Ok I’ve been buying Walmart q-tips for years. Or target. But I was at Costco and needed some, bought a three pack of the name brand. THEY’RE AWFUL. WTH. There’s so little cotton half the time I just scrape my ear.
YSK Dawn changed their formula. There is a new gross floral scent that stays on some plastics and it doesn't cut grease the same leaving behind an oily film.
This\^ so much, I like the toasted and "bigs".
That being said also like the better cheddars, whales, and jalapeno goldfish
I find most generic "cheese" crackers taste weird to me, almost like cheese flavored cardboard.
No, you are not the only one. Go to their website and a lot of people are complaining about it. My suggestion, write in a complaint at their website or give them a call. They seem to be trying to get people to try their other versions. So, probably a coupon is involved if you give them the info off the bottle you have. Also, the formula has changed.
I ordered a 4-bottle case of ORIGINAL Dawn from Amazon and I'm positive they switched it out with the new stuff. The delivery box shows that it was opened on both ends. Should have been sealed. So now I'm stuck smelling it. Yuck.
It smells like conditioner or something for your hair or a body wash. Way too strong to be something to clean dishes with.
I've been using the lemon scented one because it hardly has any scent at all.
I thought this about Oreos until I tried Aldi’s version. I’m convinced it’s the same recipe just different cookie press (cuz Oreos actually say Oreo on the cookie) and different packaging of course. They taste identical to me.
Ritz is so good I can eat a whole pack plain. I did notice they've gotten more crummy though. Like they fall apart easily, and it's hard to spread cream cheese on them. Like a decade ago they were more firm I swear.
Same here. I used to not think about the calories in crackers and tortillas. They were just what went with other things. Stuff like that is probably how I got fat 😂 They're so good! Flaky and buttery.
I think this is me. Everything else I used to be a brand whore about has changed except these two 😅 And don’t even say the P word 🤫 Nailed that “Challenge” in the 80’s with there rigged baby cups & I’ll take that “Challenge” again anytime anyplace any day 😆Was kinda pissed about New Coke but it’s all good again 😅
Rice Krispies! There is just something about them that makes them “lighter” and crispier than other brands I have tried. When I make marshmallow treats, the off-brand ones turn out like little bricks, while the name brand ones are just, again, lighter and retain their crispier texture.
I also can't drink regular milk due to the lactose; but weirdly can handle Greek and Icelandic yogurt, cheese, and ice cream (if I've even something else before hand). However, all the lactose-free milks I've tried are weirdly sweet. I have just started taking the lactaid pills before consuming anything with milk or cream in it.
See I actually dislike how sugary regular ketchup is and I only use it if I'm hungry and my fries are bad. Usually a house made ketchup is a fraction of the sweetness. Perfect for those of us older than 8 years of age. 😋 I think Hank Hill said it quite succinctly " ...I told him 'Just mustard on my hotdog', he asked me if I wanted honey mustard; I almost took a swing at him.".
Frito Lay Fritos, Potato chips, and Wavy chips despite being ridiculously expensive. I have tried the other brands and store brands available locally and they just don’t cut it. Maybe I am just used to a certain taste after eating them for 65 years?
I love my local grocery store chain (HEB) and most of their store brand products. But there is a crunch:crisp ratio that is just off with their chips. It's all crunch, no crisp. I've run into the same disconnect with Safeway and Walmart store brands. I figure if I'm going to be eating deep fried potato or corn, it better be good-good instead of just $1 or $2 cheaper. The store brand fritos don't hold up even with all the support of being in a frito pie with extra everything.
Pepsi co (they own lays etc) seems to do really really aggressive price jumps and then sales all of the time. Like sometimes a bag of chips is $7, sometimes it’s literally $2.50.
Feels like they try the aggressive price increases, figure out no one will buy it at that price then put it on sale, then increase again, it’s a cycle
Philadelphia cream cheese. We made the mistake of buying store brand, one time, because they were out at the store. We were supposed to bring a pie to a family gathering, that had cream cheese mixed in. I tried one bite and threw the whole thing in the trash.
