NOW CLOSED: Bisto Stock Melts reviewer feedback thread

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the Mumsnetters who have been trying out the new Stock Melts from Bisto with their family.
We have some questions for you to answer but we'd love to hear about how you are using them over the next couple of weeks.
Do post links to any recipes you use them in and give the family feedback on taste as well!

All testers who add feedback to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
If you're not a tester but have any queries of Bisto or with a tester please do post it and we will endeavour to get a response.

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?
Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?
Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?
Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?
Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?
Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw.

MNHQ

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
Nice packet it was tricky to read the tiny print - white on yellow but that could just be the light in my kitchen.

Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?
Very similar, some of them popped out easily, some needed a spoon to help, they still needed a bit of stirring i the water to melt them.
Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?
Yes a nice rich taste
Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?
We liked the chicken ones which were very chickeny. Beef tasted a bit stronger.
Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?
I made a risotto, paella, spag bol, sausage/lentil casserole, courgette soup and sweet and sour.
Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes, more likely if they were on offer -I usually get the knorr cubes which would be cheaper in comparison.
Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes. They had a lovely flavour.

I just had to come on her to say that whenever I catch this topic in Active Convos I read it as this

'Bisto Stock Melts Reviewer' and for a second I am like before I re-read it.

Thought it was some Shocking Incident that I had missed.

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
Packaging quite attractive, would probably pick them off a shelf

Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?
Found them bit tricky to get out of the plastic cup, would have been nice if they released easier. But loved the fact that I can add them straight to my dish without needing to use water.

Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?
Oh yes! Husband commented on how much nicer my Chilli was without knowing I'd changed something (For a second I was a bit insulted!). My mam loved the difference the veg one made to a veg broth and pasta cooked in the chicken stock is just sublime

Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?
The flavour was definitely richer, most noticeable with the beef.

Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?
Beef: Chilli, Spaghetti bolognaise, Lasagne
Chicken: Chicken Risotto, Pasta, Chicken Curry
Veg: Broth, pasta

Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?
I will, but probably not as a matter of course as cubes are so much cheaper and we re on a tight budget. These are currently on offer for £1 at my local supermarket, at that price I would choose them over cubes

Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Definitely, in fact my mam has already bought a packet of the veg. They do make a big difference to the flavour of the dish

Sorry I am so late.

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?

Liked the packaging and easy to remove from packaging.

Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?

I liked the way they melted into the food.

Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?

Yes, particularly the vegetable one.

Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?

I liked all of them and felt they made the food much tastier.

Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?

Spag bol, veg soup, chicken risotto, Butternut squash soup and beef stew.

Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?

I will buy them again.

Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

I would but don't often discuss stock with friends!

HaHa to your answer to Question 7 Electric - we did like ours though, they were quite tasty !

Just wanted to add I've been making lots if risottos recently and the melts work well in all of them, I've used veggie and chicken and the flavour is much richer, so it's no fluke.

Made a lovely beef stew with these in the slow cooker last night. Real depth of flavour. Best stew I've cooked. The flavour deepens when thickened with a roux and slow cooked. Will DEFINITELY be buying them again, if only for my beef stew!

TheDoctorsWife46 - if you make a roux and mix the stock to the roux before putting in the slow cooker, it thickens nicely. One thing I find when using any stock in the slow cooker is that you always need to make it a bit thicker than you think you do, to allow for water coming out of the veg in your dish.

I would like to ask - are there any plans to expand the range? I would like the option of a lamb stock pot and a ham stock pot in particular.

At the moment, I use a lot of ham and lamb stock cubes, and as I prefer the flavour from stock pots (less salty, more flavour), I would love to see these added to the range.

Our favourite family dish is ham, mushroom and sage risotto. But it just doesn't taste right with chicken stock.

And a slow cooked lamb and mint stew is impossible with anything but lamb stock. I've tried with beef stock, I've tried with chicken stock, I've tried with vegetable stock, and I've tried a mix of beef and veg stock, a mix of chicken and veg stock, and a mix of all 3. None were right.

Bring out ham and lamb stock pots, and I'd be a complete brand switcher.

Yes i agree with that about ham and lamb actually, i use lamb stock if i make a slow lamb curry and i could see that a ham one could work nicely in a pie too.

Thanks for the roux tip too by the way

DH added one to his bolognese last night and it really made it more flavoursome. Again, we just love how convenient they are.

Some of you asked about more flavours and Bisto say "currently the only flavours available are chicken, beef and vegetable and there are no plans in the near future to expand the range further. We will certainly pass on your comments to our product development team though."

They've definitely been delicious in everything I've made.

Have passed on some veggie ones to my dad (as mentioned upthread) as he's trying to cut down on salt and makes a lot of risotto/pasta dishes, so I think the convenience factor will appeal.

I used a knorr one last night again for comparison, and they're just not as well flavoured, but the saltiness is really apparent - I was up drinking water in the night which generally only happens when I have dominos pizza

Sorry to be adding my review so late (family committments.

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
The packet looked appealing and I liked the rich colour of the beef option.

Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?

I liked the fact that they didn't need to be disolved in water, which made adding stock to dishes quicker. I thought they had a more 'authentic' taste than traditional dried stock cubes.

Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?

Yes, everyone loved it and commented that my bolognese sauce tasted more 'beefy' and richer. Vegetable soup was more tasty and you could really taste the herbs.

Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?

