Are discount brands "just as good" as regular/premium or is that just something the working class say to feel a little better?

[GeorgeWashingtoff]

e.g. the "discount imitation with slightly-changed name" stuff you might buy from Aldi/Lidl/B&M etc with names like "stick stacks" (made up example) that resemble a brand like Kit-Kats except they cost a fraction of the price. Or supermarket own brand stuff.

I've heard a few people (only working class, not the middle-class or rich) tell me something like "shop at Aldi! it will save you money and it's all just as good!" this includes someone who could afford to shop somewhere more upmarket but takes the money-saving a little too far.

Maybe for some things but come on, eat some Favarger chocolate then some Tesco brand chocolate and tell me the Tesco one is "just as good".

I've tried Favarger chocolate and it's what I imagine heaven to taste like, yet Tesco chocolate is just yuck and leaves an unpleasant taste in my mouth (even the so-called "finest" stuff) and any Weetabix that isn't made by actual Weetabix is inedible (Weetabix as it is is barely edible); but I don't see how handwash or washing up liquid matters though unless you have sensitive hands?

Any opinions?

 

[LifeAlert]

If chips count, Cheese Nips were the worst fucking tasting chips I ever had, they tasted awful. Nothing compared to Cheez-Its

 

[DeborahLogan]

A sentiment that is truer inverse to how niche your item is. Discount and normal brand rice are the same. Regular crackers? Same factory. Hell this is what trader joes is based on, its just private branding name brand products. I would argue instead of buying cheap kit-kats you should stop being fat though, thought euro's were supposed to be healthier. Ha!

 

[Cucktry Roads]

It really depends. I'm ARFID and very sensitive to taste. Some discount brands taste close and that's fine. I've found that Aldi and Walmart's lactose free generic milk tastes exactly like real milk, while all main brands like lactaid taste like parmesan cheese. If you're not sensitive to taste, just buy the discount brands since they're cheaper and have the same nutritial values. I bought some off-brand oreos from Aldis called Benton's the other day, they don't taste like Oreos, but they're close enough. Plus I have Oreo on permeant boycott due to that black santa ad they show every year around christmas along with this shit.

 

[Daddy's Angry Juice]

depends on the product. usually the cheap cereals are about the same or better than name brands, mostly because the name brands have lost a lot of quality and mostly rely on the power of the brand itself. Chips (crisps for you euros) Dips and Salsa are usually pretty booty tho since they try to make that shit as cheap as possible.

 

[David Brown]

 

[FatMebius]

It depends on the product. A lot of the discount brands do come from the same factories as the real deal. And sometimes are better. Baking soda, for instance. A lot of the Walmart brand baking soda is made by Clabber Girl. Walmart has higher standards for quality than Clabber Girl does though, so the Walmart brand version is not only cheaper, but actually a better grade.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

Walgreens PM painkillers are superior

 

[Yandex Captcha Solver]

Having been around a food manufacturing plant. The difference between name brand and generic was the different boxes. Same exact thing. This doesn't apply to every product, but it's going to be a good chunk of them.

 

[Bloodthirsty Nosenigger]

Are discount brands "just as good" as regular/premium​

I'd rather argue that the "premium" brands are just as prone to cheap mass production as generic brands.
Everyone's getting ingredients from the cheapest contractors they can find.
There are differences in processing, though. For instance, some of the better chocolate producers will only use fresh cocoa beans, roasted on site.

 

[Althalus]

As others have said, depends on the product and the store. I've found that Walgreens cough drops are better than name-brand like Hall's, conversely store-brand cheese is generally of lower (but still ok) quality.

On topic, I know for a fact that Costco Kirkland vodka is identical to Grey Goose because Costco bought their old plant when they moved to a larger one.

 

[Maurice Maine]

I thought this was about clothing but regarding food it certainly depends. For example I've had tendies which were so awful I got sick from them though I may have gotten food poisoning because I'm a retard and I undercooked them due to oven issues. They tasted bad, though.

 

[MembersSchoolPizza]

It really, really depends.

Some things I actually prefer store brands on. Some things I will pay the premium for the name brand. Some things I don't really care one way or another.

You really have to just take it on a case by case basis. And it's not even going to be "this store's stuff is good, this store's stuff is bad". Aldi snack food and junk food is A+++. Their mayo and ketchup are vile. Kroger's store band grapefruit soda is better than Squirt, but their rootbeer is disgusting. Etc. Etc.

That said, I've never yet found a Whole Foods 365 product that wasn't worse than what it was trying to be. And I haven't had great luck with Target, either.