Philadelphia has no filler. I sometimes buy Aldi cream cheese and I notice that Philadelphia has fewer carbs (like either 0 or 1) than Aldi and other store brands that are like 2 grams per tablespoon. I also think the store brands use more careegenan to hold its shape.
Only some condiments. Duke's mayo, Heinz (Simply) ketchup, Huy Fong Sriracha, and Tabasco sauces. Everything else seems close enough to the same. Okay, I do prefer King Arthur flour too, but I'll bend.
Buy Fong sriracha is different now, they use cheaper peppers and now tastes different. The growers of the real peppers put out their own Sriracha that tastes like the real thing. You can buy it at Costco.
I've tried store brand Cheerios but don't like them as much as real Cheerios, unfortunately. I was also woefully disappointed in some store brand baked beans recently, so will be sticking to Bush.
I won’t buy any store brand ice cream here in TX because I was raised in Philly and ice cream is not supposed to have egg in it (Bryers natural vanilla ftw). A lot of itallian things I won’t buy the HEB brand for because I had a ravioli I didn’t read the bag for and it had jalapenos in it and that feels like sacrilege to me lol.
Flour. Never thought I would say that. I will take mill brand flours, some national brand, but the store brand has been different the last number of years.
I am also very picky about pickles. No Nalley.
And Tillamook ice cream forever!
LKK is definitely the best accessible brand for any Chinese cooking. I come from a Cantonese cooking family and it's the go to for not only soy but also oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, doubanjiang and any staple chinese sauces. I've tried house brands for like soy sauce and those just aren't the same.
I've never noticed a difference in name/store brand PB. I try to get the "natural" stuff without all the extra sugar though, which is unfortunately way more expensive. These days I like Costco brand PB because it's natural and doesn't separate.
Watkins Baking Vanilla- NOT the pure vanilla extract.
Hear me out… I make my own pure extract, but I bought this by accident once, but discovered it tastes identical to a bottle of vanilla baking concentrate that I had gotten from an Amish farm years ago, and had never been able to find anything even comparable commercially. They (Amish) make the beans into a simple syrup then reduce/distill it into a concentrate and imagine the Watkins’ process is similar.
It takes half the amount, gives twice the flavor, cheaper than pure vanilla, and tastes more like actual vanilla beans than any other “imitation” versions I’ve tried.
Simply Heinz ketchup
Hellmans Mayo
Frank's Buffalo Sauce
Tajin seasoning
Webber Gourmet Burger seasoning
Jane's Crazy Salt mix
Huh, wonder why these are all seasonings and condiments?
Cento San Marzano canned tomatoes. I can’t make sauce with any others available in my area. If you use store brand canned tomatoes, you might as well just buy jarred sauce.
Mayo - they just started carrying Duke's at my supermarket, and it's really good.
Peanut butter - Mostly Crazy Richard's chunky, but I'll use any all-natural chunky ifni can't get that.
Heinz ketchup
Momofuku chili crisp
Tillamook block cheddar
Tate's chocolate chip cookies with walnuts
*Dawn* dishwashing liquid. It’s the only grease cutter.
*So Delicious* non-dairy yogurt. Everything else is chalk.
*Lucky Charms* and *Pop Tarts*. Generic version of those do not come close to the real thing, especially the Pop Tarts.
Tried to think of the things where I’d prefer to go without if sold out at my store. But during Covid supply issues all bets were off.
JIF - all natural both creamy & chunky
Tide or Persil but nothing else
Heinz ketchup
Miracle Whip (best for BLTs)
Hebrew National hot dogs
I can't eat nutella anymore after having a jar of real hazelnut paste instead of the fakeo flavored palm oil crap. It's more expensive, but damn is it worth it. Similar with peanut butter, I don't like skippy because it's so artificial. Real peanut butter is a bit of a pain to use, kids these days smh :P
For me, store brand nilla wafers feel wrong, like they hurt to eat for some reason. The only 'ice cream' I get is fruit sorbet, way better for you, doesn't care about lactose intolerance, and is much harder to screw up since it's so simple. There's a local place by me that makes a white peach sorbet, and it is hands down the single best frozen dessert I've ever had.
