To think that Aldi isn’t the answer to everything?

[ShirleyPhallus]

On pretty much every thread here to do with food and drink within about 2 posts someone pops up with “I get mine from Aldi and it’s amazing”. On literally every thread like this it’s praised like it’s the best thing ever. See also Lidl.

Anyway, I went to an Aldi this week on the back of all the MN love and it’s just a cheap supermarket. Not the answer to my prayers. Am I missing something? Am I being unreasonable? (Answer is no fyi)

I agree that the steak in Lidl is fantastic value for money, the rib eye is lovely

Aldi, although the meat and fish is much cheaper than where I usually shop, the quality is awful. I eat a lot of prawns and Aldi for some reason add sugar to theirs. They are horrible.

Not really aiming to convince you @Whitefire, you'll just have to take my word for it!

I think Waitrose own brands are the best and not all that different price wise from Aldi.

@Peaseblossum22

I'm not a fan either , whenever I go I come out with a bar of chocolate and some jam and thats about it except maybe something random from the middle aisle. I honestly don't know how people manage to do a whole shop there or do you just adjust your menus to what they have in stock?

The random stuff from the middle aisle is often the best thing from Aldi, I knocked my sewing box over earlier today and realised how many bits from Aldi I have in there, I also have 'the orange box', a compartmented box of household stuff, fuses, curtain hooks, etc etc. We left Germany over 34 years ago so it's pretty old stuff. I don't find much of their food anything special or much cheaper, other than the knock-offs which are often much inferior.

Aldi frozen peas are 89 p for 700g and Waitrose own brand are £1 for 725g.

Waitrose are better quality imo.

I don't like the meat or fruit from Aldi. We buy meat from the local butcher (have a couple of days a week meat free) and fruit from M&S.
Everything else seems to be good though.

Aldi & Lidl are vastly overrated. Yeah, food is cheaper but their sell by dates have a 2 day window so will go off in days! I can't tell you how much fruit & veg I've binned after it's 'melted' in the fruit bowl within 48hrs..

How can anyone make blanket statements such as not liking any meat/fruit from Aldi, or they've never had anything good from Aldi.

Because that is quite plainly nonsense.

As with EVERY OTHER supermarket, some things are good, others not so good. I have never had issues with fruit going off, probably because it doesn't last that long in this house to start with. Meat is fine, and cheap. I like their Moser Roth chocolate, and DH likes their "Oaties" which are a chocolate Hob Nobs rip-off. On the flip side, we tried some of their Nespresso compatible coffee pods and weren't impressed, I found their bleach a bit thin, and I didn't like their conditioner.

But I could do the same list for every supermarket, some things are great, others aren't so great.

How can anyone make blanket statements such as not liking any meat/fruit from Aldi

Erm because I've tried it, several times over the years at various points and I don't like it. Are people not allowed to have different tastes to you?

There's nothing I've found worth much in there. Cheap products, sold cheaply. Packed with salt, fillers, nothing useful I've never seen basics like flour (!) in there, mainly processed fridge stuff. It's basically a chilled version of Iceland with a few craft supplies and mismatched skiing stuff.

I'm no Aldi stalwart, but that isn't a fair description 3scape. They do sell flour - not a big range like other supermarkets but flour at least. At mine there is a chiller for the fresh salad and fruit, then a meat chiller along the back, with another dairy and cooked meats chiller, so hardly 'mainly processed fridge stuff'

The food cupboard ranges are just smaller, and there isn't the range of variety and sizes like there is elsewhere.

Doesn't work with my buying habits but many can do a full shop there (my moans are usually around the claimed savings)

I can't tell the difference between aldi and sainsbury's veg and fruit to be honest. And I'm a veggie so I use a lot.

It totally depends on what you want. I buy mainly fruit, veg, tinned beans, pulses, pasta, cereal etc and packed lunch stuff and I save a lot compared to going to Sainsbury's (my other nearest supermarket). So it is worth going for me.

Lidl is fab for a weekly shop but I get fruit and veg delivered from a local fam cos theirs goes off so quick! Can get the rest of the basics there though and way cheaper than Morrisons/Asda.

@3scape

There's nothing I've found worth much in there. Cheap products, sold cheaply. Packed with salt, fillers, nothing useful I've never seen basics like flour (!) in there, mainly processed fridge stuff. It's basically a chilled version of Iceland with a few craft supplies and mismatched skiing stuff.

Really?

They sell flour in all the ones I've been to.
Yours dont sell fruit, veg, porridge oats, cheeses, meats, milk, butter ... etc?

@3scape

There's nothing I've found worth much in there. Cheap products, sold cheaply. Packed with salt, fillers, nothing useful I've never seen basics like flour (!) in there, mainly processed fridge stuff. It's basically a chilled version of Iceland with a few craft supplies and mismatched skiing stuff.

Yeah that's nonsense. Aldi sells flour, eggs, pasta, cans of things like kidney beans and chickpeas, rice, nuts, seeds, lentils.

It doesn’t resemble any Aldi or lidl I’ve been in since the 90’s. I find them great for ingredients less good for ready / bung in the oven dinners. So great for from scratch cooks.

It saves us a fuck load of money so that’s the main reason we shop there. HTH.

I honestly don't know how people manage to do a whole shop there or do you just adjust your menus to what they have in stock?

Pretty much, yes, it keeps me on my toes I don’t (can’t) meal plan in great detail anymore but it’s got me out of the rut I was in so not all bad.

@Hemingwayscatz

It saves us a fuck load of money so that’s the main reason we shop there. HTH.

No, it doesn’t help. Why would it help us where you shop.

I used to go to Lidl then Asda each week. I now just go Asda and am spending less!

Aldi is the answer for low income like myself I'm to poor to be picky my local store has everything I need for less

@Missey85

Aldi is the answer for low income like myself I'm to poor to be picky my local store has everything I need for less

or for people who just don't love food enough to spend a lot of money on it. I prefer to put my ££ elsewhere.

How many other supermarkets have a random “fallen off the back of a lorry” aisle. Where else can you pick up a cheap welding kit, a picnic basket and a garden ornament with glowing eyes.

or for people who just don't love food enough to spend a lot of money on it. I prefer to put my ££ elsewhere.

Actually, this is probably also true. Maybe the people who spend £££ at M&S and Waitrose and rave about the quality of the meat and the flavour of the vegetables do a lot of cordon bleu style cooking every day. Whereas I generally find that by the time I’ve turned my steak mince into biryanis or mixed it with lentils and curry powder to become kofte, and blitzed the onions and squash into a peppery soup, any subtle delicacy of flavour or freshness they may have originally had has been somewhat negated.

I honestly don't know how people manage to do a whole shop there or do you just adjust your menus to what they have in stock?

I sometimes do a whole shop there and sometimes I buy a few bits from the Booths next door. But I wouldn't find it at all difficult to do a whole shop from there every week tbh.