Aldi saves money, but I still don’t like it
I love to save money, so when I recently went to an Aldi market for the first time I expected it to become a new favorite. But I was surprised to find that I didn’t much like it.
In fact, I didn’t like it at all, and I doubt I’ll return. I guess I’m not as much of a cheapskate as I thought I was.
It’s inexpensive all right, but for me the main drawback was the lack of selection. It’s not just my imagination, either:
With five or six super-wide aisles, Aldi only stocks around 1,400 items — compared to around 40,000 at traditional supermarkets and more than 100,000 at Walmart supercenters.
Some people apparently like that:
For time-strapped shoppers like Youngpeter, Aldi’s simple layouts and limited selection save her time. “I’m a busy mom. I don’t have time to navigate a huge grocery store with kids begging to get out and go home,” she said. “I can get in and out of an Aldi in no time. I’m not sifting through 50 different varieties of salsa.”
But how much time does it take to go to the salsa aisle and get the one you like, the one you always get (disclosure: I don’t ordinarily get salsa)? Granted, I don’t have kids begging and crying to go home, but if I remember correctly, when I did my kid loved the grocery store and riding around in the cart looking at stuff was entertainment.
Have you been to an Aldi? What do you think?
I don’t shop at Aldi, which is a few shops down from my local supermarket for the same reason, except when I want some of their Trader Joe products like walnuts when I’m doing a lot of baking. It is boring.
When they opened the first one nearby it was a 30 – 40 minute drive. We thought it would be like a European grocery store. It isn’t, and we haven’t been back. For us, it wouldn’t be worth the drive if it was 5 minutes away.
We do buy most of our dairy at Aldi…I am aware that that shortchanges local dairy producers to a degree. But I’m not a rich man…so a dollar saved here and there is a good thing for our family budget.
There are other things we get there as needed…but we try to source Australian-made goods even in the major chains.
I’ve never been to an Aldi, but I’ve lived in a tiny, tiny town where local stores had extremely limited selection, and I suspect my response would be, no thanks. I will gladly go to the snacks aisle and select the salsa brand I like, or that I want to get for this particular event, out of 50 brands, rather than decide between Bland Brand A or Boring Brand B.
It’s not that hard to go to a real store, and get the stuff you really want. We denizens of Exurbia routinely drove an hour one way to get to a real store rather than go to stores that didn’t carry the stuff we wanted or needed.
Disclaimer: I don’t have kids, but if I did, while shopping, little ones would not be whining or fussing and big ones would be helping. I’ll concede the point in the case of tiny babies and very young toddlers, but after that point, kids need to get with the program of being well-behaved children and also being future responsible grown-ups who do their own #^%#%# shopping.
“It’s not that hard to go to a real store, and get the stuff you really want.”
Unless they “flip” the store, which they seem to do periodically. Drives me nuts when they do that.
I make a mental list by mentally driving my cart down the rows. My understanding is that they flip the stores so that people look at the stock more and therefore buy more. At least for me, what happens is that the flip results in my missing stuff that isn’t where it “used to be” and I end up going home without stuff I planned on buying.
We don’t have an Aldi’s in our area – at least not yet.
My old favorite store closed and the location was empty for over 3 years. My other grocery store isn’t that far away, but the traffic getting there and back during rush hour makes it not worth going except on weekends.
I thought I would be thrilled when Aldi decided to move into the old location. I have been there about 4 or 5 times. Each time being disappointed. But, because of its convenient location for me I keep re-trying.
You are right Neo in that the selection is very limited. And, in my case, I found the prices to not be that low. Honestly though, my last “try” at Aldi was several months ago. It just isn’t worth it.
Ha! now that I think about it the Super Walmart might have a better selection.
And SueK my new store does that “flipping” too. And it drives me nuts!
Perhaps I am an elitist, but my first Aldi experience was my last. We like plenty of choices when it comes to food. We can easily afford to indulge in whatever food we fancy.