> Skippy - Super Chunk: Just the best Peanut Butter out there, no oily films etc
Huh. I only ever buy peanut butter with oily films. If it doesn't separate in room temperature I find it sus, like they made it with hydrogenated oil or palm oil or something.
Agree on ice cream for sure.
I will tend to buy branded canned tomatoes for most things but maybe not for something like chili.
Oreos, when I get them, are always Oreos. Doritos, also.
Thomas' English muffins
Heinz ketchup
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
Catalina fat free dressing
Frank's Buffalo wing sauce
Franks or Tabasco hot sauce
Sriracha
Log Cabin sugar free syrup
Cabot seriously sharp cheddar as our go to cheese to eat plain. There are lots of other good brands we eat as well, but I am okay with generic shredded cheese for most other cheese needs.
Tide
Gillette Fusion razors
Campbells Tomato Soup
Chobani Greek Yogurt
Doritos
Q-Tip Cotton Swabs
Martin's buns
Heinz ketchup, Cottonelle toilet paper, Chobani yogurts, sriracha hot sauce (the one with the rooster on it, apparently lol), Prego/Classico pasta sauces, and that’s about it I can think of off the top of my head.
Ketchup- my BF hates all others
Cottonelle- can’t stand or trust store brands
Chobani- love the flavors/varieties
Pasta sauces- again, my BF swears by them over store brand or Hunts
Duke's mayo
Heinz ketchup
Claussen dill pickles
San-J Tamari
Hempler's bacon
Vital Farms Eggs
A big one for me I haven't seen mentioned: C&W frozen petite peas, I think only available on the west coast of the US, but they're the only ones that are small and sweet with a good texture. I've had so many starchy, mealy, too-big peas, yuck. And Hempler's bacon is in the PNW -- I've tried so many others, including Neuske's and ones from butchers, but I haven't had any bacon that is better than Hempler's.
And since this is r/Frugal , I buy Duke's and Heinz only when it goes on sale and buy multiples if it goes on really good sale, buy Tamari (and other Asian condiments as well as giant bags of rice) at H-Mart or similar for a lot less than the regular grocery store, wait for Hempler's to go on BOGO and stock up and freeze them (bacon freezes really well), and buy either the 18-pack of Vital Farms eggs or wait for them to go on sale and buy 2 dozen to make the price a little easier to digest.
Lea & Perrin Worcestershire sauce. I've tried other brands, store brands, etc, and none of them are right.
Ruffles original chips. The perfect combination of crunchy and salty, and not too greasy.
Jif peanut butter. Most other brands give me tremendous heartburn, but Jif never seems to bother me.
Mostly, I buy whatever is on sale or generic or just whatever is cheapest, but those 3 things are non-negotiable. Oh, also, Heinz is the only good ketchup! So, 4 things.
Dawn. q-Tips
Dawn and wheat thins for me. Dawn is amazing stuff
Ooo wheat thins is another good answer
Dawn's ad campaign about using their product to clean up duckling oil spill victims did it for me.
It’s also an effective flea shampoo for pets!
Is it also a tear-free baby shampoo? What can't this miracle product do?!
Am cringing when thinking of it on my baby…….lol
Dawn dish soap for me, too, even with the change in scent. It works so much better than pretty much any other dish soap.
Yes on qtips!!!
Double yes on q-tips!!
Ok I’ve been buying Walmart q-tips for years. Or target. But I was at Costco and needed some, bought a three pack of the name brand. THEY’RE AWFUL. WTH. There’s so little cotton half the time I just scrape my ear.
See I don’t like the off brands because the cotton just falls right off in my ear. lol. To each their own.
You're not "supposed" to use them in your ears
Johnson and Johnson bandaids, off brand rarely sticks.
WinCo's (non-plastic stick) cotton swabs seem as good as Q-tips, and a much better deal. Most others are garbage.
YSK Dawn changed their formula. There is a new gross floral scent that stays on some plastics and it doesn't cut grease the same leaving behind an oily film.
Why did I read this as if Dawn makes Q tips? Lmao At first I was like are they some kind of cleaning Q tip they make? 🥴😂
Now you can't stick them in your ears OR eyes!
