Review ALDI

ALDI TOPS LATEST WHICH?

Which? Magazine has named two of Aldi’s everyday products, Magnum Premium Original Washing Up Liquid and Del Rivo Orange Juice, as best on the market following independent tests against branded and supermarket own label products.

This is the first time in 20 years that Fairy has been beaten in a Which? test, with Aldi’s Magnum Premium Original Washing Up Liquid beating off competition from the brand leader and other own label products from supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

Which? Magazine tested each product’s ability to remove fat by counting the number of dirty plates that each one could clean. They then checked how long the foam lasts and whether the liquids are too thick or runny.

The Which? Magazine test also showed that a 59p bottle of Aldi Magnum Washing Up Liquid will wash up to 11,750 plates. Using Fairy Antibacterial Action Eucalyptus, £1.97 worth of washing up liquid would be needed in order to wash the same number of plates.

Which? Magazine said: “Aldi’s Magnum Premium Original is the best washing-up liquid money can buy, despite a bottle costing just 59p, which is almost half the price of the same amount of Fairy Original. Aldi was able to knock Fairy off its perch by increasing the number of active ingredients in its Magnum Premium Original liquid.”

In consumer taste tests, Aldi’s Del Rivo Orange Juice came out on top against the brand leader Tropicana and juices from Innocent, Marks and Spencer and Lidl.

Which? magazine asked 110 tasters to drink 660 shots (nearly 50 litres in total) of orange juice between them and rate each one for its taste, texture, aroma and appearance, and then award it an overall score.

Which? magazine said: “This was the top-scoring juice overall, with many tasters commenting that it tasted just like a fresh orange. They loved the flavour and texture and thought it had just the right amount of sweetness.”

Tony Baines, Managing Director of Buying, Aldi Stores UK, said: “It’s our philosophy to offer shoppers great quality products at exceptionally low prices. We’re very pleased that this has been recognised by independent tests carried out by the UK’s leading consumer magazine.”

OWN-LABEL VS BIG BRANDS

Manchester Metropolitan University finds over 90% of own-label products are just as good, if not better than, the leading brands

As food prices continue to rise, shoppers are feeling the squeeze and, according to a recent report by Which?, 41% of Brits are buying more own-label ranges than a year ago.

Discounter Aldi recently commissioned Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to conduct independent research to compare the difference between its own-label range and brand leaders. The study revealed that 91% of Aldi’s own-label products were just as good as the big brands, with 27% even rated as significantly better than the brands.

When it came to tinned baked beans, Heinz certainly doesn’t mean beans, with testers rating Aldi’s own-label Corale baked beans as significantly better than Heinz – not only in appearance, but also for overall liking.

It certainly is Pimm’s o’clock for Aldi too, as their Austin’s Summer Drink was liked as much as Pimm’s No.1 and scored higher than Pimm’s No.1 in the drink’s appearance.

In total, seven of Aldi’s products were found to be statistically similar to the brand leaders. Aldi’s Greenvale Creamy butter was found to be no different to brand leader Anchor, and testers could barely tell the difference between Aldi’s Village Bakery white toastie loaf and Kingsmill’s version. Other products that were found to be similar were tinned tomatoes, tea bags, milk chocolate digestives and lemonade.

Kellogg’s Special K was the only big brand preferred by testers to the comparable Aldi product, Harvest Morn Benefit.

Furthermore, Aldi’s Four Seasons frozen garden peas had a significantly more acceptable smell than family favourite Birds Eye frozen garden peas.

Dr Kritika Mahadevan from Manchester Metropolitan University commented: “When consumers tested the samples with no information about their origin or packaging, they liked many of the unbranded household staples just as much as their branded counterparts.

She added: “The study used an almost equal split of male and female participants aged between 18 and 84 years (average 48.3 ± 17.3 years), who were students, professionals, family household members, empty nesters or retired pensioners, to represent a cross-section of consumers.”

The research incorporated eleven everyday basket items, including cereal, bread, tea, lemonade, ketchup and baked beans, with one own-label version and one brand version for each. Both products were tested and compared in five key areas: appearance, aroma, flavour, texture and overall liking. Statistical analysis was carried out. Products that scored more than their counterpart were deemed to be significantly better if p<0.05, i.e. if there was less than 5% probability that the difference was just by chance.

Tony Baines, Managing Director of Buying: “The research shows that choosing lower priced products doesn’t always mean compromising on quality. Savvy shoppers can save large sums of money each time they shop with us and be reassured that they aren’t sacrificing standards. Aldi’s products are like brands, only cheaper.”

Shoppers who switch these eleven products from the brand leaders to Aldi’s own-label range stand to save £14.27 per shop.

Study conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University’s Manchester Food Research Centre in May 2011 with 50 panelists (29 females and 21 males) from a broad demographic background with an age range of 18 to 84 years.

I was sent the following products to try :

Aldi Village Bakery soft White Toastie (69p)

Aldi Bramwells Tomato Ketchup (69p)

Aldi Red Label Tea Bags (£1.99)

Aldi Belmont Milk Chocolate Digestives (55p)

 Aldi’s own-label Corale baked beans (28p)

Aldi  Austin’s Summer Drink (4.99)

I found the Aldi's Village Bakery soft White Toastie to taste so much better than any kingsmill bread i have tryed it was so soft and fresh, I dont like tomato Ketups so my children tryed it and they loved it just as much as any other Tomato Ketup they have tryed. Red Label tea bags are so much stronger than pj tip which is what i like they are full of flavour.

We shared our yummy Belmont milk chocolate digestives with a cup of tea, you wouldnt know they were from aldi that taste just like the name brands only thing is the label is differernt.

I found Corale baked beans to be too sweet for me but but apart from that they were so yummy my children enjoyed them.

Im not a fan of wine but i enjoyed a glass of Aldi Austin's with some lemonade and it was delicous and fruity, freshing for the summer weather.

I have learnt a lot by tasting Aldi brands and im so happy i did because now i know its not about the name or label band of product as they all tastes very much the same.

                                        

                                                                         I give Aldi a big 5/5

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