For those on a tight budget Aldi and Walmart are a godsend. Our youngest son and his family are on a tight budget. He is in a PhD program and is wife, a veterinarian, is the breadwinner. We send them $100 every month to buy organic dairy products as we don’t want our 3 young grandsons exposed to growth hormones and antibiotics found in regular dairy products. Otherwise they shop only at Walmart.
I shop the local Aldi when I only need a few things and I know their version will do. It’s definitely not for my regular shopping. Most recently I was making stew and bought the meat and vegetables there but the spices at Kroger. The small selection is 100% of the drawback.
I haven’t tried Aldi yet and may not for the time being–the closest one is about 30 minutes away.
The only excess of variety I see in our Marketbasket is in the cereal isle. It really can’t be helped though–when the kids want a specific variety, close, counts for nothing
Have you been to an Aldi?
Only in OK. I had an uncle there who grew up on a farm in depression MO and spent years as a missionary in Grenada, which all made him extremely price conscious. The time in Grenada was well served as I have a cousin who ran with the street kids, some of whom went on to prosper on the criminal side.
I don’t know that a lack of selection would bother me as long as the meats and veggies were of good quality. I recall when most markets weren’t much bigger than five aisles, were closed on Sundays, and didn’t have multiple aisles devoted to flavored water.
Haven’t been into an Aldi. I’d have to pass multiple grocery stores, including Wal Mart, to get to one. But I have been into the Wal Mart super store, and it’s pretty nice. If you need to save money, that’s the way to go. I have been into a Food Lion. Their produce department was about the size of my front hall. I needed a couple zucchini, and that’s what they had. Never went back.
True that Aldi doesn’t have different brands of everything, mainly just their brand. Very unAmerican. No choice. But, they have almost everything we need and it’s all good quality. We do almost all of our food shopping at Aldi. We’re there every week. A few items we occasionally buy elsewhere. Until I read these comments I thought the only complaint people had was that they don’t bag you food, and no one even mentioned that.
I do shop at Aldi on a weekly basis. The main draw for me is their gluten free line of foods. As someone who has Celiacs having very clearly labeled products is huge advantage. In addition their prices for these foods are very reasonable compared to most other retailers. For instance Gluten Free bread is usually about $3.50 vs the 5-6 dollars I would pay most other places. And the quality is very similar. Ten years ago I would have preferred someplace with more choices. But now that I am forced to shop a very limited selection of foods. I have grown to appreciate Aldi’s
Mainly Aldi strikes me as ugly.
But the nearby Kroger also strikes me as ugly, and in much the same way.
In either place I don’t get the sense that the persons working there are happy, take pride in doing a good job, or pay attention to arranging the items on the shelves attractively or engagingly.
At Publix, the folk seem to cheerfully make an effort to please, and the whole place seems brighter and newer. I often notice that they employ good-natured persons with various mild mental disabilities (high-functioning Downs, that kind of thing), who uniformly seem happy to be there and eager to help (if a bit talkative). I find this charming, and I think it’s jolly decent of Publix to do this. I’ve had similar experiences in nearly every Publix store I’ve visited, including the two nearby locations that’re actually rather older than either the nearby Kroger or the 1-year-old Aldi location.
Your mileage may vary. Those are my experiences.
I like Aldi and probably do 30-40% of my grocery shopping there. I don’t have a very varied diet, so the lack of variety doesn’t bother me. I use Aldi for basic fresh vegetables and fruit, lunch meat, margarine, breakfast cereal, and, last but not least, dark chocolate. I refuse to pay the premium prices for these foods at the big-name grocers. Aldi’s meat is not the greatest — shrink-wrapped?? beef and pork in saline solution. I get better fresh meat at a different local discount grocery. But anyway, why not use Aldi for the good prices they have for staples and then get your salsa (etc.) where you like to?
My closest Aldi is 1423 miles away in Wichita, so I haven’t tried it yet.
