So what's the deal with ALDI?

[cndij]

I am currently making a once a month trip to stock up on certain items from Aldi, but a new one is opening next month, less than a mile from my home, so my habits will be changing I am sure. I had never bought meat there until last week, but after seeing some comments here on the frozen patties, and a friend of mine who swears by the "turkey mignon" turkey cutlets wrapped with bacon. I tried the monterrey jack/jalapeno frozen hamburger patties and my husband like them better than Kirkland from Costco. I bought some fresh hamburger as well, and it to be extremely lean. Haven't use the turkey cutlets yet, but plan to this weekend. My friend likes to cook them on her grill. My mom who first introduced me to Aldi in her town about 10 years ago, but doesn't go there often, was visiting yesterday and asked me to show her some of my favorites from there. I had made chicken salad using their canned chicken and it was excellent. My neices, love the cereals comparable to Frosted Mini Wheats and Triple Berry Cheerios.

 

[SiClone]

I used to go to Aldi all the time when I was a kid (20 years ago) in the small town we lived in. When they finally opened up some Aldi's here in the Twin Cities, I thought it was cool. I just went to one a few weeks ago to pick up for sweets for work. I was very disappointed in the quality of the generic brands. Their nutty bars are not as good as the Little Debbie ones. No Keebler striped fudge cookies... The ice cream sandwiches I bought were all freezer burn. No more Aldi shopping for me.

 

[ReneeA]

I really think most of Aldi Brand is a name brand is disguise. I think the beauty bar soap is Camae. I think they have Tide too.

You are probably right. Generics are all made by name brand companies and just sold off to certain store chains.

Obviously stores do not have the funds to build all their own factories and make their very own food. The name brand companies own the factories and sell off food packaged to fit. It's obviously too expensive for them to change the formula - they just change the label.

 

[Chelley00]

Sorry, not a fan of Aldi. Have you ever read the nutritional value on some of their food? The salt is enough to kill an elephant. It is not healthy and very over processed.

It depends what you buy. Most people who buy processed crap at Aldi's would buy it at their local grocery store as well. Aldi's is making a big shift over to a lot of Fit N Active brands. I buy dried fruit, yogurt covered raisins, frozen fruit bars, yogurt etc at Aldis way cheaper than what I can get at my local grocery store on sale.

 

[Chelley00]

I do hate that you have to pay cash.

We can pay with debit card at ours.

 

[extremesoccermom]

We were also not big on Aldi's until last summer. Ours has been there ever since I can remember and I have lived in my house for 19 years now.
Last summer we were having one of our family get togethers and my aunt brought a great fruit salad so ofcourse I had to ask where she got the fruit. She said Aldi's and she told me how much she paid for it all. Well I was floored, this uncle and aunt were in the paper a few years ago as one of the towns millionaires but I guess now I know why. The store by me is older but clean and they don't carry as many items. There are 3 other stores that I can get to depending on where we are with games or visiting mom or sister that are newer and bigger. I like going there since they have more items to try.

I shop Aldi's like I do every other store I shop the preimeter and stay away from the highly processed foods. We like there dairy, fruits and veggies as well as the frozen chicken, hamburgers, ground turkey, and shrimp. All the cheeses and lunch meat are great and DS18 informed me that it was about time I started getting the good Hoho's again (I didn't tell him they were Aldi's brand - I just empty the box into the snack drawer and hide the box in the recycle bin) He also likes the cereal that tastes like Fruity Pebbles. I try one thing new every time to see if it is a keeper or not. So far the only thing we haven't liked was a Butterball Turkey Breast roll that is in a marinade of some sort you just take it out and cook it. It was not good at all.
Our one splurge when I go is their "good" icecream or a cream pie in the freezer case.

 

[C.Ann]

Sorry, not a fan of Aldi. Have you ever read the nutritional value on some of their food? The salt is enough to kill an elephant. It is not healthy and very over processed. Could be why it tastes so good.

