Need to cut corners -- any opinions on Aldi

[Paula Sims]

Hello all,

Hubby lost his job pre Covid and my job is potentially on the line. That said, we need to start cutting corners and went through Aldi. Stuff looked ok, basic. It's not Whole Foods but then again, neither are the prices. We are especially interested in produce, milk, eggs, cheese, and meat/fish. Any feedback?

Thanks so much. You all hang in there.

[Sanity Claws]

1. Okay

The produce looks fresh enough and the prices are good but somehow the Aldi produce goes bad sooner than other stores, at least in my opinion.
Eggs are okay.
No opinion on cheese and meat. Have not bought any at Aldi's

[Awsi Dooger]

50. Exactly...love Aldi except for produce

Strawberries and bananas and virtually everything will turn bad quicker than other stores and quicker than appearance suggests. It really is quite uncanny how they manage to pull it off.

I've reached the point the only Aldi produce I'll buy are portabella mushrooms, red grapes and roma tomatoes. Even those need to be checked carefully, especially the tomatoes for firmness.

Oh, the navel oranges are good also. I buy several bags at a time when they are on sale. The sale price will be equivalent to 25 or 30 cents per orange, which can't be matched elsewhere.

My favorite Aldi item is Moser Roth dark chocolate, specifically the 85%. The price is great at $1.99 and the individually wrapped aspect makes it tower above Lindt or any competitor. The Aldi peanut butter cups are an obsession on related forums. A year or so ago every Aldi board was loaded with one peanut butter cup thread after another, normally with 100+ gushing replies. I prefer Reese's. Aldi are more smooth but not as tasty.

I also dependably get the unsweetened almond milk and goodies like barbeque chips and chewy chocolate chip cookies. If you go to Aldi message boards and the subreddit the overwhelming consensus is that the basic Clancy chips are very good but the ranch or tortilla style are bland and absolute garbage, basically the worst item in the store. My experience has been identical.

Let's see, on frozen food the veggie burgers look good but are incredibly mushy. I love the veggie pizzas but Aldi rotates frozen pizzas so often you never know which version will be available. The desert choices are very limited and generally disappointing, other than an occasional clearance item for fantastic rate, like a huge fancy pie for $1.99.

Of course, no Aldi summary can be complete without reference to the Aisle of Shame. Nine months ago I didn't realize I needed a giant round bedroom wall clock, until I brought it home from Aldi. It still rests unopened leaning against a wall.

This is the best summary of Aldi...when I check out the bill is always less than I expected it to be, based on the volume of items on the belt

[DonaldsRump]

2. We lived in Europe for many years and often shopped at Aldi

They are great! We don't have them in the Bay Area where we live, but we always try to shop there when visting a region that has an Aldi.

[riversedge]

3. I have been shopping Aldi's for years now. No problems.

[dlk]

4. I know several people who shop at Aldi & really like it

I think you may be pleasantly surprised. I have a neighbor from Germany who enjoys shopping there.

[soothsayer]

8. Germans love it! Their German desserts (frozen) are amazing

[babylonsister]

5. I like Aldi's though

you obviously can't get all the things on your list.

Here's a decent article you can read...
https://www.mashed.com/79564/untold-truth-aldi/

[demtenjeep]

6. I worked for Aldi 30 years ago. It was before they had scanners, employees work HARD

. Most things are okay

I like my miracle whip and some things name brand, but most things are okay.

[soothsayer]

7. Aldi is very nice. Fish is frozen (scallops are delish and cheap)

Meats seem fine but I haven’t had a lot of them. Produce is fresh daily.

To get a shopping cart you need to deposit a quarter; quarter is automatically returned when you put the cart back.

Bring yer own bags (and do your own bagging). It’s fine as long as you’re prepared (or they sell some for 99 cents).

Their brand of products (like chips) are fair but dirt cheap! Less picky eaters will be fine with ‘em. They sell some name brand things too.

[bedazzled]

9. Organic eggs and milk are very well priced

Fish (steelhead trout or salmon) are excellent and freeze well. Sometimes first thing in am ifish will go on discount near sell by date. chicken and pork are very good, but the beef is awful. Have no problems with the veg. Especially like green leaf lettuce and mushrooms. I like the shredded cheese but the yogurt is awful. The bread is good but you have to watch as it spoils quickly. I usually refrigerate it. I do the major portion of my marketing there now

[Ilsa]

10. Also, consider a local food pantry, and ask if you can

Purchase from them. They are usually able to buy their pantry items for 10% or less what we typically pay. A lot of food pantries have fresh produce, grown by church members, group projects, etc.

