To be confused about the price/quality trade off for tinned tomatoes?

[Thetailfeather]

I'm cooking the dinner and the recipe requires "a tin of quality plum tomatoes". I had bought cirio ones because the last time I had a tin they were good, but they're really expensive. Napolina used to be expensive but are now maybe less so, but they also don't seem to be as good as they used to be. I really like the sauce in the Aldi chopped tomatoes but they're chopped, not plum.

So MN, come one, come all and tell me where I should be buying chopped tomatoes for everyday use, and where to push the boat out to get the quality plum tomatoes a certain posh Essex git thinks I need to magic an aubergine into spaghetti alla Noma ad astra.

And I'm obviously NBU to be confused!

I buy Mutti as well they cost a bit more but taste so much better than the cheap ones

Mutti fan here too. The difference is huge.

Also like Mutti. It's annoying, because they are expensive, but we can all really taste the difference.

Mutti are the best for quick sauces I reckon

Mutti as well. Stock up with on offer.

They literally transformed the taste of some meals we make ie homemade pizza now tastes like proper restaurant pizza.

Lidp/Aldi tinned whole cherry tomatoes are gorgeous, if you want something more special. Used to be 55p a tin, probably more now. I can eat them in their own on toast, they're that good.

Aldi's tinned cherry tomatoes are great, as are Asda extra special ones, but a bit more expensive.

Bulk buy mutti polpa. It's yum

Have found the tinned tomatoes from M and S and Waitrose to be good quality, on a par with the more expensive ones. I found the other own brand ones rather watery.

The M and S ones are 50p a tin, haven't bought the Waitrose for a while.

I've only recently discovered Mutti and have to agree that they're worth the extra expense. For a while I was using more basic tomatoes in things like chilli and curry where the flavour of tomato wasn't so important. Then one day I only had Mutti when making my usual curry. It was noticeably better.

We buy a dozen cans of san Marzano from Amazon every few weeks they are delicious

Read a test review of tinned tomatoes recently and Sainsbury's own brand came out best.

Mutti, they are outstanding, nothing comes close.

@Riverlee

For basic bolognese sauce, I use supermarket own tinned tomatoes (or what ever is on offer).

However, a vegetable chilli recipe I make says to use tinned cherry tomatoes (which I didn’t know existed until this recipe). They cost more, but certainly adds flavour to the recipe.

I'm the same. Didn't know they were a thing until recently but they're very tasty.

Another Mutti fan here. Absolutely hands down the best, buy expensive so j do either bulk buy when on offer or only use for recipes where you’ll really taste them.
I’ve discovered another brand that’s slightly cheaper (Italian but can’t remember the name) that I use for recipes that will cook for ages with lots of other flavours.
Don’t think I’d voluntarily go back to cheaper brands though as you absolutely can tell the difference.

"Mutti is the answer - nicest tinned Toms ever! Sainsbury’s or Amazon is where I get mine"
100%

That's all.

I'm getting a strong mutti vibe here.

So, for expensive tomatoes of Essex fitness I'm to go mutti.

For bog standard either Sainsbury's own brand (I don't think they're basics any more, probably Hubbard?) Or Aldi cherry tomatoes.

And is tinned tomatoes on toast really a thing??

I read (I think on here!) That it's best to buy plum tomatoes and chop them yourself as the tinned chopped tomatoes are more likely to be the squashed tomatoes that aren't so good

I've not had mutti tomatoes, but if I ever use a cheap can that seem a bit watery/anaemic, I add a squirt of Mutti tomato concentrate.

Sometimes the value brands have more unripe tomatoes and skins and a more watery liquid. I tend to go mid range. Plum tomatoes have more flavour.

Tinned tomatoes for a basic sauce are... tinned tomatoes. I buy whatever's on special and add a second tin if needed.

@RewildingAmbridge

I've just chopped a tin of Tesco own brand plum tomatoes (not value ones) because I picked them up accidentally instead of chopped. No skins at all, good plump plum tomatoes and a thick passata type liquid , I actually said to DH I think I'll start buying them and chopping them as they seem richer than the chopped ones

This Is what I do! Just open the can, put in a dinner knife and hack away at the toms till they look like chopped ones. The sauce is so much thicker and richer when done this way.

Speaking of tinned cherry tomatoes - Aldi does these and they're lovely!

Waitrose Essentials. £1.80 for 4 tins and pretty good. Agree that whole tomatoes are better than chopped.

@Movinghouseatlast

Mr Organic cherry tomatoes are amazingly good. Any Italian brand are good too.

I second Mr Organic!