What are the best and worst basics/value/smartprice own brand products out there?

bluecelticgirl

It is more expensive sometimes to cook your own food from scratch. For instance I would always buy chicken breasts and stuff them on my own then to go into a supermarket and see two chicken breast similar to what I had just made for a fraction of the price is quite soul destroying! I do realise however what I had made was probably a lot healthier however if you are on a budget.....

geordie_joe

johnnyleeds wrote: »

Certain things, regardless of how cheap it might be, cant really be anything but ok.

Yes but people sometimes want something that is a bit more than "ok".

johnnyleeds wrote: »

I mean Tomato ketchup...? Its not rocket science is it, its a table sauce made from tomatoes / vinegar and sugar, so how bad could it be?

The question should be "how good can it be"? If it's just tomatoes, vinegar and sugar it's never going to be better than that. I's the other stuff heinz/branston etc. put into it that makers their product so much better.

I have a bottle of heinz ketchup and a bottle of Tesco Value ketchup. The value stuff was bought because I read on here that it is the same a heinz, why do I keep falling for that?

The heinz is thick and very tasty, the value is very runny and the kindest thing i can say about the taste is "it's ok". But put the stuff on any kind of sandwich and most of it runs out onto your lap.

I agree that a lot of value stuff is ok, but that's all it is......ok.

But what really bothers me is the way it is shooting up in price. Things going from 11p to 46p over night, or 27p to 75p! I bought several packets of Morrisons value custard powder yesterday, they were 6p and have been that price for quite a while. Today they are 15p with a large sign saying how this value item saves you money every day.

Well it certainly saved me money, because when I saw the price rise I decided not to buy it, and i won't be buying it tomorrow and the day after etc.

Middy

The reason value items are more volatile with prices as supermarkets make no or very little profit on them. If the costs go up to produce, so the prices up. With normal supermarket lines and branded items - supermarkets can temporary absorb the costs for while before the prices go up. Plus something that goes up 4p from 20p is a bigger jump than something that goes up 4p and cost £2. Also some customers say 'It cost £2.50-something' and still say that if it goes from £2.55 to £2.59.

flubberyzing

Visited a Sainsburys for the first time in a while. Their value processed peas were fine, tasted just like the more expensive brands. Their mince also did a fine job in a spag bol. I'll be buying these again.

[Deleted User]

skivenov wrote: »

Morrisons value Battermix (or Bettabuy Batter if you find an old packet) - makes lovely pancakes

Eh? Bettabuy was replaced by Value 5 years ago or something like that. Even Value has been replaced by Savers now.

That Bettabuy packet must be well past it's best. :rotfl:

andrewmp

Tesco value ketchup (despite the nice bottle) is awful.

Sainburys value isn't too bad.

Asda's taste the difference at £1 for a KG is the best value, I prefer it to Heinz now.

pakokelso93

I agree with the above some of the value ranges, it's OK. Some things though as mentioned in previous threads are pretty hard to notice a difference between value and expensive brands, such as tinned veg, pasta etc.

I still think in food terms and bolgonese lovers the tesco value mince for £2.50 for 800kg is a steal. It's all beef none of the dreadful pork/beef mince hashup.

johnnyleeds

Look I never said all value range products were great, but with many there is virtually no difference between them and the so-called top brands. People get brainwashed into buying brands and believe rubbish about sainsbury's value cornflakes being sweepings off the floor!

Many of the value range products are made in the same factories as the brand named items and come off the same production line.

Heinz products are far too expensive for what they are, I mean its hardly high quality food anyway, so I dont see how they can justify charging 75p for a tin of baked beans that probably didnt cost more than 5p to produce etc.

I can remember one of my little girls friends came round to play and when we offered her some beans and sausages on toast for a tea-time snack she didnt want them because she saw they were Asda's value range! Such brand snobbery from a child who lives on a council estate with her single mother parent was sad to witness. Plus many of these brand snobs are more than happy to buy ready meals and order takeaways, what quality food do they think goes into that? Most of it isnt fit for human consumption - mechanically seperated meat / fake cheese / turkey instead of ham...! Good grief!

Middy

pakokelso93 wrote: »

tesco value mince for £2.50 for 800kg is a steal.

No wonder the UK farming industry is struggling! That's two cows of beef minced there!

Also where do you store it?

dinglefoot

I love Smart Price baked beans, I prefer them to Heinz/HP etc.

I don't think most value ranges of shampoo/conditioner are very good. I haven't tried them as my scalp is very sensitive and I have to be picky about what I use. My fiance has used several of them though, I didn't like how it made his hair feel and one that he used (I think it might have been Sainsbury's Basics) was orange and stained the shower curtain!