[Shermann]

11. I'm a Walmart guy but have always had good experiences at ALDI

I just don't see where they differentiate themselves from Walmart in enough ways.

[Demsrule86]

12. Aldi has a great many organic products...I shop there often.

[samnsara]

13. the only one i have shopped at was in Gallatin Tenneesee when i visited my dtr...

..i have mixed feeling about it. I thought it was a little sub standard but much better than icky WALMART next to it but worse than the Farmers Market.

[SheltieLover]

14. Aldi products are superb, imho

That's where I shop!

Eggs are great, as is milk, cheeses, meats & fish. The only thing you can't get there are steaks. I love the frozen, wild-caught cod, tuna is great, too!

Ice creams are good.

[onetexan]

26. ah yes, my most favorite thing to get are the frozen seafood packages - fish, scallops, shrimp

at an amazing price! My kiddo likes Moose Tracks ice cream & Aldi has the best variety. Gelato is great too.

[SheltieLover]

28. 😁

I've not tried the Gelato yet, but the chocolate covered ice cream cones are yummy!

And their Austrian chocolate bars .. 😍

[onetexan]

29. agree, the large European chocolate varieties really surprise me. Delish!

The other frozen products - frozen chicken breasts, vegetables, microwave meals, etc. - are also pretty good. Nuts & dehydrated fruits variety & healthy snack bars are great as well. i don't mind it that the store is smaller than a typical grocery store; i rather like it that way. Depends on the store as well. the ones in nicer neighborhoods are well kept and tidy.

[SheltieLover]

31. Yes, they are tidy

Their garlic spear pickles are soooo good, as are their olives.

Downside is not a ton of selections.

But we love their food & prices!

Those little frozen minj-eclairs are super yummy.

[onetexan]

34. LOL seems we like the same things at Aldi's

We have a tub of those mini-eclairs & puffs in the fridge & i'm going to get some to snack on now The hubby used to like shopping@ Whole Foods - waste of $. It always amazes me that whenever i shop @Aldi's it shaves half the groceries bill. Waiting for them to build one closer to me so i won't have to drive so far. We have HEB & do like shopping there as well but nowhere else beats the price of the frozen seafood products & healthy snacks.

[SheltieLover]

43. Lucky you have some! Lol

Getting hungry here with this conversation. Time for an Aldi run.

Craving sliced ham. 😍

Also love their Fit & Active chicken noodle soup.

I make 1 big run per month, then smaller run as needed.

I buy soups & tuna by the case. 👍

[MiniMe]

15. We bought some flour there

The flour sucked. It didn't rise right. It could have just been a bad bag, but it totally turned me off to
Aldi.

[SheltieLover]

16. Aldi satisfaction guarantee ie great!

Once I got bad burger & took it back. They refund your orig purchase price AND you get to pick another product of equal value. 😊

[Captain Zero]

17. Their dairy goods are fine.

And they have some decent red table wines for $6.99
I like Outlander.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. My wife likes it. I don't.

Small, little selection and no full departments like regular supermarkets. Also the rent-a-cart and bring your own bags is just annoying.

And the local store is depressing looking to boot.

But on the other hand, prices are a bargain. Which is why my wife uses them at times.

[Shermann]

19. Those are annoying

At least they take credit cards now. That used to be an annoyance as well many years ago.

[onetexan]

24. Ever since covid started Aldi has an attendant wiping down carts & no longer requiring a quarter

and everyone wears masks so i feel quite comfortable shopping there for most things except fresh meat.

[SharonClark]

20. We have a lot of variety when grocery shopping

including several regional chains, Trader Joe’s, Costco, Walmart, and Whole Foods.

I usually go to a local chain or Trader Joe’s (for the ice cream) but you can get some real bargains at Aldi’s and it’s my Mom’s favorite store. The produce is well priced and staples seem to be about 20% cheaper than other stores. The selection may not be as extensive as other stores but it is worth checking out.

[Thekaspervote]

40. Many are not aware that Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi

[Celerity]

51. but not the same Aldi that owns the Aldi-branded US stores

https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/things-you-didnt-know-about-aldi-gallery/slide-5

All Aldis in the U.S. operate under the umbrella of Aldi Süd. Instead of opening his own U.S. locations, in 1979 Aldi Nord’s Theo Albrecht decided to buy a fledgling American grocery store chain with a similar concept of primarily selling inexpensive store brands: Trader Joe’s. Ownership of the chain passed to Theo’s sons after his 2010 passing.

[Doodley]

21. I shop ay Aldi a lot. Save a fortune.

[tavernier]

22. I drive an extra half hour just to get to my nearest Aldi

Always worth it.

