Author Topic: Shopping at Aldi's  (Read 165290 times)

gggggg

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #300 on: August 06, 2016, 05:22:22 AM »
It's not as bad as "frozen sushi" might sound. It's def worth a shot, esp if you want to keep sushi on hand. I bought another variety last night to try.

faramund

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #301 on: August 06, 2016, 07:33:38 AM »
Hmm... the power of reading things properly. I'll have to have a look, my local ALDI might have frozen 'fresh sushi' after all (I know nobody cares, but my team lost >: ).

My local full blown supermarket does sell fresh made-on-the-spot sushi where you can watch someone putting it together and into containers when you are there, and the idea that an ALDI anywhere would do that, was a bit mind-blowing.


gggggg

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #302 on: August 06, 2016, 07:57:00 AM »
Hmm... the power of reading things properly. I'll have to have a look, my local ALDI might have frozen 'fresh sushi' after all (I know nobody cares, but my team lost >: ).

My local full blown supermarket does sell fresh made-on-the-spot sushi where you can watch someone putting it together and into containers when you are there, and the idea that an ALDI anywhere would do that, was a bit mind-blowing.

I think something is getting lost in translation, so to speak. The sushi is just frozen sushi in a box, shipped in just like frozen pizza or something.

With This Herring

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #303 on: August 06, 2016, 10:39:33 AM »
Haha, yeah, nothing is prepared fresh at my Aldi.  But Faramund did mention the drinking and that things weren't read properly.

My local supermarket (not a Wegmans, *sigh*) also does fresh sushi, but I know how lax their standards in other fresh food are, so I wouldn't touch their sushi.

faramund

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #304 on: August 06, 2016, 07:39:32 PM »
Well, I'm sober again now <: ??

We do seem to have a small selection of fresh rolls/buns/mini-pizzas (say 10-16 cm (4-6 in)s across) at the 2 Aldi's that I go to.

I think I have about 10 Aldi's within about 50km, so I think they have a deal with a bakery somewhere, that then distributes daily to multiple Aldi's. But I'd say that counts as the only fresh non-staple food at my local ALDIs. 

Although, thinking about it, there's obviously milk/fruit/vegetables/staple bread/eggs and even things like flavoured chicken kebabs - so there's other fresh/non-frozen/preserved food as well.

I probably think of it this way - because for many years they didn't have the fresh rolls/buns/mini-pizzas but then about a year or 2 ago they started getting them - so they seem distinct to me. They're also in a separate part of each store - which adds to their apparent uniqueness.

elaine amj

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #305 on: August 07, 2016, 09:55:17 AM »
DH is going to Aldi tomorrow. I'll ask him to pick up some frozen sushi :) We like sushi and are completely fine with passable sushi :)

I saw in our flyer that they have a small food processor on sale for $14.99. Thoughts? I haven't used a food processor in years and years and lost a critical piece on my full-sized one (that I got for my wedding nearly 20 years ago). Debating whether it will be a useful addition to my kitchen. Especially since my magic bullet died. I'm thinking things like shredding cheese, shredding potatoes, mincing piles of garlic (to freeze and use in single serving portion), and maybe as a blender if it can handle it?


With This Herring

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #306 on: August 07, 2016, 10:46:34 AM »
I don't have their food processor, but we have been more than happy with their ice cream maker, blender, and air popcorn popper.

What brand is your full-size one?  You might still be able to find a replacement part online.

esq

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #307 on: August 07, 2016, 01:20:03 PM »
DH is going to Aldi tomorrow. I'll ask him to pick up some frozen sushi :) We like sushi and are completely fine with passable sushi :)

I saw in our flyer that they have a small food processor on sale for $14.99. Thoughts? I haven't used a food processor in years and years and lost a critical piece on my full-sized one (that I got for my wedding nearly 20 years ago). Debating whether it will be a useful addition to my kitchen. Especially since my magic bullet died. I'm thinking things like shredding cheese, shredding potatoes, mincing piles of garlic (to freeze and use in single serving portion), and maybe as a blender if it can handle it?

