Shopping at Aldi's

[Pigeon]

My biggest problem with Aldi is the unreliability of their supplies.  I go in there sometimes and there is literally almost nothing on the shelves.  Produce cases can be empty or nearly empty.  I cannot rely on Aldi, therefore, for most of my shopping many weeks, and am then forced to go to Giant or ShopRite etc. to pick up the items that Aldi does not have in stock.  This wouldn't be a problem if I were not still working, but I don't currently have unlimited time for shopping.  Also, packing their bananas in plastic makes them often mushy and overly ripe.  I sent them an e-mail about this and got a canned response that had no relation to my comments.

Not all the stores are alike.  There are three of them about the same distance from me.  They are very different.  Some of them don't carry some of the things I buy.  The price of their eggs is different.

The older one near me has mostly unrefrigerated produce cases, and the produce purchased there generally doesn't last long.  The new one is fine.

I've never seen milk at less than a dollar a gallon anywhere.  It's considerably more at Aldi and at Walmart near me.

[With This Herring]

If Aldi had bread flour they might be a one stop shop for me.  But they don't. Which is sad.

You might buy a big sack of vital wheat gluten at a bulk store and then just add a teaspoon of gluten for every cup of Aldi AP flour when you are baking.  :)

[coppertop]

I don't buy dairy milk and can't comment on the Aldi price for that ... plus I know that Pennsylvania has a minimum that stores are allowed to sell milk for, and I think most stores strive for that price.  But their price on almond and soy milk is pretty much the best I can find, except on occasion when Grocery Outlet or the more local "grocery salvage" store has found a great deal.  That is catch-as-catch-can, however, so generally I get my plant milk at Aldi.  We can't buy wine at Aldi or Trader Joe's (yet) in Pennsylvania.  They just changed the law recently, and a few grocery stores, such as Wegmans, are now carrying wine, but it's spotty at best.  Aldi doesn't carry tofu or tempeh or much of any plant-based meat alternatives that I have ever seen; every once in awhile, they will have vegan burgers.  Vegan burgers and breaded, frozen eggplant slices fly out of the freezer case on the occasions when Aldi has them. 

[DrumAllDay]

Eggs were 18 cents a dozen this past week at one of the local ALDI around me!

[ZiziPB]

I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:

- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas.  The first one tasted decidedly moldy.  I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad.  Clearly a storage issue.  I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.

- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi.  As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll!  So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder.  And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(

[coppertop]

I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:

- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas.  The first one tasted decidedly moldy.  I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad.  Clearly a storage issue.  I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.

- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi.  As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll!  So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder.  And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(

I've noticed their onions and potatoes don't last very long either ... bad, since it's just the two of us at home and we can't go through a five-pound bag of potatoes or larger bag of onions that quickly.  I've had to learn to pick and choose what things I can buy there and what things I can't.  They are very good about accepting bad items back, but that doesn't help when you go to make dinner and all of your onions are rotten. 

[CptCool]

I shop at Aldi regularly but have two recent disappointments to report:

- bagged apples - they didn't have the Jonagolds I like so I bought a bag of Galas.  The first one tasted decidedly moldy.  I thought it may have been just a bad apple, but the second one was just as bad.  Clearly a storage issue.  I brought them back and they gave me a new bag but I haven's tasted them yet.

- TP - I usually buy Kirkland brand at Costco but didn't want to buy that huge package so I bought one of the "premium" selections at Aldi.  As soon as I took a roll from the package I realized it was at least an inch narrower than a standard roll!  So narrow it looks ridiculous on the TP holder.  And I'm not even going to describe the issues with using it :-(

I've noticed their onions and potatoes don't last very long either ... bad, since it's just the two of us at home and we can't go through a five-pound bag of potatoes or larger bag of onions that quickly.  I've had to learn to pick and choose what things I can buy there and what things I can't.  They are very good about accepting bad items back, but that doesn't help when you go to make dinner and all of your onions are rotten.

My Aldi always has trouble with red onions, but the white & yellow variety is always good.

[Cranky]

I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)

I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!

[esq]

My Aldi had Rainier cherries for $1.49 a pound this summer. I thought surely they were rotten leftovers but they were perfect.

I find their employees consistently cheerful and helpful, even going out of their way to help me, like recently searching for dried lentils, which they quit carrying to my disappointment.

