Aldi - I just don't get it and no one agrees with me

[user7654321]

All of my friends, family etc don't have a bad work to say about Aldi and say they do the majority of there shopping there for both cost saving and better quality produce.

My DH and I feel we are missing something, as based on the all recommendations, we have tried Aldi 5 or 6 times in the past 6 months or so, and have found the products not to taste as good as the well-known brands. The fruit/veg doesn't stay fresh for long etc, and we have wasted so much food that we have tried but preferred the branded version (e.g. cereal, jars of sauces). We have tried hundreds of Aldi products, but I'd say only a handful are as good as the branded version or even a mainstream supermarket's own brand. Even their nappies, which are reviewed as amazing gave my poor DS terrible nappy rash.

So, AIBU to say i actually don't think Aldi products are the same or better quality than other brands? I understand they are cheaper but the impression I get from others is that its not cost that's the driving factor for them shopping at Aldi - its there amazing quality. Why don't I feel the same? My DH and I are so confused about this that we've even done 'blind tests' on some products and the Aldi one has always been identified as the 'fake'

[Ylvamoon]

OP I agree, a lot of their products are dreadfully bland. But than, I did have to shop at Aldi out of necessity... I found their basic groceries are cheaper than the average supermarket (think pasta sauces condiments freezer items...) And with a bit of "kitchen magic", they can be turned into something amazing and tasty!
My philosophy now is ... go veggie! You can buy lovely organic & fair trade cupboard basics for the same money as Aldi every day meat items. (Ok it's dried pulses in 3-5kg bags and fresh or frozen ordinary veg on top.) This does save money, is better for your health and you are doing your bit for the environment and farming communities.
(We have more money to spend on food now, but opted for Mo- Fri veggie with weekend locally sourced meat ... I still only spend on average £110/w on shopping ...)

[ToadOfSadness]

I am not a fan of Aldi, or Lidl. A few things are OK and maybe a few pence cheaper but not enough to make it worth shopping there, plus we have to go to another supermarket to get some of the things they don't sell or that are inferior in taste and quality. I know some people can't afford nice food, sadly, but I would prefer to eat less and have better tasting cheese and fresher fruit & veg that doesn't need using within a couple of days before it goes wrinkly or mouldy.

It usually resembles a jumble sale in the shop and a scrum at the queues.

[Esspee]

I'm a Lidl fan myself. Their bread is amazing, can't walk past the bakery! I love the breakfast cereals, especially the luxury muesli, the dark chocolate, nuts, hummus, the feta stuffed peppadew peppers, the olive and other cooking oils, tea (we buy decaf and green), quality sausages, chorizo, bacon, cheeses, yoghurt, gravy granules, tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, sun dried tomatoes and the tinned fish in wonderful sauces (eg.mango), all their herbs, spices, sauces...I could go on and on. Oh, and I must mention all the cleaning products, just as good at a fraction of the price, and the wine :-)

[stargazer2030]

I like Aldi but prefer Lidl especially for the fruit and veg. I save a fortune too whichever one I use. Anything up to £50 on a big weekly shop. We haven't really found anything we don't like although I don't really buy much supermarket meat. I mainly use a local butchers. I have got used to the speedy checkout and actually prefer it now.
The main problem is that I can't get everything and end up calling in one of the big supermarkets every couple of weeks for a top up. Still worthwhile though.

[Oldraver]

Some things are ok...not enough to make it my main shop.

It's all a bit Emperor's new clothes

[user7654321]

A few people have said that Aldi own brand will taste different but not worse than the top brands and they are not pretending to be anything else and I shouldn’t expect it to taste the same. I have however noticed that they package/name their own brand products in such a way that I might expect them to taste similar, which may be why I’m disappointed when they don’t. Other supermarkets to this too with their but not to the same extent, it’s less obvious that they are completing with the popular brands (which they also sell alongside their own products).

[cathyclown]

Just make sure you have the packing at the till sorted or you will NEVER go back!

I was in Tesco the other week and could not understand the shilly shallying going on at the till for packing. I was hopping from foot to foot. WTF are they diddering for here?

Until I realised that Aldi and Lidl train you to be efficient and it really works. Pile your goods into trolley as quickly as possible (I love a challenge!), and then pack at the back away from the tills. Gotta love it.

There is nothing in Aldi or Lidl I would not buy. But then again we all have our faves.

Each to their own!

[Sparklingbrook]

YY they try to make their own brands look like 'the real thing' and they aren't, they don't even taste like them.
I tried the ketchup on the teens in a Heinz bottle-they rumbled me.

[weepingangel12]

Do you think almost everyone we know is exaggerating how 'everything is better at Aldi

They win a lot of awards in blind tastings, even by very accomplished chefs, a lot. So do you think maybe its just you?
Some people are more susceptible to marketing and ads and are convinced big brands taste better. Perhaps you are one of those people.

[Sparklingbrook]

Maybe they hope people will forget their glasses or something.

[numbereightyone]

I don't but their ready made meals so I can't comment on that but I like their bread and vegetables, especially the organic lines.

[spiderlight]

I hated our local Aldi and only ever went in there for their sea salt and lime tortillas, to which I had developed an addiction while on holiday in a village where Aldi was the only accessible shop. Then a new one opened which is bigger, brighter, cleaner and better laid out and it's partially converted me - I still don't think a lot of their faux-brand stuff compares to the branded versions, but their fruit and veg is pretty good and they do some really nice snacky things. I particularly like their gluten-free raw choc chip brownie bars, their sea salt and dark chocolate cereal bars and the little bags of mini flatbread bites. Their washing powder is fab too and the 2-in-1 is less overpoweringly scented than the Tesco or Sainsbury alternatives.

