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lilredrooster
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October 4th, 2021 at 7:19:40 AM permalink
__________


it's not like you're going to save a fortune by not getting beat by grocery stores - maybe a few hundred a year - but its nice to know their tricks didn't fool you



trick 1:


most of the time you get a better deal on the larger size. but not all of the time. sometimes the smaller size is the better deal and if you don't pay attention to the small print on the price label - the per ounce stat - you can end up paying more by buying the larger size. Utz potato chips used to sell a tiny bag that was a much better deal than the large bags. lots of other examples. they know lots will automatically go for the larger size and they'll make more profit



trick 2:



not totally fair to blame the stores for this one, more the factories - but the stores are surely complicit:
the price stays the same but the amount of food in the package is less than last week or last month
many times, if the food is sold in a carton the carton is the same size - its just the food inside the carton that is less
ice cream is a good example of this - ice cream used to be sold mainly in half gallons - then maybe 30 years ago the cartons started shrinking - now its nowhere close to a half gallon
Breyers is the worst with this: their cartons are tiny - maybe only 1.5 quarts - as their cartons shrink their price stays the same



trick 3:



bait and switch. of course just about all retailers do this so its not really fair to just point at grocery stores. but they do it often with their meat, advertising a sale price and then when you go to look at the meat it can be seen that its low quality stuff - particularly beef



trick 4:


showing a very low price or a sale price on store brands
store brands are usually significantly inferior to name brands
there are a few exceptions where the store brands are pretty good


trick 5:


my store does this. a sale item is shown at 3 for $6.00 and that usually means you can buy 1 for $2.00
but sometimes you can't. in very small print it says you must buy 3 to get the sale price
but you didn't see that and you're already at the register with just one - and you don't want to buy 3 - then you say what the hell I'll take it - so you didn't get the sale price


to be fair to the stores, particularly the larger chains, because of intense competition you can sometimes get good deals on good products

I hate to knock the little stores but the reality is they are much more conscious of having to secure a nice profit on everything they sell



one more that relates to quality, not price


all grocery stores instruct their stockers to rotate the stock
this means that when a new shipment comes in before putting it on the shelf they pull out the older stock out first and put it on the floor
then they put the new stock in the back and the older stock in the front
this way they don't get stuck with out of date stuff on the shelves that they have to throw away


so, if you're going to buy a box of cereal - if you take the time to move the boxes and pick one from the back - a lot of the time you will get a much fresher product


.
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rsactuary
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October 4th, 2021 at 7:23:52 AM permalink
Another thing they do is sell meats such as hamburger meat with 1.1 or 1.2 pounds per package. Knowing that recipes will call for exactly 1 pound. Gives them a chance to sell a bit more than you actually need.
EvenBob
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October 4th, 2021 at 8:28:23 AM permalink
Quote: lilredrooster

__________
it's not like you're going to save a fortune by not getting beat by grocery stores - maybe a few hundred a year - but its nice to know their tricks didn't fool you
.

  • link to original post



    I cannot believe anybody here who shops on a regular basis did not know most of this and more. I've been grocery shopping since 1965 when I got my first car. The most important grocery store hacks are never by name brands when you can buy store brands because the store brands are made by name-brand companies. I used to work in a cookie factory and the cheapo local brand cookie was the exact same cookie we made for Nabisco and Sunshine and Keebler which they sold for much higher prices.

    When buying meat always look for the markdown section where they are selling meat that expires that day for half price or even less than half price. Take it home and put it in the freezer.

    Eggs can move wildly up and down in price and if you see a low price buy a few dozen because the eggs will keep for at least six weeks in the fridge.

    Create pantry space at home so when you see canned goods on sale you can stock up. Once a year in my local store their brand of canned vegetables goes on super sale for one week. Something like green beans which is usually $0.69 a can goes on sale for 3 for a dollar. I'll buy 50 canof each and have enough green beans and canned tomatoes to last me a year.
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    Dieter
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    Dieter
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    October 4th, 2021 at 8:48:30 AM permalink
    Get a chest freezer, if you can. Upright freezers work too.