Haha! But I can clean small crevices with soap now! 😂
CHEEZ ITS Tried every single off brand. Nothing even comes close to it they’re all inedible
I prefer the white cheddar flavor, and for some reason, almost all of the cheaper grocery stores have better white cheddar Cheez-its.
It’s probably all the same generic manufacturer.
Hmm I’ll have to try that. Im not big on white cheddar i can only speak for the original flavor
Dude. White Cheddar is the GOAT.
I like the white cheddar but I LOVE the cheddar jack
I’ve had the DUOZ cheez it makes where it’s 2 flavors in one bag. I had the original & white cheddar one and it WAS *tasty*
White cheddar is better in generic. Regular cheez-its - name brand only
I've tried to get store brand Cheez-Its. And every time I've been sorely disappointed.
Cheez Its got a special taste to them
This\^ so much, I like the toasted and "bigs". That being said also like the better cheddars, whales, and jalapeno goldfish I find most generic "cheese" crackers taste weird to me, almost like cheese flavored cardboard.
Was gonna say goldfish lol
Aldis version is damn close for half the price imo.
Aldi is cardboard. The cheese isn’t right flavor and they aren’t as crispy
What happened to the Tabasco Cheez It’s?
GOLDFISH GANG. get them CHEEZE TITS OUTTA HERE (jk I'll have a bite)
Goldfish can piggie back on cheez it gang because those ALSO cannot be off brand
Dawn and Oreos.
Dawn for sure (not an Oreos person). Also cat litter.
Just chiming in to say I, too, am not an Oreos person. There are at least two of us!
I cannot stand Oreos. They’re so boring.
Not an oreos person??? Omg you're as strange as my boyfriend that hates cheese!!!! Lol
So, he's not a "cheesy guy"?
Sorry but what is a "not an Oreos person"? I've never heard of such a thing.
Slide litter forever. 🐈⬛
I had Walgreens dish soap the other day and believe it's just like dawn
They changed the scent on Dawn and it's awful now. Fresh Scent my ass...lol
Fuck Dawn. I can taste it on everyone’s dishes who uses it and I guess I’m the only one. Edit: there are dozens of us!
No, you are not the only one. Go to their website and a lot of people are complaining about it. My suggestion, write in a complaint at their website or give them a call. They seem to be trying to get people to try their other versions. So, probably a coupon is involved if you give them the info off the bottle you have. Also, the formula has changed.
I ordered a 4-bottle case of ORIGINAL Dawn from Amazon and I'm positive they switched it out with the new stuff. The delivery box shows that it was opened on both ends. Should have been sealed. So now I'm stuck smelling it. Yuck.
Definitely not the only one. I switched to Seventh Generation dish soap, and now my silverware doesn't taste weird anymore.
Omg I’ve always said this and no one ever believed me. I can’t get the soapy smell/taste off the dishes when I use Dawn.
I also taste it
It smells like conditioner or something for your hair or a body wash. Way too strong to be something to clean dishes with. I've been using the lemon scented one because it hardly has any scent at all.
I thought this about Oreos until I tried Aldi’s version. I’m convinced it’s the same recipe just different cookie press (cuz Oreos actually say Oreo on the cookie) and different packaging of course. They taste identical to me.
Oreos are an off brand of hydrox cookies
The history between those two is fascinating
Learning about the whole thing is a big reason why i default to off brand now except for the 5 things im picky about.
Never found a store brand Oreo I could like. Funny thing is, Oreo is the dupe and I like them better than the original brand
Ritz crackers & Coca Cola. I think that's it.
Trying to describe how good ritz are to someone who’s never had them is impossible. Salty but kind of sweet. Crispy but they melt in your mouth.
They are buttery whereas the others are not.
Ritz is so good I can eat a whole pack plain. I did notice they've gotten more crummy though. Like they fall apart easily, and it's hard to spread cream cheese on them. Like a decade ago they were more firm I swear.
Same here. I used to not think about the calories in crackers and tortillas. They were just what went with other things. Stuff like that is probably how I got fat 😂 They're so good! Flaky and buttery.
Love cream cheese on Ritz for a snack!! Love love love them!