I kilt my beloved 20 yr old Vitamix deader than dead with a hunk of frozen parmesan cheese.  Replaced it with a $35 Ninja thing, which I like a lot.  I wouldn't be afraid to try Aldi's blender though, because you can always return anything you buy there.

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #308 on: August 07, 2016, 07:07:54 PM »
I love my local Aldi, and pretty much shop there exclusively. That said, I don't buy much of their processed foods (which makes up a LOT of what they sell, just like every other grocery store). But I love their prices on beans (dried and canned), rice, quinoa, bananas, etc. And I do like that they sell a lot of GF foods and label their allergens. It's really nice that I don't have to make a trip to Whole Paycheck and spend $7 on a GF mix, just to have a birthday cake.

The turnover in an urban location means that produce is usually fresh (although sometimes tomatoes and berries don't pass muster). I bought 20 lbs of bananas last week when they were $0.29/lb, and they were perfectly ripe in bags.

I will sometimes supplement with the local produce market if I'm not thrilled by the price/selection of produce that week. Plus there are certain things that they don't sell that I like to eat, like eggplant and tuscan kale and dried chickpeas (for falafel and chickpea flour).

It can get super-crowded at times (especially the first Saturday/Sunday morning after everyone gets their food stamps refilled), but I just try to go off-peak.

Tris Prior

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #309 on: August 08, 2016, 08:29:06 AM »
Oh god, the bananas at my Aldi are so gross! I don't buy bananas often and I think yesterday was the first day I actually looked at them at Aldi. Yes - both green and brown at the same time. Yuck.

Falconer

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #310 on: April 24, 2017, 03:10:21 AM »
It's really interesting to read about Americans and other English speaking peoples experiences with ALDI.

I grew up on their food. It's nearly every Germans go to place for staples etc.

My first computer was from there.

The reason why every ALDI store is so different is because they Taylor it towards the local consumers. They test a full range of products for 2-3 weeks and what ever sells fast they stock again, and what does not sell, never comes back. So you might find that people in one area are happy to buy lower quality fresh produce than others just a few blocks away.

Their cashiers are the fastest in the world. Aided by the 360 bar code and not having to bag the groceries.

When both Aldi and Lidel came to the uk everyone made fun of them. Now they are in the process of killing Tesco.

rantk81

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #311 on: April 24, 2017, 07:05:08 AM »
For the past several months, my shopping list for Aldi has been essentially the same. I just keep the list in my phone (in the same order I encounter the items in the aisles of the store.)

pecan halves
fresh broccoli
fresh cauliflower
eggs
heavy whipping cream
avocados
polish sausage
bacon
onions and garlic
green/red peppers
olive oil
spices
blocks of pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese
fresh meat (beef, pork, or chicken)
frozen broccoli and baby brussels sprouts

I don't really spend much time in the sections of the store that have the boxed/processed foods. 90%+ of the stuff I get is from the fresh veggies, dairy, and meat sections.

I can easily keep my budget under $40/week for just myself, and I feel I eat very well!

spamking

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #312 on: April 24, 2017, 07:07:09 AM »
My wife and youngest have become huge Aldi fans.  It's awesome how much you can get there for such a decent, low price.

HipGnosis

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #313 on: April 24, 2017, 07:15:29 AM »
I've been doing some mystery shopping lately, which has taken me to areas of town (Milwaukee) I rarely go to.  I've gone to two new Aldi's enroute to/from the shopping and found that they have:
wider aisles - makes getting around other shoppers a LOT easier
bigger and dedicated bakery and liquor sections - the bakery was quite tempting

rubybeth

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #314 on: April 24, 2017, 08:16:11 AM »
My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.