    The wholesale butcher near me has their twice a year sale coming up; last year one of the treats was strip steaks for $3 each because their restaurant customers wanted a 12 ounce cut and refused the 13 ouncers that the new guy had produced. Plus, of course, absurd amounts of bacon. I usually try to grab a few cases; if I pull a pack to slack out in the fridge today, it will be ready to cook before breakfast tomorrow.
    May the cards fall in your favor.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 9:08:22 AM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob


    ...never by name brands when you can buy store brands because the store brands are made by name-brand companies. I used to work in a cookie factory and the cheapo local brand cookie was the exact same cookie we made for Nabisco and Sunshine and Keebler which they sold for much higher prices.

    Except, often they use less of the valuable ingredient. E.g lower percentage meat: Higher percentage MSG or sugar.
    Quote:

    ...look for the markdown section where they are selling meat that expires that day for half price or even less than half price. Take it home and put it in the freezer.

    Not so much with chicken. Marked down chicken can be pretty bad. I prefer to take the marked down meat home. Cook it into tv dinners or just cooked sliced meat, then freeze or eat promptly.
    Quote:

    Eggs can move wildly up and down in price and if you see a low price buy a few dozen because the eggs will keep for at least six weeks in the fridge.

    Got to take exception here. Eggs can deteriorate badly. Older eggs can be better in some recipes, such as pastry. Eggs can last MONTHS..
    Quote:

    Create pantry space at home so when you see canned goods on sale you can stock up. Once a year in my local store their brand of canned vegetables goes on super sale for one week. Something like green beans which is usually $0.69 a can goes on sale for 3 for a dollar. I'll buy 50 canof each and have enough green beans and canned tomatoes to last me a year.

  • link to original post

    I have canned foods from 2017, all perfectly fine.

    In the UK, there is an App called 'toogoodtogo' see https://toogoodtogo.com I believe it also operates in the US. Through that app, I buy assorted £3 bags containing up to £15 of random fresh and chilled foods. OK. some might be rubbish, but I buy a 'magic bag' every friday and all have been great value and fed me for at least 3 days.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    lilredrooster
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    October 4th, 2021 at 9:22:22 AM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob



    When buying meat always look for the markdown section where they are selling 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 for half price or even less than half price. ._




    it will be a cold day in hell before I ever buy meat that's marked down because it's going to expire that day

    grocery stores usually keep fresh meat for 10 to 14 days
    if you think you're getting the same quality on day 14 as you are on day 2 - you really are dreaming

    I don't pinch my pennies that tightly


    .
    Last edited by: lilredrooster on Oct 4, 2021
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    avianrandy
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    October 4th, 2021 at 9:33:14 AM permalink
    I remember when Pringles came out with their SuperStack can I think it was. My nephew actually took the time to count the number of pringles in a regualr can versus the SuperStack can and the number was identical but that didn't stop them marking up the price of the SuperStack can lol.
    gamerfreak
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    October 4th, 2021 at 10:53:47 AM permalink
    I have a FoodSaver vacuum sealer and buy big slabs of ground beef and chicken breast for <$1.99/lb and divide it into individual portions and freeze.

    The vacuum seal bags are a little bit expensive but still totally worth it. Properly sealed meat freezes nearly forever without losing much quality.
    AZDuffman
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    October 4th, 2021 at 10:56:29 AM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster




    one more that relates to quality, not price


    all grocery stores instruct their stockers to rotate the stock
    this means that when a new shipment comes in before putting it on the shelf they pull out the older stock out first and put it on the floor
    then they put the new stock in the back and the older stock in the front
    this way they don't get stuck with out of date stuff on the shelves that they have to throw away


    so, if you're going to buy a box of cereal - if you take the time to move the boxes and pick one from the back - a lot of the time you will get a much fresher product



    Not so much on dry groceries. I has been since the late 80s for me but we did not rotate dry grocery items. First, just not enough time. Second, half the time what came from the warehouse might have been older than what was on the shelf. Third, you "blocked" items meaning make the shelf look nice by bringing back to front. Dry grocery items have shelf lives of YEARS. At least once a year you will run out of a particular item so that took care of all the rotation. "Backstock" is not what it used to be but it also came into play, sat in back and was worked usually Sunday nights.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    AZDuffman
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    October 4th, 2021 at 11:00:17 AM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob



    Create pantry space at home so when you see canned goods on sale you can stock up. Once a year in my local store their brand of canned vegetables goes on super sale for one week. Something like green beans which is usually $0.69 a can goes on sale for 3 for a dollar. I'll buy 50 canof each and have enough green beans and canned tomatoes to last me a year.