[With This Herring]

I find their employees consistently cheerful and helpful, even going out of their way to help me, like recently searching for dried lentils, which they quit carrying to my disappointment.

Dried lentils are seasonal at my Aldi, so maybe you'll see them again!

[ZiziPB]

I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)

I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!

Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.

[Cranky]

I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)

I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!

Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.

I buy peaches at the Farmers Market. We're right on the edge of peach growing here - if there's a late freeze we don't get any, but this year they are fabulous!

I think the trouble with commercial peaches is that they are picked while they are pretty far from ripeness, so that they ship better and last in the stores, but then sometimes they never ripen at all. So peaches are another thing that I prefer to enjoy locally and seasonally.

[coppertop]

I think the produce suppliers vary regionally, because my aldi's often has produce grown in state in the summer months. (And labeled as such.)

I don't buy apples in August. They've been in storage forever, or shipped around the world, and we're only a month away from the new crop. This is the time for peaches!

Peaches seem scarce this year. And honestly I haven't had a decent peach in years anyway.

I buy peaches at the Farmers Market. We're right on the edge of peach growing here - if there's a late freeze we don't get any, but this year they are fabulous!

I think the trouble with commercial peaches is that they are picked while they are pretty far from ripeness, so that they ship better and last in the stores, but then sometimes they never ripen at all. So peaches are another thing that I prefer to enjoy locally and seasonally.

Every time Aldi had peaches listed for sale in the weekly flyer, I'd go in and they wouldn't have any ... so I stopped looking for them.  Their supplies are very inconsistent.  It's my single biggest problem with Aldi. 

[HipGnosis]

Aldi is launching a pilot program to deliver Aldi products, in as little as one hour.
The pilot program launches later this month in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles — more cities could be added soon.

from:  http://clark.com/story/aldi-grocery-delivery-instacart

[HipGnosis]

Problems w/ UK Aldi's

If you shopped at Aldi stores in the Midlands on either August 4 or 7 then you would have been charged twice for your shopping.

A second payment was taken from accounts on August 24

https://www.unilad.co.uk/news/aldi-shoppers-warned-to-check-their-bank-statement-immediately/

[martyconlonontherun]

I'm actually fine with the Winking Owl, but I put ice cubes in my wine, so...

We loving Winking Owl, too. :)

My names Paul and I'm so cheap my friends have called me dirtPaul and I would say $4-5 red wine is disgusting. Much better to have it half as often and buy a good $10-$12 bottle. Might I recommend 19 crimes Red Blend from Australia. Normally around $11 a bottle. My sister owns a bar so I get it wholesale but would gladly pay $11. Chardonnays and Pinot Grigio a can be pretty good in the $6-7 range. But if you can palate it then good for you.

You should have your friends do a blind taste test of differently priced red wines. Let them bring some of their more expensive ones. Give everyone a scorecard where they rate each wine 1-10 and write notes.

Both times I've done this with different groups Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck cab won by a wide margin :)

My friends definitely have the mental game where the wine tastes better if they think its expenssive. My wife swears to be the $120 bottle at a fancy Vegas restaurant was amazing. 1.) it really is $30 bottle of wine in the store, 2.) i highly doubt she would've said that in blind taste test.

When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.

[CheapScholar]

Right on, Marty.  Another trick to play with Winking Owl is to have a horizontal tasting.  Buy Winking Owl and 2 other wines of the same varietal (Merlot works great).  Then, decant all 3 bottles.  But, also make a decanter containing 70% Winking Owl and 30% one of the other wines.  Now you have 4 glasses of wine for a blind taste.  Winking Owl will perform well, especially the blend that you make. 

[Laura33]

When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.

Well, I wouldn't complain either -- that would be a dick move when you're a guest in someone else's home.  Doesn't mean I like the wine.   

I happen to love one particular type of red that is, unfortunately, expensive.  Not *because* I know it's expensive, but because I find most reds virtually undrinkable (and that is just as true for $200 French wines as it is for Two-Buck Chuck).  I'd rather just not drink red wine that often and then enjoy one of the bottles I love for a special occasion, vs. trying to learn to like one of the cheap alternatives so I can have a glass every night.  A random Tuesday is what beer is for. :-)

[farmecologist]

I always find wine discussions fascinating.  From my point of view, it's just 'adult grape juice'! (I'm only half joking).

However, I will admit that everyone has a different palate and luckily, many of the cheap wines appeal to me.  I also like to try a variety of different wines so having vendors like Aldi/Trader Joes around helps with that.

