Lidl/Aldi brands v names brands

vicwatson · 19-06-2013 11:03PM

homemadecider wrote: »

I shop in Lidl and have gradually been increasing the quantity of own-brand stuff I buy. However there are still a few items that I still 'need' the big brands, esp:

- Lyons tea (Tried the Lidl teabags but they were like dishwater, too weak)
- Nescafe Gold (my OH drinks this, won't touch the Lidl stuff though he has tried it)
- Glenisk natural yogurt with probiotics (Can't find a Lidl own brand to replace this)

Think that's about it though. My sister would throw a fit if she had to shop in Lidl - she's all about the big brand names! (Yes I mean she is a snob!)

Try the Aldi McGraths Reserve Blend teabags and tell us what you think - price is €1.69 for 80 bags and by all accounts they are brilliant. Gold medal in 2012

homemadecider · 20-06-2013 01:14PM

annamcmahon wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that Glenisk make Lidl's own brand Irish organic yogurts

Are the Lidl ones probiotic though? That's been the difficulty in switching over.

Qualitymark · 20-06-2013 02:41PM

homemadecider wrote: »

Are the Lidl ones probiotic though? That's been the difficulty in switching over.

What might be sensible is to make your own. Get a starter

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascott-Yogurt-Culture-and-starter/dp/B008S8UFT2/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1371735481&sr=1-1&keywords=yogurt+starter+culture

warm up milk to the temperature you'd use to wash your hands, put in a pinch of starter and give it a stir, and put it somewhere warm. One easy way is to make it in a bowl with clingfilm over the top and stick it under the duvet with the electric blanket on. In a few hours you'll have a fortnight's worth of delicious, yogurty-tasting yogurt with no additives, really good and costing little.

Name Changed · 22-06-2013 03:23AM

The Linseed serial topper stuff is excellent and a fraction of the price of the named brand stuff you get in Tesco, etc.

I hope it's of the same quality. I presume it is.

mickser42 · 09-07-2013 07:56PM

ALDI - charcoal briquettes 5kg

There brutal .... no matter what you use they will not light very well at all.....

better with lumpwood from woodies

dancingqueen · 10-07-2013 09:57AM

vicwatson wrote: »

The Sweet Tomato Relish, Jalapeno Pepper Relish & Sweet Pepper Relish in Aldi for €1.79 are fantastic. Made in Ireland too.

Beats the crap out of that Ballymaloe sh*te anyday (and what they stand for!).

They are made by Ballymaloe - FYI

Omarscoming · 10-07-2013 10:22AM

I have always shopped in Tesco and Dunnes but now slowly buying more products from Aldi. Started going to Aldi more often after I saw the price of their nappies. Their Mamia brand is half the price of Pampers/Huggies and does the job just as good.

the beer revolu · 10-07-2013 10:47AM

dancingqueen wrote: »

They are made by Ballymaloe - FYI

Oh, sweet. ;-)

mickser42 · 10-07-2013 11:14AM

Cocoon1100 wrote: »

Hi, I love Lidl GranArom Colombian 100% Arabica coffee costs only E1.99.

I used to only drink gold blend. It is worth a try at the price.

yeah lovely coffee especially in the morning

Get Real · 10-07-2013 05:24PM

Sunhill wrote: »

Flahavan's microwave porridge is my morning staple, in red cylindrical container with free red scoop. Makes very authentic porridge in two minutes in the microwave. Aldi carry Kavanagh's microwave porridge, identical size, shape and colour of container, identical free scoop, same preparation method. It's about a Euro cheaper than Flahavan's but comes out inedible because the cooking only produces solid flakes floating in hot milk, not the grey goo which we all have learned to love since it contradicts its appearance by being tasty and nutritious.

I used to use the Flahavan's microwavable oats in the red tube. I was in the shop the other day and 500g was 4euro something.

Right next to it was a bag of Flahavan's oats 500g which had "microwavable" on the bag The bag (same amount of oats) was 1.29.

Its the exact same stuff, calories etc. Same consistency and taste and cooking times. One just has a scoop and comes in a tube, the other is the exact same but three (almost four) times cheaper.

vicwatson · 11-07-2013 06:58PM

dancingqueen wrote: »

They are made by Ballymaloe - FYI

As far as I am aware they are NOT made by Ballymaloe that they are made by Folláin in Macroom, Co.Cork - that what I was told by an Aldi manager anyways.

Name Changed · 18-07-2013 11:06PM

Anyone ever try the Golden Sun rice from Lidl? I tried it yesterday and didn't like it. It was long grain (not boil in the bag). Maybe I just made a hash of cooking it. Surely rice is rice?

Name Changed · 18-07-2013 11:07PM

Oh, and I got pastry in Lidl, the equivalent of that Jus Rol stuff, ready made pastry. I used it for cooking empanadas earlier. It was perfect and about one third (actually less) of the price of Jus Rol. I can't remember the name of it but it was in a yellow packet and in the refrigerated area near the garlic breads iirc. 89c.

Faith · 19-07-2013 12:50PM

Do either Aldi or Lidl sell risotto rice?

Aldi in the UK had larger selection of meats than here in Ireland. I used regularly buy lamb mince and pork shoulder there, but I can't get either in Aldi here

. They also sold packs of red and green chillis, but here they just have the selection of chillis - most of which I'd never use.

fussyonion · 19-07-2013 03:05PM

Faith wrote: »

Do either Aldi or Lidl sell risotto rice?

