What's good to buy from Aldi?

[SybilBeddows]

we have one opening near us soon....

what are they good at these days?

agree Aldi are v good for plants - the choice is a bit limited though, & they are not Loved so can be a bit sad when you buy them.

great for gardening Stuff too

and to add to the list...
manuka honey - much cheaper and same quality
jams - esp the new 'french style'

also all the random crap that makes aldi so special

It's all mostly fine IME, except a few things: cheapy yoghurts and some of the "copy" products - the pringle-alikes were particularly dodgy. Also their electrical products and household things are a bit hit and miss. Makeup and toiletries good. Super 6 fruit and veg good. Things like parmesan and olive oil are as good as you'd get anywhere. Cats turned up their noses at the "pouches" though!

Take your own bags! Don't try to pack at the till!

what I like most of all is that you aren't overwhelmed with choice. Bottom line, if you are a good cook you can have anything you could get in tesco's.

The rose sparkling pinot grigio is lovely. Also the chicken breasts, mince and stewing beef are good.
Kids love the tortelloni, brioche, belgian waffles and cereal.
DH likes the cooked ham joints and slices one which does him all week on his sandwiches.
Pasta sauces, pesto, part-cooked baguettes, beans, tomato puree etc are all really cheap as well !

I have recently rediscovered Aldi (can't remember why I went off it originally).

I find I still need a 'proper' supermarket for some stuff but I do rate their
cold meats
cheese
Fat free and Greek natural yogs
bread
gnocchi (actually I think it's pretty grim as a food stuff generally but DP rates it)
most fruit and veg (although agree about shorter shelf life)
fruit juices
nappies
chocolate
not all breakfast cereals but their muesli (exotic one) is the best I've tried bar none
booze

I check my receipts now though as noticed (too late) a couple of times I had been double charged for things and annoyingly for such a bargainous place it was for expensive items e.g. nappies

I also tend to get a bit of checkout anxiety brought on by the speed at which the staff hurl things through the checkout into your waiting trolley - there's definitely no "would you like help with your packing" - more "get a bloody move on"

Can't believe no-one has mentioned the Jaffa cakes yet - the orangey bit is twice as thick as the branded (McVities?) ones! Also the 6 packs of wholemeal or white bread rolls, tomato puree, olive oil, Weetabix style cereal, plain chocolate digestives, deli meats, dishwasher tablets, washing liquid and fabric conditioner, yogurts (esp the large tub of mango and passion fruit one), packs of Belgian lager and individual bottles of beer.
Their cheddar cheese was vile, though!

Pretty much everything is good quality and good value. I'm a big Aldis fan - I don't work for them. There is one just around the corner from where I live and since it opened my food bill has been reduced by quite a lot. Even the cat prefers Aldis cat meat and biscuits. I'm not keen on the packaging or the shopping experience but the actual products are very good. Actually, just remembered - some of the wine is not too great, everything else good.

I second everything mentioned above.

Add feta and parmesan cheese too, ooh and I buy their dog food, she loves it.

Tomato sauce
Soya milk
Cut flowers

There are heaps of lovely things.

If I can't get it there I whisk myself off to Waitrose.

The babywipes are v good too, in fact all kitchen roll, toilet roll, serviette type things.

Anchovies in the little glass jars are fab.

Smoked salmon is good too.

I'd add pesto sauces, clotted cream, frozen fish ( cod and smoked haddock very good vfm), free range chicken currently £4.99
Bread is good value compared to most supermarkets especially pitta and tortillas
Like others have mentioned I don't find the fruit and veg keeps long but it is good value if you use it up quickly.

Smoked salmon and mackeral
Bacon
Eggs
Soya milk
Beef and mushroom 800g pie (the best pastry ever)
Fruit and veg
Jars of sundried tom and artichokes
Jars of olives
Baked beans (really)
Tinned tomatos
Spagehetti
Ciabatta, pumpernickel, wraps, pitta bread, bread rollls
the body lotion in the blue bottle and white cap
toothbrushes
Cat food in pouches
Whole chickens
Crinkle chips
prawn crackers
Beef mince
half fat cheese
Olive oil (extra virgin)
Vegetable oil
Balsamic vinegar (huge bottle 99p!)
The bacon in the posh packaging
Eggs
Tartare and horseradish sauces
Washing up liquid
Dark chocolate

Avoid the ready meals.