[lizzzi]

Occasionally I jump back on this thread and read backwards to see what people have been saying. I do think you have to know your own Aldi--get to know the products--to know what is best to buy in your particular store, and what it may be better to pick up elsewhere. I shop at two Aldis--one in my NY neighborhood, and another down here in the Heartland when I'm here. I've had very good luck at both of them, but do buy my produce in the smallest amounts I can get...and look at it closely...and eat it up quickly. An annoyance for me is that neither of my Aldis is licensed to sell wine...what a bummer. I get envious reading the discussions about Aldi wine. The staff are generally cheerful and helpful in both stores, although I did run into one crabtree in the Heartland--must have been having a bad day--he probably won't last long with that attitude.

[With This Herring]

I was at Aldi the other day and saw a couple standing in front of the refrigerated miscellany section.  Before them was a little plastic log that looked like liverwurst.  I ran up excitedly to grab it, but then saw it was labeled "braunschweiger" instead.  But the lady told me that is the German word for liverwurst, so I bought it!  Wikipedia seems to disagree with her, but this tastes exactly like the liverwurst I know and love.

Price?  $2 for the one-pound log!  For comparison, the other grocery in the area sells liverwurst for $4.40 to $5 per pound.

[I'm a red panda]

When hosting I usually have 1-2 bottles of "nice" wine (a $10 bottle of wine with a random name that people can't immediately price). This should be enough for 1.5 glasses of wine and then I usually play host "Say nah, Ill grab you another glass" while then busting out the winking owl. Never heard any complaints.

Isn't this why the Miracle at Cana was such a major thing? Because who would ever save the good wine for when people had already been drinking?

Winking Owl has performed both "okay" and horribly in my house. From "okay, I'd drink that again" to "oh my god, I'm just pouring it out I'll have water".  Depends on the variety.

[Roadrunner53]

Laura33, can you please tell us what Red wine you consider wonderful? I like red wine but can seem to only drink one glass before getting heartburn. White wine no issues.

[JStein]

I recently have discovered the joys of Aldi after one opened up a mile from my house.  I go there weekly to get produce, some snacks and gluten free foods.  I definitely won't be using it exclusively, but it will definitely save us money on much of what we buy each week.  I have tried some of the block cheddar cheese and was disappointed in the lackluster taste and rubbery consistency.   I tried again on the "fancier" cheeses, and liked them much better.  I am admittedly a bit of a wine snob (hanging my head in shame...), so I'm a little scared to try some of their wines.  I have enjoyed their Belleti Prosecco, but tried one of their "award winning" Pinot Noirs, and was not impressed especially since it wasn't exactly dirt cheap, like lots of their other wines.  I find that I am more tolerant of a lower quality white wine than I am a red (red wine being my favorite, so guess I'm more picky), so perhaps I'll try a few more of those bargain bottles.

[lizzzi]

Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.

[Megma]

Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.

Lizzie, don't you find that cold/frozen food are in the car a long time while you go make your other stops? I am always tempted to stop for non-Aldi things at the grocery store on the way home but I worry how long things are in the car then, especially in the summer months. Do you bring a cooler bag?

I haven't checked this thread in a while and I'm surprised to see so many complaints about Aldi. I love Aldi. I find it easy to shop there, the store being smaller also helps make it faster imo. Yes there are things I want that they don't sell and I do end up going to another store once every few weeks to get those items but Aldi saves me a fortune. I usually spend about $70/week for groceries for 2 people and that includes a lot of extras.

[Roadrunner53]

I have some great cooler bags from Costco and Trader Joes with their logos on the bags. I love the Trader Joe ones because they are flat on the bottom and oblong so you can fit meat and stack the stuff nicely, like those plastic square salad containers. The Costco ones are huge and when filled they can weigh a ton. But both are great. However, you can find insulated bags just about anywhere. They are always in my car to bring into the store.