[SheltieLover]

32. Me too!

Their precooked ham steaks, chunk of cooked & sliced ham & cooked turkey breast are really good, too! (Near lunch meats & cheeses.)

[onetexan]

23. was just @Aldi near me last week, i love shopping there

i like most of their groceries except fresh meat. They don't have a large meat selection on purpose and we get our meat from Randalls or Costco in bulk. Aldi is good for the usual staples - eggs, milk, cheese, coffee, tea, veggies & fruit, and everything is quite affordable.

There's only 1 Aldi in the Austin area & it's nearly half hour from me but i make the effort to visit about once every 6 weeks since I like their snacks, especially the european biscuits and chocolate. Divine! They also have a healthy products line and a Gluten-free line.

[Tink41]

25. Aldi is fantastic!

I've enjoyed several concerts w great seats, and 2 first class RT vacations because I shop there! Aldi carries many of the same items as Trader Joes! Quality has changed dramatically in 30 yrs.

[phylny]

27. Two of our daughters shop regularly at Aldi and are very pleased with it n/t

[Lars39]

30. Pinterest has menus using Aldi ingredients.

Saved a lot of money shopping there.

[Wednesdays]

33. If you have a grocery list that looks like:

Stouffer's frozen meat lasagna
Doritos chili cheese chips
Starbucks caramel mocha instant Frappuccino mix
etc.

... you'll leave the store empty-handed.

However, if you have a list like this:
Milk
Bread
Eggs
Cheese
Coffee
etc.

...and you're not picky about getting basics, you'll complete your list, and save a bundle!

We have seldom been disappointed with their products. I'd say it's worth at least a couple of trips there to try them out!

[TreasonousBastard]

35. I'm a regular at Aldi. As with everywhere, some stuff is great some so-so. Fresh fruit is...

usually good and surprisingly cheap. Cheeses the same. Variety is limited, but you will rarely leave empty-handed. I use Velveeta a lot (Yeah, I know...) for melting and they have their own identical brand for much less.

READ THE LABELS, though. I was amazed that their half&half at one point had a whole list of things besides milk and cream in it.

Prices have been inching up for over a year.

I always though the quarter for the cart was genius. I've seen it elsewhere and it does help with parking lots littered with carts. And byo bag was ahead of its time, and very European.

BTW, Aldi and Trader Joe's were run by the Albrecht brothers who had a big fight years ago and each went off on his own way. Aldi Sud (Aldi) and Aldi Nord (TJ's) was the result.

[snacker]

36. Great prices

We buy fresh produce, milk and cheese there regularly and have never been disappointed.

[judeling]

37. No Problem with Aldi

My sister manages a Costco and we still shop at Aldi. Bulk at Costco and fill in the the rest as needed from Aldi.

It is a good combo and if you need find a partner for Costco and split the bulk and/or just have a member buy you a gift card for the Costco parts.

[Hortensis]

38. Stick to those things you're especially interested in and avoid

the prepared foods Aldi seduces with. Compare prices and shop sales. Sale items at the most expensive supermarkets might sometimes be the best buys around, or as good.

Cut portions of meat and cheese. I don't know how much meat's a portion to you of course, but at one time we laughed at the recommendation that a healthy portion was about the volume of a pack of playing cards (!), and completely dismissed that nonsense. Then beef prices skyrocketed and in keeping beef in our diet we found that for us a small portion was actually more enjoyable than continuing to eat after we were sated with that flavor. Hanging it up with the expensive stuff while you're still um-ummming works.

Fresh veggies are also expensive, but of course meals built around them are the most healthy. If you don't already belong to a coop, maybe see about signing up. One near us allows us to pre-order only what we want at coop prices.

If you can't figure out how to get your quarter back for the cart, any kid nearby will be able to show you. (Someday I'll run into someone else who's stood there trying to poke the coin in with a stupid look on his or her face.)

[Thekaspervote]

39. Aldi has come a long way in the last 5 or so yrs. organic fruits, veggies, meat and less expensive

Their sister company is Trader Joe’s and now looks much like it

It’s our first stop for groceries. Only go to others stores for the few things we cant get there

They also give there employees hazard pay...what’s not to like!

[hatrack]

41. Our local Aldi is quite nice (recently redone) . . .

Lots of stuff (chips, sunflowers seeds, dried fruit, cooking oil, multi-grain bread) is half what we pay at the local grocery, and just as good. Many other items (cheese, whole bean coffee, sliced meat, frozen veggies) are between 1/3 and 1/2 less than local chains.

