What are some generic brand products that are good enough to cheap out on?

ponzufish on 30/12/2017 - 03:27
Last edited 30/12/2017 - 03:28

I puree chopped can tomatoes for pasta sauce so often I've been thinking just to buy the cheapest coles versions rather than annalisa or mutti polpa. Considering the amount of sauce I've made overtime it would be a good saving option. I'm just not the one who constantly eats my pasta (my boyfriend does) so I don't know whether there's actually a noticeable drop in quality when I go for the generic brand.

Also what other generic brand products in your opinion are not noticeably worse than their branded counterparts? Please share

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • atris17 on 30/12/2017 - 03:54
    +6

    Pharmaceutical product, same active ingridient. Different Packaging

    • airzone on 30/12/2017 - 13:56
      +1

      Panadol have a nice skin on the tablets. Panamax don't seem to, and I cop the bitter taste of paracetamol. Of course the bitter taste of paying extra for basically the same thing is worse :p

      • BertieBrown on 30/12/2017 - 21:07

        Some tabs are sugar coated or capsule to make them more palatable. I find the same thing with powder tabs like Coles paracetamol in either capsule or tab form, it might be worth trying to take with some milk, that may mask the taste a bit more?

      • ponzufish on 31/12/2017 - 04:23

        I agree, but i go nurofen over panadol for the roundness and it tastes sweeter.

        • snowcold on 31/12/2017 - 10:36
          +2

          Paracetamol is way safer than Nurofen in terms of side effects

  • MishyMoo on 30/12/2017 - 05:28
    +1

    I really like your subject, but can't help myself in letting you know that I've read some not good things about tinned tomatoes (vs tomatoes in jars). Google will tell you more if you're interested.

    • drunkenmonkee on 30/12/2017 - 06:48
      +4

      You should provide more information

      • MishyMoo on 30/12/2017 - 07:00
        +2

        Yes, I know..Thank you for taking the time to comment.

        I'm tired of seeing positive comments shot down by nay-sayers any time that something slightly alternative is mentioned on OzB… and am hoping that my brief comments may relieve me of those type of crappy responses.

        Those interested will Google.

  • ajh on 30/12/2017 - 06:50
    +1

    Supermarket brand tuna.

    • tonyjzx on 01/01/2018 - 20:08

      i dont eat tuna any more due to the mercury load but i dont mind sardines but strangely the best is black and gold

      all the rest dont seem as good

      when i was eating tuna most of them were crap compared to brands

  • chumlee on 30/12/2017 - 06:55
    +27

    Car insurance.

    Better to go without any insurance and just post on ozbargain when you have an accident to determine your options

    • Pharos5 on 30/12/2017 - 07:30
      +9

      I always go for name-brand bikies instead of those generic ones. They never quite get the job done.

      • holdenmg on 30/12/2017 - 07:48
        +2

        Yep, Aldi brand bikies never gonna get the job done. lol

      • EightImmortals on 30/12/2017 - 08:53

        Meh if they aint Hell's Angels you're getting ripped off, nothing is as good as the originals.

    • BertieBrown on 30/12/2017 - 21:09

      I'd give two upvotes if I could!

  • mskeggs on 30/12/2017 - 10:18
    +1

    The question is very hard to answer, as you have specified you don’t want to take any risk yourself if the taste isn’t ideal.
    For me, many items, but definitely milk, butter, non-cola soft drinks, flour, salt, sugars, tomatoes, simple breakfast cereals and some more.
    Things I still prefer brand name are jams, tea, coffee, ice cream and most “luxuries” like biscuits, desserts etc.

  • Savas on 30/12/2017 - 10:52
    +2

    thanks for putting our Aussie tomato growers out of business

    • No on 30/12/2017 - 11:16
      +2

      annalisa and mutti polpa are from Italy

  • retiredfeline on 30/12/2017 - 11:06
    +2

    Aldi's wheat biscuits are probably also made by Sanitarium.

    Just do the taste test on the purees and go with what you like.

    But from what I've read about Mutti, I think I'll avoid them: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/oct/24/t…

  • kolorijo on 30/12/2017 - 11:16

    All purpose cleaner spray

  • MsBin on 30/12/2017 - 11:44
    +2

    Most of the Aldi brands of household staples are decent enough for the price- sugar, salt, oils, sauces, cling wrap and foil, hand wash etc. I use their organic tinned tomatoes for making sauces or just pick up jars of passata in bulk from my local fruitgrocer/ deli whenever it’s on sale.

  • buckster on 30/12/2017 - 12:30
    +3

    Vinegar, still don't understand how on earth there could be a difference between homebrand and brand

  • Quantumcat on 30/12/2017 - 14:06
    +1

    Homebrand raspberry jam was better than any branded jam. But sadly it seems to have disappeared. The plum jam is nice but raspberry is my favourite. Bonne Maman is nearly as good but not quite, and costs 3 times as much.

    Homebrand orange juice is also nicer than any other orange juice except for maybe the one with the stick figure that says only 21 oranges on it. The others all taste kind of fake like it is mixed with cordial or something.

    Nothing wrong with Homebrand pasta

    Woolworths freshly baked bread is delicious, a gazillion times better than anything off the shelf no matter what brand. Bread off the shelf has a chewy plasticky texture. Coles bread is OK, not quite as nice and there are only little loaves. Woolworths has proper 800g loaves and cut thickly for delicious toast or sandwiches that you can hardly get your mouth around

    Homebrand sweet and sour sauce is fine

    Homebrand corn kernels are fine

    Homebrand butter (unsalted rectangular prisms for cooking) and flour are fine

    • Sweet3st on 31/12/2017 - 11:03
      +3

      Yes I buy the Woolies freshly baked sourdough… if you go in after 8pm it's usually marked down to $1 :)

  • markathome on 30/12/2017 - 16:59

    Coles or Woolworths spring water - I challenge you to tell me the difference. And if you can, then explain, how it is worth an extra $1.80 a bottle. The only reason I can see paying more for spring water is if you wanted to reuse the bottle.

    • ponzufish on 31/12/2017 - 04:27
      +1

      I've found the woolies spring water bottles to be stiffer than the coles ones that are crinkly so there's that

  • BertieBrown on 30/12/2017 - 21:13
    +1

    A lot of the cheaper K-Mart clothes are fine; t-shirts (mens) I've found last me quite a while before they feel like they need to be replaced, they're just plain and obviously very subjective but quality wise they're fine.

    The cheaper brand hand tools are fine for the most part I've found too, I.E; Bunnings home brand and cheaper hand tools like files, saws and hammers and the like. Also, I've found the cheaper silicon to be fine as well.

    Fly spray, the cheaper gear kills insects just as well as the more expensive stuff.

    • Shanda on 01/01/2018 - 19:05
      +1

      Coles brand fly spray is the best I have ever used.

  • phocus on 03/01/2018 - 16:35

    I've always found that branded tools have been better than the bunnings home brand types. After buying heaps of craftright/trojan stuff, Im sick of their stuff only working for 3 times then needing to be replaced.

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