Hurrah! I love a good Aldi shop. I go once every couple of months to stock up on specific items:

dishwasher tablets (Which? best buy 2009!)
own brand washing liquid and oxi-action stain remover
washing up liquid
olive oil
pesto
chocolate
Montepulciano red wine
posh cream cheese
sugar
free range chicken (a fiver!)

I don't reckon much to the fruit and veg but the grapes are much cheaper than elsewhere.

The Lacuna range of cosmetics are pretty good too. I recently bought a brush-on concealer there for around £4 that was imo as good as my last one, which was Boots No7 (which was almost as good as the one before that, which was touche eclat. Christ I've gone down in the world since I had kids!)

The nappies get great reviews but I've not been thrilled with them - Morrisons are better imo.

One word of warning though - the checkout staff whip your items through at lightning speed and expect you to chuck them straight into your trolley, then bag up afterwards. When 8 months pregnant I couldn't keep up and the checkout lady refused to slow down - I ended up in tears! (was v emotional at the time!) Now I've usually got ds2 in the sling so I approach a member of staff before I start shopping and ask if I will be able to get help at the checkout - they've never said no!

Strawberry ice-cream in a square black tub.
YY to disco biscuits.
Bought some thick socks- black wooly thick shoes for DH and walking socks for me- sad b'stard emoticom- it's June!
Bought the washing tablets to try out- did a good job

I buy:
'jaffa cackes', crisps etc., chocolate, fruit & veg, delicatessen products,
mayonnaise, tomatoe sauce/pasata, mascara, powder compact, toothpaste
washing-up liquid, clothes washing liquid, dairy products.

I think they're really good value and Lidl as well.

Second olive oil which has come up trumps in the Which awards.
Nappies & sensitive wipes
I wouldnt buy meat or pies
Frozen tuna is good for salads as portions tiny
Frozen salmon pathetic - use one bag in one serving.
Cereals are great
Cream cheese
cartons of longlife apple juice and hi-juice squash
Premium cans tomato
Fruit & veg but as said previously no dates! But in our house it doesnt last long anyway - Strawberries, blue berries, raseberries all cheaper.
Smoked salmon ok for quiche etc but slimy not good
Moisturiser excellent and I have sensitive skin
Parmasan cheese £1 cheaper than sainsbo, other good cheese good but no cheaper.
I had a great box of baking parchment paper which lasted ages and was fab value.
Jams terrible I only like high fruit usually Mama stuff. Ok for kids but poor.

Sorry the chocolate is barrrd....even the best stuff isnt refined at all. I have to stick to Lindt or Taste the difference. Chocolate is a true treat and it doesnt do it for me.

Biodegradable kitchen caddy bins: we have to use them in South Oxon and Aldi's are the cheapest I've found.

We don't have to use the caddy bags here, but I get them anyway in order to get the stuff out of the kitchen quicker - 99p for a box of 10 (or is it 20???)

They tend to leak easily though so I put an empty egg box in the bottom first, or a bit of newspaper (both acceptable in compost)

They do little mini oatcakes (cheese and chilli are my fave, but also do cheese and chive) in individually wrapped packs (box of 5 packs I think) that are YUMMY with cream cheese.

Avocadoes are half the price of other supermarkets.

I'd like to like Aldi and Lidl, but they're just too poor on veggie foods (no Linda McCartney etc. They stock Quorn, but that's no good for us vegans).

that'll be because they're German, Booja. I am reliably informed that if you ask for a veggie meal in Germany it will generally include ham

The only thing I avoid is the raw meats. Everything else is great though. Love the random shite aisle. I've found some really useful stuff there.

We get our biodegradable caddy bags free from our council, can't believe they make you pay? Surely that puts people off recycling ?

Just looked at the random shite aisle online.
I now want a battery operated strimmer, apply once suntan lotion, instant hot water kettle and a dvd player !