[lizzzi]

Our Aldi's still doesn't have an alcohol license, so I can't comment on that. But I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system: I keep a running list through the week in the back of my notebook. Then I tear out the page and go to Aldi to pick up everything I like from there--and to scope out any special buys that sound good. Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store next door to Aldi's and get things like steel wool or personal products--maybe seasonal decorations--and then it's back into the car for the run to the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery--for the products I need but don't like at Aldi or can't get at Aldi or the Dollar Store. I've got it down to a routine, and am finding that I only need to grocery shop every ten days or so. I spent a total of $123.83 two days ago, and am embarrassed to say I over-bought. This batch of food (I'm cooking as I write this) will feed me and the dog for two weeks. I drink mostly almond milk, which keeps much longer than fresh cow's milk, and buy cans of evaporated milk for 69 cents at Aldi for my tea and coffee--it keeps well and the 12 ounce cans are small enough for one person to use up before they go bad. I buy the big loaf of Aldi's Pane Turano, and keep it in the freezer (lasts a month) --so I don't have to trudge out for those annoying milk and bread runs.

Lizzie, don't you find that cold/frozen food are in the car a long time while you go make your other stops? I am always tempted to stop for non-Aldi things at the grocery store on the way home but I worry how long things are in the car then, especially in the summer months. Do you bring a cooler bag?

I haven't checked this thread in a while and I'm surprised to see so many complaints about Aldi. I love Aldi. I find it easy to shop there, the store being smaller also helps make it faster imo. Yes there are things I want that they don't sell and I do end up going to another store once every few weeks to get those items but Aldi saves me a fortune. I usually spend about $70/week for groceries for 2 people and that includes a lot of extras.

Right now--February in New York--keeping the food cold between Aldi/Dollar Store/Regular grocery isn't an issue. Also, the Aldi/Dollar Store and the Regular Grocery are only minutes apart--and then my apartment is 5 minutes from the Regular Grocery. I have it down to a system where I am very quick--and the time and distances are fairly minimal anyway. In the warm weather season, I make sure I have insulated bags and/or take my cooler and ice packs with me in my vehicle. I am careful to keep my cold stuff cold. Since I'm only shopping for one person, even a "big" shopping is not that huge compared to what larger families buy. So it's not difficult to manage the cold items on the way home.

[CogentCap]

I've only ever paid with credit at all the aldi stores I've been to. Weird that some places don't have that.

I wait for their  $.69/lb deals and stock up on chicken drumsticks there. Also the $.50/lb ham after holidays. Eggs can be as low as $.39, and they're pretty clear a bout the sorts of ingredients they exclude from all their products, which is cool.

[Rosy]

@With This Herring - about the Braunschweiger liverwurst - that was one of their German week specials. Braunschweiger refers to a type of liverwurst, specifically how it is traditionally made in the city of Braunschweig in Germany.
There are many different varieties of liverwurst, some fine, some coarse, some with specific spices or with extra ingredients like onion. There is also fresh and smoked ...

We regularly shop at Aldi, the one around the corner from us, the one near Mr. R.s work about an hour away and the one by my son's house. If they have something we particularly like I stock up and often find one Aldi has very little or none and the other is fully stocked.

Most of their "Select" items are great and their canned peaches, actually in a big glass jar, is the best ever, tastes like they just harvested them off the tree.
We like their weekly specials, both food and non-food and love their German and Italian week, their organic and health food line is expanding and the quality is undeniable.
Quite happy with some of their fresh baked breads too.

I enjoy the ever-changing product line but we too have experienced weeks of hit and miss, but the staff is always friendly.

[2Birds1Stone]

Mushrooms, brussels, onions, eggs, greek yogurt, rice, canned stuff (beets, pickles, beans), salad dressings, salad/greens, whatever their produce pick of the week is (recents include 10 Kiwis for $2, $1.49 large strawberries, $.99 blueberry pints, Butternut squash $1.49/each for huge ones, etc), bread (I like the fit & active one that's 45 cal/slice, cheese, cold cuts $3.19/lb for ham/turkey, frozen hash browns, fat free and $1.49 for a large bag. Hummus, guacamole, chips, salsa, reese's PB cups 8 for $1. Eggs (usually cheaper than any other supermarket). 

[HipGnosis]

I've got my grocery shopping down to a very satisfactory system:
I... go to Aldi...
Then I do a quick five-minute run into the Dollar Store...
and then... the "regular" (but not the fancy pants) grocery

My grocery list has 'aldi items' on the top.  'Regular items' go from the bottom up.
I usually only go to either store when I need something or there's a sale.   It's nice to have both lists with me as sometimes I can delay the next trip.
 