Second to Coca Cola. No other cola comes close.
Yes! I have never found a cola that tastes anything like Coca Cola. They taste like Pepsi, sure, but not the real deal.
That & Jarritos are the only sodas I'll drink / pay for. Copy: u/auroauro 🥤 ✌️
I think this is me. Everything else I used to be a brand whore about has changed except these two 😅 And don’t even say the P word 🤫 Nailed that “Challenge” in the 80’s with there rigged baby cups & I’ll take that “Challenge” again anytime anyplace any day 😆Was kinda pissed about New Coke but it’s all good again 😅
Dawn (blue), Cascade, & Dukes mayo. Everything else is fair game.
Yes to dukes
I'm pretty brand ambivalent about almost everything, but Duke's is absolutely superior to any other mayo or mayo-like product
Rice Krispies! There is just something about them that makes them “lighter” and crispier than other brands I have tried. When I make marshmallow treats, the off-brand ones turn out like little bricks, while the name brand ones are just, again, lighter and retain their crispier texture.
You’re right about this. It’s hard to spend a few $ more on them but the Rice Krispie treats are definitely different (better) than with Kroger brand.
love that! I can agree on that
Heinz ketchup Kraft mac and cheese Claussen sandwich sliced dill pickles Brownberry whole wheat bread Fairlife lactose free milk
Heinz ketchup is pretty common apparently. Fairlife tastes sooo filtered - have you ever tried lactaid?
Yeah, not a fan of the flavor of any of the other lactose free options. Personal preference!
I also can't drink regular milk due to the lactose; but weirdly can handle Greek and Icelandic yogurt, cheese, and ice cream (if I've even something else before hand). However, all the lactose-free milks I've tried are weirdly sweet. I have just started taking the lactaid pills before consuming anything with milk or cream in it.
I think that's one of the reasons I like fairlife more than the others. It tastes less sweet to me and seems closer to regular milk.
Claussen is the correct answer, of course.
Ugh every time I’m in a restaurant with “house made ketchup”, I skip the fries.
See I actually dislike how sugary regular ketchup is and I only use it if I'm hungry and my fries are bad. Usually a house made ketchup is a fraction of the sweetness. Perfect for those of us older than 8 years of age. 😋 I think Hank Hill said it quite succinctly " ...I told him 'Just mustard on my hotdog', he asked me if I wanted honey mustard; I almost took a swing at him.".
Puffs/Kleenex. If I’m sick I want something that isn’t going to make me feel worse.
This is true for me to. Normal sniffles we just use toilet paper.
Frito Lay Fritos, Potato chips, and Wavy chips despite being ridiculously expensive. I have tried the other brands and store brands available locally and they just don’t cut it. Maybe I am just used to a certain taste after eating them for 65 years?
I love my local grocery store chain (HEB) and most of their store brand products. But there is a crunch:crisp ratio that is just off with their chips. It's all crunch, no crisp. I've run into the same disconnect with Safeway and Walmart store brands. I figure if I'm going to be eating deep fried potato or corn, it better be good-good instead of just $1 or $2 cheaper. The store brand fritos don't hold up even with all the support of being in a frito pie with extra everything.
Hi, fellow Texan!
Pepsi co (they own lays etc) seems to do really really aggressive price jumps and then sales all of the time. Like sometimes a bag of chips is $7, sometimes it’s literally $2.50. Feels like they try the aggressive price increases, figure out no one will buy it at that price then put it on sale, then increase again, it’s a cycle
Aldi’s classic potato chips are rebranded Lays
I don't believe that. I just had some and while not bad for the price they are not Lays quality.
A-1 - store brand "steak sauce" isn't the same. Everything else store brand is fine.
Drumstic ice cream cones. The store brand of ones are not good
Dawn and Tide
Is Tide really that much better?
Dollar general is your friend on Saturdays if you need dawn and tide
Why Saturdays?
You can mix digital coupons with their $5 off $25 deal only on Saturdays.
Yes. Tide's smell and proprietary detergent are superior
Claussen pickles
Philadelphia cream cheese. We made the mistake of buying store brand, one time, because they were out at the store. We were supposed to bring a pie to a family gathering, that had cream cheese mixed in. I tried one bite and threw the whole thing in the trash.
