Things you refuse to buy in Lidl and Aldi....

OldNotWIse · 07-08-2012 10:16am

Gidon wrote: »

I personally do not purchase any form of cheese from Aldi or Lidl most of the time, unless its from a good, reputable brand that I recognize. For other basic stuff like bread or other grocery shopping, you can get some good deals.

Have you tried their cheese?

fasttalkerchat · 07-08-2012 10:37am

blueser wrote: »

The what?

I think he means cues. When the snooker range was on offer it was dangerous. People lost eyes that day and many will never return.

Gidon · 07-08-2012 6:30pm

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Have you tried their cheese?

Yes I have, and while some of it is quite all right, I tried some form of cheddar cheese that was put into some plastic packaging of sorts. Almost like a wrapper. Most disgusting cheese I ever tasted, be darn sure of that :pac: But like I said, some of their other stuff is fine.

J Mysterio · 07-08-2012 7:02pm

kraggy wrote: »

J Mysterio wrote: »

Must say it kills me when people mispronounce Lidl.

Itz Lee-dil. Not Lie-del or lid-l.

Youre being a lidl bit pedantic there now in fairness.

Not really. You pronounce it correctly, or you don't.

J Mysterio · 07-08-2012 7:04pm

J Mysterio wrote: »

kraggy wrote: »

J Mysterio wrote: »

Must say it kills me when people mispronounce Lidl.

Itz Lee-dil. Not Lie-del or lid-l.

Youre being a lidl bit pedantic there now in fairness.

Not really. You pronounce it correctly, or you don't.

Oh crap. Just got that.

Franticfrank · 08-08-2012 8:59am

The what?

Oh sorry about that, a most unconcentrated typo. I did mean of course queues. Luckily, I haven't encountered late night snooker cues there.

Vahevala · 08-08-2012 9:05am

I tried the Lidl soup once... was horrid and watery and zilch flavour. Never again.

MJ23 · 08-08-2012 9:52am

I wouldn't buy Johnny bags in Lidl or Aldi. I've seen them in my local Lidl, and id say its the same shelf full of them since they opened about 6 years ago.

Roadend · 08-08-2012 10:29am

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

I think he means cues. When the snooker range was on offer it was dangerous. People lost eyes that day and many will never return.

chalk it down

Sykk · 08-08-2012 10:38am

Just a little fact to throw into the mix here: Karl Albrecht - Owner of Aldi is the richest man in Germany with an estimated net worth of $25.4 billion.

I personally love the bread in Lidl and the chocolate is better than cadburys. Red sauce and mayonaise isn't great though.

hardCopy · 08-08-2012 10:40am

I generally do my weekly shop in Lidl, I can't think of anything I buy in other supermarkets that I wouldn't buy in Lidl or Aldi.

I do think Aldi is nicer and find they have a wider range than Lidl.

The only thing I don't buy is chicken, but I won't buy chicken from any supermarket, go to a butcher for that.

There are certain things that I stock up on in Tesco because Lidl never have them, e.g. Sundried tomatoes, cannelini beans, wholemeal spaghetti.

OldNotWIse · 08-08-2012 10:53am

Gidon wrote: »

Yes I have, and while some of it is quite all right, I tried some form of cheddar cheese that was put into some plastic packaging of sorts. Almost like a wrapper. Most disgusting cheese I ever tasted, be darn sure of that :pac: But like I said, some of their other stuff is fine.

Really? I actually really like the cheese from Lidl (don't think I have tried Aldi). Got a good gorgonzola there at the weekend and a cheddar (cant remember the name) but was really strong and yum (especially with their 7 euro chianti lol) Cheapsville I know :rolleyes:

mike65 · 08-08-2012 11:07am

If lidl stocked a few things like flour, frozen pastry, suet, I'd hardly need to go anywhere else. They need to beef up the home baking/cooking aspect.

Big Knox · 08-08-2012 11:11am

Ghandee wrote: »

I find a lot of Aldi's (in particular) food to be superior to some of the other supermarkets stuff.

Maris piper chips at 1.99 thrash mccains etc at double the price.
Aldi steaks are melt in the mouth
Aldi cooking sauces (curry in particular) puts pataks, uncle Ben to Shame.
The sweets, cakes, biscuits are lovely.
fruit and veg seems to be tastier/fresher than Tesco.
Rhinebacher beer, six pack of 500ml bottles, 4.9% beats Budweiser, miller etc HANDS DOWN! (6.29€)

I draw the line at ketchup and brown sauce from Aldi though, its rank.

Can't understand people saying Ketchup. I find their Bramwells range much nicer than the mainstream brands. You can tell it's made with real tomatoes and not packed full of flavourings and crap!!