[Mrs. Rocker]

I'm having major Aldi withdrawal as I haven't been able to shop at one since mid December. We've been in south Texas the last eight weeks where there isn't a store. Hoping to get to one in about two weeks as we move north to the Austin, TX area. My list is ready! In the mean time we will work on eating up what we have to make room for the new stuff.

[Tris Prior]

Ugh, you guys, I know hardly anything's in season right now but I've got to say the produce at my Aldi has been especially bad lately. Even the oranges don't taste good. :(

The cranberry white cheddar was back, though. Yum!

[Stachetastic]

Ugh, you guys, I know hardly anything's in season right now but I've got to say the produce at my Aldi has been especially bad lately. Even the oranges don't taste good. :(

We've had bad luck with their oranges the past couple of weeks, too. And I've about given up on their bananas, they stay green for a week and then go to yellow and brown in the span of a day. Still love my Aldi, though. Their lettuce and apples have been great lately.

[caseyzee]

My local Aldi closed down last fall for remodeling and re-opened a couple of months later.  Sure, it has more products than it used to (they added square footage as well), but the produce section has really tanked.  It used to be so small, and everything was good and fresh.  Now it's larger, has more products, but so many things are just crappy.  A couple of weeks ago, the peppers were a produce pick of the week.  My kids eat those like apples, think they're the food of the Gods.  So when they go on sale, I buy 3 packs that week and plan for lots of stir fries.  But the peppers were a picked over mess - they had a couple of tricolor packs left, that were obviously damaged, and the rest of the box was a 3 pack with 2 reds and a yellow, all seriously undersized.  And that's just typical of how the produce has been since the remodel.  The strawberries are half white, the onions are soft, etc.  Can you tell I'm annoyed by it?

[Tris Prior]

I also had moldy soft potatoes in the middle of the bag, pastel raspberries that tasted like nothing, (do they purposely arrange them in the pack so you can't see the light-colored sides?), and unpleasantly textured honeycrisp apples.

The peppers have been OK, though, especially the mini ones, and I like their spinach/arugula mix though it's really been too cold for salads lately.

[I'm a red panda]

I had the most amazing tomatoes and basil from Aldi this weekend.

I also had to buy flowers for a thing, and I usually hate buying cut flowers- but I was happy with their price. 6 roses for $4.

[lizzzi]

I have mixed results with Aldi produce. I usually get some produce at Aldi and some at the regular grocery. But at this time of year, nothing is in season anyway. I got grapes at Aldi last week, and some strawberries and blueberries at the regular grocery. None of it tasted good, even with sugar. I looked for my favorite Golden Delicious apples at Aldi, but they didn't have any, so I bought a few at the regular grocery. They are adequate. At this time of year I should probably just buy some canned fruit.

I prefer warm,  cooked vegetables in the winter--hate all that crunchy-crunchiness of fresh vegetables when it is freezing outside. So Aldi is no problem for potatoes, onions, carrots...celery is OK although I can't seem to use it up. (Need some celery recipes.) Bags of frozen vegetables...I make a lot of soup, or just a dinner plate full of cooked vegetables with a piece of fish or chicken on top.

[With This Herring]

Thanks for the liverwurst info, @Rosy!

I have found that this time of year the full-size oranges are dry no matter which grocery store sells them.  However, those little mandarins in the net sacks are generally great!

Getting there early in the day definitely helps avoid the picked-over produce, but sometimes it seems the entire batch is blah.

[Dictionary Time]

But the peppers were a picked over mess - they had a couple of tricolor packs left, that were obviously damaged, and the rest of the box was a 3 pack with 2 reds and a yellow, all seriously undersized.

So you got all the red ones?  Ours were all yellow and a few orange, and very tiny.  I got them anyway ... went to do my Post-Aldi Kroger Fill-In and they had lots of big, nice ones packaged in the discount produce 3/$1.  So now I have 9 peppers.  Sigh

[superhappyfaced]

i'm a big fan of Aldi as well. just discovered them a few months ago and i am in love with all the new easy to make vegan/plant-based items they have: veggie burgers, chick-un patties and tenders, meatless balls (italian and regular), faux hot dogs, and of course i love their organic almond milk!

i've not had an issue with their produce and usually buy what is on sale plus a few boxes of their organic spring mix and lots of broccoli.

some of my favorite things: organic tomato-basil soup, popcorn kernels, whole wheat pita bread, organic croutons, and their trail mixes are pretty darn good, too!