  • link to original post



    The thing is to have a "stockpile." I did not do much couponing until one of those coupon shows was on Netflix at the same time I got into prepping. You do not need to go full Mormon and have a year's worth but buy canned tomatoes, beans, and marinara sauce when on sale. BOOM, spaghetti or chili just need ground meat. This also lessens your need and desire to eat out so much. Nothing like loading up on deals.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    EvenBob
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:18:58 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    i

    grocery stores usually keep fresh meat for 10 to 14 days



    Not in Michigan. I'm often and right there when they're stocking the freshly packaged meat and the expiration date is usually three days away. I've been buying almost expired meat for 40 years have never gotten anything bad, not once., I have saved probably thousands of dollars. I'll take almost expired $13 a pound ribeye for $3 a pound any day of the week
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    EvenBob
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:27:16 PM permalink
    "I have canned foods from 2017, all perfectly fine."

    In the 1980s a shipwreck was found in the cold waters of Lake Superior that sunk in the 1860s. It was full of canned goods. They chose a dozen or so random cans and had them tested. The food in them was 120 years old and it was still good, no bacteria. I'm sure it was inedible but if you had eaten it it would not have hurt you. My wife's parents in Montana had canned goods in the basement pantry that were fifteen and twenty years past expiration and they used them all the time. Canned meats and soups will especially last a long time. Things like canned fruit and tomatoes not nearly as long. I have hundreds of cans of fish and meat in my pantry and buy more of it all the time. Especially small cans of canned chicken because it's so versatile.
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:31:37 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    " Especially small cans of canned chicken because it's so versatil



    I prefer whole chicken canned. I have two of these at home now.

    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:32:10 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    " Especially small cans of canned chicken because it's so versatil



    I prefer whole chicken canned. I have two of these at home now.

    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:49:37 PM permalink
    Quote: AZDuffman

    Quote: EvenBob



    Create pantry space at home ...I'll buy 50 can of each and have enough green beans and canned tomatoes to last me a year.

  • link to original post



    The thing is to have a "stockpile." ... I got into prepping. You do not need to go full Mormon and have a year's worth but buy canned tomatoes, beans, and marinara sauce when on sale. BOOM, spaghetti or chili just need ground meat.... Nothing like loading up on deals.
  • link to original post



    OMG. I find myself agreeing with both EvenBob and AZDuffman in the same post!
    Wake me up!

    Meanwhile, As to DRich's canned whole chicken. Mum and Dad had one of those in a Christmas hamper in the 70s. I can still remember seeing it plop out of the can. A bit like this...
    https://youtu.be/zF2cfXIgMy4?t=104
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 12:59:07 PM permalink
    Quote: OnceDear



    Meanwhile, As to DRich's canned whole chicken. Mum and Dad had one of those in a Christmas hamper in the 70s. I can still remember seeing it plop out of the can. A bit like this...



    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    EvenBob
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:08:30 PM permalink
    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post



    A hamper in the States is where you store your dirty laundry. In Great Britain that could be anything. They call the trunk the boot. It's logical to call it the trunk because a horse and carriage would often have a trunk on the back to store things in. Why they call it a boot is a mystery.
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    MichaelBluejay
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:17:36 PM permalink
    The worst sale item I ever saw was bananas at a CVS on the strip.
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    Dieter
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:19:42 PM permalink
    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post



    In this sense, a hamper is what people in the US might consider a picnic basket.

    It's not uncommon to give or receive one stuffed with goodies for holidays.

