Good and Bad Buys at Lidl and Aldi stores (***Please don't expire***)

Rosa_Damascena

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156497#Comment_82156497

Also incompatible with carpets of any hue, unless you are prepared to hover and caatrate the stamen as soon as the buds bloom.

DigForVictory

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156916#Comment_82156916

Since they stopped doing wineboxes of Sauvignon blanc as couple of weeks back (why?! 'tis the season?) I nabbed a couple of bottles almost at random (and checking, one is a Costellore, DRAT) & mum will be taste testing later. I'll report but I suspect it's an individual palate call unless it tastes of battery acid.

Brie

I normally buy the filled salt mill from Lidl, often 2 or 3 at a time, and had noticed that the price hasn't changed much, if at all, in the last couple of years. Normally they are on the shelf with filled pepper mills also the same price. Well this morning I noticed that the pepper mill I bought recently (had never bought one before I think) was significantly shorter than the salt one so that's how they've managed to keep the price - smaller mill, less contents.

And yes they can be refilled, the grinding top screws off easily. I do have some "special" salt (oak smoked, mushroom flavoured & with added seaweed) but these are flakes rather than chunky sea salt. I might try using one of the empty mills and see if the flakes will work well in them. So far I haven't found the right size salt to allow me to reuse them.

maman

That's a nuisance @Brie . Like you, I buy the filled mills as I've given up on buying fancy salt and pepper mills as they always seem to pack up after a while so a waste of money . I've cleaned the labels off so they look quite OK on the table.

I've been refilling the pepper as I have lots of loose peppercorns.

I need to look in Aldi to see if it's the same there.

Daz2009

Lidl had some new (to me) longer life fresh milk in the cages today.

Has anyone tried it and how does it differ from normal whole milk ?

Doc_N

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82158135#Comment_82158135

If we’re talking filtered milk (main brand Cravendale) we use it all the time and have done for years. Indistinguishable from ordinary milk, slightly dearer, but a huge improvement in shelf life - even after opening. Depends on your personal consumption rate and how often you shop as to whether it’s worth the extra cost, but it is for us.

Daz2009

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82158188#Comment_82158188

Filtered, that's the stuff, wasn't Cravendale though,Lidl must be doing their own brand.I wonder if there's any health/nutritional differences .... Google has answered it for me, pretty much no difference just some bacteria removed

Doc_N

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82158192#Comment_82158192

I don’t think there are any material differences. It’s filtered to remove more bacteria and impurities, and that enables it to stay fresh for longer. I imagine that must affect the gut bacteria though if you’re looking to maximise the variety. Most supermarkets do own label, far cheaper normally than Cravendale but essentially no different.

Brie

@Daz2009

I'm not a fan of filtered milk though it is better than the UHT by a long shot. Guess I'm a bit of a milk snob though as my favourite is the high alp milk you can get in Austria. I've even been to one of their processing plants - it's a tourist attraction so if you're ever in Mayrhofen it's worth a visit. Second favourite is the milk we get locally that some farmers sell out of vending machines - better than gold top and cheaper too even after factoring in that you have to buy £2 bottles to fill. We (2 adults) both like milk as a drink as well as for coffee, tea, cooking so go through a fair bit and rarely have anything go off. Granted I've cut back a lot and no longer drink a pint before breakfast.

Rosa_Damascena

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82158188#Comment_82158188

Same with Arlo.

@Brie - believe it or not there are times when I crave the taste of warm UHT milk. It reminds me of childhood holidays in Spain and is delicious with a spoonful of coffee.

Late to the party I have just seen this: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/deals-hunter/2026/09/victoria-sponge-taste-test/ . As a connoisseur of the Victoria sponge I have to agree, Lidl's Deluxe is the best (delicious and buttery), hands down. My criticism is that it gets pulled from the planogram come winter time.