Salsa is tricky. Even in ABQ there’s only one brand I really like. Surprisingly, it is the generic Whole Foods “Fire-Roasted” variety–about the only reason, besides a $6 Brie, that I go there.
There’s a story I heard that the real reason the Soviet Union fell was that someone took Gorbachev to a big grocery store near LA and his eyes bugged out when he was told the store was open to anyone who could walk in.
Every eight to ten days for almost three years. I have a choice of three stores. Doesn’t matter too much which I go to. Eggs, Dairy, vegetables, fruit, and two favorites, packaged pork baby back ribs and fresh packaged salmon. Aldi’s salmon rivals and surpasses many high end stores. I don’t know how they do it. Caveat here, I own a programmable convection steam/broil oven (Tovala) that is trivial to use and produces incredible salmon and ribs.
I love Aldi. But I’m a buyer, not a shopper. So the small selection is a plus. The savings are not insignificant. And the checkout is fast. Some products are lesser quality, but not too many.
Caveat here, I own a programmable convection steam/broil oven (Tovala) that is trivial to use and produces incredible salmon and ribs.
Chuck: Sounds good! I had a Tefal counter-top convection oven which died, but served me well enough.
Currently I’m hooked on a sous vide setup I got last Black Friday. Amazing for fish and steak. The chicken is adequate but the mouth-feel is off.
On our trip to America, we tried Aldi, thought it was OK. Better than 7-11 and similar to a couple of different Dollar something stores we tried. Milk at $3.50/gal instead of $5, and we usually went thru two gallons every three days.
We usually look for the cheapest place that has “good enough” quality; price is very important, especially if you 4 kids like us. The Big Box stores are usually a bit cheaper, but take longer to go thru. Often a lot longer, tho it’s also partly because there are more choices so its easier to find lots of desired stuff.
US movies were very influential in the fall of communism. There were often scenes in market, with lots of stuff — but the scene was NOT about all the choices and stuff. That huge abundance of stuff and choices was just “normal”, but under the commies there were NO stores like that. There was more very very limited choice, and very often running out of meat and other good things. Tho usually at fairly low prices; along with fairly low wages.
There are many people who get stressed out with too many choices. I’m not one of them. But I like a smaller shop that has most of what I want so I quickly see what I do want, and quickly understand what I’m not going to get.
But the smaller shops are usually more expensive, so I mostly opt for a big shop for the lower prices, and get more choices.
“At Publix, the folk seem to cheerfully make an effort to please, and the whole place seems brighter and newer.”
Publix is to a substantial extent employee-owned. Here’s an article which is several years old but interesting:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2013/07/24/the-wal-mart-slayer-how-publixs-people-first-culture-is-winning-the-grocer-war/#53c8027b5880
They carry their own line of power tools. I have seen cordless drills at the one here in Baraboo, WI. They apparently make a decent band saw. Not a claim every grocery store can make!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GAmUi7qMDHg
I’m lucky because I have a great alternative in Market Basket.
Cosco and asian markets.
I shop Aldi’s weekly. Eggs are about $.50 a dozen. Sometimes less. We eat probably 30 eggs a week. Wine is good and cheap. You can get good wine for $8.99 a bottle. Or less. Decent wine. Sea salt and dark chocolate caramel candy. To die for. Ciabatta rolls, artichokes in water, garlic-stuffed olives, spices, milk, cashews–all less than Kroger. Fresh produce? Hit or miss. I usually get my produce from Kroger. Meat? The weekly special can be great. Rack of lamb for $9 a pound, petite sirloin steaks for $4.49 a pound, ground bison for about $5 a pound. What’s not to like?
Waidmann
I first went to an Aldi in Spain. Loved it!
It’s fast, convenient, and much cheaper. The German company that started it put a lot of thought into how to sell groceries cheaper.
I predict that it will kill the grocery stores that don’t try to copy them.
