Aldi is known for having no frills and big bargains. Which items do you reach for on the regular, and which do you wish never made their way into your $.25 cart?
Yay: jarred tikka masala sauce, organic marinara sauce, organic whole milk, German-roasted “regular” coffee, cottage cheese, string cheeses, German rye bread, Persian cucumbers, ranch and Italian dressing mix, frozen jumbo shrimp, flavored seltzer cans, Haas avocados, sourdough bread, mayonnaise, foil pouches of tuna
Nay: all the wines I’ve tried so far (Cloud something chardonnay was bleh, Lodi zin just passable, pinot noir terrible), pita chips, rosemary gluten-free crackers
I always buy the Moser Roth dark chocolate with orange and almond. The packets are a nicely sized portion. The Savoritz cracker assortment is quite good and priced right. Best price around on Duke’s mayonnaise! There can be some good cheese options, especially around the winter holiday season.
Fresh berries, avocado, peppers - bell and mini, mushrooms are always fresh and inexpensive at my location. Their onions and potatoes don’t last long enough for my solo household. I’d purchase them if I was cooking for a family and went through them faster.
I’ve had a few instances of bone fragments in meat - beef grind and baby back ribs. It’s happened enough where I no longer purchase.
Yay to the MR 80% dark!
1 Like
Nay to the organic salsa. It has some gross herb like oregano or something out of place in it
The canned chicken at a $1.69 a can is clean, white meat that we buy by the dozen year round.
The frozen rock cornish hens, scallops and large raw shrimp are always in the cart when avail.
Fresh bag of lemons are a big size and very juicy.
The unsweetened jarred applesauce is excellent.
I like their sour dough bread loaf, brioche rolls, the “fit” line of veg flavored bread wraps.
Last time we were there, we scored two beautiful folding chairs for the picnic table, $9.95 ea.
This NJ Aldi is moving across the street into a much larger space and I cant imagine what products will be added at that grand opening.
1 Like
I had purchased some small (think hot dog bun sized) smoked brats recently which were really tasty. Just couldn’t recall where…Found them today at Aldi! Stadium brand, of which there are several varieties, for $2.49/pkg.
Fresh corn on the cob was 20 cent/ear while other grocery stores in the area were a min. of .50 cents.
My beloved chocolate bar rang up for $1.99!!! I had thought it cost more.
1 Like
Finally found a decent wine - La Rue Cotes de Provence rosé 2017. Not bad at all!
To see what the Hazlet Aldi might be like, check out the one in East Brunswick–it’s in another ex-Pathmark.
Does the larger space equate to more individual items offered or just more inventory already avail?
More individual items available.
2 Likes
I always head over to the aisle where they have the hard goods. Weekly turnover and often very good deals. I have bought cookware (e.g. heavy cast iron brazier, a lot like Le Cruset, for $30), garden tools including cordless power tools, a garden sprayer for $7 (better than the ones in Home Depot that cost $15), upholstered chairs for the bedroom for $40, barware, all kinds of stuff. My wife has celiac so their large selection of GF items is also good.
1 Like
We only have a small selection in our store, sadly, but those GF pretzels and the sesame-type cracker crisps are good!
Went to the newly opened one nearby to check for the dukes mayo. No and cashier said she had never seen dukes in an Aldi’s. Maybe it’s regional:(.
I suspect it is regional. Dukes is a NC company and I believe sales are limited to the SE. Even my local Costco carries Dukes - by the gallon!
EDIT: My bad - Duke’s is a SC company! (Too many towns named Greenville…)
1 Like
Saw Duke’s at my Aldi today (Houston) - $3.12/qt, same price as HEB and Walmart locally. I’ll need a new jar in a couple of weeks but real estate in my fridge and pantry is at a premium so I’'m holding out. Maybe HEB will put it on sale. Duke’s has only been available here for a few years.
I am addicted to the Clancy’s Hot and Spicy pork rinds; been buying them regularly for a couple of years. Most chips I only like for a couple of months and then get tired of them but not these. Most spicy chips are way too spicy for me - these give me no problems.
I picked up a new variety - Specially Selected Lattice Cut Potato Chips, aged cheddar and black pepper flavor. Meh. I’m not much of a potato chip guy any way but some of the Specially Selected varieties that appear have been good. They usually don’t last on the shelves long, though.
I picked up a dozen large eggs, $1.07 a dozen. They’ve been lower - they’ve been higher.
My Aldi here is getting packed. Especially the produce coolers and the housewares/gardening/hardware aisle. And there are typically displays on pallets in the aisle between the horizontal and upright freezers, making for a traffic jam.
1 Like
My Raleigh store has the same price. I’m seldom in Walmart but the price ranges from $3.30 to $4.75 at other shops around here.
1 Like
My absolute favorite thing they have is their Chipotle Pumpkin sauce, you find it in the section with jarred pasta sauces. I think it’s seasonal, I only seem to find it in the fall. It is so different and so delicious…I especially like to use it on roasted spaghetti squash myself.
Also seasonal item is whole duck for under $3 a lb. When I don’t remember, maybe around Thanksgiving? Unfortunately it’s usually all gone by the time I get there! It is Midwest duck so (haha!) not as good as our Long Island duck in my opinion, but for that price you can believe I’ll pick up a couple for soup or whatever.
I agree that their non-food goods are their best offering in general though, that’s what I always check out in their flyer before deciding whether to stop by.
1 Like
Is the duck frozen or refrigerated?
Refrigerated when you buy it, but probably frozen somewhere along the line. At least to a borderline state, for shipping. It’s Mapleleaf brand out of the midwest, they supply most of the duck available now.
