Name Brands vs. Store Brands

[Uncle Bob]

Having worked for 30 plus years in the retail food business...I say it all depends on the store you are in...some store brands are excellent...some are garbage...some store brand items may be good while a different item in the same store is junk. I did not work for the Kroger Company but have found their Kroger brand items to be very good quality....at times better than national brands and obviously less expensive.

 

[skilletlicker]

This is an entertaining thread. I'm not against store brands but certain items seem to vary greatly brand to brand.
Extra virgin olive oil - The variation in taste among brands is as wide as among beers.
Beer - See above.
Canned tomatoes - I only buy whole canned tomatoes and some brands like Red Gold are much firmer so work better for me when I want to retain the texture of the fruit, like a fresh salsa or a quick saute, for instance.
Flour - As a thickener it doesn't matter but for bread I want King Arthur and for biscuits, White Lily. I am more confident in the type of wheat the flour is milled from, the protein percentage and the consistancy of results.

On the other hand some items seem like commodities and brand is irrelevant.

Soybean or corn oil - As far as I can tell, there is no difference between the cheapest generic and the most widely advertised and recognized brands. If I'm wrong, please explain.
Table Sugar - Bakers sugar and confectioners are different but I couldn't tell the difference between brands of regular sugar.
Peanut butter - Can't distinguish store brand from regular Jiff or Skippy.

The more I learn about cooking the more I'm aware of differences between various brands and the differences become more important. Also I buy fewer and fewer branded items as more and more is made from "scratch."

 

[Corinne]

This is an entertaining thread. I'm not against store brands but certain items seem to vary greatly brand to brand.
Beer - See above.

Speaking of beer - I heard from someone who visited the Coors Brewery that Coors Light is the same as Keystone Light - just different cans. That's the only kind of beer I drink & I can't tell them apart. The difference in price between the 2 for a 30-pack? Around $7 or $8.

 

[FraidKnot]

Speaking of beer - I heard from someone who visited the Coors Brewery that Coors Light is the same as Keystone Light - just different cans. That's the only kind of beer I drink & I can't tell them apart. The difference in price between the 2 for a 30-pack? Around $7 or $8.

You're exactly right. Keystone Light is produced at the same brewery and is their less expensive version of the same product

Back around 1989 or 1990 Coors, which was previously only brewed beer in Colorado using "spring water", gave the approval to use Memphis artesian well water and assumed ownership of a defunct brewery. At one time the brewery brewed Schlitz and then Stroh's before falling into Coors' hands. It's still going strong.

I have several friends who work at the Memphis brewery so I know about it from the inside One good friend, who has since sadly passed away, didn't drink beer so he'd give me his free case. Good man, that guy! I'd sip beer while he sipped whiskey.

Fraidy <--raising a glass to Ralph

 

[AllenOK]

With five kids, we have to live on a budget. We usually buy store brands on pasta, canned/frozen veggies, canned beans, butter, etc. I will buy name-brand on a couple things, mainly, cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's), and Spaghetti Sauce (Ragu Garden-Style Super Chunky Mushroom). I just do not like the taste of any other brand/style of spaghetti sauce, and the consistency of store-brand cream of mushroom just doesn't do it for me.

I've also noticed a marked difference in taste between name-brand and store-brand soda, with the exception of orange-flavored soda. Wal-Mart "Orangette" soda tastes just like any other orange-flavored soda, and only costs about fifty cents a 2-Liter.

 

[jabbur]

I refuse to buy FoodLion brand cheeses. They never seem to really melt and their cream cheese is lumpy even after running it through a food processor for cheesecake. I stick to Velveeta for mac and cheese. Kroger brand stuff is good. I will go for store brand if it is something I'm going to be using in a recipe but if it's something to stand alone (spagehtti sauce, tomato soup) I'll go with name brand.

 

[kleenex]

I do not buy a lot of store brand food items. The snack food items I have had so far fail to live up to quality of brand names.

Do buy store brand frozen vegtables and they are good.

Store brand pasta for me is that bad imo.

 

[bandonjan]

I will buy the store brand for some things, its as everyone
says, taste it, you don't like it move on. Some store
brand items I like the flavor of over the name brand.
Some pickles, and a generic "red sauce" for 89 cents
that tastes better than a name brand for $1.79. Sweetened
condensed milk for 97 cents as opposed to $2.29 or more
for the well known brand. Cream cheese can be slightly
gummier in a store brand, but works for most things quite
well. As for the mayo...... well it does have to be the name
brand.