    I can't quite convince my wife to try one of those chickens in a can, and I'm certainly not hungry enough to eat a whole one. How are they?
    May the cards fall in your favor.
    AZDuffman
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:25:12 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post



    A hamper in the States is where you store your dirty laundry. In Great Britain that could be anything. They call the trunk the boot. It's logical to call it the trunk because a horse and carriage would often have a trunk on the back to store things in. Why they call it a boot is a mystery.
  • link to original post



    They do not pronounce "aluminum" right either.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:43:56 PM permalink
    Quote: Dieter

    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post



    In this sense, a hamper is what people in the US might consider a picnic basket.

    It's not uncommon to give or receive one stuffed with goodies for holidays.

    I can't quite convince my wife to try one of those chickens in a can, and I'm certainly not hungry enough to eat a whole one. How are they?
  • link to original post



    They are edible at best. They definitely need to be rinsed off as the packing material is disgustingly salty.
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    gamerfreak
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    October 4th, 2021 at 1:50:24 PM permalink
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:00:08 PM permalink
    Quote: gamerfreak

  • link to original post



    I am going to have to look for that.
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:02:55 PM permalink
    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post



    Good question. An English thing?
    To us a hamper would normally be a Picnic basket. BUT, more recently the term would be used as a food parcel, such as you might deliver as an act of charity, as a gift, or might purchase as a themed parcel of food.

    Christmas hamper is a special case, where poor folk like my Mum and Dad would contribute to a weekly 'Christmas Club' saving scheme, and in December would cash in their savings for a selection of Christmas themed food. Back in those days, they just came as a cardboard box, not as a basket.

    Those schemes were popular in the 70s, but lost favour after a big player in that niche (Farepak) went bust and all their savers lost their money and got no Christmas dinner.

    The schemes were a terrible rip off anyway. The food was usually of mediocre quality and stupidly high price. Plus you usually got some rubbish that no-one would eat.

    https://www.marksandspencer.com/classic-christmas-hamper-with-fizz/p/hpp60052253
    https://www.fortnumandmason.com/seasonal-events/christmas/hampers
    https://www.aldi.co.uk/hampers
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    lilredrooster
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:03:29 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    I've been buying almost expired meat for 40 years




    𝙔𝙐𝘾𝙆!!!


    to quote Moon Unit Zappa


    𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 - 𝙜𝙖𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣



    Quote: EvenBob

    ___I used to work in a cookie factory and the cheapo local brand cookie was the exact same cookie we made for Nabisco and Sunshine and Keebler which they sold for much higher prices.




    a lot of the time that's not the case - and the lower quality is very obvious - to anybody with a discerning palate


    it may be the same factory making the cookies - but they use a lower grade of chocolate in the store brands - it's an inferior product - not always but quite often


    .
    Last edited by: lilredrooster on Oct 4, 2021
    Please don't feed the trolls
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:25:08 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post


    They call the trunk the boot. It's logical to call it the trunk because a horse and carriage would often have a trunk on the back to store things in. Why they call it a boot is a mystery.
  • link to original post

    And of course, the front of the car has a bonnet, where yours has a hood.
    Boot:
    From c. 1600 as "fixed external step of a coach." This later was extended to "low outside compartment used for stowing luggage" (1781) and hence the transferred use, of motor vehicles, in Britain, where American English has trunk (n.1).
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:31:52 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob

    I've been buying almost expired meat...

  • link to original post


    Did someone once say "You are what you eat"?

    $:o)
    Joking, folks.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:35:37 PM permalink
    Quote: OnceDear

    Quote: EvenBob

    Quote: DRich

    I have to ask, what is a Christmas hamper?