Aldi in the UK had larger selection of meats than here in Ireland. I used regularly buy lamb mince and pork shoulder there, but I can't get either in Aldi here . They also sold packs of red and green chillis, but here they just have the selection of chillis - most of which I'd never use.

I don't know about the risotto rice. I agree, the mixed chillies they sell aren't for me either-I'd only use the red and green' the Scotch Bonnets are lethal
.
Tesco are selling a bag of mixed red and green chillies for 49c at the moment. I got them and stocked up.

annamcmahon · 19-07-2013 07:02PM

Name Changed wrote: »

Anyone ever try the Golden Sun rice from Lidl? I tried it yesterday and didn't like it. It was long grain (not boil in the bag). Maybe I just made a hash of cooking it. Surely rice is rice?

I use it all the time and have no issue with it.

Pang · 25-07-2013 08:55PM

I bought risotto rice in Aldi about a month ago. It was one of the special buys and I haven't seen it since. Personally I found it a bit tougher than the arborio I normally get in Tesco which is own branded.

I started buying the Solesta extra virgin olive oil from Aldi and I have found it to be of very good quality. Then I happened to be watching Superscrimpers on Channel 4 last night and the Solesta beat three other oils in a taste and smell test. One of which was Fillippo Berio. Definitely good to shop around.

fussyonion · 31-07-2013 01:16PM

Does anyone else find the fruit and veg in Aldi terrible?

I bought celery on Thursday, put it in the fridge and when I took it out on Friday, most of the sticks were black and rotten.
It's not my fridge..my fridge is only five months old and is really good at keeping things fresh. (Nothing else goes off).

It's happened before with peppers and carrots from Aldi too.
I notice it's usually the Super Saturday deals on veg, also.

Anyone else find this?

GastroBoy · 31-07-2013 01:21PM

fussyonion wrote: »

Does anyone else find the fruit and veg in Aldi terrible?

I bought celery on Thursday, put it in the fridge and when I took it out on Friday, most of the sticks were black and rotten.
It's not my fridge..my fridge is only five months old and is really good at keeping things fresh. (Nothing else goes off).

It's happened before with peppers and carrots from Aldi too.
I notice it's usually the Super Saturday deals on veg, also.

Anyone else find this?

I find some of them do right enough. Stopped buying carrots from there as they go off in a matter of days. The fruit is grand, but the veg does seem to deteriorate a lot quicker

How Strange · 31-07-2013 02:00PM

I prefer to buy veg in lidl as its much better quality and I like that they do seasonal veg. I've found the aldi veg goes off in days.

bluecherry74 · 31-07-2013 02:03PM

I find Aldi's carrots go off quickly too - I thought it was just a bad batch but it's happened several times. The celery they have on offer at the moment is poor quality and mine didn't last long either.

In general though, I find their fruit and veg is excellent. Their cabbages are always lovely and fresh and their strawberries are much nicer than the ones from Tesco or Supervalu (not to mention cheaper at only €2.39!)

Pang · 31-07-2013 04:41PM

I find anytime I buy berries in Aldi that I have to use them within two days or they get mouldy very quickly. Often, a good number of the packets in the store are mouldy when you actually have a good look at them.

I tend to go to Marks and Spencers for my berries now as the deal there is the same as Tesco and the quality is far superior.

Faith · 31-07-2013 05:12PM

I bought carrots in Aldi that were rotten in a few days too. I don't tend to buy that much veg, so I haven't noticed problems with other products. I bought avocados that ripened very quickly alright, but that's beneficial.

JONJO THE MISER · 31-07-2013 09:35PM

Is it not a good thing that they go off quickly?
Means they have not been sprayed to death with chemicals to prolong shelf life.

freshpopcorn · 31-07-2013 11:35PM

Aldi/Lidl veg can often go off very fast. One thing we always do is careful examine the veg and we often go down a few boxes because that tends to be fresher. Everybody in my family is like this because of my mother. Then again we live in a small town with Lidl/Aldi/Tesco so it is no hassle for us to go to them everyday so we don't really have stuff in the fridge for to long.

Qualitymark · 01-08-2013 09:15AM

I find Lidl much better for vegetables and fruit generally than Aldi except for one thing, the tomatoes - Aldi's vine tomatoes are €1.50 compared to Lidl's €2.50 and the quality is equal.

Nice tip about going down a few boxes! I did notice that the celery in the Super Six offer wasn't good the other day - several of the heads were already going off on the outer leaves, or had bolted and were solid in the centre.

I take carrots out of the plastic bags straightaway when I get them home, and dry them off on a dishcloth or kitchen paper, then pop them in the vegetable drawer at the bottom of the fridge, and they tend to keep well. But I go through carrots like nobody's business - stir-fries, salads, koftas, lentil soup.

username123 · 06-08-2013 01:38PM

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Is it not a good thing that they go off quickly?
Means they have not been sprayed to death with chemicals to prolong shelf life.

No, it's because they have been transported for long periods of time in refrigerated trucks.

vicwatson · 08-08-2013 05:33PM

Aldi - Lynchs Brown Sliced bread - 99c, as good as if not better than your full price branded breads, and doesn't taste as salty as them.

Really nice.

Pang · 08-08-2013 07:03PM

Aldi baps are lovely! Really soft.

vicwatson · 08-08-2013 07:31PM

Pang wrote: »

Aldi baps are lovely! Really soft.

Yes those granary ones are great at 89c for 4 large ones

Lidl/Aldi brands v names brands

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