I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.

mizzourah2006

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #315 on: April 24, 2017, 08:51:08 AM »
We did Aldi's for a while because of their cheap produce, dairy, and eggs. But then we would go to the local Walmart neighborhood market because they had a larger selection on a lot of other things. Then we noticed the Walmart started matching Aldi's prices on produce, dairy, and eggs, so now we just mostly shop there because it's easier to just make one stop. We get our eggs for 43 cents a dozen, milk for the youngin for $1.04 and things like bananas are 27 cents/lb. We still do go to Aldi's for diapers though, they are really affordable and work perfectly for our toddler. When we make those trips we usually check out their weekly sales and pickup a few things here and there.

Tris Prior

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #316 on: April 24, 2017, 08:57:00 AM »
That's good to know, HipGnosis; sounds like they are improving one of the more frustrating aspects of Aldi, with their new stores. Both the one in my old neighborhood (kind of seedy and high-crime) and the one in my new neighborhood (nicer) are tiny and cramped. The new neighborhood store has its aisles at weird angles and it's sometimes impossible to get a cart through.

The stores are for sure different in quality. The produce is better at my new one. Still not *great*, but better. I don't eat meat but Boyfriend said the chicken from Old Aldi was awful. Not sure I can convince him to try the new Aldi's meat.

I've been pleasantly surprised at the quality and price of their garden stuff too. Like, I needed landscape cloth to put under a raised bed. $24.99 at Home Depot, *$1.99* at Aldi. For a smaller quantity, but that's actually better as the garden centers always sell things in huge quantities which are more than I need. Also got a perfectly nice raised bed and organic garden soil for $2.99 per huge bag (which they unfortunately sold out of).

Unfortunately neither Aldi sells booze, but that seems to be a function of what ward the store's in and what the liquor ordinances are there. All the stores are that way; like, some Walgreens and CVS in the city have booze and some don't. That's too bad; I'd be curious as to what booze Aldi carries and its pricing. It's not even in our ad papers here.

NeonPegasus

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #317 on: April 24, 2017, 09:03:33 AM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(

CptCool

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #318 on: April 24, 2017, 09:15:14 AM »
My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.

I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.

Which store is this?

VeggieTable

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #319 on: April 24, 2017, 02:14:24 PM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(

Mine did at one point, but now that you mention it, I think they stopped. I haven't needed to buy it in months, but you've prompted me to look next time I go.

chubbybunny

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #320 on: April 24, 2017, 02:21:22 PM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(

I bought ww flour from aldi once.  It was terrible!  It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well.  When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all. 

rubybeth

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #321 on: April 24, 2017, 02:45:34 PM »
My Aldi in Minnesota expanded last year. I've read it's now the biggest Aldi in the US. They massively grew their organic produce section, and I recently noticed they have grass fed beef (!) and no antibiotic chicken (!) so have tried both. I was very impressed with the grass fed beef--it cooked like a dream (made it for tacos). The chicken I couldn't tell much difference, so will probably just buy their regular chicken tenders. I like that they are fresh, not frozen, so I can opt to freeze them or not, if I'm planning to cook with them soon.

I've shifted most of my shopping to Aldi in the last year and have been very happy. There are still just a few things I buy at other places, but not very many.

Which store is this?

I'd prefer not to say on a public forum. Are you in Minnesota? If so, feel free to PM me.

NeonPegasus

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #322 on: April 24, 2017, 02:47:33 PM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(

I bought ww flour from aldi once.  It was terrible!  It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well.  When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all.

That's funny. The consistency was one of the things I loved about it. It made for a very wholesome seeming loaf of bread. When I want softer consistency, I use KA white wheat.

Johnez

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #323 on: April 24, 2017, 03:01:40 PM »

Unfortunately neither Aldi sells booze, but that seems to be a function of what ward the store's in and what the liquor ordinances are there. All the stores are that way; like, some Walgreens and CVS in the city have booze and some don't. That's too bad; I'd be curious as to what booze Aldi carries and its pricing. It's not even in our ad papers here.

They sell beer and wine at my Aldi.  I didn't pay attention to the wine, but the beer selection has some American standards and their own brand.  Example-they sell both Blue Moon, and their own version of Belgian wheat ale.  Not a connoisseur or anything, but 6 bucks for a 6 pack of fake Blue Moon was pretty good by me.

