Even though buying store brands is a great way to save money on your grocery bill, many people refuse to try them because they believe they’re automatically inferior to their name brand counterparts.
That can be a costly assumption.
Since my first store brand challenge in 2009, I’ve conducted more than a dozen taste test experiments that have evaluated almost 30 products using an extensive panel of culinary experts. (Of course, that would be my zany family!) In fact, over the years I’ve run product taste tests on almost everything you can think of: from potato chips and fruit cocktail to ketchup and canned soup.
Over the course of those experiments, my expert panel identified several store-brand stinkers that couldn’t come close to matching the taste or quality of their name-brand complement. On the other hand, they also discovered far more store brand items that actually outperformed the name brand products they were emulating.
Believe it or not.
Here are the eight best-performing store-brand products from all of those experiments — at least according to my expert panel — whose taste and quality were found to be significantly better than their more-famous name brand counterparts:
Peanut Butter
In an impressive display of peanut butter performance among a five-candidate field, the store brand came out on top, beating out perennial favorites like Jif, Skippy and Peter Pan. Most panelists praised the the store brand for its pleasing combination of fresh peanut taste and creaminess.
Bottled Water
Don’t tell the makers of Arrowhead spring water, but in this blind taste test, my experts preferred the store brand purified water by a 2-to-1 margin. The real insult, however, is that Arrowhead received the same score as the filtered water from my tap — especially since it runs at a 22,000% price premium to tap. (No, that’s not a typo.)
Ketchup
With blue ribbons from six judges, the generic brand ketchup not only vanquished Heinz, but it thoroughly trounced the other competition too. The victory was so impressive that all but one of the judges ranked the store brand ketchup first, second, or third on their list. The store brand’s secret? The panel found it to be extremely flavorful and well-balanced.
Polska Kielbasa
My test panel preferred the taste of the generic sausage to Hillshire Farms’ famous kielbasa — by a wide margin. The Honeybee made an astute observation at the time, suggesting it was probably due to the higher fat and salt content in the store-brand meat.
Spaghetti Sauce
Although my panel scored the store brand spaghetti sauce higher than Prego’s version, that didn’t mean they thought it was delicious. Then again, I’d expect no less from my Italian family, which would never be caught eating jar sauce in the first place. In fact, the majority of my panelists hated both brands, faulting each for being bland and lacking a fresh-tomato taste. They just hated the store brand less.
Canned Peas
The store brand canned peas trounced Del Monte’s offering. In fact, the store brand received a near-unanimous decision from the nine panelists (one expert called it a draw on his scorecard). Ironically, it was the generic peas that got high marks for being sweet and fluffy — unlike the name brand peas, which were found to be tasteless, chalky and hard.
Vanilla Ice Cream
The store brand ice cream got kudos from my panelists for having a better texture, as well as a more pleasant vanilla taste. For its part, the Dreyer’s was docked points for actually being a bit too sweet. Go figure.
Apple Jacks Cereal
Although Kelloggs Apple Jacks will always be my favorite cereal, my expert panel of 11 neighborhood kids preferred the store brand cereal. Remember that the next time you go shopping, parents. Especially considering genuine Apple Jacks come with a 53% price premium.
And here is a summary chart showing just how well these eight store-brand products performed against their name-brand counterparts:
So there you have it, folks: Despite price premiums between 17% and 133% for these eight items, it just goes to show … sometimes you really don’t get what you pay for.
Photo Credit: robertstinnett
I’ve been buying store brand Peanut Butter for several years now. My family hasn’t complained at all. Besides, I think it is quite good!
I still prefer Skippy — but I do agree, the store brand ain’t bad.
The fact that your panelists showed no preference between filtered tap water and bottled spring water tells you all you need to know about how everybody has been taken in by the bottled water craze. I’m not surprised at the results.
I was surprised, Freddy.
It’s funny how our tastes can change when they are not affected by preconceived biases.
I agree on many of these though I have noticed a big difference in ketchup and pasta sauce. I think the thing with pasta sauce is that we prefer the more natural kind (read: less sugar) so we tend to avoid the Ragu or Prego brands or their counterparts as they are just way too sweet. We will actually use Costco’s Kirkland brand which is pretty natural and I don’t think has any sugar, and add in some sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic to give back the flavor that Ragu and them try to acheive with their use of sugar.
We often buy Kirkland (Costco’s brand) for many products too. Their bottle water is under $5 a case. Once you get passed the name brands and try others you’ll be presently surprised.
I hear you. The one time I tried Prego, it was too sweet for me. I may have to try the Kirkland just to see how it compares.
I have two words for you: Kroger. Salsa. Go to the latin foods section, and there is a small area for refrigerated foods. Restaurant style mild or medium. So. Yum.
Okay … I’m going to try it, Melody. Thanks for the tip!
I almost always buy store brands and I rarely find much difference. I like Target so I’m a big fan of their “Market Pantry” and “Up and Up” brands.
How about that? I didn’t know Target had their own brands, Andrew! I guess I need to get out more.