And if someone tells you "My cousin's wife works at <plant>, and they make the off brand and the name brand, it's the same thing!", tell them they're full of shit. To break that particularly pernicious myth down:

First, the true bit: Many private label and generic products are made in plants owned by the big names. For example, Tyson makes chicken nuggets for their own sale, for store brands, and for McDonalds.

Now, the false bit: "They come from the same factory, they're the same thing". They are not. They are made in different batches with different formulas, to the specifications of whatever client is subcontracting out the machinery and labor.

The costs involved in building the plant, buying the equipment, training crews to run it, inspections, insurance, etc, etc? Those are huge initial costs and continuing overhead. And most of the time, the equipment would be sitting idle a lot of the time - Very few factories need anywhere near 24/7 output to keep up with demand. And those initial costs are so high that small labels just can't easily get started. So what established companies do is take contracts to produce the same basic type of product, on the same equipment. This is the part almost everyone knows, and they just assume it's gonna be the same stuff, but it's not. It's made to whatever specifications the client requests, which will not be the same as their own brand - it may be very similar, it may be quite different. And they'll swap dies on the machines so that, say, the store brand sandwich cookies don't say Oreo on them, and then packaged in whatever packaging the client supplies.

Now usually the products are quite similar, sure. You may even prefer them. But they're not the same.

... Sorry. this is just a bit of a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Migraine Box]

Toast'ems are a name-brand Pop Tart competitor and have been around just as long as Pop Tarts themselves. They used to be a fair bit more popular back in the day, now it's rather hard to find them...except the are literally the generic brands. It's been a while since I've bought from other stores, but I can confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Great Value and Lidl-branded generics are Toast'ems. Same pastries, same wrappers, just a different cardboard box.

Heavily recommend the strawberry and blueberry varieties, btw. Leagues better than Pop Tarts imo. Taste fresher and less artificial/processed.

 

[Tsukasa Kadoya]

Toast'ems are a name-brand Pop Tart competitor and have been around just as long as Pop Tarts themselves. They used to be a fair bit more popular back in the day, now it's rather hard to find them...except the are literally the generic brands. It's been a while since I've bought from other stores, but I can confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Great Value and Lidl-branded generics are Toast'ems. Same pastries, same wrappers, just a different cardboard box.

Heavily recommend the strawberry and blueberry varieties, btw. Leagues better than Pop Tarts imo. Taste fresher and less artificial/processed.

No Name Brand poptarts are usually fresher and tastier than actual poptarts.
A lot of none-name brand chips are better than Lays, especially the Wal mart brands.

 

[Dysnomia]

Krasdale coffee creamer is better than Coffee Mate and half the price.

 

[Grug]

I used to buy the cheapo lasagne because it was like half price and it tasted pretty good but one day I had the chance to taste it side by side with the regular, branded lasagne (not home made that is). What I thought tasted pretty good, it turns out, actually tasted like cardboard and ketchup.

Which is to say, the off brand version might be 'just as good' but I don't recommend actually putting it to the test.

 

[Rick Nekieta]

Aldi's chips are great. Their Benton's chocolate chip cookies really let you taste the flour, but I end up falling for the 2 dollar cookies over and over again despite this because I'm so cheap. Their ice cream is great. Their produce is great. Anything Clancy's generally rocks. Avoid their freezer section to the best degree you can. Ever since I got an air fryer, I periodically get food for it, but it really is just a nutritional dead end and makes you question your life choices.

 

[PovertySprocket]

Loblaws "President's Choice" line of products are usually just as good if not better than the name brand stuff.

 

[MembersSchoolPizza]

Aldi's chips are great. Their Benton's chocolate chip cookies really let you taste the flour, but I end up falling for the 2 dollar cookies over and over again despite this because I'm so cheap. Their ice cream is great. Their produce is great. Anything Clancy's generally rocks. Avoid their freezer section to the best degree you can. Ever since I got an air fryer, I periodically get food for it, but it really is just a nutritional dead end and makes you question your life choices.

In a strange crossover with the "Discontinued Foods We Miss" thread... Walmart back in the 90s used to have "Sam's Choice" chocolate chip cookies, their house brand at the time that has mostly disappeared except for a few rare cases where it hasn't, for some reason.

Holy fuck, they were some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. Crispy on the outside, almost like a shortbread on the inside, super buttery.

This was back before every small town everywhere had a Walmart, we used to drive ~an hour to the nearest town that did have one about once a month, and that was always one of the things we bought.