Darkginger · 08-08-2012 12:50pm

I have a kind of hierarchy when it comes to shopping. I move down the list if what I want isn't available at my first choice of shop, or I can't get to them for whatever reason:

1. Local greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers
2. Lidl or Aldi
3. Supervalu
4. Tescos

We don't buy a lot of processed food, so apart from the Inferno pizzas from Lidl (which really ARE hot, great if you like spicy food), I can't comment - but their chicken is fine (I usually buy the free range whole birds), their mince, steaks, pork fillets - all good. Packs of smoked streaky bacon have become a favourite, extra mature cheddar is lovely. I won't buy supermarket fish at all, since our fishmonger (Clarke's in Westport) is brilliant, and I'm spoilt

. I've had no problem at all with Lidl vegetables or milk - and had a nice little chat with the young Irish guy on the till last time I was there - no complaints about the staff, either. Lidl loo paper is fine, their ziplock freezer bags are good, and our dogs love their dog treat biscuits (Orlando, I think is the brand?). If you drink instant coffee, Lidl do big jars of Nescafé Gold Blend (we keep it as a standby for when I can't be arsed to use the espresso machine, or we've run out of Carte Noir Instance) much more cheaply than anywhere else.

Some things I always buy the branded version - Colman's mustard, mustard powder, Heinz beans and ketchup, Knorr stock cubes and stockpots - if I can find them in Lidl (rarely), I buy them there, if not, we go to Supervalu after the Lidl shop - and invariably buy more stuff just 'cos we see it on the shelves!

I can't say there's anything I wouldn't buy in Lidl or Aldi on principle. If you'd asked me, I'd have said I'd never buy perfume from Lidl, but at €3.99 for a bottle, I thought it was worth trying their 'Suddenly' - and it's rather nice - definitely OK as an everyday scent. Shopping in either Lidl or Aldi with my husband (which is about 90% of the times I go there) is a nicer experience too, since he can browse the central aisles with their tools etc. whilst I do the foodie bits - keeps him quiet and stops him sighing

hardCopy · 08-08-2012 2:55pm

Big Knox wrote: »

Ghandee wrote: »

I find a lot of Aldi's (in particular) food to be superior to some of the other supermarkets stuff.

Maris piper chips at 1.99 thrash mccains etc at double the price.
Aldi steaks are melt in the mouth
Aldi cooking sauces (curry in particular) puts pataks, uncle Ben to Shame.
The sweets, cakes, biscuits are lovely.
fruit and veg seems to be tastier/fresher than Tesco.
Rhinebacher beer, six pack of 500ml bottles, 4.9% beats Budweiser, miller etc HANDS DOWN! (6.29€)

I draw the line at ketchup and brown sauce from Aldi though, its rank.

Can't understand people saying Ketchup. I find their Bramwells range much nicer than the mainstream brands. You can tell it's made with real tomatoes and not packed full of flavourings and crap!!

People get really irrational when it comes to ketchup and other sauces.

I never ate ketchup until recently so they all rate like vinegar to me, couldn't tell you the difference between two brands.

Colmustard · 08-08-2012 3:05pm

I bought a snorkling kit, I have no idea why. Like there are not many coral reefs around our coast.

I also bought walking poles that where really ski poles.

I don't go in to those shops anymore.

Franticfrank · 08-08-2012 3:38pm

Despite the lack of reefs, I think our coast is great for a bit of snorkeling. Clear water and alot of life. I'd just wear a wetsuit...maybe Lidl will do an offer on them at some stage, now that would be practical.

uch · 08-08-2012 4:31pm

Flavoured Condoms

phasers · 08-08-2012 4:35pm

mike65 wrote: »

If lidl stocked a few things like flour, frozen pastry, suet, I'd hardly need to go anywhere else. They need to beef up the home baking/cooking aspect.

Lidl do sell flour

Aldi do ready roll pastry, their baking section is a bit letter than lidl's in fairness but lidl do all the basics: Flour, caster sugar, marge, icing sugar, wholemeal flour, mixed fruit etc.

Never seen suet though.

Shenshen · 08-08-2012 4:36pm

mike65 wrote: »

If lidl stocked a few things like flour, frozen pastry, suet, I'd hardly need to go anywhere else. They need to beef up the home baking/cooking aspect.

Lidl stock flour.
I'm not sure about Lidl, but Aldi has fresh pastry in the cold shelves, which you can freeze at home.
No idea about suet... I bake a lot, but have never come across this?

fasttalkerchat · 09-08-2012 12:27am

Shenshen wrote: »

Lidl stock flour.
I'm not sure about Lidl, but Aldi has fresh pastry in the cold shelves, which you can freeze at home.
No idea about suet... I bake a lot, but have never come across this?

