Good and bad buys from Aldi and Lidl

Edwardia

This question comes up time and time again and IMO the MSE forum should start a thread as a sticky with people's recommendations for Aldi and another for Lidl. Then you could just read through them both and make your own list.

rachbc

the majority of a weeks shopping for 4 for £32.09.

That included loads of fresh fruit and veg, a little meat and a few extra bits for the store cupboard/ freezer.

The only thing I buy regularly that I can't get there that I like are yoghurts for the kids lunches.

PasturesNew

Everybody is different - and you need to try each product for yourself to compare with what you're buying already really.

If you walked into Aldi and tried to replace your entire week's shopping in one go you'd probably hate it again.....

Why not just start by wandering around and comparing 2-3 items, then each week replace 1-2 items from your regular basket to build up familiarity and confidence.

You'll end up, probably, with things you love at Aldi/Lidl and things you prefer at other shops. Even between the two there are differences.

vax2002

lidl it is the quality of meat and fish, and veg, outstanding quality and low price.

penrhyn

The single manned checkout and long queues are the main feature that puts me off them.

Edwardia

I buy fruit and veg, Brie, Camembert, Soignon, Port Salut, Mozzarella, skimmed milk for OH, California walnuts, pistachios, cashews, green tea, Earl Grey tea, passata, part-baked ciabatta rolls/bread for OH, Parma ham, indoor plants, stationery, flowers sometimes, Cushelle loo rolls, Formil washing powder, garbage bags, duck, Barbary duck, pheasant, quails and lobster at Christmas. Also panettone and pomodoro as presents and chocolate coins for the Christmas tree.

Middy

Good buys from Aldi:
. Black Forest Ham - 99p for 6 slices and looks and tastes like Parma Ham
. Cornish Pasties - 49p for loads of filling. Many supermarkets' pasties when you cut into them, deflate when cutting them as they are filled with air
. Their fresh soups - only do tomato & basil, veg and leek & potato - 99p for a carton is fab
. Chocolate gateux. Its in near the bread section. In a purple and white wrapper for about £1.29.
. I believe that Aldi's cherry bakewells, Battenburg cake, cake slices etc are made by Mr Kipling as the packaging is very similar and they have the same bb date/batch number font and layout.

Stompa

penrhyn wrote: »

The single manned checkout and long queues are the main feature that puts me off them.

I guess it varies between stores, but our Aldi is very efficient. In fact I dread using one of the big supermarkets because they are so abysmal in comparison.

Middy

I don't have issues with the queues at Aldi, well the one in the same town as where I live and work. I only buy a few items each visit and customers recognise me from work and let me to go in front of them! I never ask them, they always ask me,

A little perk from working in retail!

sb44

I bought a box of Aldi Fruit & Fibre (branded 'Harvest Morn') this morning to try.

I have been buying Tesco home brand which is the same price and weight, £1.25 for 750g.

Ok, I found that the Aldi one looks to have less fruit in than the Tesco one BUT the Aldi flakes are much coarser and crunchier than the Tesco ones.

You can actually see big bits of wheat in them and they are larger where the Tesco ones are smaller and look like they have been processed a lot more.

Basically it looks like the Aldi ones will be 'better' for you (if you know what I mean) due to their coarser nature.

Details from front of box for a basic 30g serving,

cals 105

sugar 6.6g

fat 1.5g

sats 0.8g

salt 0.1g

I will def buy these again, I could easily eat the flakes dry as a snack due to their crunchiness.