Neo
I’m lucky because I have a great alternative in Market Basket.
Yes, yes yes. My sister used to live near one. Amazing prices-especially for Massachusetts and super especially for a small-sized store. My brother and his wife drive from Maine to a Market Basket in NH.
IIRC, purchased some socks and some food items at an Aldi several decades ago, when I was in a city with one. Still have the socks. I went to the Aldi website and noticed there is now an Aldi about 10 miles away. Some day I will drive over there to check it out. As there are a lot of grocery stores within 1.5-2.5 miles of my place, I don’t really need to drive 10 miles to a store.
Tom Grey
US movies were very influential in the fall of communism. There were often scenes in market, with lots of stuff — but the scene was NOT about all the choices and stuff. That huge abundance of stuff and choices was just “normal”, but under the commies there were NO stores like that.
Three decades after the fact, they are still talking about Boris Yeltsin’s visit to a Randalls in the Houston suburb of Clear Lake City. (where NASA is located.)Houston Chronicle (Aug 9,2019): Russian president’s communism-shattering visit to Clear Lake grocery store showcased in new opera. Apparently there is no longer a Randalls at that location, but a Foodtown.
Edit:I wrote this before I saw Huxley’s comment.It was Houston, not LA.
I’ve been shopping Aldi for decades. The stores have gotten larger and more varied in that time. I really like them. And not just their groceries, I frequently get their special sale items. My tablet is a Medion I got there.
Gringo: I’ll take your cited version. I literally heard my story from someone near LA, so not so reliable.
Only one thing I go to Aldi for and that’s the meat. Good quality at very reasonable prices. Ribeyes are cheaper and better than anywhere else in town (Topeka, KS).
Bernie doesn’t like 20 different kinds of deodorant so Aldi is what our future socialist/fascist utopia will be like.
If you don’t want to take your kids through the store, or are in too big a hurry (to get back to her Iphone and watch cat videos, probably): order online for pick-up or delivery. Is it really that difficult, or is it just another way to whine that life is oh, so so hard?
My German wife likes Aldi, her American husband does not. When she first took me there and explained the quarter for a cart system it rubbed me the wrong way. Sometimes things can be too efficient. Atmosphere matters.
I go to Aldi’s for their cottage cheese and also their gluten free products.
Rufus – ah, yes, quarter for a cart. They do something similar in Germany, or did when I lived there some time ago. It’s just a deposit and you get it back when you put the cart back into the rack. In my time, I think it was a 1-DM coin, but here the closest practical equivalent we have is a quarter, since people don’t carry around Sacajaweas or JFK pieces routinely.
Where I live, there’s an Aldi on the way to work, to which I’ve only been once – wanted to see how closely it replicated my European experience. Rather similar! But I didn’t mind that too much since, given their philosophical premises, German grocery markets were a reasonably pleasant experience for me back then. I suppose I’ll visit Aldi in this country as something of a nostalgia trip.
My daughter loves the Aldi that is just around the corner from my sisters’ house in California. There are only two anywhere near us in South Texas (one in Victoria, one in Pflugerville) and I wasn’t all that impressed with the Victoria Aldi. Good quality, small selection, low prices … but our regular shopping is a Costco for some things, a great meat market (Granzins in New Braunfels) for a once-a-month buy, sometimes Trader Joe’s for some items (good quality, low prices, not much selection) an Asian market halfway across town for a brand of Indian tea that I love, and all else at the nearest or next-nearest HEB. ( H.E. Butts Grocery – a massive local Texas chain)
I shop at two stores here in Pennsylvania every week with my 93-year-old mom: Aldi and Shop’n’Save (a more conventional grocery store chain). I see other shoppers doing the same thing–a trip to Aldi for bargains, and then a trip to the nearby Shop’n’Save for whatever Aldi does not have. I do an occasional run to Walmart or Giant Eagle for certain items as well.
