Is Aldi food crap too?

[Anonymous]

I gave Aldi a few trials and just never liked their products- fruits and vegetables seem cheaper, but they are also smaller oftentimes for example. I shop at Costco, Whole Foods, Safeway mainly. I'm middle class and shop mainly sales. We are buying healthy foods and cook from scratch mainly, so we don't buy frozen prepared foods at all. Aldi is not that cheap, in my opinion. When I lived in Germany 20 years ago, I used go to Aldi- and remember it as a much better quality store. Here in USA, Aldi is not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aldi pesto is so good!

The jar, or refrigerated? I’ve been looking for refrigerated at my local Aldi, but can’t find it.

I’m a big Aldi shopper but don’t mind Whole Foods and shop there often. I find that Whole Foods prices are high for junk food but reasonable for staples and basics. Like, cookies at Whole Foods are $5/6 a package and $2 at Aldi while flour is like $3 at Whole Foods and $2 at Aldi.

I don’t see much difference in quality of the fruit. I’ve terrible fruit from Whole Foods on a few occasions and have been happy with paying less for similar or even better quality at Aldi.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to eat a largely clean diet, Aldi is good. If you want to stock your freezer and pantry with convenience items, it's hit or miss. Their frozen lasagna is awful, their ravioli is fine, jarred pasta sauce is good (the no sugar added one). Ice cream is no good. Their seasonal holiday cakes in the freezer are tasty.

But their produce (at my location at least), meats (I've tried their skirt steak, chicken, turkey, duck, grass fed beef & ground lamb), dairy, bread & grains, and spices are all good. Baking items are solid for making stuff from scratch.

Aldi is my main grocery store and I eat a high protein diet for weight training. When I need to go somewhere else, it's usually for herbs. Aldi only keeps cilantro & green onion in terms of fresh herbs.

Which Aldi?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aldi is disgusting. The food is bad enough but the horrible way they throw the food in a bin at checkout and make you repack it with no space to do so is demeaning.

I cannot understand who likes this place. I gave it a second shot and it was just as awful.

And the carts never work either.

I’ll happily pay slightly more at Trader Joe’s and enjoy my experience.

I don’t mind bagging my own groceries at all. But the check out at aldi is a mess and unless you’re super practiced at their flow the cashiers are nearly hostile if you take a moment too long to gtfo of their way. The flow is weird.

This is so true! I'm a DCUM poor so I'm happy to shop there but am embarrassed every time at checkout because I'm not quick enough at the flow. The cashiers don't like me very much.

I have no real opinions on Aldi quality. I’ll stop in occasionally and the food is fine. However, I loathe the checkout and don’t go in as often as a result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aldi is disgusting. The food is bad enough but the horrible way they throw the food in a bin at checkout and make you repack it with no space to do so is demeaning.

I cannot understand who likes this place. I gave it a second shot and it was just as awful.

And the carts never work either.

I’ll happily pay slightly more at Trader Joe’s and enjoy my experience.

I don’t mind bagging my own groceries at all. But the check out at aldi is a mess and unless you’re super practiced at their flow the cashiers are nearly hostile if you take a moment too long to gtfo of their way. The flow is weird.

This is so true! I'm a DCUM poor so I'm happy to shop there but am embarrassed every time at checkout because I'm not quick enough at the flow. The cashiers don't like me very much.

I have no real opinions on Aldi quality. I’ll stop in occasionally and the food is fine. However, I loathe the checkout and don’t go in as often as a result.

Why...they are so fast! Do you not like to bag your own things? I prefer it. Everything is organized to put away at home.

[Anonymous]

I agree with previous posters that the stores do differ quite a bit in quality/presentation. I used to have a terrible impression of Aldi, but I now know that I was going to a terrible location. The one I go to now (in Merrifield) is great, though the new Lidl a half mile away is far superior. I mostly go for produce, which is great and so much cheaper than other grocery stores. I've not seen any difference in the berries I've purchased there with the ones I've purchased at Whole Foods (except for the price). We eat our fruit quickly, I guess, so only rarely will we see mold. The Lidl also has amazing prices on milk (like less than $2 a gallon). The meat selection looks pretty good too (though I'll admit I haven't purchased any). Cheese at Lidl - not so great, but the Aldi had a pretty impressive selection. Finally - as someone who did live in Europe for 4 years - both stores have some really nostalgic stuff from time to time: Belgian waffles, German beer, Christmas-type stuff.