[Stachetastic]

My son is in kindergarten and is responsible for bringing snack once a month for the class. I love the prepackaged teddy grahams, mini cheese or PB crackers, goldfish crackers, hull less popcorn. So easy and it's not all complete junk, like Little Debbies or pop tarts. (Though I wouldn't necessarily call it health food.) I also put together little snack bags for his teacher, aide, and therapists when it's his snack day, just as a little extra thanks. Everything comes from Aldi, and I love trying new things. I've done the 100 calorie cookie or nut packs, trail mix, organic granola bars, tea, hot chocolate, seasonal candies. I like to use different things each month to keep them guessing.

[farmecologist]

I have mixed results with Aldi produce. I usually get some produce at Aldi and some at the regular grocery. But at this time of year, nothing is in season anyway. I got grapes at Aldi last week, and some strawberries and blueberries at the regular grocery. None of it tasted good, even with sugar. I looked for my favorite Golden Delicious apples at Aldi, but they didn't have any, so I bought a few at the regular grocery. They are adequate. At this time of year I should probably just buy some canned fruit.

I prefer warm,  cooked vegetables in the winter--hate all that crunchy-crunchiness of fresh vegetables when it is freezing outside. So Aldi is no problem for potatoes, onions, carrots...celery is OK although I can't seem to use it up. (Need some celery recipes.) Bags of frozen vegetables...I make a lot of soup, or just a dinner plate full of cooked vegetables with a piece of fish or chicken on top.

I have found that produce qualityat Aldi's is entirely dependent on having knowledge about when they restock.  Because they do not 'pick through' it nearly as much as most stores...bad produce can remain on the shelves much longer.  I find that if I get there soon after restock, it is a *much* better experience.

[HipGnosis]

I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.

[LennStar]

I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.

Fake honey???

As in "Sugar with paint"?

[Rural]

I just learned that inferior (and actually fake) honey from China and asia is a spreading problem in Europe and the USA.
I'm glad to say my honey from Aldi's is/has 'True Source Certified'.

Fake honey???

As in "Sugar with paint"?

Pretty much.

[HipGnosis]

I'm kinda sad to report a negative thing about Aldi's.
This weeks Aldi's sale flyer has Fusion (brand) Asian frozen chicken for $5.29.
I was miffed, as I had just bought some last week.  Then, I realized I got it for $5.29.  I confirmed this with the receipt (I leave em in the bottom of my reusable shopping bag until there's a handful).
This means that just because something is in their flyer, it isn't always a 'sale' price.
I wonder how many things I've bought thinking it was on sale...

[OtherJen]

I have enjoyed their Belleti Prosecco, but tried one of their "award winning" Pinot Noirs, and was not impressed especially since it wasn't exactly dirt cheap, like lots of their other wines.  I find that I am more tolerant of a lower quality white wine than I am a red (red wine being my favorite, so guess I'm more picky), so perhaps I'll try a few more of those bargain bottles.

We like that Prosecco if we want something a little fun with dinner. The Aldi at my store has occasionally had decent bottles of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio (can't remember brands), so those might be worth trying.

Regarding other stuff: we buy probably half of our groceries at Aldi. The cage-free organic eggs and grass-fed ground beef are slightly cheaper at Costco, but Aldi is great for other dairy, deli meats, frozen seafood, chicken broth, gluten-free pasta, basmati and jasmine rice, jarred pesto and olives, fancy cheeses, canned tomatoes, boxed chicken broth, facial tissues, foil and plastic wrap, dark chocolate bars, etc. Sometimes I can find good deals on laundry detergent and oxyclean. In winter, they usually sell 4-lb bags of delicious navel oranges for $2; those keep well, as do the bags of lemons and limes and vegetables such as celery, carrots, scallions, winter squash, cabbage, bagged salad greens, garlic, and cauliflower.

We've had iffy results with bagged onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

[Awesomeness]

Picked up a 14$ Japanese maple tree at my Aldi today. Yeah it’s small but what a great price. I wanted one before but gave up after seeing how much they cost.  Hope it survives, I’ve got a perfect spot for it.

Other favorites are their copycat Girl Scout cookies, chips and dip, imitation sodas. So cheap but taste good. A gallon of milk is 1.39, eggs have been as low as .17 cents but lately closer to a dollar. They had English muffins for .79 a six pack and I ran to Walmart after for a fan and saw Thomas’s English muffins for 2.98. What a difference.  I love Aldi.