And It. Was. Delicious!
So last week I posted about how I’ve been experimenting with ALDI shopping for the last few months. What I didn’t tell you when I posted that was part of my reason for posting was that I was looking forward to your comments to see how you felt about ALDI! Becauuuuse, at the end of last week I got to take a trip to ALDI headquarters in Batavia, Illinois for a fun demonstration at their ALDI Taste Kitchen! Since I was already an ALDI fan, I was super-geeked out about going, and I have returned an ever bigger ALDI enthusiast!
The ALDI team started out by assembling a small group of bloggers for a “Switch & Save” taste test. We tasted identical items – one ALDI brand, and one name-brand, to see if we could tell which was which. We tried a variety of drinks, snacks, and cheeses, and I couldn’t tell the difference at all! The ALDI brand tasted as good as the name brand every time. And of course, the ALDI label items typically cost about 30% less!
Next, we sampled some fabulously tasty holiday-themed appetizers. Here’s Liz from ALDI telling us about the delicious taste experience on which we were about to embark!
My favorite was the Thanksgiving in a Bite. OMMZeees!! It’s ridiculous! You’ll be able to get the recipe on ALDI’s website starting October 31st. Start a countdown for this blessed event now.
Just when I thought I’d experienced culinary perfection, the ALDI chefs served us an amazing holiday dinner! A ham with a balsamic-apple cider glaze, the most divine green bean casserole you’ve ever had, and au gratin potatoes I might shove my grandmother out of the way to get to.
It was all crazy good! Cray-to-the-zee! And all prepared with food and ingredients from ALDI!
The next morning, after we slept off our food hangover, we got to go on a tour of an ALDI store. This might’ve been my favorite part of the whole event! I learned so much, and the very coolest thing I learned I thought it’d be easier to tell you about via quick video:
Check out any box or bag of product you have from ALDI and count the bar codes! Isn’t that genius?? I can’t believe I never noticed that before!
Part of the reason ALDI can keep their prices so low is that they run their stores with 3-5 employees at a time instead of 50 bajillion. With only a couple check lanes open, lines can get long. But these multiple bar codes keep cashiers moving your items down the line lickety-split and keep check lanes moving at lightning speed! Also, ALDI employees ALL cashier as well as stock the store, and even part-time employees get full medical and dental benefits. Say what? Can I have a job in about 4 years when Jonah goes to kindergarten, please ALDI?
While on our store tour, we each picked up a secret ingredient to take back to ALDI’s test kitchen because we were about to embark on a guacamole challenge! I LOVES me some guacamole, as you may remember – and my secret ingredient was sour cream. Not very creative, I know, but the list of ingredients they already had in the taste kitchen was extensive! We had a blast making our guac!
We had a taste test and voted for winners and MINE DID NOT WIN. Which, as I’m sure you realize, is a travesty! But I got to have lots of good guac so I let it slide. Then, we moved on to lunch, which was an amazing all-ALDI taco bar! The pork carnitas were to die for!
Everything we ate while we were there was 100% ALDI product and 100% FABULOUS! I couldn’t have been more impressed with the chefs or the recipes.
After lunch it was time to go. I was anxious to get home to my babies but sad to leave because in real life? No one drives me around in a town car and prepares gourmet meals for me!
I got home Friday night and Sunday afternoon I ran out to ALDI to do our week’s grocery shopping. I tried a few new things based on my experience – like ALDI’s chocolate syrup. I am a DIE-HARD Hershey’s fan, but I really like the ALDI brand! And it is $1.39 compared to $2.08 for the Hershey’s so I think this mama is switching brands! Crazy, right?
The ALDI difference really IS crazy – the great products, the low prices, and the efficient way they run their stores. I was super-impressed and I’m an even happier ALDI shopper now!
So, for those of you who haven’t…did I convince you to give ALDI a try?
I also love Aldi..especially their produce, fresh pizzas, dairy items, etc…They have alot of international foods from Europe that I also like to buy from time to time. The quality is excellent and my family can’t tell the difference in their brand or name brand.
Oh my gosh…I love tours! Sounds like you had a great time!
I always wondered why their products have more than one bar code on them – now I know!
First, I lol’d at Jonah’s dry heave from almost gagging himself with his straw!
Second, ok, yes, I’ll give Aldi a try sometime soon after hearing your testimonial! There are only 2 that I know of in my area and they aren’t super close to me, but I’ll have to stop in sometime and check it out. I’ve always been kind of weary of Aldi cause I knew they didn’t carry brand names, and honestly that weirded me out. I’m not always brand loyal, but off brands sometimes scare me depending on the product. But, you have convinced me to give them a shot because I DO like saving money! Did I see a gallon of milk up there for $1.88!!!???