The first version of Aldi in our area was very small and not very attractive, but the store expanded and upgraded and is now very nice.
Mom likes Aldi because it is not too big; there is not too much walking. Also, she loves the bargains. My own favorites: chips and snacks are half the price and very good; the German cookies and Christmas stollens are favorites in my family; and previous commenters are absolutely right about the dark chocolate, which is excellent.
I also love the specials aisle. I once scored a six-pack of women’s socks for 99 cents, and I bought a wooden child’s picnic table for my grandchildren for a mere $29.95. I should also mention the great rain barrel, which I believe was about forty dollars. The surprise is half the fun!
I love Aldi and I used to shop there weekly to pick up staples like evaporated milk (we use it in coffee; try getting it for as low as $.59 a can at a regular grocery store). I also get baking staples, european chocolate, and breads. They have very nice baguettes for $1.50.. As someone else mentioned, eggs are a great buy at Aldi. It’s a great store for people who don’t care about brands.
Now, the reason I said I used to shop at Aldi weekly is because we just got a Lidl (the other German discount grocery store) and they have an in-store bakery, which blows Aldi’s bread selection out of the water. If I buy two baguettes, they are $1.12 each. Lidl’s chocolate selection is quite possibly even better and cheaper than Aldi. Again, you’re not going to get all your well known brands there, but it’s great for certain things.
I still go to regular grocery stores sometimes, but honestly I’ll trade the vast selection for better prices. I like it that we have that choice, though.
The quarter-a-cart bit is just about getting people to return the carts! I can always tell the people who are new to Aldi because they think they are paying to use a cart, in spite of the big sign over the carts that points out that they put in a quarter and then get it back when they return the cart. The big advantage of this system is that the parking lot is not littered with stray carts.
I keep wondering how they are still in business. Never many cars in the lot, and the few times I have gone inside never any customers.
Maybe a front from another dimension here studying earthlings.
Thank God for Walmart and Sams Club.
Thanks to commenters for the tip about Aldi and GF products. I’ll pass that on to my celiac daughter.
I did the Whole 30 program to test for food sensitivities and went to the local stores to check for items, availability, and prices. A key need was being able to get the brands that were the “cleanest” and I didn’t want to have to read the labels all of the time.
So, I now tend to shop at Sprouts for the meats & produce and Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market for all other stuff. If I am passing by Aldi’s or the WM SuperCenter, I might stop by to get select items. And, I buy those items in large amounts to delay having to go back for a month or two.
When you change your eating habits, it sure makes life simpler since the choices are fewer.
The suburban area in which I live has Costcos, Sam’s, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, probably six different chains of “fruit markets” some Italian some not, as well as Italian and middle eastern specialty markets. Oh yeah, and Gordons Food Service which encourages retail trade nowadays.
But on the couple of occasions that I have stopped in an Aldi I have found that I could probably echo Waidmann and some of the others, albeit to a lesser extent. If I were 29 years old with 5 kids, I’d go there every time I needed milk and eggs.
Thus, targeted purchases if you have the leisure.
I noticed that their frozen pizzas (Yeah I know, who still eats those?) are bigger and better than most of those I’ve seen elsewhere. Do you do a lot of casual family style entertaining where you have to set out lots of snacks for the horde of nieces and nephews? Well, other than Gordon’s or Costco, I have not seen cheaper chips of equal quality. If you want to go to Kroger or Trader Joe’s and pay 3.49 for a 10 oz bag of chips when you can get 16 for 1.09 at Aldis, then buy at the shiny store with smell of fresh bread and coffee, and the huge selection of wines and liquor.
I like upscale places … but I cannot force myself against reason (unless in a rush) to pay $2.49 a lb for apples which I know sell for $.99 at “Joe’s” super-sized fruit market.
The same principle applies to Costco or, as in this case, Aldi.
