Followup: Aldi Product Reviews

A while back I went shopping at Aldi, the discount grocery store. (Read about my shopping experience.) I bought a few things to see what we thought of them before buying more.

Roasted-chicken noodle soup

Sausage, peppers, & onions pasta entree

• marinated mushrooms (these are normally really expensive, these were only $2) Verdict - tasty.  I love having a couple with my lunches for a little something extra to snack on. 
  
  
• canned pumpkin (this is like the brand-name version, pumpkin only, maybe $.59 each)
  Verdict - I made iced pumpkin cookies with it and had some remaining that I used in a couple bowls of my morning oatmeal. Excellent, wouldn't know the difference from the regular brand, but how different could it really be?
  
  
• blackberry spreadable fruit
  Verdict - haven't opened this yet
  
  
• artichoke hearts
  Verdict - I don't remember using them, either they're still in the pantry or they were just like any other artichoke hearts I buy.  I love artichoke hearts, which are really expensive, so finding them for less is a total score. 
  
  
• sweet potato tortilla chips
  Verdict - these are still in the pantry.
  
  
• mandarin oranges
  Verdict - I bought them particularly for the recipe for orange fluff. They seemed perfectly fine but I don't buy canned mandarin oranges often (this might have been the second time ever?) to know how they compare.
  
  
• Hormel turkey pepperoni
  Verdict - I buy these all the time, they were the same as what I get at my usual grocery store.
  
  
• light whipped topping
  Verdict - used this for the orange fluff recipe along with the canned mandarins, it tasted like any light whipped topping, no weird aftertaste or anything.
  
  
• sausage & peppers frozen pasta entree
  Verdict - I only had a quick taste of them when it was first made, but it seemed good and a little spicy.  When I finally tasted the leftovers, they were slightly spicy, but generally bland.  It was only ok, wouldn't really recommend it.  Not that it was bad, but more that there wasn't much good to say about it.
  
  
• frozen chicken noodle soup
  Verdict - really quite nice.  The noodles were thick, the chicken was all white meat and no gross bits, and the veggies were fresh. 
  
  
• shrimp (I figured shrimp is shrimp, plus it was really cheap!)
  Verdict - I should have looked closer, I thought they were shelled and deveined, but the shrimp was only deveined, there was a shell and tail I had to remove.  So more work than I usually want to fuss with, but still an awesome price. 
  
  
• yogurt covered raisins
  Verdict - Sonny D likes these, we use them as his treats for going potty.  The raisins seem bigger than normal, almost like they're double-dipped, so there's lots of tasty "yogurt" coating.
  
  
• gummy bears
  Verdict - Husband Jeff devoured them.  The flavors are great, tastes like they're made with real juice for flavoring.  I thought they were actually better than the standard Haribo gummy products.
  
  
• twisted elbow pasta
  Verdict - These have a serving of veggies in a 2 oz serving, so it's nice to get that extra little bit of nutrition.  I bought these specifically for Italian Wedding soup and they were great.  They're a good shape (bigger than a regular elbow mac) for a toddler to eat with silverware rather than resorting to his hands.
  
  
• 2 bags of mixed salad (I think butter lettuce and a spring mix)
  Verdict - excellent.  Cheap, the quality was good, like any nice bagged salad.
  
  
• bag of spinach
  Verdict - excellent
  
  
• Chianti wine for Husband Jeff
  Verdict - he liked it and said I could buy it again. 
  
  
• Cutie brand clementines
  Verdict - excellent, just like the ones I buy anywhere.
  
  
• avocados
  Verdict - amazing price at $.59 each and they were great. 
  
  
• whole raw mushrooms
  Verdict - excellent, just like what I get at the store, and much cheaper at $.59.
  
  
• spray canola oil
  Verdict - I like it.  I love the Trader Joe's version, which doesn't spray much at a time, letting you get only a tiny bit. This sprays more at a time, but it's great for using on popcorn instead of butter. 
 

Verdict 

I was pleasantly surprised by the selection and quality of products at Aldi, particularly the fresh produce.  Not all of the produce was awesome, but the items I bought were.  They've definitely done an excellent job of sprucing up the place.