Shaina, Jonah cracked me up too! I am really glad he did not ruin our video by spewing. Ha!
The milk was $1.88 in the Chicago area! CRAZY! Here in Dayton it is $2.29 this week, still much less than other stores. Two weeks ago it was on sale for $1.99 here! Hope you like what you find at ALDI!
It’s funny, ALDI can run the store with fewer employees in place while Wal-Mart, with less staff always has a logjam at the checkout.
Hmmm. Wonder why?
PS…Johan is the cutest evah!!
UP
Love ALDI any insight on the 99cent 3lb bag of apples?! I’ve got a hankering for apple crisp!
My store is hiring and said cashier make $12/hr. not too shabby!
The apples are good! I buy a bag just about every week.
I’ve heard they treat their employees well – that is always a great thing and isn’t always true of bargain shopping places.
I’ll have to try their chocolate syrup. I don’t know why I get nervous about trying some of their things because there have been very few that I haven’t liked. I guess there are just some things I tend to be brand loyal about. But I’m starting to let go of some of that in the name of being frugal.
Sounds like a fun trip.
I used to work at Aldi’s a few years ago. It was a great experience, and it was awesome to see how things work begind the scenes. They pay their employees very well, and they offer EXCELLENT benefits.. I wanted to add that if you try something you don’t like, just take it back to the store. They will refund your money to you. It’s very simple.
I heart Aldi. Just came home from a trip today! Just an FYI to some of your readers, occasionally, they carry as special promotions, name brands (i.e. saw some Corn Pops today and last week I purchased some Adam and Eve juice boxes AND they have Mars Brand candy there right now – probably for Halloween). However, I find that I do not need name brand items for flavor. Their canned goods are great. Another thing I’ve noticed, their Fit and Active Brand seems to have less processed ingredients than traditional items. My kids love their fruit leathers and they are all natural. And their hummus tastes as good as Sabra to me AND I won’t buy any other refrigerated salsa. FYI – paid $1.69 for a tub of hummus and $1.99 for a tub of fresh salsa. So drink the Kool Aid. Once you do, and you see how tasty everything is AND how much money you save, you’ll keep coming back.
Christan,
My kids eat the Fit & Active fruit leathers like they are going out of style! I love them too, they are goo-ood! Thanks for your ALDI insight!!
I just went to Aldi’s for the 1st time ever to buy a patio heater. My husband spotted it in their ad. And when we went, I was super impressed! We weren’t going straight home, so I only bought a few grocery items. But what I did buy, we were totally happy with! I will definitely be heading back soon!
I love Aldis I just wish they had one in Lubbock TX.
I don’t normally post on blogs but I didn’t want to pass up a chance to show my support for Aldi. I do the majority of my family’s grocery shopping. I shop Aldi because of their prices, but I am posting because of their quality. We have a friend who works for a company that does the shipping for Aldi in the Midwest. Not all of their products but some of them come from the same producers as the name brands. I buy everything I can at Aldi, I look forward to shopping there. It’s much faster than anywhere else. The way the stores are laid out makes it so easy to shop. Aldi is my grocery store hero!
Oh Aldi. I loved reading your take on this topic, and it reminds me why I am so torn. I have a love/hate relationship with Aldi. First there is only one in our area and it is way the heck on the wrong side of town (and it’s not in the best part of town). My mother in law introduced me to Aldi. She loves the fact that it “feels” like a European grocer and she is from Germany. I love the pay deposits for shopping carts, the selection, and the speed of service. I’m never disappointed in that part of the experience. My problem is that the store is not clean. It is cluttered, dirty, and it smells. (I will not go into details but it’s NOT good.) I never buy produce there because i have images of that being the source of the smells. I mentioned that it is not in a good area, and the parking lot is dirty and kinda scary depending on the time of day. I love their prices and their items, but in my town it’s just not worth it to go there. If I am going to drive that far then there is a Save A Lot in the next shopping center that is cleaner and feels safer. Sad to say, I would rather fight the crowds at the “evil conglomerate” better known as WM and I despise that store. Maybe you can pass this along to the Aldi people…..perhaps they can clean up our store or open a new one in a better area!
Hey Paige! I know the ALDI team will be reading this. I’m sure they’d be interested to know the location of your store!