  • link to original post


    They call the trunk the boot. It's logical to call it the trunk because a horse and carriage would often have a trunk on the back to store things in. Why they call it a boot is a mystery.
  • link to original post

    And of course, the front of the car has a bonnet, where yours has a hood.
    Boot:
    From c. 1600 as "fixed external step of a coach." This later was extended to "low outside compartment used for stowing luggage" (1781) and hence the transferred use, of motor vehicles, in Britain, where American English has trunk (n.1).
  • link to original post



    I understand boot and bonnet, I had just never heard of a Christmas Hamper. I thought what an awful Christmas present. Who the hell wants a clothes hamper for a gift.
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:46:38 PM permalink
    Quote: DRich

    I understand boot and bonnet, I had just never heard of a Christmas Hamper. I thought what an awful Christmas present. Who the hell wants a clothes hamper for a gift.

  • link to original post

    We would call your Clothes hamper a laundry basket. Never a clothes hamper
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=laundry+basket

    I think the issue is that hampers are the woven baskets, not the contents.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    Dieter
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:51:33 PM permalink
    Quote: OnceDear

    And of course, the front of the car has a bonnet, where yours has a hood.

  • link to original post



    I would contend that bonnets are hinged toward the front of the automobile; hoods are hinged toward the rear. I believe "engine cover" is used when the hinge axis is perpendicular to the axles.
    It is a minor technical difference, generally lost to how the terms are commonly used.
    May the cards fall in your favor.
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 2:59:20 PM permalink
    Quote: Dieter

    Quote: OnceDear

    And of course, the front of the car has a bonnet, where yours has a hood.

  • link to original post



    I would contend that bonnets are hinged toward the front of the automobile; hoods are hinged toward the rear. I believe "engine cover" is used when the hinge axis is perpendicular to the axles.
    It is a minor technical difference, generally lost to how the terms are commonly used.
  • link to original post

    Our's are all bonnets, wherever they hinge. Keep engine cover for those poor confused creatures where the engine is in the back, like the VW Beetle.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    Dieter
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:08:43 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster


    it may be the same factory making the cookies - but they use a lower grade of chocolate in the store brands - it's an inferior product not always but quite often
    .

  • link to original post



    I would suggest a double blind taste test.

    We did a project in science class; test subjects were US middle school students. Objects under test were various store and national brands of similar products.

    The store brand windmill cookies were largely preferred, as was the regional brand of cola. There were some surprises in the canned pasta test; more people picked the store brand spaghetti ooze than thought they would. Snack day was a hit.

    We also did some basic analysis (titration to neutral pH type stuff) of some generic vs national brand cleaning products. Surprise, white vinegar is white vinegar, ammonia is ammonia, and bleach is bleach - check the percentage strength.
    May the cards fall in your favor.
    DRich
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:11:55 PM permalink
    Quote: Dieter

    Quote: lilredrooster


    it may be the same factory making the cookies - but they use a lower grade of chocolate in the store brands - it's an inferior product not always but quite often
    .

  • link to original post



    I would suggest a double blind taste test.

    We did a project in science class; test subjects were US middle school students. Objects under test were various store and national brands of similar products.

    The store brand windmill cookies were largely preferred, as was the regional brand of cola. There were some surprises in the canned pasta test; more people picked the store brand spaghetti ooze than thought they would. Snack day was a hit.

    We also did some basic analysis (titration to neutral pH type stuff) of some generic vs national brand cleaning products. Surprise, white vinegar is white vinegar, ammonia is ammonia, and bleach is bleach - check the percentage strength.
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    I have found that most of the generic store brands are exactly the same as the name brand when you look at ingredients and nutritional values. Clearly the same company is making both and just putting them in different packages.
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    lilredrooster
    lilredrooster
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:40:27 PM permalink
    Quote: DRich



    I have found that most of the generic store brands are exactly the same as the name brand when you look at ingredients and nutritional values.




    since you used the word "most" this obviously doesn't prove that you're wrong


    anyway - "Famous Amos" is a name brand that IMO puts out a very good chocolate chip cookie

    I love chocolate chip cookies but I've found an awful lot of them just don't make the grade

    I don't believe you're ever going to find a store brand equal to "Famous Amos" - or if you do - it will be very, very hard to find

    another example is ice cream - IMO the best of the name brands is "Breyers", "Ben and Jerry's" and "Haagen Dazs"

    I've bought the store brand ice cream where I live - it's not even remotely close in quality to those brands


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    EvenBob
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:43:54 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    𝙔𝙐𝘾𝙆!!!


    to quote Moon Unit Zappa


    𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 - 𝙜𝙖𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣






    a lot of the time that's not the case - and the lower quality is very obvious - to anybody with a discerning palate


    it may be the same factory making the cookies - but they use a lower grade of chocolate in the store brands - it's an inferior product - not always but quite often


    .

