What CANT you buy at Aldi?

[Forpoxsake]

That you would still have to go to other shops for, or that you prefer the quality/taste etc of non Aldi items.
Currently shop in Tesco but it is beyond expensive lately!
Dip in and out of Aldi but find I still need to top up at Tesco.
We are pescatarian so no meat.
Does the fruit and veg last beyond 2 days?

The fact is that Aldi aren't interested in selling every possible ingredient and brand like a massive Tesco would. They just want to sell the ~98% of most popular items by volume, that most people buy most often. Most people will rarely or never buy tempeh, fire lighters or miso so they don't want it taking up space in their shops and most people either won't notice or will be happy to buy most of their shopping in Aldi and make the occasional trip to another supermarket to stock up.

Their limited range, as well as smaller, less 'nice' stores with fewer staff and little or nothing in extra facilities like cafes, toilets, delivery services etc is how they are cheaper than the other supermarkets without reducing quality. Because people are generally happy with the quality when subject to genuine blind taste tests.

Tofu, tinned jackfruit & peshwari naan breads. Which makes me sound a bit wanky 😂
I find their fruit & veg is fine but we can get it cheaper than any supermarket & plastic-free at our local market so only really buy from Aldi occasionally now.

Daz. I have to use the daz liquid because of allergies. I have to go to a special shop in town for it as struggle to find it even in the big 4 now.

They don’t do the particular herbal tea that I like, and other slightly more esoteric things like sports electrolytes (unless they’re having a sports week in the Middle Aisle of Dreams that is). But we get the majority of our shopping there. No issues with the fruit and veg here, and it saves us a packet.

There are loads of things I can't buy in Aldi, as mentioned by pp's, do I have to go to a Sainsbury or Tesco aswell. Vinegars, herbs and spices, squeezy yellow mustard, Heinz bbq beans. Loads of stuff.

No super noodles or anything like them. Not enough Asian ingredients generally. I can most of what I need but not everything

Similar to others I do a top up at Tesco. Just wanted to say though that as time goes by Aldi often add something to their range that I'd previously had to go elsewhere for - it's as if they read my mind! . For example pak choi , tinned lentils and black beans, Yorkshire Gold teabags Aldi version, frozen fishless fingers are all now stocked.

not all of the herbs and spices
not all cake baking ingrediants
not everything in the frozen food department

they are the basics but i often top up in asda/tesco for specific things

Vegan cheese. I shop at lidl which has a great vegan veggie range.

I buy nearly everything in Aldi and the fruit and veg is fine. There a few bits and bobs I go to Tesco or Sainsbury's for eg taco shells which Aldi rarely sell, pimento olives, apricot jam, unusual stuff like kimchi.

Our Aldi doesn't sell risotto rice or lentils! Too exotic!

Very limited dairy free range. At best.

Big jars of Nescafé or Dowe Egbert coffee. Their own brand isn't as nice it is one of the only things I don't like as much as a branded version.

Beef Oxo cubes, their stock cubes aren't crumbly so don't work for certain things. Some herbs and spices. Curry paste (occasionally available as a special buy).

Certain pharmacy type items, they have painkillers, lemsip and hayfever tablets but that's about it.

My favourite shampoo and conditioner, but the big supermarkets don't stock that either.

Aldi fan here. They used to do decaf ground coffee which we loved, but have to get it elsewhere now. Also no decaf coffee pods (the caffeinated ones are good) or decaf tea. We go to Waitrose every few months for the spices Aldi don't have

Very little free from type foods e.g gluten free.

Decent fruit and veg.
Decent crisps.
Felix As Good as it Looks cat food.

I don't really use Aldi as my nearest one is too far away so any savings would be eaten up in petrol costs. I pop in on my way to my mum's and usually buy a few bits that I don't see elsewhere. My mum used to shop there all the time but since the first lockdown has been having delivery from Tesco. She said this weekend that she will continue with Tesco as, despite the cost, she saves money by not having to by fruit and veg evey few days. She is the least wasteful person I know (war baby), so if she is throwing food away, I know it must be bad. She has Tesco fortnightly and finds that fruit and veg last really well, much better than Aldi.

Based on comments, my Aldi must be different as it stocks:

Quorn slices
Whole Earth peanut butter
Aroborio rice
Lentils
Fabulous avocados
Free-range chicken
Oat milk

Of course if I need something specific (cleaning item/ Illy coffee/ liquorice tea) I'll nip to Sainsburys, but we all know this.

I find Aldi fine for basic ingredients - fruit/veg/meat, but any sort made up product you have to be very careful as it's often a watered down/cut back version. I can taste the difference and a quick look at the back of the packet will show they often have less of the more expensive ingredients and more 'fillers'.

Whisky.

A lot of it is store-dependent I think. I used to buy tinned herring in Lidl which was fab but neither of my 2 local stores stock it now. I thought it had been discontinued but they still stock it in the one near DD. The same with the ready cooked (unflavoured) quinoa & lentil pouches in Aldi - not seen them for months in our local.

I tend to shop at Lidl more nowadays - yesterday ours had tofu, brown & white miso, rice vinegar, kimchi, hoisin sauce & jackfruit (must have been one of the specials). I actually bought all of these to replenish the cupboards as much cheaper than Tesco. They also have risotto rice as a standard item. But no black beans & I'm not keen on their oat milk so I go to Aldi for that.

Nowadays I'm finding there's stuff I can't get wherever I shop tbh, including the big supermarkets. I can't remember the last time I got everything on my list in one store - either because of lack of availability or extortionate pricing! Luckily we have pretty much every supermarket going within easy reach of home / work, as well as Home Bargains, B&M and the like, but I do tend to visit 2 or 3 these days.

Just veggie stuff and bagels. We do our main shop in aldi and thankfully tesco is across the road so I pop over there for tofu, quorn slices for sandwiches and maybe some veggie chicken nuggets etc the kids like. Aldi bagels are naff so I get the new york bakery ones from tesco.

I'd use it if I had more time and could visit two supermarkets. I tried Lidl - the tonic and bog roll were awful and they didn't stock things like Persil non bio or cat food the cat will eat.

Agree both Aldi & Lidl bagels are disappointing! DS gone off them at the moment but we always had to go to a big supermarket for them too.

Aldi free range chicken & avocados generally good in ours too but I noticed the price of the chicken had skyrocketed last week.

I’ve recently gone back to shopping at Aldi after having got into a lazy lockdown habit of Tesco online. I buy what I can there and top up in Asda (10% blue light discount just now!) and am astounded at how much more I get for my money! Of a £100 shop it’s generally split 70/30 Aldi/Asda