Excellent inexpensive chocolate, granola and breakfast bars. sauces, spices, pickles and pasta, lots of prefab ethnic food, and an ever-shifting variety of wine and beer. Veggies and fruits aren't bad, though a lot of the meat selections are frozen/vacuum-packed.

Think of it as a low-end Trader Joes' - it's the same company anyway. Definitely worth the trip.

[Tarc]

42. Had never heard of a Aldi store until today

There's apparently one ~50 miles south of us (NH). My Trump-leaning co-worker says he might drive there to shop since they do not require masks.

But...plot twist!

https://corporate.aldi.us/en/newsroom/aldi-covid-19-updates/

They just passed down a mask mandate one week ago, so, I don't think he knows yet.

I think I shall do my co-workerly duty and drop him an email forthwith.

[Generic Brad]

44. I first tried Aldis when I was last unemployed

What took me so long? We like to go there to shop for produce and meat. We have since become hooked on many other foods. Baking supplies are a huge bargain. Their chocolate is better than a Trader Joe’s in my opinion. Then they also have a section of non grocery products that seems to change weekly.

I am so glad there is an Aldis in the town I live in. It saves me the hassle of spending a day in Nashville wandering between Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Sprouts.

[Baitball Blogger]

45. Everyone that goes there on a regular basis loves it.

Their produce is more European, which isn't always bad. For example, they always have Basmati rice. That was hard to find in Publix in the early days of Covid.

[MissB]

46. If you need any help with meal planning

Consider budgetbytes

[mvd]

47. Many things are fine

I like their Colby Jack and cheddar cheese sticks (their string cheese isn’t even close to Polly-O, however). Their cookies are good. Their paper products are well priced and decent. Their ice cream is good, though I have noticed false advertising (saying no preservatives when Polysorbate 80 is listed as an ingredient). Their pizza is pretty good. Their chips are a bit salty but fine. Some of their produce is ok. The corn on the cob I got was old, and had to toss it. Their apples and blueberries are tasty. Frozen meal selection is skimpy, but their chicken pies and burritos are worth getting.

Some things I can only find at overpriced Giant, especially pharmaceuticals.

[Ms. Toad]

48. It's fantastic for most things,

as long as you're not interested in throwing money at a store to buy a brand name.

They don't carry everything I want - so I have to go to a regular store for some things. And there are a very few things I buy by brand name (Kraft Zesty Italian Fat Free dressing - for example.)

The only thing I don't like from Aldis is the string cheese (mentioned by someone else below). Other cheeses are cheap and fantastic. Milk, eggs, and produce are all good. We shop there for our holiday open house, and often get asked where we bought things by people who really like them. And in the last few years they have added a strong supplyselection of organic/gluten-free/low carb items.

[Keth]

52. well..

I got acquainted with Aldi just this year as I started having my groceries delivered since I was in isolation mode. I was pleasantly surprised with most of my purchases. I was a little leery about ordering produce because when I actually go to a grocery store I spend quite a bit of time checking out my fruits and vegetables. I touch and examine and won't buy unless I'm completely satisfied. I feel like the security camera guys are wondering what the hell is this dude doing with the fruit. However, the bananas, apples and cucumbers I ordered passed my intense examination test. Fortunately, we grew a garden this year so I didn't buy too many veggies, just fruits. Well, bananas and apples, my favorites. Speaking of garden vegetables, I never knew Okra plants yielded so much. I have already frozen at least 50 bags, pickled a few jars, given many away to neighbors and relatives and will probably have another bucket when I go out and pick them this morning. I love okra, but geez.

The best purchases to me are the hummus, everything bagels (which I put the hummus on), Aldi brand peanut butter (which surprised me because I love Skippy Natural), frozen pizzas (like $2.50) and their IPA beer. I give the ALDI a thumbs up!

[Norbert]

53. My Aldi is a little further away from some of the grocery stores.

So when I get out that way I make sure I stop in for some things.

The bargains I have seen is milk and eggs are usually 10-20 cents less than the other stores.

Saltine crackers are 75 cents, less than half of what Zesta's are.

Ice Cream is usually $2 for a 1.5 gallon container.

[SKKY]

54. I shopped at Aldi when I lived in Stuttgart, Germany. I loved it then...

....and I still love it. Very happy to have one less than a mile from my house. I have never gone there or something and not been able to find it. As you mentioned, the prices are not Whole Foods, but I have never found the quality of Aldi produce and meats to be substandard in the least. And if nothing else, the Habanero Cheddar cheese is legit AF!!!

[JI7]

55. Didn't really care for it but I guess for Basics it should be ok . I was looking for snacks