replaced or refunded no questions asked.
If the cleanser was an Aldi store brand, you can request a refund. All of their store brands have a money-back guarantee. You can bring it to the store, or sent them an email via their website.
Here via Pinterest and I too am an ALDI lover. My parents also do at least half of their weekly shopping at ALDI so I grew up eating a lot of their products. I wish there was one closer to me, but I may have to start making special trips there since my boyfriend is on a quest to eat me out of house and home, lol. Great review!
I had never heard of Aldi before we moved to Missouri 2 1/2 years ago. Several people told me about it, and since I love a good deal, I tried it out. I don’t love it as much as some people, but there are certainly things I appreciate about the store.
The produce prices are at the top of the list of things I appreciate. Mostly I buy the produce that is on sale there (and the produce sales are awesome)! They always have the sale produce in stock and I love that! I almost always buy canned mandarin oranges there as they are cheaper there than anywhere else and not an item that frequently goes on sale.
I like that they sell a wide variety of products, but that there is little variety of each item. It makes it easy to tell which is the best deal at their store. :)
Aldi is also very convenient for us-about 5 minutes away. The quality of their products is very good. Many of their items are comparable to the name brands. The one thing we do not like from there is the macaroni and cheese. For months now, our 4-year old has not eaten any macaroni and cheese because he was so turned off by the Aldi brand.
Aldi is not a “stock-up” store for me. Only about 1/3 of the items I regularly buy are cheapest at Aldi when you compare regular prices. I can often get most items cheaper on sale elsewhere. So I stock up at other stores when they have a sale and buy things at Aldi when I run out and need to buy at regular price. Combine the sale prices elsewhere with the 1-2% cash back I get with a credit card and Aldi is not often the best deal.
Our Aldi is always busy and the aisles are narrow. Around the produce gets especially congested. It makes shopping there less than fun, especially since I almost always have kids in tow.
Finally, while the cashiers at Aldi are super fast, I find their customer service overall to be mediocre. They often have the next person’s items mostly rung up before I’m even done paying. Even Costco cashiers take more time to acknowledge your presence and I always thought they were bad. I rarely see employees working in the store so if I have a question while I’m shopping there is no one to ask. By the time I get to the register, it’s not worth it to ask the question and then go back into the store for whatever I need.
I do really like Aldi and I shop there frequently (once every 1-2 weeks). I enjoyed reading your series about it. There were a few things I wasn’t aware of about the store that you brought up. Sounds like I really need to keep an eye out for awesome clearance deals!
Our two area Aldi’s recently went through a redesign and now the aisles are bigger, but I hear you about the produce congestion. We have that as well.
We started shopping at Aldi and our monthly bill dropped by $100. I love the goat cheese, the cheap chips, and the milk prices.
One thing I don’t buy at Aldi is paper towels. The exception is their Boulder ELITE brand. It is Viva paper towels, which is what I use exclusively.
I noticed they started carrying Coke products but not Coke Zero, which is all my husband drinks. So I still have to go to Wal-Mart to buy the Coke Zeros. And Cilantro. But I just bought a Cilantro plant, we will see if it lives.
Friend who works for Fresh Express said that the Aldi ready to eat salads are the exact same thing just in a different bag.
In the refrigerated items, my family will NOT eat their hot dogs OR bologna. We do however, LOVE their crescent rolls, and buy them weekly.
I’m going to be the first to say this but I do not like the produce at Aldi. A couple of weeks ago we bought a bag of Cuties that were so sour we couldn’t eat them. I was going to return them but they rotted, seemingly overnight, and started attracting bugs. I pitched them. Potatoes sprout and get mushy quickly. Fresh berries don’t last longer than 48 hours.
I do like staples like butter, milk, eggs, baking supplies. Their 12 grain bread is better than Brownberry. I also go there for bagged lettuce, sliced cheese, canned veggies, tortillas, Light & Fit drink mix, plastic garbage bags, zippy bags, specialty cheeses, and the frozen chicken pot pies.
I really like the specialty items they have at Christmas: stollen, baklava, gingerbread cookies. As someone already stated, these are German and EU products and it’s fun to try new and “exotic” things.
I am a crazy couponer and can often find name brands cheaper, but when it comes to basics, Aldi is my go-to grocery!
I mainly shop at Aldis, have for at least 30 yrs. They have gluten free rice chex type cereal that I buy for my husband, he is a cereal freak, and I use it for making rice crispy treats, with a recipe that does not use marshmellos or cornsyrup. I think the choices they have are really great and I usually spend about $75-$120 a week depending upon what I need. They other day they had packs of green onions and cilantro, I use those a lot. I was very happy to get them there. It is the best place if you are on a budget or just want to save money.
I love Aldi too. One simple reason is because I can get in and out fast. Although I don’t shop there on a regular basis,I do have some favorites. I am completely addicted to their Choceur dark chocolate bars. Out of this world. I also buy canned refried beans the weeks I don’t have a stash of homemade. They have some coffee beans lately too that are really good, I”m thinking they are the same brand as the donut shop ground coffee they have. I like their sweet potato chips and sometimes they have these peanut puffs that are really good. I just love walking around and seeing what they have – this week I stopped in and they had cheese from Ireland so I got some for my husband and he said it was wonderful.
Great post! I love Aldi. I do want to point out, as a fellow coffee snob, that their coffee is actually very decent! It’s shocking, since it comes pre-ground, but it actually has a good flavor for everyday coffee. If you’re looking to save money and also try to get in all your errands in one stop (aka mothers of toddlers), it is a good buy. Of course, I would definitely splurge for the good stuff every now and then, but I gotta say, Aldi’s coffee actually does the trick!
I love their shrimp Lo mein in the frozen section!!! I’ve eaten this for years!! Great proportion, flavor, and price. Christmas I always get a cheese ball or two and thanksgiving I love their sweet potato casserole (It goes quick so stock up! And it’s not as good as our family recipe but its great for week day meals) thanks for the advice on the refrigerated section! I usually shy away from there.
Great article! I buy their frozen meals for nights when I get home late and don’t feel like cooking from scratch. The Fusia Asian meals are pretty good. Their ham is to die for as well! I shy away from the red meat except for ground beef. I do buy fresh chicken, pork, and pork tenderloin there. They have some great marinaded tenderloin. I also get Parmesan cheese there because it’s a staple in my house along with pasta and sauce. They sometimes have delicious kiwi-mango or strawberry-banana juice in the fridge section for $1. Awesome store for newly weds and new grads (I am both!)
Love, love, love Aldi! I was previously one of those coupon ladies with two separate binders full of coupons. Three years ago, I discovered Aldi and shop there for everything! I only go to the another grocery store for Heinz and Helmann’s. We like everything there but their mayo!