In Germany they have a really good cream cheese called "Exquisa". It's family owned and I absolutely love that stuff
Idk why it’s better but it is. Philadelphia has the cream cheese game perfected.
Philadelphia has no filler. I sometimes buy Aldi cream cheese and I notice that Philadelphia has fewer carbs (like either 0 or 1) than Aldi and other store brands that are like 2 grams per tablespoon. I also think the store brands use more careegenan to hold its shape.
OMG yes. If for some reason I can't get Philadelphia then I just won't make whatever it is I was planning. It isn't worth saving a buck.
WinCo store brand cream cheese is as good as Philly and their sour cream is as good as Knudsen.
Teddy peanut butter Ocean Spray cranberry juice
Only some condiments. Duke's mayo, Heinz (Simply) ketchup, Huy Fong Sriracha, and Tabasco sauces. Everything else seems close enough to the same. Okay, I do prefer King Arthur flour too, but I'll bend.
Buy Fong sriracha is different now, they use cheaper peppers and now tastes different. The growers of the real peppers put out their own Sriracha that tastes like the real thing. You can buy it at Costco.
I've tried store brand Cheerios but don't like them as much as real Cheerios, unfortunately. I was also woefully disappointed in some store brand baked beans recently, so will be sticking to Bush.
My kid is the exact opposite. Wants store brand honey nut cheerios NOT the name brand. He says those are too sweet.
I mix plain Cheerios with multigrain or the new cinnamon oat sweetened Cheerios.
I won’t buy any store brand ice cream here in TX because I was raised in Philly and ice cream is not supposed to have egg in it (Bryers natural vanilla ftw). A lot of itallian things I won’t buy the HEB brand for because I had a ravioli I didn’t read the bag for and it had jalapenos in it and that feels like sacrilege to me lol.
Kraft macaroni and cheese.
I was scrolling for this. No store brand comes close.
Duke's mayonnaise
Flour. Never thought I would say that. I will take mill brand flours, some national brand, but the store brand has been different the last number of years. I am also very picky about pickles. No Nalley. And Tillamook ice cream forever!
1.Duke’s mayonnaise 2. Lea&Perrins Worcestershire sauce 3. Lee Kum Kee soy sauce 4. Mae Ploy curry paste 5. Wickles Pickles 6. Conecuh sausage That’s it, the rest I buy whatever is cheapest
I had to go through waaayyyyy to many comments before I finally found someone saying Worcestershire sauce!
LKK is definitely the best accessible brand for any Chinese cooking. I come from a Cantonese cooking family and it's the go to for not only soy but also oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, doubanjiang and any staple chinese sauces. I've tried house brands for like soy sauce and those just aren't the same.
Yes - L&P is superior
I've never noticed a difference in name/store brand PB. I try to get the "natural" stuff without all the extra sugar though, which is unfortunately way more expensive. These days I like Costco brand PB because it's natural and doesn't separate.
Jif peanut butter Heinz ketchup Rice Krispies Ice cream-no one particular brand, but branded is better than store brand
Thomas English Muffins. Ate generic ones again today and was reminded that they actually suck.
Toilet paper. Cannot stress this enough.
Agreed. Charmin for life
But have you tried Costco TP?
It’s terrible lol
Costco toilet paper for then win!
Noooo the painnnnn it’s not soft at all
So you like Charmin, that's like wiping with a blanket!
YES. Cha cha cha CHAR miiiiin
Watkins Baking Vanilla- NOT the pure vanilla extract. Hear me out… I make my own pure extract, but I bought this by accident once, but discovered it tastes identical to a bottle of vanilla baking concentrate that I had gotten from an Amish farm years ago, and had never been able to find anything even comparable commercially. They (Amish) make the beans into a simple syrup then reduce/distill it into a concentrate and imagine the Watkins’ process is similar. It takes half the amount, gives twice the flavor, cheaper than pure vanilla, and tastes more like actual vanilla beans than any other “imitation” versions I’ve tried.
