Anyone Ever Shop At Aldi's?

[rufuspaul]

I've been getting more and more frustrated with getting ripped off at the grocery store. There's a Trader Joe's near me, which is reasonable, but they don't carry everything I need for the week. So I have to get the remainder from other stores. The other stores near my house range from grossly overpriced (Harris Teeter) to obscenely overpriced (Whole Foods). In the warmer months I get a lot of stuff from the farmer's market, but even that is getting pricey. So the other day I thought I'd give Aldi's a try.

The place is small, there are no name brands, and you have to bag stuff yourself, but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of what was there, especially the produce. Here's what I bought: 1 lb bacon, 1 pkg Tuscan Lettuce (4 small lettuce heads in a pkg), 2 English cucumbers, 1 pint blackberries, 1 pineapple, 3 avocados, a bag of yellow onions, a 3 lb bag of Fuji apples, 2 cans black beans, 2 lb bag of jasmine rice, 8 oz brie cheese, 1 box generic Trisket like crackers, and a 6-pack of a German Pilsner I'd never heard of. Total cost: $36 and change. :wtf: I couldn't believe it. I would have paid 3 times as much for poorer quality stuff at Harris Teeter.

Needless to say I'm a fan.

[niko]

I don't think they have them in NY. For me, it's Costco for the bulk items (and some meat and fish), Whole Foods for the organic stuff (milk, eggs), and the local chinese supermarkets for a lot of the meat and most vegtables (that you'd get the same day). And pathmark for the normal non bulk items, ketchiup, pasta and such.

It would be nice to have one place for everything but that's not possible.

[Thorpesaurous]

There's an Aldis's a town over from me, and I've only used it once, but my secretary at work lives pretty close, and she swears by it. It's certainly cheaper. But even she says she's choosey on the meat and produce. The quality isn't always up to par on that stuff. So she'll hunt for sales in those departments, but otherwise uses other sources for that stuff.

I'm pretty sure they're owned by the same people as Trader Joe's. There's one of those a town over from me in the other direction. I like Trader Joe's, but for specific stuff.

[netsfan549]

I went to trader joes yesterday pretty expensive..

[rufuspaul]

There's an Aldis's a town over from me, and I've only used it once, but my secretary at work lives pretty close, and she swears by it. It's certainly cheaper. But even she says she's choosey on the meat and produce. The quality isn't always up to par on that stuff. So she'll hunt for sales in those departments, but otherwise uses other sources for that stuff.

I'm pretty sure they're owned by the same people as Trader Joe's. There's one of those a town over from me in the other direction. I like Trader Joe's, but for specific stuff.


Yeah I wouldn't buy meat or milk there, although I did go for the bacon. I'm very picky with produce so I was pleasantly surprised with the selection.

[moaz]

There's an Aldis's a town over from me, and I've only used it once, but my secretary at work lives pretty close, and she swears by it. It's certainly cheaper. But even she says she's choosey on the meat and produce. The quality isn't always up to par on that stuff. So she'll hunt for sales in those departments, but otherwise uses other sources for that stuff.

I'm pretty sure they're owned by the same people as Trader Joe's. There's one of those a town over from me in the other direction. I like Trader Joe's, but for specific stuff.

If u mean this ALDI:

http://seedebtrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/aldi_store1.jpg

Then no, they are German. Actually their owners, the Albrecht brothers, are the wealthiest 2 persons in Germany. You can search them in Wikipedia to have an idea how powerful is aldi in Europe. For example the never carry a brand name product, so a lot of companies began to produce an unnamed version of their named product to be sold by ALDI. They also began the non grocery weakly special sales with themes from PC's to clothes to cell phones and now every one does it there. When I live in Germany I used to go to their special sales, and for groceries I went to their main rival LIDL.

[LJJ]

There's an Aldis's a town over from me, and I've only used it once, but my secretary at work lives pretty close, and she swears by it. It's certainly cheaper. But even she says she's choosey on the meat and produce. The quality isn't always up to par on that stuff. So she'll hunt for sales in those departments, but otherwise uses other sources for that stuff.

