What Store or Generic Brands do you think are good and bad?

[Anonymous]

Let's start a list, I am all for buying store/generic brands but hate when I get a product that sucks, on the other hand I love when I find something that is great and 1/2 the price of name brands.

I have tons but from what I can remember recently, it is the dental floss that really got me started on this, I was pissed it was so bad.

safeway cereal, I have found many types to be very good, rice chex, raisin bran, wheat/rice flakes (wheaties) their honey bunches of oats knock offs, only bad one that sticks out right now is their cherrios, they are horrible

safeway peanut butter is really good

CVS dental tape (thicker dental floss) is not worth saving money on, it shreads on the first tooth

[Anonymous]

That's funny. Floss is one of the few things we are pretty fiercely brand-loyal to. Glide all the way!

I typically buy generic brands of things like napkins, foil and canned vegetables. But I don't like generic brands of saran wrap.

[Anonymous]

Store brand frozen leafy veggies (spinach etc.) are always disappointing. Mostly stems. Same with store brand frozen broccoli.

[Anonymous]

TJ's often switches out name-brand items for their store-brand items once they've got the product taste down. For example, their frozen pesto tortellini is the exact same thing as Amy's in the supermarket, and more than $2 cheaper. Also I used to buy Annie's microwavable mac 'n' cheese at any store, and then TJ's rolled out their own version. The same.

So I'd go with TJ's store brands in a minute.

I also think Whole Foods 365 brand is high-quality.

[Anonymous]

I like the 365 frozen broccoli better than the Cascadian Farms. I also like Whole Foods Woven Wheat crackers (Triscuit knock-offs).

I only like Cheerios. I agree that other Safeway cereals are good.

[Anonymous]

Totally with you on the Cheerios. Not sure how such a simple cereal can be so brand-specific, but it is.

Safeway Select is good for lots of stuff, as is the Safeway O Organics line. LOVE the O Organics peanut butter. Just the right amount of salt and oil, no sweeteners. Safeway brand items that regularly appear in our cart: BBQ sauce, frozen veggies that steam in the bag, meat marinade (despite the MSG), dried cranberries, salad dressings, EVO.

I've liked the 365 brand at Whole Foods, but we don't shop there as often anymore. I've never been disappointed by a Trader Joe's brand. TJ's has the BEST cocktail sauce I've ever had. Just wish I had the time to shop at three different stores so I could get the best of all three worlds.

I won't do generic lite cream cheese, as Philly Lite is the only one (at Safeway) I've found without additives that don't belong in cream cheese. Lower fat Sour Cream I'll do Breakstones or Daisy, but not store brand for the same reason.

I prefer Kraft singles to Safeway singles (for making grilled cheese).

Ketchup must be Heinz and mayo must be Hellman's. Raisins are SunMaid.

My DH is very pro-generic, but recently decided that the CVS or Target eyedrops were not nearly as good as the name brand, which I can't remember.

[Anonymous]

Just about anything that carries Costco's "Kirkland" label. The non-edible products are actually produced by widely-known companies (such as Tumi luggage).

[Anonymous]

WF 365 is usually good, but we tried some of their cereals and they were awful. The raisins in the raisin bran were rock hard and hurt to chew, and had a super sweet coating.

We've tried several things from Target's Up and Up store brand and they are pretty good so far. Paper towels were surprisingly strong - usually store brand paper towels disintegrate.

[Anonymous]

Just about anything that carries Costco's "Kirkland" label.

I used to think this until I tried Kirkland wine - LOL! Don't do it!

All the other Kirkland stuff is great, though. They have THE best frozen ravioli of any I have tried.

[Anonymous]

I must have Heinz Ketchup, and JIF Peanut Butter.

I also tend to stick to name brands for yogurt, as most generic or store brands seem to have geletin in them.

I totally forget which store, but I bought store-brand rice and lets just say there was way too many "brown" things in it. I'd like to say it was brown rice. After that, I stay away from store-brand rice.

Love Trader Joes anything.

I hate most store-brand chicken. It's water content is so high, it messes up recipes. I will buy if cheap enough, but I'd rather wait for Perdue to be on sale, buy in bulk, and freeze.

I buy the cheapest brand for most canned goods. I notice a difference, but not enough to care.

I buy generic drugs - my only concern is the active ingredient.

Wow - never realized how picky I was

[Anonymous]

I like Harris Teeters Organic brand. I have never had a bad experience with it.

Not to hijack, but I REALLY don't get the Trader Joe's mystique. I've tried several times to shop there, and I always end up walking out with nothing. It's mostly frozen items that are processed in some way, the produce section is skimpy, the dairy is overpriced - I just don't get it.

I also buy Generic drugs as long as the active ingredients match up with the name-brand drugs. That said, my children demand Claritin grape vs. the generic stuff. They hate how the generic stuff tastes - no matter which brand.

I have had good luck with Target's store brand - Archer something or another. And Kirkland's is also decent - especially their babywipes - the problem comes in having to buy so much of it.

[Anonymous]

I haven't found good store brand sliced/bagged bread. Usually end up with Peppridge Farms.

Philadelphia cream cheese is the only way to go.

Store brand orange juice is not good- tastes like frozen concentrate, and if I wanted that, I'd buy... you know... frozen concentrate.

Brand doesn't matter on microwave popcorn, or on "natural" (less sugar) applesauce. Canned vegetables are also fine regardless of labels.

[Anonymous]

PP here and I agree that TJ's is a bit of hype. I don't like many of their products, but I still stand by some of their store-brand items. I think the TJ's O's (Cheerios knockoff) are great - and at $1.99 you cannot beat that. The bread (Tuscan pane) is delicious sandwich bread, and the pizza dough is better than Giant's.

[Anonymous]

Stonyfield Plain Nonfat yogurt is the only brand in that combination that I'll buy. The Giant brand was too sour.

However, Giant's "Simply Enjoy" brand is fantastic. I don't think I've ever bought a "Simply Enjoy" product yet that wasn't top notch.

[Anonymous]

I usually buy shopper's brand wheat bread. I've found that the store brand bread is fine if you're looking for something soft with a fine crumb. But if you want the heartier multigrain stuff, then it's not the same.

I agree that some of the Target food products (Archer Farms?) are pretty good. I like their trail mixes and Italian sodas.