Side note, some of their sizes are kinda odd.  Their beer didn't come in standard 12 oz bottles, but 11.2 oz.  Slices of cheese are 7 oz instead of 8 oz.  Other products are similar.  Not everything is like this, a bit random and sometimes annoying.  Hard to do math with odd numbers like this, and makes it feel like I'm being cheated with numbers that are intentionally hard to mentally compare on the fly.  "Food 4 Less has cheese for $2.50 for 8 oz, here it's $2.25 for 7 oz.  Fuck, lemme whip out the calculator app.  Not doing this 5 times.  Maybe it's because they are using European standard measurements for their own product, not sure.

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By the way, anyone looking for King Arthur flour at decent prices, Wally World has it.

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Things I like and dislike about Aldi so far-

Like:

Small, fast, easy to navigate.  They don't have an entire aisle for coffee.  Or soap.  Or toothpaste.  I love that I personally can get out of there in about 15 minutes with a week's worth of stuff.

Meat.  Well priced and clean.  My SO loves the fact that she can season it inside the little container instead of dirtying up another dish.  Also, 4 bucks off stickers on 4 pounds of pork chops is lolisthisforreal!? 

Checking out.  These people are amazingly fast.

Dislike:

Sometimes don't have essentials.  Broke your spatula?  Most groceries have basic cooking utensils-not Aldi. 

Meat.  Not a whole lot of variety. 

Produce.  They will gladly sell a whole bag of onions, with one or two bad ones.  Ugh.  I want to pick 3 or 4, not be forced to buy 8 in a bag.  Also, they do a crap job of repleneshing.  Come at the wrong time and whats left is empty boxes or wilted/bruised produce.  Pretty unacceptable at major grocers.




Tris Prior

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #324 on: April 24, 2017, 03:12:59 PM »
I just looked it up on their site and there are only a handful of Aldis in Chicago that sell booze. One I could get to, but it'd be a long haul on the bus (I don't have a car), while my local Aldi is maybe a 10-minute walk.

From their website: "We have to obtain special licenses to sell beer and wine on a store-by-store basis. The process takes longer in some municipalities than others. Rest assured that it’s our desire to provide each ALDI store with our complete product line and we will continue working to achieve this. " That makes sense; it is really hard to get a liquor license in Chicago.

I've had the bad-onion experience too. As well as the container of spinach that outwardly looked fine, but you open it up and all the spinach in the center is gross. They have a talent for hiding the bad produce in the bag or container so you can't see it, for sure.

Bucksandreds

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #325 on: April 24, 2017, 03:25:51 PM »
The 7 super fruit organic 100% juice may be the best thing I've ever tasted. #1 ingredient is pomegranate juice but it tastes like strawberries. I might like it better than beer. It's $3.89 for a liter but we go through that in a week or two so it's not a budget buster. If you like pomegranate, blueberry or acai juice and love strawberries then try this.  Not sure you'll ever go back to a bland beverage again.

MsPeacock

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #326 on: April 24, 2017, 04:40:32 PM »
The Aldi in my area have recently remodeled to slightly larger and more items (gluten free, random housewares, etc). They are largely unchanged, just nicer looking signs and such.

The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.

Have never seen frozen sushi at Aldi store.

Wish mine carried alcohol. Maryland has fairly restrictive alcohol laws. The stores in VA carry alcohol and I've swung in on the occasion that I happen to be in the area.

deborah

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #327 on: April 24, 2017, 04:42:57 PM »
In Australia, Aldi has a policy of getting some (not many) artisan Australian products and they are very good. For instance, their cheese has won several awards over the past few years.

Mezzie

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #328 on: April 24, 2017, 04:53:23 PM »
I shopped with wild abandon yesterday -- no list, some impulse buys (corned beef! chocolate!), a beautiful bouquet of flowers -- and I STILL came in under budget. :)

IlliniPatT

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #329 on: April 24, 2017, 05:19:57 PM »
I love Aldi's.
One really weird observation: Fellow Shopper's are amazing.  It's very common for someone to "pay forward" a shopping cart..no worry about the quarter.  Not a big deal, it's just a quarter.  Another interesting observation-I usually buy less than 20$ worth of food and almost always people offer to let me cut in line.  I've never had such an offer at a mainstream grocery store.  Always amazes me and I usually decline.