I'm pretty sure they're owned by the same people as Trader Joe's. There's one of those a town over from me in the other direction. I like Trader Joe's, but for specific stuff.

There's actually two seperate Aldi corporations and in the US one of them owns Trader Joe's and the other owns the Aldi's in the US.

[EnoughSaid]

I love Aldi's. The selection of chocolate they have is the best. My parents often buy certain things like eggs or other refregiratable items there and it's all at a great price and tastes great.

[Rose]

Fantastic store. Great produce section, and its ridiculously cheap especially for the quality you get.

[KobesFinger]

They're quite common in England. Not as common as a Tesco or ASDA (WalMart) or maybe even a Morrisons, but there is at least one in every big city here. I just got back from there

[DeuceWallaces]

The one I went to about 6 years ago didn't have produce, just lots of low grade frozen meats. Trader Joe's has a good price to quality ratio but you can't get other stuff like toiletries and they don't have a good selection of protein, only pre packaged lunch meats, etc.

We end up going to 2-3 damn stores just to get everything on our list. Wegman's is probably the overall best but the most expensive so we have to throw in Target for toilet paper, household goods, pet supplies, etc.

[rufuspaul]

If u mean this ALDI:

http://seedebtrun.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/aldi_store1.jpg

Then no, they are German.


Interesting. That explains the obscure pilsner.

[rufuspaul]

We end up going to 2-3 damn stores just to get everything on our list.


Same here. I drive in a circle and hit, in order, the farmer's market, Aldi, Sams, Target, Trader Joe's, and Harris Teeter.

They're building a Publix down the street. It's got a lot of white folks excited for some reason.

[ArbitraryWater]

Yeah of course they're good, they're German FFS!! :rockon:

All over the place here

[LJJ]

In the US they have different sources than here, but a lot of fresh products are pretty sketchy at Aldi I think. Milk, bread, produce, cheese, meat.

Produce and bread are better at their competitor Lidl, but the other stuff I'd rather just pay more for the quality.

[ArbitraryWater]

In the US they have different sources than here, but a lot of fresh products are pretty sketchy at Aldi I think. Milk, bread, produce, cheese, meat.

Produce and bread are better at their competitor Lidl, but the other stuff I'd rather just pay more for the quality.

Lidl? Why you got all the German Stores over there? :wtf:

[LJJ]

Lidl? Why you got all the German Stores over there? :wtf:

You don't travel much do you? Lidl and Aldi are both all over Europe. They are the McDonalds of supermarket chains.

[ArbitraryWater]

You don't travel much do you? Lidl and Aldi are both all over Europe. They are the McDonalds of supermarket chains.

US now a part of Europe? Nice

[LJJ]

I'm from the US? My English isn't even that bad.

[ArbitraryWater]

I'm from the US? My English isn't even that bad.

Oops. Was just going off OP and most other comments...

[DeuceWallaces]

Same here. I drive in a circle and hit, in order, the farmer's market, Aldi, Sams, Target, Trader Joe's, and Harris Teeter.

They're building a Publix down the street. It's got a lot of white folks excited for some reason.

Yeah, we have to do Trader Joe's (Produce-Cheese), Wegman's (Protein-Juice-Milk), Target (Household goods), and Wine & Spirits (PA Liquor/Wine).

[The Iron Sheik]

all the time. been going there since i was a kid. at my local aldi you can get a gallon of milk for $1.99. can't beat that.

[Overdrive]

Interesting. That explains the obscure pilsner.

Their beer is shit in general. Don't live in the US, but since our beer is better than yours I guess the Aldi beer sucks over there even more.

LJJ, we've got Hofer here, which is Aldi, but with a less teutonic sounding name. Milk, cheese(not comparable to dutch cheese shops, though) and meat are great. Vegetables & fruits appear to be sketchy sometimes. My uncle works as a baker at Aldi in Germany and told me the products aren't anything to worry, but just with cheap flour and purely spiced to save money.

