Generic, Store Brands

[Indy500Dude]

Use them or not? If not why?

[Doyouloveit?]

Definitely use them....except for lunch meat, peanut butter and soda. Besides that, I will buy store brand for about anything.

[Frank Capua]

I looked in the kitchen and the only store brand I could find was the Country Style hash browns from Publix in the freezer plus I get all my bakery needs from the Publix bakery.

Both I buy because they are better than the brand names available. The Bakery stuff is baked right in the store and you can't buy a better hot dog bun or mild Sourdough... Plus their donuts are better than Krispe Kreme's, almost Long's-like. The Hash Browns? Or-Ida's hash browns are nothing but broken pieces of their crinkle fries.

[TommyTipover]

Generally won't buy anything store brand that goes in my mouth. But sandwich bags, cleaners, etc. are ok. The Publix frozen potatoes are pretty good though.

[Indy500Dude]

Generally won't buy anything store brand that goes in my mouth. But sandwich bags, cleaners, etc. are ok. The Publix frozen potatoes are pretty good though.

I am just the opposite. I hardly ever buy any name brand anymore. Does not matter what it is.

[Davydd]

I buy the Target store brands Archer Farms and Market Pantry. I also buy Whole Foods 365, Costco Kirkland and Trader Joe's many brands. It is a different era from when store brands first came to be which were deliberate cheapenings of the national brands. SuperValu still has a few of those old era kind. I'm not sure about Walmart as I seldom shop there except when on the road.

I had a little bit of inside knowledge about the Target store brands. There was nothing inferior about them. In fact quite a few were created to fill a breach where national brands fell down. Snack chips were one area in this approach. My only complaint about Target's brands is they tend to have more fat, salt or sugar than the national equivalent brands and I am suppose to be watching that (between tenderloin forays). I suspect this is deliberate because the national food companies like General Mills, Kraft, etc. seem to be under a lot of pressure to acquiesce to consumer health watchdogs and there is a void that can be filled and give a taste advantage.

[Slim]

Kroger has a house brand called Premium Selection. I have no issues with buying anything marked as such. I love their deli meats/cheeses. I like some of the Meier brand items as well. Their mashed potatoes that you make in the microwave are very good and almost half the price of Bob Evans brand. I don't use these all the time but it sure is nice to have it around for those nights where I don't feel like peeling potatoes. I also buy the Meier brand drink mixes. The ones that rival Crystal light. I like those as well.

[Marc P. Gregoire]

I try to sale shop and get brand name around store brand cost whenever possible, and stuff I use a lot of like peanut butter I buy in warehouse sizes on sale to compound that.

I've used lots of store brand stuff for years but usually I find a brand name or two I like for a product and stock up when I see the sales. The extra 60 cents for the Heinz won't kill me.

[ZUL8TR]

I've opened up to store brands in the recent years. Quality has been good. For the past several months, we've pretty much given up all the processed foods in boxes and cans and gone for cooking all fresh.

[BADGER]

I second the a Target brands as being really good.

[R22]

dang nab it.......... now i gots to go offt into da kitchenic.. mostly great value stuff and aint kilided me yet.

[Frank Capua]

I was out looking for pancake syrup and they didn't have my usual brand so I bought the cheap generic thinking maple syrup is maple syrup... boy was I wrong.

$1.98 isn't saving you much money when you use it once and the rest of the bottle get's tossed in the trash. Might as well have been water... all it did was make my pancakes soggy.

[Luy]

I second the a Target brands as being really good.

I'm pretty much addicted to the Archer Farms pizzas.

[Frank Capua]

I'm pretty much addicted to the Archer Farms pizzas.

The first step is always admitting that you have a problem.

[cheeseczar]

The Hash Browns? Or-Ida's hash browns are nothing but broken pieces of their crinkle fries.

We get the cheapest hash browns in the store. Also in my basket would be a couple green peppers and at home in the pantry are onions. Potatoes O'Brian! Kitchen improv.

It's just the 2 of us, so I take liberty with top shelf once in a while. We eat fairly well I think.

[Tifositoo]

If you like hummus, especially red pepper hummus, Aldi's has a great product.


Dan

[Davydd]

I was out looking for pancake syrup and they didn't have my usual brand so I bought the cheap generic thinking maple syrup is maple syrup... boy was I wrong.

$1.98 isn't saving you much money when you use it once and the rest of the bottle get's tossed in the trash. Might as well have been water... all it did was make my pancakes soggy.

You didn't say what your usual brand was, but if it was Log Cabin or Aunt Jemima or any of those national brands it was not pure maple syrup if it was thick. It would have been more likely high fructose corn syrup which is technically not even a food.

[Doyouloveit?]

I'm pretty much addicted to the Archer Farms pizzas.

They are excellent.

[Frank Capua]

You didn't say what your usual brand was, but if it was Log Cabin or Aunt Jemima or any of those national brands it was not pure maple syrup if it was thick. It would have been more likely high fructose corn syrup which is technically not even a food.

I was being lazy, didn't want to type the extra letters. But yes they were out of my usual brand of Maple flavoured pancake syrup... Aunt Jemima's in the microwavable jug.