[PeapodBurgundy]

I like Aldi, and I go there regularly for certain items, but I couldn't do my full weekly shop there. I'd end up spending more at Aldi if I bought everything there, as I seldom buy branded products. I've never bought fruit and veg there outside of the odd bag of salad to accompany a specific meal I've bought to eat when we get home, as we get the Healthy Start vouchers, which our Aldi at least doesn't accept. There are a few things I've tried of theirs that I prefer (their cheese and onion quiche with a side salad and the herby potatoes that they do in the chilled section is one of our favurite meals). A lot of things are , to me, no better or worse than Morrisons where I do my main shop, the price is about the same, and I get points in Morrisons. Our points vouchers pay for our Christmas food and drink every year, so the points make a big difference to us.

[Justabadwife]

I can't shop in Aldi, and I really want to. I just can't get on with it.
The fruit goes off really quick and it tasted odd, even dd commented on how weird the grapes tasted.
Last time I went loads of meat was off in the fridge (in talking green bacon- which tbf I have also seen in morrisons)
I dont like the crisps
I dont like the biscuits
I dont like the juice
I dont like the cola
I dont like the vodka/ schnapps

I dont mind the way they throw things at you at the till.

So I just go to asda or get a Sainsburys delivery.

[ivykaty44]

But if you don’t like it - then don’t worry as you can shop elsewhere 🙂

Sorry, but don’t get hung up about it as it really doesn’t matter.

I shop at Lidl, Aldi and sainsbury- sometimes Tesco as it’s so close to home, but prefer the other three

Shop where you want op

[QueenStreaky]

stargazer I've saved loads too since I started shopping at Lidl. I go twice a week (mainly because of the bread) and when dh tops up at Tesco he can easily spend twice as much as my two Lidl trips, and there's only three or four bags to show for it. I love Lidl day .

[ToadOfSadness]

I used to buy Aldi tea bags. I stopped for a while due to store location being too far. Eventually bought them again and they are really not the quality I remembered. So I buy Yorkshire now.

As for Lidl, there are a few items in there that are OK, some of the cleaning stuff, Greek style yoghurt and the stuffed peppers in oil but a for the rest of the cold and frozen stuff it is poor quality, cheese with no taste, pastrami is disgusting, the bread is no better than any other bakery and all the fresh bakery is there to be sneezed over by everyone entering the store regardless of whether they want to buy it or not.The staff have no idea if any of it is suitable for food intolerences either.
I don't want to buy weird combinations of tastes, just normal, healthy and straighforward food.

[BunsOfAnarchy]

#TeamLidl

I do stop at Aldi regularly during the week as it's on my way home. I literally only buy what I need that night or the next day. So maybe a sandwich and some chicken to roast that night. Never bought any fresh produce aside from that. So can't comment on quality of the stuff i use within 24 hours or even branded stuff etc.

I LOVE Lidl. Their fresh meat, granola, fruit and veg, fresh bakery...all are a winner for me.

[TheRebel]

I hate Aldi, I’ve tried a few and I always think the stores look really dirty, the food doesn’t taste as good and it’s a nightmare if you’ve got a baby. I just use Ocado now, the quality is great, you can keep an eye on what you’re spending, you aren’t tempted to pick up extra things you don’t need and it’s really easy to get refunds on anything that isn’t quite right.

[juddyrockingcloggs]

I wouldn't want to do my weekly shop there as they don't stock everything I need however we did get quite a few party bits at Christmas and hey were lovely! Usually get our party food from M&S but this years aldi stuff was really lovely!

[user7654321]

So do you think maybe its just you?

I was beginning to think that which is why I asked the question, but given the responses I think I’m not the only one

Some people are more susceptible to marketing and ads and are convinced big brands taste better. Perhaps you are one of those people.

Perhaps, you are correct, that we are used to the taste of the ‘big brands’ and we translate ‘different’ to worse. But in the blind tests my DH and I have done (or when either of us has cooked and not mentioned where e.g. the jar was Aldi), the Aldi stuff has been ‘blander’. We don’t always buy brands either, we buy a large proportion of own brand Sainsburys/M&S/Co-op/Waitrose that we are happy to buy again and again because we are happy with the taste. So I don’t think we are brand snobs or sucked in by marketing any more than an average person and we really did try to like Aldi’s own brand products.

[Starryskiesinthesky]

I'm not that keen. For some things it is cheap and fine e.g. milk but for other things it isnt good - own brand cornflakes etc and some things arent even that cheap.

[feellikeanalien]

I prefer Lidl. I hate the checkout at Aldi and the way they chuck the shopping at you. The meat at Aldi is not that good although that is the same for most supermarkets.

I also think Lidl's bread is much better.

Our cats however do not like the cat food at either Lidl or Aldi so I have to go somewhere else for that anyway!

[cathyclown]

For a bit of light relief, listen to this song from a lovely pub in Kerry, Ireland about all this, it is funny and relevant to Lidl and Aldi!

[weepingangel12]

Then maybe you just don't like it, and thats fine. But objectively you have to accept that they win a huge amount of taste and quality awards, and millions of people like their products.
So you cannot say they are objectively not good.