LIDL do flour and fresh pastry.
Good quality cooking ingredients have a short shelf life so the prices would be too high as a permanent line.

out da lough · 10-08-2012 3:11pm

NegativeCreep wrote: »

I've had some foreign variant of a snickers bar from Lidl in a friends house which were lovely.

Snickers bars are "foreign."

NegativeCreep · 10-08-2012 4:11pm

out da lough wrote: »

Snickers bars are "foreign."

You know what I mean.

bikerjohn · 10-08-2012 4:19pm

previous user wrote: »

Whats wrong with the fresh bread section in Lidl? its pretty good.

you obviously have never tasted bread made fresh in France, NOW they know how to make bread :pac::pac::pac: yum yum

Ush1 · 10-08-2012 4:33pm

I can't find wraps in my local Aldi, where are the wraps??

Shenshen · 10-08-2012 4:39pm

Ush1 wrote: »

I can't find wraps in my local Aldi, where are the wraps??

Fajita wraps? Check with in the section with the Asian/Italian/Indian/Mexican food. That's where they are in our Aldi, I think.

Tym · 10-08-2012 4:55pm

Hmmm, the chicken products are quite cheap and I read further back someone wouldn't buy them. How are they?

Kat1170 · 10-08-2012 7:48pm

Tym wrote: »

Hmmm, the chicken products are quite cheap and I read further back someone wouldn't buy them. How are they?

Better off trying them yourself. The amount of people here that won't try something just because it comes from Aldi/Lidl is unreal. :rolleyes:

summerskin · 10-08-2012 7:52pm

Ush1 wrote: »

I can't find wraps in my local Aldi, where are the wraps??

In the bread section, usually bottom shelf, they do plain or garlic ones.

Whatsernamex33 · 10-08-2012 7:54pm

Condoms and fruit. Very picky with where my fruit comes from, and the first one... I've never bought in a Lidl/Aldi. They look a lot more dodgier in €2 stores though... xD

Justin10 · 10-08-2012 7:57pm

Aldi or Lidl is the only place I would buy fruit and veg

whatdoicare · 10-08-2012 7:59pm

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

Condoms and fruit. Very picky with where my fruit comes from, and the first one... I've never bought in a Lidl/Aldi. They look a lot more dodgier in €2 stores though... xD

I hope you don't buy your fruit in Dunnes or Tesco if you're picky - the husband works for the trucking company that delivers to them and I don't know what happens and I don't want to know - all I know is that he won't let me buy anything that doesn't come in a sealed packet from these places.

el diablo · 10-08-2012 8:21pm

Whatsernamex33 wrote: »

Condoms and fruit. Very picky with where my fruit comes from, and the first one... I've never bought in a Lidl/Aldi. They look a lot more dodgier in €2 stores though... xD

So you won't be trying the strawberry flavoured condoms in Lidl then.

out da lough · 12-08-2012 9:28pm

NegativeCreep wrote: »

out da lough wrote: »

Snickers bars are "foreign."

You know what I mean.

Snickers mars milky way m&m and many other master foods brands are made all over Europe: in much the same way that aldi and lidl equivalents are. None of them are made in ireland. Ergo they are all equally "foreign" as are all Jacobs biscuits and gateaux cakes.

I consider anywhere outside this country as "foreign" if you know what I mean. Not that there is anything wrong with foreign supermarkets like lidl tesco and aldi.

Gumbo · 12-08-2012 9:48pm

Ush1 wrote: »

I can't find wraps in my local Aldi, where are the wraps??

Would you believe my local Aldi cant get them into stock for the last month or so!
Everytime i go in now, they just say we orered them but they dont come.

Wouldnt mind but there lovely and big enough that when you fill them for a lunch or so, your actually filled up afterwards

hattoncracker · 12-08-2012 11:25pm

Aldi do these gourmet jelly beans for 79c a bag, they are so good.. Lidl do them too but theyre not as nice.

We go to aldi first during our shop.. Do as much as we can there, then off to lidl for their ciabatta bread mix, pecan nuts and a few other bits u cant get in aldi..

Tesco/Dunnes for the only two things we really need that we can't get in lidl/Aldi: condensed milk and coconut milk.

I get my rice, soy sauce, etc in an Asian supermarket. But at €10 for 5 kilos I don't have to do it very often.

ibarelycare · 14-08-2012 2:18pm

Tym wrote: »

Hmmm, the chicken products are quite cheap and I read further back someone wouldn't buy them. How are they?

I used to buy chicken fillets from Aldi but have stopped now. The quality isn't too bad, there's a bit more fat and gristle than I'd like, but I've found a really good quality butcher near me that I buy all my meat from now. As for the cooked chicken for sandwiches, I've no problem buying that in Aldi, it's quite nice. Not much cheaper than anywhere else though.

hattoncracker wrote: »

Aldi do these gourmet jelly beans for 79c a bag, they are so good.. Lidl do them too but theyre not as nice.