Neustache

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #330 on: April 24, 2017, 06:45:47 PM »
^Yep!  I agree - was just thinking this the other day.  I've had carts with quarters given to me the past two times; I just kept passing on the cart.  Heck, maybe it's the same cart both times and it just keeps getting paid forward.  LOL. 

LennStar

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #331 on: April 25, 2017, 01:06:50 AM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(

I bought ww flour from aldi once.  It was terrible!  It was very course and didn't bake well at all. It was ground to the consistency of wheat germ or similar, so I had to get creative to use it up. I also noticed they stopped carrying it at my aldi, so I figured it didn't go over so well.  When I bake I'll spend the $$ on king arthur ww flour and I'm honestly not a food snob at all.
?? I found that strange. Can your Capitalists sell you whatver they want as whatever type?
Here in Communistic Germany on every flour package there is a number that says what type of flour it is. Like: For bread baking you take 1050, for white bread 550 and 405 for cakes.
And of course whole grain flour is big and clumpy and the bread just breaks to pieces if you don't mix it with e.g. 1050 for the glue stuff.

In my case I stopped buying four for making bread because the only shop who had more then cake's 405 has upped the prices so much that in the end you can get completed bread 2 aisles away for the same price (not to mention time, energy and cleaning if you make your own). I don't make own bread if that is more expensive and more time consuming.

@Johnez:
Maybe it's european standards, yes. But maybe it's just strategy. Here in Germany with the big competition in prices the not-store-brands have started to do prequent "bonus" rounds. Means for 2-3 month you get like 10% "extra" (with lot of advertising) and then it goes back to the old size or not or a completely new one - and nobody knows the old price anymore. You can bet it is not cheaper then at start.
I always look at the (Communit EU again) mandatory unit prices - means for 100g or 1kg.

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Sometimes don't have essentials.  Broke your spatula? 
Because cooking utensils is not an essential. Wll, it is, but you don't buy it every week. Shelf space costs money, so the discounters don't have stuff that does not get sold fast. That is the core of the business model compared to supermarkets after all.

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They have a talent for hiding the bad produce in the bag or container so you can't see it, for sure.

I blame survivor bias ;)

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The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.

Have never seen frozen sushi at Aldi store.
Not only ALDI but also LIDL etc. are nicer in the Netherlands. And Jumbo... very very nice but often more expensive ;)

Sushi is new here, too. ALDI started it I think about a year ago and now everyone has it.
The logic goes like this I think:
Not many buy it. But those who do buy go the shop that has Sushi. So if there is only one shop, they go there - and make the rest of their shoppig there, too. It may only be 1 in 1000 people, but thats 0,1% lost sales at same expenses. So it's cheaper to make half a meter of Sushi in one of the freezers.
The Sushi is bad and expensive though. The only not disgusting one (in a TV show test so who knows what reality is) was LIDL, even with a bit strange ingredients (I think paprika).

Cranky

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #332 on: April 25, 2017, 05:25:50 AM »
WW flour is a "seasonal" item at aldi's - it rotates in about once/year. I usually buy a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer. It seems fine to me; I use it for bread.

My aldi's is remodeling. It will be quite a bit bigger, which will be great, but I may lose my mind before it's done, because it has made a small store really difficult to navigate in the process and there is almost no frozen stuff in the store at the moment. Poor me! I'm hoping that they'll have scored a liquor license and we can buy wine there.

We're getting a Lidl nearby, and I'll be interested to see how that compares.

orangepalm

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #333 on: April 25, 2017, 08:39:04 AM »
The Aldi in the Netherlands in my experience, were nicer and a bit fancier than the ones in the US, with more fresh items like baked goods. It was a bit less of a bargain chain in atmosphere.

