Favourite Trader Joe's Products

[daannzzz]

Their Bran cereal is the best that I have found.
We love the frozen pot stickers.

 

[Branflakes]

The giant bag of White cheddar puffs.
The fig bars.
The jalapeño cheese crunchies.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I love their bacon. I buy the odds and ends for recipes and the sliced bacon for breakfasts.

I also like their 99 cent greeting cards, which beat the heck out of cards that cost $3-$5.

Stuff DW and I buy there regularly: guilt-free guacamole, bagged butter lettuce, Power to the Greens, Mandarins, sliced Lite Havarti cheese, healthy ham slices, cheese and corn tamales, salsa verde, shredded brussel sprouts, reduced sugar blueberry preserves, silverbrite salmon filets.

Stuff that's wonderful but I have to avoid because I could eat my weight in them: anything cookie butter (in a jar, ice cream, etc.), chocolate covered potato chips, their ready-to-cook ravioli (their seafood ravioli in their alfredo sauce is to die for, but it's basically heart attack on a plate), English toffee, dark chocolate peanut butter cups.

DW gets several red wines there on a rotating basis. Her current favorites are Cocobon red blend and Unsung Hero shiraz.

 

[lucas]

I only go to Trader Joe's maybe once or twice a year. A few weeks ago I picked up, among other things, a can of chili. Most canned chili is trash, but theirs was pretty good. The chocolate babka, however, was inedible. One bite and it went straight into the trash.

I've come across several items that I did not like - at all. It is their policy that if you try it and don't like it, they will take it back with no questions asked.

 

[katie01]

The Reduced Guilt Mac and Cheese in the frozen section is the best mac and cheese I've ever tasted.

My kids and I love the cookie butter spread on graham crackers.

Their blueberry/vanilla yogurt combo is wonderful, the vanilla one is the only yogurt DS will eat.

Their regular milk tastes like organic in other brands--and is half the price of organic!

The kids like their orange chicken with their fried rice.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Their blueberry/vanilla yogurt combo is wonderful, the vanilla one is the only yogurt DS will eat.

That's funny! The banana/strawberry banana one is the only yogurt that my son will eat! It is for this reason alone that we find ourselves at TJ's at least once every couple of weeks.

 

[katie01]

That's funny! The banana/strawberry banana one is the only yogurt that my son will eat! It is for this reason alone that we find ourselves at TJ's at least once every couple of weeks.

Funny! It is much more rich tasting than other yogurt, not so "sour" (I love almost any yogurt, but he is definitely more picky)

 

[DLgal]

I just remembered another thing...The Cheddar/Caramel popcorn. Both flavors mixed in the same bag...Amazing!

 

[Gigi@Disney]

TJ's protein powder is a solid value and I buy the riced cauliflower bags at a time.

eta: ditto on flowers. Fresh eucalyptus smells amazing and lasts and lasts.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

their seafood ravioli in their alfredo sauce is to die for, but it's basically heart attack on a plate

I'm adding this to my shopping list for my next visit. It sounds sooooo good!

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Also had some half cracked popcorn that was amazing that I didn't see the next time I went.

So I went to TJ's about a week ago and picked up a bag of Partially Popped Popcorn. I went back yesterday and couldn't find it, so I asked one of the store personnel. When they couldn't locate it either, they went and looked it up in the computer, only to tell me that it has now been discontinued. She actually offered to check other stores in the area to see if they had any in stock, but I told her not to bother. If it is discontinued, I'm going to have to learn to live without it regardless. I'm starting to lose track of the number of items we have enjoyed, only to have them be discontinued later.

 

[anniemae]

dark chocolate sea salt caramels. Compete bliss.

 

[keetmommy]

Jared Spaghetti sauce (I make my own and am particularly picky, but I like theirs)
Gorgonzola Gnocchi
pot stickers
There are a few other things but we buy these every time we go there

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have not really found anything to write home about other than the SNACKS and I am on a diet.

I will have a give a few things a try in this thread.

 

[Dancind]

Don't go much anymore but always have to buy the smoked salmon dip and a tub of chocolate coconut almond candies for DH. And a bag of organic olive oil and sea salt popcorn for me.

We like the frozen salmon, frozen rice (jasmine and cauliflower). Good prices on Kerrygold butter and their olive oil is good! Canned roasted tomatoes and coconut milk are good prices.

I tend to make too many impulse purchases at TJs.

 

[fab1976]

So I went to TJ's about a week ago and picked up a bag of Partially Popped Popcorn. I went back yesterday and couldn't find it, so I asked one of the store personnel. When they couldn't locate it either, they went and looked it up in the computer, only to tell me that it has now been discontinued. She actually offered to check other stores in the area to see if they had any in stock, but I told her not to bother. If it is discontinued, I'm going to have to learn to live without it regardless. I'm starting to lose track of the number of items we have enjoyed, only to have them be discontinued later.

Well, won't be making that trip searching for it any more! Wish I could find another brand that makes the same thing, such a satisfying crunchy snack!

 

[sk!mom]

I live over 200 miles from the nearest TJ's. Twice last summer I discovered, after the fact, that my massive basket of Trader Joe's wine had been Snap Chatted. Highly recommend the Almond champagne and the Secco. Due to distance, I haven't been ably to try much that isn't shelf stable. I LOVE Tea Tree Tingle shampoo and conditioner. And the frozen macarons are yummy! Oh, and always stock up on almond butter!

 

[bcla]

I like their eggs. The price of eggs is pretty volatile in California, but Trader Joe's typically has the best prices. What they sell around here as your basic white chicken egg is a California brand (Crack a Smile by NuCal). The real ironic thing is the pricing. The last time I went "large" eggs were $1.59/dozen, while "jumbo" eggs were $1.69/dozen. They are substantially larger, although the main problem is that they don't stock as much and I frequently find they don't have the jumbos.

Another thing I like there is Belletoile triple cream soft cheese (it's not technically Brie) by Henri Hutin. I've seen it sold elsewhere for $16-20/lb, but TJ's has it for $7.99/lb.

The other thing about the experience is that they always have a sample counter as well as free coffee, although they put out tiny little cups. They also give out stickers and lollipops to kids. The lollipop is supposed to be a reward for finding something, but they'll usually give it away. One location I go to has the search item painted on the wall, so it's pretty easy to find it.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Well, won't be making that trip searching for it any more! Wish I could find another brand that makes the same thing, such a satisfying crunchy snack!

I agree. It was all the great buttery/salty flavour of popcorn without all of the hassle...and all packed into a little portable bag.

 

[tasha99]

I like the no sugar added dried mango (we also buy this in giant bags from Costco).