 

[StirBlue]

If it's moving (selling) it's fresh and people like it so buy it. If it looks crummy in the package (like some store brand chips) it will taste crummy on your plate. Some store brand veggies and tuna are at least 1/4 can of brine. Some store brand sour cream taste like blender cottage cheese. Store brand precooked bacon is a rip-off. Gotta love store brand orange juice.

 

[Half Baked]

Well of course if you tried it and don't care for it, don't buy it again. But do you know anyone who won't even try? I do.

I know people who won't try it. Frozen veggies are the same to me. I don't care for canned veggies at all, no matter what brand.

Heck, I'll try anything once to try to save a $ but won't go back it it doesn't meet my expectations.

 

[LoveCookin]

I have seen many variations of store brands being worse and occasionally better. I remember hearing, in Home Ec. (many moons ago) that the big chain stores got their goods from the same place. There sure is a discernible difference at times.

 

[Andy M.]

Brand name companies may do the canning or freezing for store brands but there is no reason to believe they use the same quality of produce in doing so.

 

[StirBlue]

Raisin Bran Flakes is a good example of brand name quality and store brand volume.

 

[LoveCookin]

Yeah, there is the occasional store brand that is quite good on a regular basis.

I try to check with friends if I want to try a particular store brand. Sam's Club brand items (applesauce, raisin cereal) is better, IMHO.

 

[Quadlex]

Over here in Australia, the big supermarkets are just starting to ramp up their "Own Brand" strategy to include everything. They used to have cheap, generic products, and are now branding everything with either "Woolworths Selects" or "You'll Love Coles".

I shop at Coles because I used to work there, and the "You'll Love Coles" are at times better then store brand, and certainly when you look at price.

I buy Barilla pasta because my boyfriend prefers it (And I've noticed that when it's Al Dente, it actually feels Al Dente... It's still strong, whereas some of the others are coming apart or are too tough still), but it's the same price as most of the others. Imported Italian canned tomatoes are also almost as cheap as home brand, and have less bitterness... I suspect the seeds are removed before crushing with the La Gina tomatoes.

I also splash out for Olive Oil (I like something with a fragrance and flavour), Soy Sauce (the cheaper varieties are too high on salty and low on flavour) and Balsamic Vinegar, but everything else I'll take as cheap as I can... Being a student hurts the pocketbook, but I'm trying to keep it from hurting the palate.

 

[Half Baked]

Well, I think it's safe to assume that Peter Pan makes Great Value peanut butter.

Wonder what else ConAgra made in that facility?

 

[Poutine]

Some things I actually prefer the store brand and some items i prefer the "name" brand (i.e. Heinz ketchup).
I think that people are misguided if they think money always buys quality - sometimes it just buys more advertising.

 

[Mel!]

Hello Fraidknot

I always buy store brands.
I think how well they taste, depends on my cooking, rather than the brand name, of the ingredients.

Mel

 

[BrazenAmateur]

I go almost exclusively to one supermarket (Giant Food), and I have found the majority of their store brand items to be very good indeed.

In many cases, they're the best option for that particular item.

Regardless, I like to try everything. When I see a new brand (including store brands) that I haven't tried, I try it. Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Giant seems somewhat unique in that they put a *lot* of effort into the packaging and advertising of their own store brands, and they generally have the quality to back it up.


Another store brand that has *never* failed to impress me is Whole Foods' "365" line of products. Everything from the chocolate soy milk to the Goat Cheese Pizza to the sliced almonds is fantastic, usually better than most of the other brands they sell (except the real knockouts, like "Amy's")

 

[Vegas Girl]

Pasta: Barilla preferred, but off brands are OK if it's a great sale.

Ketchup: Must be Heinz or Hunts.

Peanut Butter: Jif preferred, Peter Pan OK, off brands absolutely NOT.

I prefer name brands of snacks, i.e. potato chips, corn chips. The store brands seem too salty. Prefer Helluva Good dips to store brands.

Ice cream: Pierre's, Friendly's, certain flavors of Breyers. Tried Turkey Hill a couple times. It was delicious! I would never buy generic or the chain's lowest budget brand. I can't stand cheap flavorless ice cream.

Boxed macaroni & cheese: Must be Kraft. The others have no flavor.

Orange Juice: Florida's Natural or Tropicana preferred.