One of the best articles I’ve read about ALDI is this one:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/05/long-read-aldi-discount-supermarket-changed-britain-shopping
It explains a lot of ALDI’s secrets (e.g. copying branded products) and tells the story of the two brothers who founded ALDI (“the story of the most eccentric, secretive and mysterious pair of siblings in Germany’s post-war economic history”).
It also explains why there are so many almost identical products in the big supermarkets. The supermarkets charge suppliers to stock their brands, to promote them, and so on. This income from suppliers is known as the “back margin” – the “front margin” comes from selling to the customer.
“As a result of Tesco’s desire to boost its fees from stock listing, the number of products on its shelves shot up to as high as 90,000, as did the number of promotions. The company appeared to be as much in the brand advertising business as the grocery business.”
I live in Springfield, Missouri, so there is no Super Target or Costco thanks to our proximity to Bentonville, Arkansas. We also aren’t large enough to have a Trader Joe’s even though we do have quite a few natural food market choices. I usually shop at Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and Hy-Vee. I have found Aldi has better prices on nuts, oils (including avocado & olive), vanilla, organic and whole milk plain yogurts (both greek and regular), and I stock up around Thanksgiving on butter when their prices are significantly less than any other place in town. They also have fair trade coffee, marinara and salsa without added sugar, cheap canned goods, a good selection of European cheeses, and, as others have mentioned, good chocolate. Their milk and egg prices are cheaper than any other place in town, and their organic/free-range dairy and egg selection is also more affordable. I don’t go there for the experience but they do get you checked out quickly and if you are doing a lot of holiday cooking, you will save quite a bit.
We are regular Aldi customers, but also go to their ‘cousin’ Trader Joe, Walmart and regional chains here in Kansas like HyVee. Aldi offers very good prices on basic items, usually less than most other places, and they are easier to find with fewer varieties we don’t need. They also have some very fine chocolates and baked goods and other items from Germany.
They low prices are due to many small things that add up. The deposit for a cart means that a worker does not need to go out to collect carts. The items on the shelves are in the shipping boxes, so staff needs less time to restock. Staff do multiple things, so if there is a line at the check-out, someone who is restocking will go up and open a second line. Etc.
By the way ‘Aldi’ is like ‘Walmart’: Albrecht Discount is what Aldi stands for. They are Aldi South in Germany (Aldi North owns Trader Joe’s).
We like our local Aldi’s. It’s small, simple, and clean. I like the simplicity of it, mainly. The shoppers are typically kind and courteous to one another too. We go to our large everything supermarket too, and it’s fine. But there is something sweet and simple about Aldi’s that is refreshing to me.
I have gotten consistently good meat at the ALDI here in Baraboo.
The lack of selection at Aldi is a huge plus to me. It’s so restful not to be dealing with the cacophony of multiple brands of the same thing, with no real differences among them. If all I want is bottled marinara, Aldi’s will have it in good quality at an amazing price, and I won’t have to stand in the aisle for five minutes that I’ll never get back, figuring out which jar to buy. The produce and deli selections are excellent, the meat is good, there’s more space iin the aisles, more of a sense of calm, more focus on the food — and you get through the checkout line so quickly! I’m a fan.
Unfortunately, we have to drive at least 15 miles to the closest Aldi’s.
On a limited budget, one likes/has to stretch the available cash as far as possible. Salsa, yes, Salsa, – a larger jar for around a buck. Onions and potatoes, a dollar cheaper per equivalent bag. Organic quick rice for about the same as non organic in other stores. Cans of veggies for 49cts. Cheese at least half of other stores. Bulk mocha and french vanilla capucino mix, close to 1/2 of others. Bags of various kinds of chips have regular pices less than $2. Basic salad dressings less than $1. Great avocado prices both individually and in bags. Great prices on Cottage Cheese, eggs, and dark chocolate, as has been mentioned. Spending $40 for what costs $70 to $80 at other stores is worth. Products are not inferior in quality at all.
As the Guardian article suggests, the brothers who own Aldi and Trader Joes are very, very private. Being kidnapped for ransom, as one brother was, can do that.