That's amazing! I wish Aldi would introduce fresh baked goods here in the US. I don't remember them having that in the Netherlands, is that a recent development?

I have to say Aldi stores over here (at least in my area) are pretty great, not less nice or worse than European Aldi stores which I've always regarded as pretty bare bones (which I'm perfectly fine with, anything to keep the price down;) ).

In addition to staples (rice, beans, produce, meats, etc.) I love Aldi for its rotating selection of specialty items like decent cheeses (although Trader Joe's is even better in that regard), smoked salmon, sausages etc.  I can't wait for Lidl to expand further into the US either.

cashmoney

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #334 on: April 25, 2017, 08:42:31 AM »
I love Aldi's but the one closest just closed for a month to remodel :(  They have some awesome deals on meat if you catch em at the right time.  My guilty pleasure is their frozen pizza, for only $2 it'll do just fine.  I also like you have to bring your own bags or pay for theirs.  It helps me get in the habit of bringing my own and not having to deal with a million plastic bags.

ChandraNH

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #335 on: April 25, 2017, 09:01:01 AM »
Still love Aldi, but then again I'm someone who is overwhelmed when faced with 39 choices of TP, I just want soft TP with no dust, so gimme one choice, maybe two and Aldi has perfected that.  Plus I like surprises, so when I come across a special deal, especially if it's imported from Europe, I pounce on it.

Yesterday I picked up some awesome gardening items:
  • Suncast 50 gallon Rain Barrel, made in the US for $50. Found regularly for $75 at other stores
  • Compost bin, I think it was $40!
  • Garden edging, $9.99 for ten feet.  It looks like stone work and I needed to replace the edging in the front beds
  • Rattan-look deck boxes. I forget how much they were, but we had one for two years prior, only replacing because we had a massive hail storm that ripped holes in it

They also had different stakes, cages, etc., that I need to go back and get as well.

coppertop

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #336 on: April 25, 2017, 09:36:51 AM »
Does anybody's Aldi still carry whole wheat flour? Mine doesn't and I don't know if it's a store thing or the chain in general. I miss that flour. $2.79 for a 5 lb bag is hard to beat. :(
I have never seen whole wheat flour at Aldi - one of my big disappointments.  The bread is pretty dismal too.

ChandraNH

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #337 on: April 25, 2017, 09:40:53 AM »
Our Aldi has the standard bread offerings, but they also have a regional bread offering, Turano bakery, out of Chicago, so we get this awesome 2 lb loaf of pane turano sliced bread, which I throw in the freezer and pull slices out as needed. 

NeonPegasus

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #338 on: April 25, 2017, 09:51:07 AM »
Does anyone like the fresh chicken they get there? I bought it once and it was injected with so much salt that even after cooking in in the pressure cooker and draining off the liquid, it was so briny it ruined the meal it was in.

I don't seem to have that problem with their frozen chicken breasts.

reginna

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #339 on: April 25, 2017, 10:29:47 AM »
I've only been once as it was on vacation. Favorite buy was the coffee. Cheap and strong just the way I like it.

Tris Prior

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #340 on: April 25, 2017, 01:57:59 PM »
Boyfriend had that same issue with the fresh chicken. Too salty; he hated it and will not buy it again.

Frankies Girl

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #341 on: April 25, 2017, 02:05:36 PM »
Does anyone like the fresh chicken they get there? I bought it once and it was injected with so much salt that even after cooking in in the pressure cooker and draining off the liquid, it was so briny it ruined the meal it was in.

I don't seem to have that problem with their frozen chicken breasts.

Fooducate.com rates their frozen chicken breasts and tenders pretty high there (and Kroger's frozen chicken parts as well). I usually get the frozen stuff because I like the ability to just thaw it any time I want chicken and use the resealable bag to marinate the chicken in before cooking.

I would steer clear of the fresh stuff if they do inject them with salt/brine solution. That's disappointing to hear.

Christof

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #342 on: April 25, 2017, 02:47:57 PM »
Side note, some of their sizes are kinda odd.  Their beer didn't come in standard 12 oz bottles, but 11.2 oz..