Yes, very much so! My 'scouse' was delicious and definately benefited from the beef stock - every my Dad asked what I'd done differently this time! I would never make Spag Bol without using the beef melts ever again! The flavour of my dishes was tastier and just liked my mum used to make!

Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?

Traditional Scouse
Beef hotpot
Vegetable soup
Vegetable fried rice
Vegetable risoto
Vegetable stir fry
Spag Bol
Steak Pie

Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?

I would buy them again, but I do think they are much more expensive than the cubes. I would more likely buy them again if they were on special offer.

Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?

Yes, I have already recommended them to various friends and family...after they've been for a meal lol! They added flavour which did not taste purely of salt.

I have made a vegetable soup today, with the veg stock melts, and it was delicious. Usually it is very salty, but with the stock melts it wasn't. I will be buying them again for soups, definitely.

It's just a shame that there are no plans to expand the range. My usual brand has a fish one too, which I use a lot, as I make a dairy free/GF velouté to go on my fish, but have to use fish stock for it.

I would like to see ham, lamb and fish stock melts added to the range in future, then I would never have to buy my current brand again!

And if they were only GF too...

I have had to make an extra pan of stock using my usual brand while testing these, as my DS1 is coeliac.

I wonder if there is any way of making the stock melts GF without affecting the flavour. Possibly something for Bisto to ponder, as they will lose custom from those that need their stock to be GF.

I agree couthymow - I have just made the most gorgeous lasagne with a beef one. I'm going to repeat it when entertaining over xmas, but my lovely MIL is coeliac so I'll have to do something different for her! It's a shame as the bisto best gravy is GF so I think they could quite easily make the stock pots GF as well.

Finally got the box after a hiccup with our post, very happy with the extra goodies, but we only used the vegetable ones as we don't eat beef or chicken, so here are my thoughts:
Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
Looked interesting, Compact box which would fit neatly in cupboard but didn't notice the recipes on the bottom til now.
Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?
Easily to use, less time to dissolve than a cube but probably on a par with powder which is my usual choice.
Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?
No big wows from my lot but I don't rely on stock alone usually to provide the flavour when I'm cooking as I usually chuck in a lot of garlic and other seasonings( but not a lot of salt)
Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?
We all liked it, it was a full flavour with a hit of umami about it
Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?
So far a vegetable and quorn risotto and a lentil soup.Will try a stir fry next.
Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?
Possibly, would need to compare prices to be sure it would be better value than say bouillon powder which I normally go for.
Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
I certainly would say I they were easy to use and tasty but to be honest stock cube alternatives aren't what I discuss with my friends or family on a regular basis!

Just a quick update as I made a dish yesterday where i used a bit of one of the melts to replace tomatoes in my youngest portion as he is allergic. I added some other flavours too but it kept the chicken nice and moist and he enjoyed it.

I've used up mine and bought some more today because I don't want to go back to my food being less tasty! My mum bought some too as she tasted my cottage pie and loved it!

Lunch was spicy lamb meatballs with the chicken stock - absolutely gorgeous.

Q1. What were your initial impressions of the Bisto Stock Melts?
Very well presented. Was keen to compare them to another brand I have tried recently.
Q2. How was it using the Stock Melts? How did this compare to using a cube or other stock?
Much better than using a cube. Brilliant being able to add the concentrated cube straight into casseroles etc.
Q3. Did you and your family notice any difference in the taste of the dish compared to your usual recipe?
Seem to be more flavoursome than other brands. Meat and chicken ones full of flavour.
Q4. Did you and your family like the taste of the Stock Melts or not? Did it make the flavour any richer/deeper or not? How would you describe the flavour of the Stock Melts?
Definitely liked the taste, as previously mentioned, the meat and chicken ones are full of flavour. Vegetable one was a bit salty for my own personal taste but no complaints from the rest of the family. Meaty one added to stew made it very beefy- delicious!
Q5. Which dishes did you use the Bisto Stock Melts in? Which recipes are you planning on using them in?
Beef casserole/stew, chicken risotto, vegetable soup and mushroom soup, spaghetti bolognaise, chicken gravy.
Q6. The RRP of the Bisto Stock Melts is £1.89 for a pack of 6, do you think you will buy them again or not? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes.
Q7. If it came up in conversation, would you recommend the Bisto Stock Melts to a friend/relative? If so why? If not, why not?
Yes

Just an addition to say that I have continued to use the Bisto stock melts and have bought some more, although I will keep an eye on the price.
I've made the vegetable stir fry a couple more times (veg, stock melt, lime juice) and added them to a few of my usual dishes and noticed the difference. I am using them more than I expected to and have been inspired to try a few new recipes too - I had got a bit stuck in a rut for mealtimes - thanks!

We're on a health and money kick this month, so have just made myself a plate of peas and cous cous. I used the chicken stock to do the cous cous, and it's transformed a really bland, crap meal into something really tasty. Even DH agreed he'd eat it.

It's been a few weeks and in spite of my initial misgivings I have continued using the melts. The vegetable melt is for my family the most useful as it has a non specific flavour and will season a couscous or rice well. We eat a lot of international food (Middle Eastern and Asian in particular) and I can't use these melts in any dish other than a typical British meal due to the over powering flavour of "roast" which is shame as they are substantially cheaper than the stock pots I do use. They are also saltier than directly comparable stock pots which has surprised me after reading all the "lower in salt" comments.