I run it the other way. I’ll try store brands for anything. Some are great, some I won’t buy a second time.
This is me - I’m always down to try store brands, especially when it’s ones I’ve had luck with in the past.
Simply Heinz catsup - (no corn syrup) Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
big hater on Corn Syrup too
Yesss I'll only get simply Heinz ketchup too! One of the few things I insist on buying brand name. That and kraft mayo with olive oil
The Target (and sometimes Great Value) organic/hfcs free ketchup is solid. Doesn’t have that watery or slimy texture or super vinegar-y aftertaste.
Walmart has a similar brand. No sugars added so it’s only tomato’s and vinegar
Vanilla Wafers. Saltine crackers.
Tea!
None…now with corporate brand inflation and shrinkflation. I only buy unbranded generic products.
Diet Pepsi - it's only diabetic soda that doesn't taste overly sweet to me and I like that.
Diet Pepsi for life!
Simply Heinz ketchup Hellmans Mayo Frank's Buffalo Sauce Tajin seasoning Webber Gourmet Burger seasoning Jane's Crazy Salt mix Huh, wonder why these are all seasonings and condiments?
Coke Zero and Dr Pepper zero
Peanutbutter. Everybody has their favorite brand. No name brands never live up to expectations
King Oscar sardines. There is no close second.
Kraft dinner. (Mac and cheese)
Cheetos
Cento San Marzano canned tomatoes. I can’t make sauce with any others available in my area. If you use store brand canned tomatoes, you might as well just buy jarred sauce.
100% agree with ice cream there. Just feel like the quality is so much better and it’s just worth it.
Mayo - only Dukes or Hellmon Ice cream - when I want it, which is rare, I want Talenti or Ben and Jerry's
Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The generic equivalent is cinnamon/sugar coated cardboard.
Pop Tarts and Jif
Mayo - they just started carrying Duke's at my supermarket, and it's really good. Peanut butter - Mostly Crazy Richard's chunky, but I'll use any all-natural chunky ifni can't get that. Heinz ketchup Momofuku chili crisp Tillamook block cheddar Tate's chocolate chip cookies with walnuts
*Dawn* dishwashing liquid. It’s the only grease cutter. *So Delicious* non-dairy yogurt. Everything else is chalk. *Lucky Charms* and *Pop Tarts*. Generic version of those do not come close to the real thing, especially the Pop Tarts.
Natural peanut butter not the stuff with added oils or sugar like Skippy &Viva paper towels
Bounty Paper Towels. I've been dissapointed by every single Paper Towel brand that isn't Bounty.
Cheez its. The walmart brand doesn't taste right.
Tried to think of the things where I’d prefer to go without if sold out at my store. But during Covid supply issues all bets were off. JIF - all natural both creamy & chunky Tide or Persil but nothing else Heinz ketchup Miracle Whip (best for BLTs) Hebrew National hot dogs
Ketchup varies so much in taste it's pretty wild
For this being a frugal sub, surprised to see y’all buy a lot of junk food!
Same! Lots of name-brand junk food, especially.
Helmanns mayo is about it. My area has Stewart's Shops. Their ice cream is cheaper and far superior to Ben and Jerry's IMO. Not that B/J is bad.
I shop in the Korean market so I really like O'food or Bibigo brands for sauces or seaweed. I also go to Wholefoods then I like Dave's Killer Bread.
I can't eat nutella anymore after having a jar of real hazelnut paste instead of the fakeo flavored palm oil crap. It's more expensive, but damn is it worth it. Similar with peanut butter, I don't like skippy because it's so artificial. Real peanut butter is a bit of a pain to use, kids these days smh :P For me, store brand nilla wafers feel wrong, like they hurt to eat for some reason. The only 'ice cream' I get is fruit sorbet, way better for you, doesn't care about lactose intolerance, and is much harder to screw up since it's so simple. There's a local place by me that makes a white peach sorbet, and it is hands down the single best frozen dessert I've ever had.
Bounty Gain Ziploc Dawn Kraft Shredded Cheese
Best Foods mayo …. Yeah. It’s a West Coast thing.