11.2 oz is 1/3 liter, so a standard size for beverages in Europe or other metric countries. But yes, I agree, it feels weird. Just like the 354 ml cans we have here sometimes (that is 12 oz).

CutTheFat

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #343 on: April 26, 2017, 05:45:36 AM »
WW flour is a "seasonal" item at aldi's - it rotates in about once/year. I usually buy a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer. It seems fine to me; I use it for bread.

My aldi's is remodeling. It will be quite a bit bigger, which will be great, but I may lose my mind before it's done, because it has made a small store really difficult to navigate in the process and there is almost no frozen stuff in the store at the moment. Poor me! I'm hoping that they'll have scored a liquor license and we can buy wine there.

We're getting a Lidl nearby, and I'll be interested to see how that compares.

My Aldi is also under renovation and the last store in my state that was renovated had to close for 3 weeks during the major construction.  I think that there is another Aldi not far from my work if I take an alternate route home.  I cannot go with out my Aldi shopping!  It saves me bundles on groceries!!!

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #344 on: April 26, 2017, 08:57:49 PM »
Aldi is opening this week in my area.  I look forward to the canned goods, which I've been getting at Walmart.  Costco has been good for most other things, including great produce, and Aldi prices mentioned here don't seem any better.  We also have a couple of local produce places that are at the lower end of what the other stores charge.

lizzzi

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #345 on: April 27, 2017, 02:55:41 PM »
Our Aldi has the standard bread offerings, but they also have a regional bread offering, Turano bakery, out of Chicago, so we get this awesome 2 lb loaf of pane turano sliced bread, which I throw in the freezer and pull slices out as needed.

I use this bread a lot. Yes, it is a huge loaf--keep it frozen and just pull out what you need. It is a solid, substantial bread--good on top of French onion soup, and makes good croutons, too. It makes wonderful bread pudding if you are trying to use it up.

elaine amj

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #346 on: May 01, 2017, 11:03:31 AM »
Has anyone mentioned their awesome return policy? Last year, I bought some Contigo-type water bottles from them. When we brought them home, we discovered something was wrong with them and they were impossible to drink out of. A month or two later, we brought them back to the store (with no receipt as we couldn't find it!) and they refunded us IN CASH.

A few months ago, I bought their little mini food processor for something like $10-15. It worked well for a few months but then for some reason stopped working. We brought it back (again with no receipt - this is a BAD habit!) and again, they refunded us in cash.

I love shopping at Aldi :)

As for favourite buys:
- sprouted grain bread....so yummy
- Simple Truth products...have liked most things I have tried, but especially their original BBQ sauce. That sauce blew us all away.
- spray cans of cooking oil....way cheaper than anywhere else I have seen
- eggs
- milk
- cream cheese
- butter

fiftyincher

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #347 on: May 02, 2017, 10:45:22 AM »
Aldi is great but does anyone else find the flat noodles are terrible? Like egg noodles and lasagna? They seem to break into tiny pieces very easily.

runewell

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #348 on: May 02, 2017, 11:03:49 AM »
Has anyone mentioned their awesome return policy?

I've returned a couple things such as cheese that got moldy before the date.  You get your money back plus new cheese, so it's essentially free at that point.  Good business model creating a loyal customer.

FiftyIsTheNewTwenty

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Re: Shopping at Aldi's
« Reply #349 on: May 02, 2017, 11:10:12 AM »
I spent some time in our new store a few days ago.  I found nothing to compete with my usual from Costco (most of it), Walmart (canned goods), local produce places, and Amazon (spices/herbs and specialty items like Tahini).

One exception:  I bought Aldi's premium dry dog food, $5.99 for 4 LB, which, according to wags on DogFoodAdvisor.com, is half the cost of comparable from pet stores.  I had been wanting to upgrade the little guy's diet, but at this price I can well afford to cook for him.  Per pound, it costs more to feed him than us!

I do appreciate the cheery and efficient human cashiers, like Trader Joes'.