We go to aldi first during our shop.. Do as much as we can there, then off to lidl for their ciabatta bread mix, pecan nuts and a few other bits u cant get in aldi..

Tesco/Dunnes for the only two things we really need that we can't get in lidl/Aldi: condensed milk and coconut milk.

I get my rice, soy sauce, etc in an Asian supermarket. But at €10 for 5 kilos I don't have to do it very often.

Aldi do coconut milk!

zynaps · 14-08-2012 7:49pm

Stuff I generally don't buy in Aldi/Lidl:

baked beans/spaghetti (although I got some Batchelors spaghetti rings from Tesco last week and they were surprisingly oniony and horrible).
own brand fizzy drinks.
"Snack-rite" crisps - just doesn't do it for me.
clothes. I did buy a "rain poncho" in Lidl once, but it was more like a tent suitable for a giraffe.
instant noodles - Tesco do a great job on these and they're dirt cheap, and not full of E-numbered additives either, which was initially a surprise.

Stuff I prefer to buy in Aldi/Lidl:

The tomato/vegetable juice cartons Lidl used to do, although I haven't seen them for a while. Nice, though.
fresh fruit and veg which tends to be good quality and a bit cheaper than Tesco (and waaaay cheaper than my local Supervalu). The {blue|rasp|straw}berries in Lidl are particularly excellent, although I haven't been there for a couple of months.
fresh meat - Lidl especially has an impressive range of stuff, with bratwurst and other interesting things you don't see so much of elsewhere. Aldi used to sell the best lazy man's microwaveable chicken burgers I've ever had, but last time I checked they were gone.
Decent/cheap range of yoghurts, including those weird "breakfast drinks". Aldi also does some kind of milky iced coffee/latte bottles which I used to pick up when passing their Parnell St branch.
Strange random things like a USB/PSX game controller, push lawnmower, ultrasonic jewellery cleaner etc (that last one was out of stock when I went, though).
The utterly superb multipacks of small shandy bottles in Aldi. Don't know if they still do them, but they taste nice and at only 0.8%, I can drink them alone while watching TV and not feel like I'm an alcoholic... :P

Dunno why people are making scared cross gestures and worrying about things like fruit (tried it?) and condoms. They seem okay, although I'd recommend the fruity ones (err.. condoms that is, not fruity fruit). Why would you trust the "big name" stuff any more than what you can pick up cheaper in shops like Lidl/Aldi? They still have to go through various quality control standards like everyone else. Not quite sure how condoms are quality controlled, but... yeah. :pac:

hattoncracker · 14-08-2012 9:12pm

ibarelycare wrote: »

Tym wrote: »

Hmmm, the chicken products are quite cheap and I read further back someone wouldn't buy them. How are they?

I used to buy chicken fillets from Aldi but have stopped now. The quality isn't too bad, there's a bit more fat and gristle than I'd like, but I've found a really good quality butcher near me that I buy all my meat from now. As for the cooked chicken for sandwiches, I've no problem buying that in Aldi, it's quite nice. Not much cheaper than anywhere else though.

hattoncracker wrote: »

Aldi do these gourmet jelly beans for 79c a bag, they are so good.. Lidl do them too but theyre not as nice.

We go to aldi first during our shop.. Do as much as we can there, then off to lidl for their ciabatta bread mix, pecan nuts and a few other bits u cant get in aldi..

Tesco/Dunnes for the only two things we really need that we can't get in lidl/Aldi: condensed milk and coconut milk.

I get my rice, soy sauce, etc in an Asian supermarket. But at €10 for 5 kilos I don't have to do it very often.

Aldi do coconut milk!

Where?! I can never find it!

Alun · 14-08-2012 9:23pm

ibarelycare wrote: »

Aldi do coconut milk!

So do Lidl now.

ibarelycare · 15-08-2012 4:54pm

hattoncracker wrote: »

Where?! I can never find it!

In my Aldi it's generally with the rice and stir-fry sauces. This is what it looks like. All their Asian range is pretty much a copy of the Blue Dragon brand!

Lawrence1895 · 15-08-2012 6:53pm

Alun wrote: »

So do Lidl now.

But why do I never find it in Cork Street?

Alun · 15-08-2012 7:21pm

Lars1916 wrote: »

But why do I never find it in Cork Street?

No idea

In my local one it's on the same bit of shelf that has the mustard, pickles, tomato puree, cook in sauces and such like, roughly in the middle of the shop close to the tills. Seeing as most Lidl's have a more or less identical layout, that should help. It's in a black tin with blue and white writing, the make is 'Kingfisher'.