[Jameerthefear]

Yep. There's one in Madison where I live. They have by far the best fruit and vegetables. Really cool store.

[rufuspaul]

Don't live in the US, but since our beer is better than yours I guess the Aldi beer sucks over there even more.



:oldlol: Maybe 20 yrs ago. I'd put our local, craft brew up against any beer in the world, except maybe some Belgians.

[Overdrive]

:oldlol: Maybe 20 yrs ago. I'd put our local, craft brew up against any beer in the world, except maybe some Belgians.

Maybe local beers, but stuff like Miller, Anheuser, Bud and Coors are like sewage water compared to most of our beers.

[Akrazotile]

Yeah, we have to do Trader Joe's (Produce-Cheese), Wegman's (Protein-Juice-Milk), Target (Household goods), and Wine & Spirits (PA Liquor/Wine).


Wegman's :bowdown:



Grocery GOAT

[9erempiree]

I live by Whole Foods. It is in the village, actually a little shopping center that we call the village. My routine sometimes is sitting at the patio across Whole Foods and look at all the MILFS.

I live in a yuppie area so I bird watch these milfs in their rovers, bimmers and benz's.

Whole Foods is GOAT due to their deli and organic produce. I call it "Whole Paycheck" because of the cost.

[DeuceWallaces]

:oldlol: Maybe 20 yrs ago. I'd put our local, craft brew up against any beer in the world, except maybe some Belgians.

Founder's and Bell's baby! W. Michigan in the house.

[9erempiree]

You guys and your fruity tasty hipster beers.:facepalm

[outbreak]

Their quite common here in Australia these days, I've bought some frozen meals and noodles from there before and had a suspicion that they were exactly the same as named brand. Also used to go buy alcohol there because it was half the price of the bottle shop. They also have some really great german candy.

I don't go there that much though because they don't give you bags and I don't carry my own around a shopping centre.

[ALBballer]

Yep although there was a period I was going there less because I started going the "organic" route but Aldi has started introducing more organic products.

I would shop at Aldis over most supermarkets. The stores are neatly organized and they offer great prices. datdereinnovation

PS:

They have grass fed ground beef at $4.50/pound this week. I bought a shitload.

[DukeDelonte13]

yes. Aldis is good for a lot of stuff.



I'm blessed. I live pretty close to Cleveland's west side market which has just about anything you can ask for.. high quality and cheap.

[DukeDelonte13]

Maybe local beers, but stuff like Miller, Anheuser, Bud and Coors are like sewage water compared to most of our beers.

Hipster.


Local beers like Miller and Budweiser are delicious and reasonably priced. Are they going to be as flavorful and complex as a well done professional craft brew? No, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they are still better than 95% of people's home brewed monstrosities.

Nothing like an cold american beer on a hot day if you ask me.

[BrownEye007]

Hipster.


Local beers like Miller and Budweiser are delicious and reasonably priced. Are they going to be as flavorful and complex as a well done professional craft brew? No, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they are still better than 95% of people's home brewed monstrosities.

Nothing like an cold american beer on a hot day if you ask me.
Idk because I've never had home brewed besides my dads but he's only been making his own beer for like a year now and I'd much rather have his beer than miller or bud. Maybe he's just better at it than most people but it's not like he has a ton of experience. I could see most peoples first time brewing ending in tragedy but it's not that hard to make good beer. Just time consuming.

[outbreak]

Hipster.


Local beers like Miller and Budweiser are delicious and reasonably priced. Are they going to be as flavorful and complex as a well done professional craft brew? No, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they are still better than 95% of people's home brewed monstrosities.

Nothing like an cold american beer on a hot day if you ask me.

isn't budweiser a czech beer?

[rufuspaul]

Rufus you'll get this, I'm stuck shopping at Shaws and Hannaford.

:durantunimpressed:


:oldlol: When I'm up at the island house those are my 2 choices. It's no wonder we end up eating lobster every other day.