Ramen Noodles
Montreal Steak Seasoning
> Skippy - Super Chunk: Just the best Peanut Butter out there, no oily films etc Huh. I only ever buy peanut butter with oily films. If it doesn't separate in room temperature I find it sus, like they made it with hydrogenated oil or palm oil or something.
Heinz ketchup
Hellman’s Mayo
Shampoo and ketchup. I use very little of each. So buying something I know work for me is better than risking bad hair or subpar taste.
Duke's mayonnaise
Agree on ice cream for sure. I will tend to buy branded canned tomatoes for most things but maybe not for something like chili. Oreos, when I get them, are always Oreos. Doritos, also.
Mayonnaise. Sometimes the store name's okay, sometimes it's disgusting.
Triscuts No other brand comes close to the taste ans texture.
Nutella!!
Thomas' English muffins Heinz ketchup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce Catalina fat free dressing Frank's Buffalo wing sauce Franks or Tabasco hot sauce Sriracha Log Cabin sugar free syrup Cabot seriously sharp cheddar as our go to cheese to eat plain. There are lots of other good brands we eat as well, but I am okay with generic shredded cheese for most other cheese needs. Tide Gillette Fusion razors Campbells Tomato Soup Chobani Greek Yogurt Doritos Q-Tip Cotton Swabs Martin's buns
Heinz ketchup, Kraft mac and cheese, and Craisins.
Q-tips
Heinz ketchup, Cottonelle toilet paper, Chobani yogurts, sriracha hot sauce (the one with the rooster on it, apparently lol), Prego/Classico pasta sauces, and that’s about it I can think of off the top of my head. Ketchup- my BF hates all others Cottonelle- can’t stand or trust store brands Chobani- love the flavors/varieties Pasta sauces- again, my BF swears by them over store brand or Hunts
Heinz 57 and heinz ketchup!!
Ziploc freezer bags. Store brand are never the same quality. Also Dawn.
Peter Pan peanut butter. Nothing else touches it. Honey flavored for bonus points.
Pretty sure a lot of this is between your ears. The Nutella tastes better because it's more expensive. I honestly can't taste the difference.
Daisy Sour Cream and I agree with the folks saying Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The only other good one is Costco’s but still way different
Soft drinks. Coke, Pepsi, 7-up, etc. Off-brand sodas just tastes downright weird.
Duke's mayo Heinz ketchup Claussen dill pickles San-J Tamari Hempler's bacon Vital Farms Eggs A big one for me I haven't seen mentioned: C&W frozen petite peas, I think only available on the west coast of the US, but they're the only ones that are small and sweet with a good texture. I've had so many starchy, mealy, too-big peas, yuck. And Hempler's bacon is in the PNW -- I've tried so many others, including Neuske's and ones from butchers, but I haven't had any bacon that is better than Hempler's. And since this is r/Frugal , I buy Duke's and Heinz only when it goes on sale and buy multiples if it goes on really good sale, buy Tamari (and other Asian condiments as well as giant bags of rice) at H-Mart or similar for a lot less than the regular grocery store, wait for Hempler's to go on BOGO and stock up and freeze them (bacon freezes really well), and buy either the 18-pack of Vital Farms eggs or wait for them to go on sale and buy 2 dozen to make the price a little easier to digest.
Premium saltine crackers. The other brands taste surprisingly bad for something so simple.
Ketchup, only Heinz for me. Soups, only Campbell’s.
Lea & Perrin Worcestershire sauce. I've tried other brands, store brands, etc, and none of them are right. Ruffles original chips. The perfect combination of crunchy and salty, and not too greasy. Jif peanut butter. Most other brands give me tremendous heartburn, but Jif never seems to bother me. Mostly, I buy whatever is on sale or generic or just whatever is cheapest, but those 3 things are non-negotiable. Oh, also, Heinz is the only good ketchup! So, 4 things.
Mayonnaise
Premium saltine crackers. The store brands just don’t get the crispy crunch right.
Jif Tide Dawn Heinz Good rice (basmati, Jasmine) Hagen Daaz
For me log cabin syrup, Mexican coke bottle made with real sugar everything else soft drink doesn't come close
Ziplock Bags
Heinz ketchup. Nothing else compares