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    I bet you're one of those people who take a $15 cut of steak and get it cooked well done because you're terrified of eating anything that's red in the middle.
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    gamerfreak
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:46:01 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    since you used the word "most" this obviously doesn't prove that you're wrong


    anyway - "Famous Amos" is a name brand that IMO puts out a very good chocolate chip cookie

    I love chocolate chip cookies but I've found an awful lot of them just don't make the grade

    I don't believe you're ever going to find a store brand equal to "Famous Amos" - or if you do - it will be very, very hard to find

    another example is ice cream - IMO the best of the name brands is "Breyers", "Ben and Jerry's" and "Haagen Dazs"

    I've bought the store brand ice cream where I live - it's not even remotely close in quality to those brands


    .

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    Store brand Ketchup does not hit the same as Heinz
    EvenBob
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    October 4th, 2021 at 3:53:31 PM permalink
    Quote: OnceDear

    Quote: EvenBob

    I've been buying almost expired meat...

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    Did someone once say "You are what you eat"?

    $:o)
    Joking, folks.
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    If I cook you a pot roast of beef they put out for sale today and one that expires today I absolutely guarantee you will not be able to tell the difference. This is not 1895 where meat went bad in 2 days. It's constantly refrigerated and the sell-by date is not a 'gone bad' date. It's a date to sell it BEFORE it goes bad. It's illegal in all 50 states to sell spoiled meat. Why do people here seem to think the sell-by date means it's gone bad? I don't get it. You can almost always keep meat 2 days past the sell-by date and it's still fine. Or even longer.

    "For sell-by dates, you can continue to store the food for a short amount of time depending on what it is. Some common products are: ground meat and poultry (1-2 days past the date), beef (3-5 days past the date), eggs (3-5 weeks past the date)"
    "It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
    OnceDear
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    October 4th, 2021 at 4:15:56 PM permalink
    Quote: EvenBob


    If I cook you a pot roast of beef they put out for sale today and one that expires today I absolutely guarantee you will not be able to tell the difference. This is not 1895 where meat went bad in 2 days. It's constantly refrigerated and the sell-by date is not a 'gone bad' date. It's a date to sell it BEFORE it goes bad. It's illegal in all 50 states to sell spoiled meat. Why do people here seem to think the sell-by date means it's gone bad? I don't get it. You can almost always keep meat 2 days past the sell-by date and it's still fine. Or even longer.

    "For sell-by dates, you can continue to store the food for a short amount of time depending on what it is. Some common products are: ground meat and poultry (1-2 days past the date), beef (3-5 days past the date), eggs (3-5 weeks past the date)"

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    I was joking EB, and I do mostly agree with you. We rarely see "Sell by" Date in the UK. Mostly "Best Before" for boxes and cans and "Use By" only seen on stuff that is truly perishable and dangerous.
    For BBE dates, I estimate the stated shelf life and double it. So a can of meat labelled BBE 2025 purchased in 2020, would get 2030 written on it in marker pen... Yes. I have an extremely well stocked pantry.
    However, I've had several bad experiences with chicken and pork. I've had both that were well within use by date, but because they had been very badly stored, they were already putrid. There's something disturbing, politely but firmly, returning a stinking oven ready chicken or a lump of mouldy cheese to your local store. Done that. Gotta encourage them to buck their ideas up. Now if I buy meat near it's expiry date, I never try to freeze it. It gets examined, sniffed and cooked ASAP. Only quality fresh meat gets into my freezers. And it stays there a long time.
    Shout out to gamerfreak, who mentioned the FoodSaver vac packer. Brilliant piece of kit.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    lilredrooster
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    October 5th, 2021 at 1:39:14 AM permalink
    _________


    all my life I've loved coffee - and I've always brewed my own

    instant coffee just didn't measure up

    except recently I was at an Asian store and the were selling a granulated instant called "Colaco" from Columbia

    it's not in the big U.S. stores

    it looked really good and I decided to give it a try - and what a surprise - it's really very, very good

