What do you think of Aldi's?

I LOVE Aldi"s. That store has got me thru these tough times and their products are really good! Their produce...um, not so much.
Our family favorites are Frozen pizza, Mama Cozzi's thin crust and pizza rolls. Ranch dressing,croutons, anything Fit n Active is good, it's just too much to list what's good! I can honestly say we have liked everything we bought from there, and I'm really kinda a food snob and my family is a little spoiled so if we like it and my kids eat it up then it's got to be good! Go for it! Buy one of their eco friendly bags, they hold a ton!

P.S Their TP will rival Angel Soft

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"Cougars for Cook"

I have heard others say this about their Aldi stores too. It really is a YMMV. It can depend on the manager too. It helps to know when they get their produce trucks in. Our store has an excellent produce selection, and the prices are great compared to other grocery stores around.

We've been happy with everything we've gotten there, and yes, their eco-friendly bags are great!

Here is a really old thread about Aldi, but you might want to read it: http://www.mycoupons.com/boards/let-...op-aldi-s.html

Just watch out for imported food. They carry quite a few food and HBA items from China. Considering how they have poisoned people and pets with their products, I don't feel comfortable buying any imported food or HBA products from China.

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A deal is not always a deal - Some just make you pay in the end.

WHATS A HBA?
I went and checked all my products from aldi and could not find one that said hba or that was produced in china! I guess you buy different stuff than me!

actually I know some one in their purchasing dept and most of their food is name brand that is relabeled as an off label just like clothing dealers do the product is the same but the label is different to get both sides of the market!
I have found most of their for to be high quality and economical but just as any store your going to find stuff you don't like!
I love the quality of their lunch meat and canned albacore (solid white meat not a mushy mess) but I can't stand their marinara sauce which tastes like ragu which I do not like!

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Always be a first rate version of your self instead of a second rate version of someone else.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.

HBA = health and beauty aids (retailer's shop term)

I found Aldi's produce to be junk compared to BJ's and Harris-Teeter.

Since they are a German based operation, they also occasionally have some items imported from Germany. I got some very nice Christmas gifts a few years back...."gifty" things and chocolate.

I Love Aldi, I have found that their produce is hit or miss.
I also have found out that Aldi owns Trader Joe's

Renee

I shop there sometimes, mostly for prodcuce and 'basics' (milk, butter, etc. -- things where brand doesn't really matter). The produce is hit or miss and it tends to spoil quickly, so I only buy what my family can consume in a few days. I have heard that their frozen meats are very good, but I've never tried them.

The one thing I don't like about Aldi's is that you never know what they are going to have so its not some place I would do my regular grocery shopping.

Sarah..........

Soup at Aldi's is a fantastic deal. ALL the time.

I shop there when I can, it's not much different from Walmart to me~

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Smile and the world smiles with you!

Tami ~*~

Checkout is always rushed. If I don't rent a cart, they don't want to give me time to remove my items from the borrowed cart; if I have a bag open for them to toss my items into they toss my items anywhere but the bag; they are extremely impatient when it comes to payment and my quickness of putting my card through or producing my cash and in removing my items from a cart if I choose not to use one. The last time I was there my two bags of apples were thrown in the cart, (apples bruise) and she literally dropped my cases of water in the cart. CRASH, CRASH. I don't think their prices are low enough anymore to make me want to shop there. Their produce and lower prices used to attract me, but their customer service will keep me away.

what bugs me is they refrigerate the tomatoes -- why - it ruins them - I am selective with product items - most items are great quality, if not, I return them, double your money back!!

Hi Rose!!

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Mary
SAHM -love my kids!! all three

According to Wikipedia the company that owns and operates the Aldi grocery chain in the United States is not the same as the company that owns and operates Trader Joe's. The two separate chains are owned by brothers.

from Wikipedia:

Theodor Paul Albrecht, generally known as Theo Albrecht (born March 28, 1922), is a German entrepreneur, who in 2007 was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 20th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $23.5 billion. He owns and was the CEO of the Aldi Nord discount supermarket chain. In the US he owns the Trader Joe's specialty grocery store chain. His brother Karl Albrecht owns the Aldi Süd discount supermarket chain. The two chains originally were a single family enterprise until a friendly division of assets in 1960. Aldi Süd operates the Aldi groceries in the United States. So Aldi and Trader Joe's, while owned by the brothers, have separate and distinct ownership and operations.

We buy our eggs there -- lots cheaper than oterh places.
We also like their:
buffalo and barbeque chicken wings
pizzas
cashews -- are the best and lots cheaper than Planters
frozen strudel -- really delsih and cheap!
refried beans

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

I do find some good deals there also, but my main complaint is there is usually only one cashier working at a time, so stopping in to quickly pick something up can be frustrating sometimes if they are busy.

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"Too blessed to be stressed...too anointed to be disappointed!"

I love their frozen fish (imported from China) I also love their whole chicken, I can usually get a whole chicken for $4.xx which is WAY cheaper than the grocery store. I buy all of their nuts and the staples- eggs, milk, butter, the 12 grain bread is also VERY good! I don't buy any of the packaged items, mac n cheese, rice, frozen stuff.

Not being from the East Coast, I visited one. There are no left carts anywhere, because you take one out with a quarter and when you return it you get it back. They keep prices low so they don't have to retrieve the carts and they do not provide bags. So bring your own. They do keep some standards but they do change some of the stock. Prices are low. It's great to shop pick out what you need and fill in with other grocery stores. I returned home, missing Aldi, you like no frills and great deals it's the place to go!