Really good info on the generic vs. brand debate. I never thought Heinz would lose that battle. I on occasion buy the store brand, and I think why is it so much difference in costs. Paying for the name shouldn’t cost so much, but the companies surely want you to pay more.
Frankly, I prefer Heinz to the store brand, EL — if only because its so much thicker.
I despise Heinz ketchup! It is so acidy and bitter, it ruins anything I put it on! I seriously don’t like any of the Heinz food products and find the inflated prices ludicrous!
I used to work for a pizza factory in Pennsylvania. One day we’d pack Little Charlies, the next day we’d pack a big box store brand, the next day we’d do school pizzas under the government approval, We’d make Pillsbury one day and generic the next, the same pizzas. Occasionally they would change the cheese type, or a different sauce, but the basic pizza was the same. so when I buy pizza I usually go generic.
My Mother worked for a time in a doughnut bakery. Her experience was the same. One day they packaged donuts in a famous brand box, the next day the store brand, the next day another brand container. The donuts never changed! Only the packaging changed.
I live in Pittsburgh, former home of heinz ketchup, can’t imagine buying any other. Cheryl
I can’t either, Cheryl — and truth be told, my family still buys Heinz anyway because it’s the Honeybee’s favorite. (She couldn’t be fooled — she gave it the blue ribbon in the blind taste test!)
I disagree.. I grew up on Hunts ketchup. It is far superior. Try it. You might like it! I can’t stand heinz
Our family likes Hunts better, too. But you can’t always find it.
Green Giant canned vegetables, Prairie Farms ice cream (a local brand), and Charmin toilet paper. I refuse to go generic on toilet paper.
I’m definitely with you on the last one, Kathy!
Try the Great Value Ultra Soft “tp” from Walmart, you’ll never pay Charmin prices again! Generic never felt so good!
Thanks for the tip, LeeAnn!
I only buy Charmin, because there are a few other brands that are owned by the Koch brothers, so depending on your politics, you should use Charmin if the same as I am, or Northern if you are a Conservative. haha. I know its silly, but it makes me feel better to walk by certain brands.
I don’t buy Charmin because the cost of the commercials is included in the cost of the product. My dear older relatives, all sadly long, long deceased, would marvel at this conversation as they made do with outdoor facilities fitted out with dried corncobs and if they were lucky, an old Sears Roebuck catalog. Useful hint: the “index” pages which did not have the glossy surface were the best!
Dear Kathy, When you start traveling overseas after the pandemic is done, BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER, ROLLS OF IT. Traveling in India ask for the “English toilet” or you’ll be perched over a hole in the floor armed with nothing but your bare hands and a cold water tap. In Eastern European countries in stores with attended bathrooms you will pay up front and be grudgingly handed 3 gossamer thin tiny sheets of some coarse substance rumored to be paper. In Paris you are forbidden to throw toilet paper down the toilet but instead must discard it in the plastic bag lined wire basket in the stall because the plumbing in Paris is so bad that it can’t take the extra strain of bathroom paper. There the germy, soiled paper sits until an attendant removed the bulging bag and replaces it. America’s got the best toilet paper in the world, the biggest selection, and each stall is equipped with an entire roll or more of paper! If you don’t want to be political in your choice of paper in NJ buy SCOTT which is made locally and support our own state’s manufacturer.
There you have it: Everything you wanted to know about TP but were afraid to ask! 😉
Thank you, Karen.
This gives me realizations that I gotta try other products out there which may not be as popular as those previously mentioned but may be as good or better than those.
Living within 10 minutes of a salvage grocer, we’ve tried numerous brands. It really depends. Hit or miss. When they get a “brand” we like, I stockpile. If we’re really desperate, I get what they have, if they have it at all. If it’s really bad, they accept returns. When it comes down to it, we haven’t died yet.
I have been buying Adams brand peanut butter from Costco for several years. Last year they stopped carrying it so I tried their Kirkland brand. It didn’t even come close. Had to start buying Adams at Wal-mart at a much higher unit price. Costco finally came to their senses and brought back the Adams brand. Yes, the natural peanut butter is more work (having to mix the oil in) but taste is certainly worth it.
Jerry, I have never heard of Adams peanut butter. Where do you live? Is that an east coast brand?
I am as guilty as anyone else of judging store brands, and buying name brands… it may take some work to break that habit, but I will definitely be trying the store brands from now on. Thank you for sharing!
I grew up on Hunts ketchup, wouldn’t eat any other. I have tasted Heinz and thought it was gross. Try hunts, you won’t be sorry.
Del Monte makes store brand canned vegetables as well as their own brand. There is no difference whatever. In the canning factory, they just switch the label. The line doesn’t even slow down. If you have detected a difference, it is just by chance. A can that is filled mid-morning is probably better than one filled late afternoon since the product had a better experience prior to going in the can.
P.S. Same story for milk.
I can believe it, Old Farmer.
Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough is a lump with chunks of flavoring mixed in, the store brand is real rolls. Name brand is only better when making a coffee cake recipe with apple pie filling.
Pillsbury cinnamon rolls with orange frosting are rolls, and unsurpassed imho.