    I'll never brew coffee again - and I'll never get stuck with cleaning up that mess afterwards



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    DRich
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    October 5th, 2021 at 8:13:16 AM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    since you used the word "most" this obviously doesn't prove that you're wrong


    anyway - "Famous Amos" is a name brand that IMO puts out a very good chocolate chip cookie

    I love chocolate chip cookies but I've found an awful lot of them just don't make the grade

    I don't believe you're ever going to find a store brand equal to "Famous Amos" - or if you do - it will be very, very hard to find

    another example is ice cream - IMO the best of the name brands is "Breyers", "Ben and Jerry's" and "Haagen Dazs"

    I've bought the store brand ice cream where I live - it's not even remotely close in quality to those brands


    .

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    I would never argue your example. The way I look at it is that the store brands are generally made by the biggest name in their space. The store brand of corn flakes is most likely made by Kellogs and is the same as their corn flakes, the store brand of macaroni and cheese is probably made by Kraft. I am not saying that they are the best products in their category, but usually the same as the big name brand. In your cookie example a better comparison would probably be the store brand of chocolate chip cookies compared to "Chips Ahoy".
    At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
    AZDuffman
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    October 5th, 2021 at 8:45:26 AM permalink
    Quote: gamerfreak


    Store brand Ketchup does not hit the same as Heinz



    Because the recipe is not the same. I think it was NyQuil that they had a message inside the box saying they did not make private label products for anyone.

    Some things are the same. We had a local bread called "Town Talk" years ago. Same place made Wonder Bread. Came out of the same ovens, labeled side by side so any loaf could be either bread. Took the grade school tour and saw it. 8 or so years later working in the grocery store we are out of Town Talk and I tried to tell the woman Wonder was the exact same bread, Didn't matter she didn't buy bread that day.

    Some things are "seconds." Aldi spices are McCormick seconds. Even though same place makes it not quite the same, though for most home use the Aldi should be just as good.

    It is all about knowing and caring what is better. I used to tell my dad they could give away the other ketchup I was buying Heinz. Other items I am not as particular on.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    OnceDear
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    October 5th, 2021 at 9:26:12 AM permalink
    Quote:


    I would never argue your example. The way I look at it is that the store brands are generally made by the biggest name in their space. The store brand of corn flakes is most likely made by Kellogs and is the same as their corn flakes, the store brand of macaroni and cheese is probably made by Kraft.

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    As I understand it, in some product markets, it's the 2nd or 3rd rank manufacturer that does the store brand product.
    For example, in the UK. canned soup and veg used to be Heinz, Crosse and Blackwell, Baxters or store brand.
    Heinz would not make soup for any other label but Crosse And Blackwell sent most of their production to be store branded and virtually withdrew as a brand. That seems a common theme where the brands go down the path of high margin or high volume.
    Psalm 25:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Proverbs 18:2 A fool finds no satisfaction in trying to understand, for he would rather express his own opinion.
    mcallister3200
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    October 5th, 2021 at 9:48:41 AM permalink
    I assume different industries are different. I worked at a beef jerky manufacturer or food company that processed and packaged it for about a year. I’d worked briefly in the “kitchen” for about a week (raw slabs of meat put it on a hook on the conveyor belt come home from work up to elbows in cow blood stained shirts stuff), where the finished/semi finished product goes through the machines for a bit, and then in the warehouse filling orders the majority of my stay. Jack Links, Bridgeford, Franks Red Hot, it’s all the same beef and exact same manufacturer(at least in that region) but they come out entirely different.