They are so private that there is not one Aldi corporation, but well over a dozen in the U.S. This is because a privately held company like Aldi does not have to publish various financials if it is below a particular size. Aldi US makes sure that each Aldi regional corporation stays below the limit.
I live in a vibrant* neighborhood, and much of the populace does not go for exotic things like garlic butter pizza or lamb or salmon. So often I get to purchase these things at a very nice discount at Aldi.
*Vibrant means that there’s some guy hanging around with a pair of pliers who yanks the quarters out of the little box on the shopping carts.
Aldi’s works for those who don’t need a lot of brand names or choices. For me, it’s both a time-saver and a money-saver:
– generic salad mix – less than a dollar
– staples – milk, eggs, peanut butter, butter, yogurt, flour, baking goods, cold cuts – all at a lower price than alternative stores
– quick pickup of items
So, if you know what you need, are working from a list, and are willing to substitute for alternatives, if your preference is lacking/not a good price, Aldi’s works. Not so much if you are fussy about brands or multiple choices
One of the other things I like about Aldi is the general merchandise. One week you’ll find a cold-brew coffee maker and the next a band saw. Usually these are of decent quality, and I often can get them at a discount at my neighborhood store. This week there were storage cabinets.
Plus, if Aldi can get a good deal on name-brand merchandise, they’ll sell it until they run out. So one might find one flavor of Aldi-brand soup next to a different flavor of Campbell’s. On the other hand, something more exotic, like sour cream and cheddar potato chips, will be in the store for a couple of weeks and then out for a month. You will find electric toothbrushes one week, but won’t see them again for six months.
I prefer Trader Joe’s to Aldi’s, but LIDL is my favorite. The bakery is fantastic and has the best oatmeal raisin cookies. The prosciutto, salamis, and cheeses are a great bargain. The half gallon milk is 99 cents. Meats are a good price. The best part, no putting in quarters for a shopping cart. I am used to bringing my own shopping bags and bagging my own groceries. Produce can go bad fast, as at most stores, so I buy produce at Costco, which is so fresh, it lasts for 2 or more weeks if properly stored.
huxley on October 25, 2019 at 10:12 pm said:
…
Currently I’m hooked on a sous vide
* * *
I’ve been out visiting kids this fall and one of them used his sous vide to cook chocolate pot de creme.
Oh, man!
If I wasn’t trying to lose weight, I would get me one tomorrow.
Jvermeer on October 26, 2019 at 8:19 am said:
Bernie doesn’t like 20 different kinds of deodorant so Aldi is what our future socialist/fascist utopia will be like.
* * *
Also the first thing I thought of.
Except that Bernie’s version will have high prices, low quality, and empty shelves — the very opposite of the Aldi chain according to the reports here (we don’t have one locally).
However, it speaks well of the commentariat at Neo’s that Jvermeer’s comment was so far down the list — people who aren’t fixated on politicizing every thing in the world are a scarce commodity on the webz.
huxley on October 25, 2019 at 10:12 pm said:
…
Currently I’m hooked on a sous vide
Me too! I got mine at Aldi for $38. It’s not the high end version that talks to your phone, but it works quite well. I have not used it for chocolate pot. I shall have to investigate.
I love their raisinettes! And their spinach is usually good and cheap. But otherwise… ehh…
I tend to buy the same things every week, but am very brand specific. So I can get in and out of my big supermarket in 15-20 minutes. Even less if there’s no one in there.
I buy my most of my meats and eggs from 2 local farmers so my meat purchases are minimal.
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There’s no way I want someone else picking my fruits and veggies, so can’t see ever going the online ordering route, unless I was incapacitated.
Love Aldis for staples, salad dressings so inexpensive & we use tons of that, dairy good, their house brand cookies terrific. Get my meats at a regular market with a butcher that stuff in shrink packs is mostly tasteless to me.