What’s something you buy which is cheap/basic that is really good?

[Earbogeys]

Mine is bars of unscented soap from (predictably) Aldi, and also Waitrose own salt and vinegar crisps.

What gems are in your life?

Angliski I've ordered the Dr Bronner in Almond . Going to try it on bedding to see if it leaves a lovely smell then I'll see what else I can get up to with it .

Won't give store name, I'm in the USA, and it would do you no good, but I always buy a particular store's sour cream. It is lovely and tangy, with a wonderful consistency. Much better than any of the name brands sold here, and at half the cost.

Farmfoods back bacon, 3 × 18 rasher packs for £6, freezes & cooks really well & is lovely & crispy.

@Mamanyt

Won't give store name, I'm in the USA, and it would do you no good, but I always buy a particular store's sour cream. It is lovely and tangy, with a wonderful consistency. Much better than any of the name brands sold here, and at half the cost.

Righty oh love. That's proper helpful that

Aldi Nordpak butter is the best of the cheaper butters we have tried. We will always prefer presidente but it's 3x the price of Aldis.

Aldi coconut Greek yoghurt.

Victorinox knives.

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER

Ordinary own brand rice, long grain or basmati - just bung in a pan of boiling salted water, simmer until done, drain, rinse if necessary, bingo. Can never understand difficulties over cooking rice. I dare say rice cookers are good if you have plenty of worktop space but I don’t.

Oh yum, wet rice 😋

@bertiebotts rice cooker, if it ever breaks I have a fail proof way to cook rice.

Heat a little oil and fold the rice in it. And salt to taste. Add cold water so it sits above the rice. About the tip of your thumb to the middle of your thumb above the rice. and put on lid. Let it boil. Once it starts boiling out it onowest setting and leave it until water has evaporated. Give it a fluff with a fork off heat and leave to sit on the side for 10 minutes. Perfect every time.

I went out with a bloke from China who hooted with laughter at how I cooked and then rinsed and drained rice! This is what he said..
1 measure rice in pan. Add water and swirl it round, pour cloudy water out. ( do a couple of times to wash rice) then add 2 measures of water. Put on high till starts to boil, ( 8 on our induction hob) turn to very low ( 3) stir once, leave till fluffy. Easy!
To make it tasty theses add a bit of oomph..
add a stock cube and a blob of butter or goose fat at the beginning.
Or add a stock cube and orange juice
Or tin tomatoes and orange juice and stock
Or tin coconut milk and lime leaf
Or tin coconut milk, chopped onion, thyme.

All yummy! And definitely scoop into a wee cup and serve like rice sandcastles’ very posh!

Sorry didioverstep, cross post! And both the same method!

Yes, mine is turkish way. But I think.most of the middle East/Asia cook it this way. Tastes better than boiling too much too. Tad of pil stops it being sticky

It depends if you like rice or not I guess!

A polish brand of liquid seasoning, 95p and lasts ages I literally put it in everything. Might not be to everyone's tastes though and not exactly natural organic etc etc...

Also agree with bar soap I did the same thing over the first lockdown and haven't looked back!

I’m now googling dr bronner soap! Agree with bar soap. The shower gel mostly goes straight down the shower. I’m so ancient I remember this stuff being invented and it seemed so wasteful my mum refused to buy it! Soap on a rope is great ( can you still get it) it dries out! I had one for Xmas shaped like a bluebell, gosh I was posh 😀

@LucyLocketLostThePlot also agree with the IKEA high chair it's absolutely brilliant, easy to clean and can actually go in the dishwasher (not officially recommended though)

Oh I forgot, magnet soap bar holder! In my country of origin everyone had them but never see them here.

The Asda little angels no tears body wash is an amazing make up remover! Can scrub your eyes with no tears and it leaves skin clean and fresh. Such a great little cheap secret!

I use the absorbtion method when cooking rice. Rice is simple to cook, it's just double the volume of liquid to rice. So one mug of rice needs two mugs of water (I don't fill it to the top). Works for me each time, I turn it off the heat towards the end and cover it with a tea towel to absorb the excess moisture. Fluff it up with a fork and job done.

I'm in Aus and not sure where else this brand is available but a foundation called Designer Brands luminous foundation - an ANAZING dupe for NARS sheer glow.. and whole $50 cheaper

Sainsbury’s swimsuits.

@AutomaticMoon

Oh I forgot, magnet soap bar holder! In my country of origin everyone had them but never see them here.

I remember them from the 70’s but haven’t seen them since. Perhaps they will come back now that everyone is seeing the benefits of soap against shower gel.

I have a £5.99 microwave rice cooker and although I CAN cook rice in a pan I never do now as the rice cooker is so faff free and the rice is better.

For 3 of us…..
Rinse 200g rice and add to cooker with pinch salt if required.
400ml hot water (I use mostly boiling with a dash of cold)
Microwave x 10 min, remove and sit for 5 or until needed. Fluff up.
Perfect rice every time and really easy to clean.

I buy boil-in-the-bag basmati and have no problem cooking it. I don’t need a rice cooker.

@Cleanbedlinen12 I too am ancient and astonished by how the majority of people on this thread have only just discovered bar soap.
I am a regular Imperial Leather user, but also had a big bottle of Dr Bronners Peppermint Castile soap which made my skin tingle and lasted for months.

@Mamanyt

Won't give store name, I'm in the USA, and it would do you no good, but I always buy a particular store's sour cream. It is lovely and tangy, with a wonderful consistency. Much better than any of the name brands sold here, and at half the cost.

Ah, yes, I too buy a mystery sour cream from an unnamed store in a foreign country....

HTH

Travelledtheworld I too am ancient and astonished by how the majority of people on this thread have only just discovered bar soap.
I am a regular Imperial Leather user, but also had a big bottle of Dr Bronners Peppermint Castile soap which made my skin tingle and lasted for months.

I suspect bar soap isn't a new thing for many, probably the norm for many growing up. Shower gel was heavily marketed in the 80's and went on to become the norm for decades.
Bar soap has always been there, so can't have gone unoticed.
I can't remember the last time I used shower gel.
I have two bars on the go atm, ( two showers I use in the house)a 15p bar of Tesco essentials in one and a bar of Magnolia and Pear which cost a lot more!! I keep it on a flat river stone in my bathroom on a shelf so no one else uses it.
I have a bath or shower every day and get through 3-4 bars a year, which could cost me as little as 60p if I stuck to the Tesco stuff. And no plastic bottles to add to the junk floating in the ocean.