Favorite Trader Joe's items

[The Big Ragu]

I am not sure if this thread has been done. But here goes. We mostly grab bags of arugula (although we try to stay away from most of their other produce -- not fresh and overpriced) and milk and half and half, but those are boring.We don't do a lot of the prepackaged foods. But we get a lot of our staples there.I'll get it started and keep it to 10:

1) Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream. ... we don't do it often, but it is the best coffee ice cream I have ever had.
2) Premium 100% Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil. . ... We use a lot of olive oil and have tried all of their oils. Most of them are the same crap being passed off as virgin @ other supermarkets. Skunky, past their shelf life and who knows where it was actually sourced. The Kalamata oil is consistently fresh, in my experience, and in terms of bang for the buck rivals pricier oils from elsewhere. The California Estate Olive Oil is not horrible.
3) European Style Organic Plain Yogurt -- pretty close to the stuff you actually get in France (where yogurt has a creamier, smoother consistency).
4) Aceto Balsamico di Modena I.G.P. We use a lot of balsamic vinegar and this stuff is very good. Aged 10 years. There is a more basic Balsamic (labeled PGI) that isn't as good, but is a lot cheaper. Given that we drink the stuff like it is water, we use that stuff a lot when we aren't being particular. It isn't nearly as good.
5) 100% Pure Vermont Maple Syrup. They have a lot of varieties of maple syrup. This is our go to. Pricey, but not compared to similar quality at other places.
6) Roasted Plantain Chips. Dangerous. They have a sweet plantain chip, too, that is pretty good. These are salty.
7) Their specialty cheese, in general, but in terms of really good value: They have an imported comte, camembert and a parmigiano reggiano that are imported, authentic and priced as good as you are going to find in the U.S.
8) Frozen roasted corn. It's fire roasted. I throw this into so many recipes.
9) Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo. Yeah, I was dubious. Shampoo from Trader Joe's. But the stuff really does the tingly scalp thing they advertise on the bottle. It's great for someone like me, who has dry hair (what hair I have left, at least).
10) Flowers. ... they aren't as fresh or as good as the ones at the nice flower shop. But they are really inexpensive.

 

[SpeedTchr]

Thank goodness there's not a chance in hell I ever get invited to your place for dinner.

TBS, my favorite TJ items:

-- ginger snaps
-- pretzel rolls
-- pounder bars of chocolate with almonds
-- challah bread (when it's soft and chewy)
-- peanut butter cups, 36 count
-- whatever pastries look good

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Around the holidays, the peppermint JoJo cookies. We also buy a ton of yogurt there.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Bananas and I got brown eggs there for like a $1.29 so that was great.

And those olive oil kettle potato chips are dope.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

Also this

 

[The Big Ragu]

Around the holidays, the peppermint JoJo cookies. We also buy a ton of yogurt there.

I believe on the east coast at least, their yogurts are Stonyfield Farms with a private label on it.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

I believe on the east coast at least, their yogurts are Stonyfield Farms with a private label on it.

The TJ whole milk vanilla seems to have a thicker consistency than what I've gotten at the regular super market, but I'm not sure if I've tried the Stonyfield equivalent.

 

[ChrisLong]

The things that look like Cheetos but are not (as) bad for you.
Oh, and the greeting cards. Most have simple, serene covers and are blank on the inside. I can write better than they can. And they cost $1.

 

[JakeandElwood]

Don't you mean favorite Aldi items?

 

[amraeder]

 

[ICanRowCanoe?]

I am with you on the plantain chips. I have them with guac and it's terrific.

They have chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar that is one of my all-time favorite snacks. Such an awesome blend of sweet and salty.

Only other thing I really love there is the sliced sirloin. It works for Whole30 and is really nice to have on hand for quick meals.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

The cheese selection is outstanding. From the specialty stuff, to the flavored Pub Cheese. And the sliced smoked Gouda is a favorite.

I love getting inexpensive whole pineapples.

Totally agree on the frozen roasted corn. And a bit fan of their unsalted crunchy peanut butter.

I know I’m forgetting a few things. A guilty pleasure is the Orange Chicken.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Agreed on flowers. Also, the salt and pepper potato chips are outstanding. They used to have spicy flaxseed chips which were pretty good and seemed healthy, but now they just have the plain in the orange bags which don't taste like anything.

 

[The Big Ragu]

The cheese selection is outstanding. From the specialty stuff, to the flavored Pub Cheese. And the sliced smoked Gouda is a favorite.

I love getting inexpensive whole pineapples.

Totally agree on the frozen roasted corn. And a bit fan of their unsalted crunchy peanut butter.

I know I’m forgetting a few things. A guilty pleasure is the Orange Chicken.

Interesting that you said that. We get 99 percent our produce elsewhere. TJ's stuff isn't very good, in my experience. But one thing we will occasionally grab there is a pineapple -- if we can find one that is ripe. Tthey tend to have a bin full of them that were harvested way too early.

 

[Songbird]

I don't think I've ever been in a Trader Joe's.

 

[Scout]

Coffee, chips, wine...

Oh, the shaving lotion is amazing. I will go there just for that.

But, Aldi is better IMHO because everything costs less, including meats, milk and cheese.

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

They carry an aged Gouda cheese that is among my very favorites.

Oh, and the maple sandwich cookies.

 

[playthrough]

Interesting that you said that. We get 99 percent our produce elsewhere. TJ's stuff isn't very good, in my experience. But one thing we will occasionally grab there is a pineapple -- if we can find one that is ripe. Tthey tend to have a bin full of them that were harvested way too early.

I'm with you, we've found the produce to be very mediocre. But that's about the only complaint.

Good shopping/checkout experience too, though I feel like an Earth-raping a-hole when I walk in there without my own canvas bag or paper from the last visit. Might just go full heel at some point and throw down a wad of old supermarket plastic bags.

 

[X-Hack]

We get about 2/3 of our groceries at TJs because it's pretty inexpensive and reasonably decent quality. Most produce isn't very good but if the berries look fresh, we'll buy those and we'll get bagged broccoli and cauliflower florets, bagged arugula and the small Persian cucumbers. And we get our eggs there. In terms of favorites:
-Single serving guacamole
-Hot pico de gallo
-Mediterranean hummus
-jarred, pitted kalamata olives
-Frozen grass-fed angus burgers (for when I'm not grilling that day)
-Frozen grilled chicken strips (not bad to microwave and toss on a salad)
-Frozen bags of shrimp -- good quality, cheaper than elsewhere
-Organic boneless chicken thighs (good for grilling and for the crockpot)
-Spicy Italian chicken sausages and spicy chicken andouille

Also -- I buy beer there. Simpler Times is a great lawnmower beer and the Trader Joe's brand bombers of Belgian-style ale (contract brewed by Unibroue) are solid. And they have a good selection of local stuff (Jack's Abby, Night Shift, etc.)

We generally do not buy fruit, meat, fish or pasta there -- we go to Whole Foods for the rest of the staples (it's worth it for the quality of their fresh meats, fish and produce) and if you stick to the 365 brand for prepackaged stuff, it's not as outrageously expensive as people think it is.

 

[trifectarich]

I don't think I've ever been in a Trader Joe's.

I've been in one; no need to return. The fascination escapes me.