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Not sure I understand what this has to do with Aldi's specifically..
You can buy the exact same stuff that will "kill an elephant" in any grocery store across the nation..

 

[CrazedDisFan]

The Fit and Active turkey medallions are excellent. They are wonderful on the grill and even have pop-up timers. They come 4 to a pack (each individually wrapped) for $5.99.

I can't buy ALL my groceries at Aldi, but I try to get everything I can there.

 

[debknight]

Are the turkey medallions in the fresh or frozen section? I will have to look for those.

 

[addicted2dizney]

Almost forgot! I would like to mention that I got beautiful white mushrooms for 99 cents a package! They were firm and fresh and lasted easily all week in my fridge. I used them and some canned whole potatoes, (44cents a can) an onion and sauteed them. Then I purchased some of these skillet steaks at the grocery store for only like $7 I pan seared them and then added them to the sautee with a little white wine. It was a great meal for 4 and cost less than $10!

 

[crisi]

Aldi's and Trader Joes are owned by the same guy. They are German companies.

The Aldi's I've been to is one that is very dirty - not a great place to shop. The products I've bought there were mostly carrots and lettuce for the ginuea pigs (before they died). With most of our food and produce trending to organic and preferably local in our house, Aldi doesn't fit in with our "food philosophy" and carries very little food I'd feed my family - Trader Joes on the other hand does - but we still do better at the coop and farmers market where we buy more local eggs/meat/produce.

 

[Todd&Copper]

The nearest Aldi is about 20 miles from my house and not close to any other place I usually shop, so I have not checked it out (and most likely never will). The only one I went to was in Brick, NJ and it was a DUMP. I was skeeved out just being in the place, and appalled that it was a FOOD store. Apparently, the stores vary greatly.

 

[estherhead]

The nearest Aldi is about 20 miles from my house and not close to any other place I usually shop, so I have not checked it out (and most likely never will). The only one I went to was in Brick, NJ and it was a DUMP. I was skeeved out just being in the place, and appalled that it was a FOOD store. Apparently, the stores vary greatly.

Yes, I'm sure they do. I've been in one in a city that was a bit scary & didn't have what I was used to buying here. But chains varying greatly is normal. I've been in Burger King's & McDonald's that were terrifying. But that is just a clue that you are probably in a bad part of whatever town you are in. Pretty sure it's the same with Aldi's.

If it's a new Aldi's in the area where you normally shop you should definately check it out & you will probably end up keeping it on your "must-do" stores.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Aldi's and Trader Joes are owned by the same guy. They are German companies.

The Aldi's I've been to is one that is very dirty - not a great place to shop. The products I've bought there were mostly carrots and lettuce for the ginuea pigs (before they died). With most of our food and produce trending to organic and preferably local in our house, Aldi doesn't fit in with our "food philosophy" and carries very little food I'd feed my family - Trader Joes on the other hand does - but we still do better at the coop and farmers market where we buy more local eggs/meat/produce.

Misconception. They are not owned by the same person. They're owned by brothers however the brothers are NOT in business together.

 

[crisi]

Misconception. They are not owned by the same person. They're owned by brothers however the brothers are NOT in business together.

There are two brothers - both own versions of Aldi's which was started by (as I recall) their grandfather - but it may be their father. One owns Aldi's North and one own's Aldi's South. I'm not sure which company is owned by which brother and which brother owns Trader Joes or whic Aldi's operates in the U.S. They are three seperate companies, but have a LOT of ties.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

There are two brothers - both own versions of Aldi's which was started by (as I recall) their grandfather - but it may be their father. One owns Aldi's North and one own's Aldi's South. I'm not sure which company is owned by which brother and which brother owns Trader Joes or whic Aldi's operates in the U.S. They are three seperate companies, but have a LOT of ties.

They actually have no business ties what so ever. Someone very close to me works corporate for 1 of the companies.