[Anonymous]

I've tried Aldi a few times and found the shopping experience unpleasant - I'm sure if you go there a lot it gets better with experience but the middle aisle filled with random camping equipment and office supplies is so confusing and the checkout is not good. I have had the same experience as upthread PPs with produce going bad very quickly, which always infuriates me as a frugal person. Additionally the produce selection is like a strange farmer's market 30 minutes before closing - there are some very basic staples I have never been able to find (herbs, for instance), but then there will be a veritable mountain of raspberries starting to go bad. The only thing worse than overspending on something is throwing away something unused. Plus the one closest to me (Silver Spring on Georgia Ave) is a giant PITA to get in and out of.

So I love saving money and I have no problems with poor people but I also don't fetishize "European" groceries the way some seem to and saving $0.20/lb on particular produce doesn't move the needle if I need to hit four other stores to get everything I need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Aldi is a German chain and has European food. I checked it out, bought some chocolate, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Some of the chocolate is good, but the rest tastes like all American junk food. What items do they have that are quality?

Yes, they are crap. For low class folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK, what isn’t crap at Aldi?

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, cereal without added sugar, eggs, lower-fat meat...the same things that aren't crap anywhere.

If you don't mind fruit and veggies spoiling next day and meat that tastes awful. You give a list of healthy foods. Not what's edible at Aldis.

The food I can tolerate from Aldis is their coffee, breakfast bars, chips, nuts, crackers, guacamole, other dips. Basically, all their snack foods and coffee. Eggs, milk, butter fine too. Cheeses not good. It's a great place to buy a ton of snacks cheap.

Your Aldi must suck. Mine has normal produce and meat. It spoils no faster than stuff from Giant. I bet it comes from most of the same suppliers.

Just got back with my bag of avocados for $2.39…

Which one do you go to? I’ve been to Rockville and Silver Spring and neither impressed me.

Yeah I live near the Silver Spring one and have tried it a few times but the produce was not great and I still had to go to another store to complete my list. Just not worth it. My parents love theirs though.

[Anonymous]

Related: How is the Lidl in Takoma Park? Quality, selection, lines, etc.

I've never been to the Aldi at Georgia and Seminary, but the one up at Cherry Hill is pretty meh. Is the Ga Ave location any better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Aldi is a German chain and has European food. I checked it out, bought some chocolate, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Some of the chocolate is good, but the rest tastes like all American junk food. What items do they have that are quality?

Yes, they are crap. For low class folks.

And actual Germans, some of whom (like me) are UMC. I always buy at Lidl and Aldi and H Mart. Great produce, great prices. Our HHI is 7 figures, but why pay more for less?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Aldi is a German chain and has European food. I checked it out, bought some chocolate, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Some of the chocolate is good, but the rest tastes like all American junk food. What items do they have that are quality?

Yes, they are crap. For low class folks.

And actual Germans, some of whom (like me) are UMC. I always buy at Lidl and Aldi and H Mart. Great produce, great prices. Our HHI is 7 figures, but why pay more for less?

See, I am one that doesn't like Aldi but love HMart. I don't go every week but probably once per month to stock up on things like beans, rice, common spices, etc., and good quality produce. IME Hmart is pretty dependable and I know what I can get there, whereas the Aldi near me has pretty hit or miss produce and I don't shop there often enough to know it's limitations.

Can't comment on Lidl as I haven't been but one recently opened nearby and have been meaning to check it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Aldi is a German chain and has European food. I checked it out, bought some chocolate, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Some of the chocolate is good, but the rest tastes like all American junk food. What items do they have that are quality?

Yes, they are crap. For low class folks.

And actual Germans, some of whom (like me) are UMC. I always buy at Lidl and Aldi and H Mart. Great produce, great prices. Our HHI is 7 figures, but why pay more for less?

I shop at Hmart but never Aldi (been there once and that was enough). Dollar store of grocery is how i felt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aldi is disgusting. The food is bad enough but the horrible way they throw the food in a bin at checkout and make you repack it with no space to do so is demeaning.

I cannot understand who likes this place. I gave it a second shot and it was just as awful.

And the carts never work either.

I’ll happily pay slightly more at Trader Joe’s and enjoy my experience.

This post is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve heard that Aldi is a German chain and has European food. I checked it out, bought some chocolate, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

Some of the chocolate is good, but the rest tastes like all American junk food. What items do they have that are quality?

Yes, they are crap. For low class folks.

Do you work for Giant?

I find their produce is better quality than the HT and Giant. I usually do a two part grocery shopping trip and stop at Aldi or Lidl first for the produce and get the rest of the stuff at Giant. In the suburbs where I live, I see all my neighbors at the stores. Most of us get some of our groceries from either still but still hit up the large chains for the bulk of our groceries. They aren't low class or "poors".