What products do you prefer the cheap version of?

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I went to Fortnum and Mason this week (part of our exercise cycling around London) and treated myself to their hot chocolate powder. To my disappointment, at £20 a packet it's nowhere near as nice as my usual brand (Options), which is around £6 for an equivalent amount (and not because it tastes more like actual hot chocolate rather than powder, because I occasionally make real hot chocolate at home and it's nothing like that). My Dad prefers Sainsbury's own brand, which is even cheaper.

Is there anything you get where you think the cheaper brand is actually nicer?

Home bargain’s wickford and co large candles over the overpriced Yankee candles, that only burn down the middle of the jar, and at a sixth of the price there’s no competition

Tesco chocolate pillows cereal, sooooo much nicer than Krave! I find Krave leave a weird film in my mouth afterwards?

Sainsbury's basics peanut butter. I've tried every other brand...comes nowhere near.

I agree about the Wickford candles, I love them.

@Tanfastic

I love that one too but also really rate the co-op one

Talking of own brand pizza, we love Sainsbury's Thin Crust Pepperoni & the Thin Crust Vegetable pizza.
All Co-op pizzas are delicious along with their ready meals & potato wedges.
Also like Sainsbury's Korma Sauce in a jar only 85p & the Aldi Pasta Bake sauces in jars are lovely too.

Natural Collection Waterproof Mascara is the best (I used to use Clarins waterproof mascara but the Natural Collection was recommended o here) always get one for holidays, you know those things we got to go on once upon a time.
W7 Porefection Primer is just as good as Benefits Porefessional but a sixth of the price.
My favourite shower gel is Imperial Leather 'Refreshers' just smells sharp & tangy like the sweets.
(My next favourite shower stuff is Elemis but that's treat/Christmas/Birthday only.)

Asda make your own pizza rather than dominos. Just will not pay their extortionate prices for a greasy pizza.

Alberto balsam shampoo and conditioner, £1 each, smell nice and leave my hair lovely 😊

Tesco own brand decaf coffee - everyone comments how nice it is (not me - I can't bear coffee!).

Also bought a load of loo roll from Costco back in December. It last until the beginning of this month. Used maybe two rolls a week. Then bought Andrex. Seem to be changing the roll every couple of days and feels really flimsy. Am reverting to the cheap stuff.

Waitrose essential handwash/bathfoam/shower gel/soap. Great smells and about £1 each.

Sainsbury's own "barista" coffee. Like Azera etc. Only nicer, and half the price.

Lidl authentic Greek yoghurt. So good.

Aldi washing powder. Just as good as Persil. Their Jo Malone rip off candles are very decent too.

Jaffa cakes. The real ones are dry and awful, lidl ones are amazing.

I prefer American mustard to Dijon.
I really like those yellow cheese slices for burgers. I love posher cheeses too, but when I want a burger I want a white bun, beef burger not to thick, ketchup and a slice of yellow cheese, with skinny fries.
I also so really like cheese strings and cheese triangles.
Cheap white bread spread with cheap raspberry jam (the kind with bits in it) is one of my all time favourite foods.
I prefer cheap wafer thin ham to the thick expensive kind. I also really love the pork roll with egg in the middle and cheap sausage rolls.
I prefer cheap dry pasta to the fresh kind.
I really like cheap hot dogs (the kind that come in brine) in white hot dog rolls with ketchup, mustard and fried onions.
Happy shopper cheese puffs are great too. Actually Happy Shopper are a much underrated brand.

My kids like all the cheapest crisp brands, especially pickled onion aliens or pickled onion monster munch/monster claws.

I much prefer cheap Irish cream to Baileys

Not food related but... Cetaphil cleanser for £6ish compared to all the expensive cleansers I've used over the years! Same goes for the Simple range - their micellar water, moisturiser etc are amazing for problem skin

Food-wise I'm a sucker for a good old cheap loaf of own brand white bread! Always loved it as a kid and still do.

Asda own spiced wedges are much nicer than mccain

Lidl do a really lovely Irish cream that won awards in blas na hÉireann. Much nicer than baileys and half the price

Aldi nappies and Aldis fajita kit.

Superdrugs hot cloth cleanser - waaaay better than Liz Earle
MUA Highlighter runs rings around Becca £3 vs £30!

Supermarket brand cream cheese rather than Philadelphia- it hasn’t got strange gum in it which makes too creamy and characterless. The own brands usually have a much better texture. Unfortunately Lidl have ‘improved’ theirs by putting xanthum gum in now.

Sorry I'm back! Either aldi or lidl do mini magnusthst are nicer than the original and both do nappies that I found better than Pampers, and their baby wipes less stingy than j and j

Not food related but... Cetaphil cleanser for £6ish compared to all the expensive cleansers I've used over the years

Oh my god yes, cetaphil, cerave, botanics and the ordinary beat so many skincare brands out tere at the mo! Also Rimmel Perfect match very close to YSL foundation

There not tere!

@Lavenderpurple My uncle is a massive fan of Happy Shopper lemonade.

Tesco's free from unsweetened soya yoghurt is far nicer than alpro unsweetened yoghurt.

Lidl Rich Tea biscuits are much tastier than McVities.

so many things! we are value / own brand shoppers and know what bits we like out of which supermarket. at the mo we are having to buy a lot of brands but wouldnt say theres many we would feel the need to stick with

my kids prefer the asda version of oreos, sainsburys special K, in fact all sainsburys cereals seem very good. sainsburys curry paste, yes to the sainsburys almond and hazelnut whole nut chocolate, sainsburys crisps, a lot of the asda cupboard goods are fine eg their own brand pasta and sauce etc. Lidl for wine / selection of mini chocolate bars / salted popcorn / yoghurts etc. I miss shopping around properly!

ZaZa

The digestives are much nicer too.