    Occasionally I’d bring a box full of dozens of beef jerky bags that didn’t properly package (flat, no air in bag) that made it through line to warehouse. I never had a desire to eat any of it while I worked there, I can tolerate beef jerky if I’ haven’t eaten meat for a few days now.
    AZDuffman
    AZDuffman
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    October 5th, 2021 at 10:51:56 AM permalink
    Quote: OnceDear



    As I understand it, in some product markets, it's the 2nd or 3rd rank manufacturer that does the store brand product.



    The top-brand has little reason to make a store brand. Eventually people wonder why pay for the top brand.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    mosss45
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    October 5th, 2021 at 11:54:16 AM permalink
    Really interesting secrets. I never even thought that I was a victim of marketing.
    coachbelly
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    October 5th, 2021 at 12:20:17 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    I was at an Asian store and the were selling a granulated instant called "Colaco" from Columbia



    Is that the correct spelling of the product?

    I googled Colaco and the search didn't return anything with that spelling.

    Amazon does carry "Colcafe" which is instant coffee from Columbia.

    Is that the product you meant?
    AZDuffman
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    October 5th, 2021 at 12:29:44 PM permalink
    Quote: mosss45

    Really interesting secrets. I never even thought that I was a victim of marketing.

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    Victim? That is a tad harsh,

    Occasionally I will intentionally "buy marketing." IOW, I know they are doing something to draw me but it looks good enough that I say "OK." I just started buying this "coffeehouse" half and half in a black carton. The stuff is great! Marketing got me to try, quality kept me.

    I think being an unmotivatable and cynical SOB while not good at work keeps you on your toes for marketing games. Don Draper would never reach me.
    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
    lilredrooster
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    October 5th, 2021 at 12:47:31 PM permalink
    Quote: coachbelly



    Amazon does carry "Colcafe" which is instant coffee from Columbia.

    Is that the product you meant?

  • link to original post




    yes, that's it - I messed it up in my OP

    I have avoided instant coffee like the plague for decades until I found this stuff

    if you do decide to buy it you might make sure it's granulated - I think they also sell it as powdered and it's not as good

    also, they sell 3 in 1 which means it includes some cream and a small amount of sugar - haven't tried that one - but I'm guessing it's pretty good -

    I also drink another 3 in 1 instant coffee from Korea - white coffee which is quite good - the brand is Maxim White Gold

    white coffee is originally from Indonesia - "In Indonesia, the term white coffee or kopi putih refers to coffee beans which are roasted less than regular coffee beans. The shorter and lower heat roasting yields lighter-colored coffee beans, called biji kopi putih or white coffee beans. The white coffee beans are harder and different in taste than regular coffee beans. White coffee has a savory and mild taste compared to its regular counterpart. Due to its shorter roasting time, white coffee has a higher concentration of caffeine"

    actually I alternate between the 2 instants - Colcafe and Maxim White Gold coffee - I've found the Korean white coffee is superior to the Indonesian white coffee that is available in Asian stores near me

    I'm a coffee lover who is very happy with the changes I've made


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    coachbelly
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    October 5th, 2021 at 1:11:48 PM permalink
    Quote: lilredrooster

    I'm a coffee lover


    Same here, and always in search of better coffee...even tried that civet cat coffee.

    It was OK, flavor not as not as notable as its origin.

    I can't remember the last time I drank instant, but as a young child my father made us both a cup of instant every morning before he left for work.

    Thanks for the tips, looking forward to both Colcafe and Maxim White Gold.

    Cleaning and packing up the technivorm before checkout is getting old.
    lilredrooster
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    Joeman
    October 6th, 2021 at 3:02:03 AM permalink
    _________


    off the thread topic but - anyway - re coffee_________


    IMO while on the road 7 Eleven is an excellent coffee choice

    they have several different brews - most are quite strong - and lots of different cream choices

    also, they have a cappuccino machine with 4 or 5 flavors and they don't charge more for it - same price as their regular brew

    they also recently added a really good cold brew - which I like in the summertime

    I believe coffee is a top priority for them - when their corporate people come to inspect they're going to demand that coffee is done right

    they beat the heck out of Starbucks IMO which btw is - again IMO - the most overrated business in the history of the world


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