At ours my cousins is the manager so its great for me. She lets me know about special purchases before the are advertised and calls me when they do markdowns so I can get out to check them out. I go a couple times a week for basics. The milk has been 1.99 a gallon for 3 weeks now. I like everything I've bought there. And to the PP who said something about their meat it is VERY good. I have bought the boxed frozen steaks and they were REALLY good. I buy brats, hamburgers, pork chops there all the time. That's also the cheapest place around here for eggs, bread, and buns.

Jen

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Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
SJCC STREAKS FOOTBALL!!
CLEVELAND BROWNS FOOTBALL!

I first encountered Aldi's in Illinois in the mid 1980s. At that time they only accepted cash - not even checks. I realize that this policy has changed. We now have an Aldi in our area, and I have been there but am not a regular customer. In my opinion, it is just not worth my time to make another stop where I can only get some of the things that I need. There are times when time is just more valuable than money.

We love Aldi's...really helps us stretch our food dollars.

One of our favorites is the beef stew. Price is much better than the regular stores! I have never tried their soup - one of the things I am picky about - but I see that someone posted that it is good, so I will pick some up on my next trip.

They sell a HUGE chocolate bar (in a blue wrapper) that is out of this world. When I first went to Aldi's, my neighbor and I thought it was a special so we bought a bunch of them and gave them to teachers, friends, family....lol....everyone is hooked on them now. I am a chocoholic, and that is the smoothest chocolate I have ever eaten!

Their frozen fried chicken is better than banquet - no gooey yucky stuff in it. Great place to pick up milk, cheese, yogurt, pasta, bread, rolls - lots of good things.

We have found some things that we don't like, but those a very few.

I used to love that they were closed on Sunday - took me back to when I was younger and Sunday was known as "A Day Of Rest" for everyone, including retail - but they are now open on Sundays. I don't know why it bothers me, but it does....

I dont buy processed or prepackaged food. Prices on staples I buy (like tomato paste, sugar, corn oil etc), is close to what I pay in the regular store...Unless there is a special buy, or I need something specifically, I dont bother. The long lines really get to me.

I like Aldi's, their products are all good. I don't care for the one checker and the long line though. I like that the store is small and easy access to whatever I need. I always forget to bring a bag!!

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Love, J.

I go to Aldis every week before I plan the rest of my shopping. I buy milk ($2.39/gal), eggs, yogurt (46¢), coffee (8oz 2.99), saltines (79¢) and the fruit and veg specials of the week. Once I find out what the specials are then I plan for the rest of my food shopping. If I can not find a good soda buy, then I buy theirs.

They have a nice big reusable shopping bag for $1.99, too. By the way, Bed,Bath, and Beyond's reusable shopping bag is HUGE and it is also $1.99.

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Lyn Clarke

I shop there also, and like most of the fit & active items. I read the labels too. I won't buy any of the items from China. The frozen seafood are very resonably priced, but it comes from China, so I avoid those. Also, they have 2 kinds of chicken broth, of which one is a healthy version without msg added to it. The apple sauce in the small tubs have high fructose corn syrup added. that's not good. My dh is diabetic and I'm pre-diabetic so we watch all carbs and sugars very carefully.

I think they have some good deals but because they are not local to me it does not make since to go there (I live 30 minutes from one.) If I am in the area of one and have a few minutes I will go in to see if they have something that I am interested in. However.......
A few years ago I shopped there regularly....but once I got a few bad items it made me a bit leary. I have yet to get a canned vegetable there that was worth eating....there are always stems and hard pieces in the cans. If they have named brand vegies I would purchase them but not the "aldi" store brand.
I agree about the produce....never found any there that peaked my interest.

Overall if you were on an extremely tight budget this would be the place to go. We have a Sav-A-Lot near us and they are similar.....but our Sav-A-Lot is locally owned and the meat is still packaged on site. Where as places like Aldi ship in frozen meat. I still only go to Sav-A-Lot when I need one or 2 items.....if I am doing big shopping trips I stick with Kroger.....

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~My Goal In Life~

To be as good of a person my dogs already think I am.

I love Aldis. You can not beat thier price on soups and they taste great. We also buy the cube ham(for salads and I use for bean and ham soup) it is only 2.49 apound really good ham. The ketchup just went up to 1.19 but I love it. I could only use heinz before. The sodas for a 24 pack is only 4.29. 6pack of cheese danish. 8pk little oj for 2.29 the brown & powder sugar is just 99 for the big bag. Cream cheese is 99cents, baking powder is only 89 cents for the can. They carry a trail mix it is delish kida of high 4.49 a bag. Microwave popcorn 1.29 box(6 bags in the box). The also get house hold items, clothes, tools and plants. Yes there is just one cashier, but they can buzz if it gets to busy and 1 or 2 more will come out. Try to go on a weekday because weekends are crazy at the one I shop at.

I love the prices at Aldi, but the lines, etc can be tiresome. Milk is usually much cheaper there, as are the eggs. Their store brand soda is just as good as the name brand but half the price. Only found one item I don't care for--the swiss cake rolls. Yuck. Other than that, no problems here.

I LOVE ALDI's I am about 30 minutes from one but go every month to stock up - I have an ALDI's list of things we really like/are cheaper than anywhere:

Coffee - -
Milk
Sour Cream
Cottage Cheese
Mac & Cheese
Triscuit knock off
Chazoo fruit roll ups
Mustard
pickles
Jalapenos
tomato/jalapeno canned
Velveeta knock off
Ibuprofen
Tampons (haven't seen in a LONG time they were GREAT)
Plastic wrap/storage bags
Chicken Nuggets
The american cheese singles that are 1.99 ARE AWESOME (the swiss version too)
EGGS
The chocolate chips/White chocolate chips/butterscotch chips are as good as nestle & cheap

It's worth it for me to make the schlep.

debvil