Sainsbury's Basics good/bad items

Ellie2758

Their non-basics cling film is rubbish too. i have just finished a 100m roll of it and must try to remember never to buy it again. It doesnt stick at all. :mad:

T2010 wrote: »

I agree about the clingfilm. Does not stick therefore no proper seal on whatever you are trying to cover. Noticed the price of printer paper the other day. Even cheaper than Wilkinsons. Will try it next time I am out of paper.

Chinkle

With apologies if this one has already been covered, but purchased some basics rice pops the other day which are REVOLTING.

The Sainbury's own brand ones are fine taste just like Kelloggs, but the basics ones are foul.

I know I can return them, but wanted to warn others.

EC12345

I bought the basics tea bags the other day - haven't started them yet but they are in the cupboard waiting for me to open them

Ada3050

I have only 640 basics tea bags in stock, must get some more in soon. :rotfl:

And to think I used to buy PG tips! Kettles boiling!

wildbird

This thread has convinced me to give the basics range a go, I was one of those who wouldn't be seen dead with a basket full of white and orange... hangs head in shame...

Anyhow I stocked up on a few of the chilled ready meals over the last few weeks for the freezer for can't be bothered to cook nights..

Spaghetti Carbonara - great, nice sauce and a good amount of ham. I added some pepper over the top
Fisherman's pie - not much fish, mainly potato but tasty
Salmon cottage pie - nicer than the fisherman's pie, very good.

And no nasties in any and very good value for money. Am converted, will try some more things next time I go to Mr S :beer:

mardatha

Ada,just counted mine and I've got 23 boxes of teabags ! LOL And I have "words" quite often with the OH re trolleys full of orange & white.... he seems to think people will think we are poor. I said we are bloody poor -but even if I wasnt - I dont see why I should throw my money away !

Ada3050

mardatha wrote: »

I've got 23 boxes of teabags!

:eek:

You must like them then! :

atomic_puppy

Hi all,

I have decided to post a review of all the basics products I have tried over the past couple of years. Hope some of you find it useful!


Biological Washing Powder - £1.67 for 2kg
Good for everyday washing. Unscented and will not remove stains, but good for medium soiled clothes for those on a budget.

Tuna Chunks - 55p per can
Excellent value. The best value brand tuna there is, and ethically sound catching methods. Taste wise, it's not John West, but it makes a great ingredient. Not bad at all.

Frozen White Fish Fillets - £1.94 for 520g
I actually prefer this to the name brands. The taste is a lot fishier and the price can't be argued with. Bit of a mix and match when it comes to fillet sizes in the bag, but to be honest the size differences aren't even that big.

Sponge Scourers - 12p per pack of 5
They won't last you all that long, but you do get 5 in a pack for just 12p. Overall value is excellent. Didn't fall apart as quickly as I expected.

Toilet Tissue - £1.29 12 rolls
Probably one of the ones to avoid. Very thin, so you end up using twice as much so a bit of a false economy there. Also found it quite rough. I think bog roll is one of those items you're allowed to treat yourself on. Go for the cushioned quilted name brand.

Sweetcorn - 20p per can
Found absolutely no difference between this and the leading name brand apart from price. It's sweetcorn. It tastes the same whatever label comes attatched to it.

Instant Noodles - 10p per pack
Now this really depends what you're using them for. If you want a cheap Super Noodles alternative then you'll be left disappointed. You really can taste the difference in quality. Has a sort of plastic taste /texture. However, I use these as an extra ingredient in pasta bakes, so for things like that it's perfect.

Beef Mince - 97p per 400g
Again, it really depends on what you want. Personally, I found this mince was quite fatty, but as long as you're prepared to keep draining during cooking, it's ok. If you're chucking a quick spag bol together for you and the kids it's fine, but I wouldn't recommend for a dinner party!

Tomato Pasta Sauce - 36p per jar
Total dog food.

Pasta Shapes - 32p per bag
OK, it's not great pasta. You can't beat fresh pasta, but even for a dried pasta it's a bit rubbery. It's not totally unpalletable, but it's not great. Value-wise, it's pretty good though.

12" Cheese & Tomato Pizza - £1
The tomato sauce and cheese is really quite sparse so I wouldn't really reccommend buying one of these and sticking it straight in the oven. It's a great starter base for making your own pizza though. Could work out economically viable if you're going to do that, providing your toppings are good enough value.

Orange Juice - 56p per litre
It tastes like cordial. If you really want some decent fresh orange juice, I would go for the slightly higher priced Sainsbury's own brand rather than Basics. Still great value and it tastes right. This doesn't really work.

Mayonnaise - 38p per jar
For a full fat mayo, this isn't bad. I did notice a very slight difference in taste to the leading brand, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant at all. Definitely recommended!

Smoked Salmon Trimmings - 87p per pack
I can't decide on this one. Smoked salmon is quite an elegant food (or at least it should be) so the idea of trimmings/cut-offs is quite a strange one. It's not great but it's not awful. A few dark bits and even the odd bone when I tried it (one or two, not lots) - It really is a judgement call.

Baked Beans - 29p per can
I found these to be just the same as any other value brand I have found. They are not the same as "real" beans. They lack something. Perhaps they're a bit watery for me, I don't know. Although they can be tarted up by adding a little butter/cheese to the pan if you have it. For a value brand they're no different to the rest though.

White Sliced Loaf - 47p
The bread is a little heavy/tough. Hey, I'm not gonna complain. It's bread. If you don't mind a bit of a cheap tasting sandwich it's fine. The kids probably won't care.

Shower Gel - 10p
Oh wow, REALLY stay away from this. It smells very strongly like toilet cleaner and it made my skin go red. Avoid at all costs, there is nothing good about this product.

Coleslaw - 46p
The reason I always add this to my shopping list is because it has the lowest fat content of all the brands in store. Sure, that's because they skimp on the mayo, but the taste is absolutely fine. It's not creamy or luxurious, but as it says on the tub, it's great on a baked potato! It's a great healthier alternative to the creamier brands and I definitely recommend it.

Long Grain Rice - 73p per 1kg
There is no way they could possibly make this taste any different to any other brand. I always buy this - It just makes sense!

Peeled Prawns - £2 per 280g pack
I have tasted other value brand prawns and the texture has always been very poor. Sort of crumbly and like they were swept from the bottom of the tub/vat/whatever the hell they use to prepare them. These ones are absolutely fine though. Taste just the same as the other brands. Prawns will never be dirt cheap, but for prawns this is really good value.

Lemonade - 18p per 2l bottle
As a mixer it's fine. As a drink on its own, it's not good. It tastes too much like fizzy water.

Kitchen Rolls - 99p for 2
Absorbent enough to mop up spills. Not as good as the usual name brands, but nearly. Definitely worth the saving.

Sliced Mushrooms - 49p per can
Another regular buy in our household. For adding to a casserole or if you want to fry for a long time they're great - just like any other brand of canned mushroom. Can't tell the difference here.

Cornflakes - 31p per bag
Actually one of the better value brands of Cornflakes. Of the other value brands I've tried, this was the least artificial tasting. In fact, they taste exactly the same as Sainsbury's own brand to me. A good buy!

T2010

atomic_puppy wrote: »

Hi all,

Sponge Scourers - 12p per pack of 5
They won't last you all that long, but you do get 5 in a pack for just 12p. Overall value is excellent. Didn't fall apart as quickly as I expected.

These are great! Gets rid of teacup stains and stubborn plate stains.

EC12345

Tried the basics crumpets this morning - could not tell any difference - briliant .... and only 35p