Target's Market Pantry brand as good as Hellman's mayo. Says Consumer Reports

[Shwa Girl]

Sometimes people swear by brand name foods and only those foods.
Consumer Reports showed that Target's Market Pantry brands taste as good as name brands. Hellman's mayonnaise and Target's Market Pantry mayonnaise are just as good. The Target brand is also cheaper.

Same for Costco's Kirkland and Walmart's store brands.

Check out the video, starting at 2:14
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50153785n

[Shwa Girl]

Just a caution. Consumer Reports says generic brands are not as good as name brands. But some store brands are just as good as name brands.
Hellman's mayonnaise
Heinz ketchup

for example

[Natalka]

However, keep in mind that US formulations of products may be different than Canadian ones.

I must have Kraft mayo, not a Hellman's fan!

[ninna]

I heard somewhere that quite often the generic stuff is made in the very same factory next to the name brand stuff using similar ingredients etc but they just slap a different label on it. LOL.

I'm willing to try the generic version. Why the heck not? I don't mind it at all and it's usually cheaper anyway. There are some exceptions.

DH refuses to eat any ketchup other than Heinz and I am a food snob when it comes to my coffee. I like my Starbucks and it's worth every penny to me. I figure--what the heck--I don't smoke, I don't drink booze or do drugs. I don't have any vices whatsoever except the coffee so I am gonna make sure I enjoy it! And if (god forbid) I run out of Starbucks at home and I have to drink something else from the local grocery store I always buy the no name coffee brand because the idea of Folger's or Maxwell house leaves a kind of vomit taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure I'd rather deprive myself of caffeine entirely (not a pretty sight, believe me) than drink Folger's or Maxwell House. blech!

[sweet sparrow]

I find Heinz ketchup is much less runny than store brands. Sweeter too. I'm sure it's because there's more sugars and preservatives in it, but I think it tastes better (and probably worse for me healthwise!).

[Natalka]

Same here, sparrow - we've tried pretty much all the store brand ketchups; some are okay, but I'll buy Heinz at a decent price first.

[anisa]

i think it can be hit and miss, especially with the generic lines that are at the lower end. No Name vs President's choice, and similar lines.

Even if foods are made in the same factories, as name brands, it doesn't necessarily mean the recipes are the same

you just gotta do the taste test!

[torontogal12]

"Good" and "better" are such subjective words. Guess we gotta taste them for ourselves

[Fantaz]

I heard somewhere that quite often the generic stuff is made in the very same factory next to the name brand stuff using similar ingredients etc but they just slap a different label on it. LOL.

I'm willing to try the generic version. Why the heck not? I don't mind it at all and it's usually cheaper anyway. There are some exceptions.

DH refuses to eat any ketchup other than Heinz and I am a food snob when it comes to my coffee. I like my Starbucks and it's worth every penny to me. I figure--what the heck--I don't smoke, I don't drink booze or do drugs. I don't have any vices whatsoever except the coffee so I am gonna make sure I enjoy it! And if (god forbid) I run out of Starbucks at home and I have to drink something else from the local grocery store I always buy the no name coffee brand because the idea of Folger's or Maxwell house leaves a kind of vomit taste in my mouth. I'm pretty sure I'd rather deprive myself of caffeine entirely (not a pretty sight, believe me) than drink Folger's or Maxwell House. blech!

do you buy Starbucks beans to make at home, or you buy Starbucks drinks to take out at Starbucks?

[abbasgirl]

It's funny she asked about the taste test, because the very first thing I thought when I read the description of the video was, "I'd hate to be the one taste testing mouthfuls of mayo and ketchup!"
I'm not brand loyal with mayo and I eat ketchup maybe once or twice a year. There isn't a lot that I'm picky about since I don't eat a lot of processed foods. But if I'm going to have tomato soup, it has to be Campells. None of the other flavours matter, but tomato does.

[lecale]

.

[annedougherty]

I buy plenty of store brand products, but one thing I can think of that does NOT compare are hard taco shells. I have bought the walmart brand, and the market pantry brand and they were absolutely terrible.

[Natalka]

For tomato soup, I prefer Aylmer to Campbell's, but I always end up buying Campbell's because the other is hard to find!
But for cream of mushroom, it MUST be Campbell's!

I agree about the soda crackers, I think we've tried every brand and store brand available, and Premium Plus rocks it.