topic Re: Trader Joe's in Kitchen

Trader Joe's

Shogirl — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:28:43 GMT

We're getting a TJ in our city and I'm wondering if anyone could provide some insight to shopping there. I did go to their website and looked around a bit. It doesn't really look like a type of store we have here, so thought I'd ask since I've seen TJ's mentioned here pretty frequently.

Thanks!

Re: Trader Joe's

Cookie2025 — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:34:19 GMT

Good prices on 'different' kind of gourmet foods ! - FRESH baked goods. FRESH flowers. FRESH plants. Samples. Friendly Family type atmosphere. Cheap milk, reasonable eggs (I get a dozen JUMBO for $3.19), frozen foods galore.

It is just a fun place to shop. Ours, which will sadly be re-locating 1.5 miles away in 1 year, has all kinds of goodies reasonably priced that you won't find anywhere else.

Just wait until the Trader Joe's Fan's see your request.

Re: Trader Joe's

FastDogWalker2 — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:36:04 GMT

Love our Trader Joe's! Especially like the cheese, candy, wine, fresh flowers, frozen vegies, cookies...I could go on and on! Things are well priced and the staff is friendly and helpful!

Re: Trader Joe's

jackthebear — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:38:20 GMT

I will start

I buy Irish breakfast teabags there, excellent

cheese is good and much cheaper, good frozen prepped foods of all kinds.

good bread, salads, candy and chocolate

The one I go to has a "snack bar" where foods are sampled and juice/coffee samples. Good place to stop for a snack after I hit TjMaxx

weak spots fruits/veg/meat only because I get most of mine @Costco . Not the quality, I just buy more there.

Re: Trader Joe's

chessylady — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 21:43:49 GMT

I shop TJ's at least once a week. I like their frozen orange chicken, jalapeno tarter sauce, fresh frozen wild fish, their greek nonfat yogurt and their well priced wines. I am not crazy about buying produce by the piece rather than by the pound and the overpackaging of some produce. Yes, I am hooked on Trader Joe's.

Re: Trader Joe's

sueinsf — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:02:06 GMT

You might want to do a search -- there are some other threads which list TONS of great products that people enjoy there (me included )

Re: Trader Joe's

Shelbelle — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:09:50 GMT

My DH is my grocery shopper and my cook, he spends half his life in there, enjoy all the goodies!!!

Re: Trader Joe's

Cookie2025 — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:09:59 GMT

Our Trader Joe's has such a high turn-over food wise - EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS FRESH.

During the Christmas Season they feature wonderful candy, nuts, tea samplers, ect. to take to those friends that have everything. I like to load the cheaply priced canvas bag with TJ's goodies for all kinds of occassions.

Trader Joe's is under the same corporate umbrella* as Aldie's. While I will NEVER purchase meat from Aldie's I can attest to the freshness of the produce and bread.

* - I am sure someone around here is familiar with the parameters ...

Re: Trader Joe's

jackthebear — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:12:32 GMT

@chessylady wrote:
I shop TJ's at least once a week. I like their frozen orange chicken, jalapeno tarter sauce, fresh frozen wild fish, their greek nonfat yogurt and their well priced wines. I am not crazy about buying produce by the piece rather than by the pound and the overpackaging of some produce. Yes, I am hooked on Trader Joe's.

they have good prices of the avocados when you buy the bag

Re: Trader Joe's

Another new name Sue — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:37:08 GMT

I go there about once a week. They have good prices on basics like eggs, butter, milk, bread. Their prepared salads are not too bad, certainly priced right. The stores are small so you don't have to walk around a giant warehouse sized place. The canned goods like beans and tomatoes are good too. My kids like the small appetizer sized tacos, frozen.

I am am not crazy about their prepared food. My kids like the small appetizer sized frozen chicken tacos. The produce is OK, mostly prepackaged, usually good but not always. Some organic stuff which I like.

Re: Trader Joe's

sueinsf — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 22:56:27 GMT

I will add that you can RETURN at Trader Joe's! So if you get produce that is bad (or goes bad way too quickly) or you just don't like something, they will take it back and credit you!

Re: Trader Joe's

Dorothy11 — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 00:02:30 GMT

SO many high quality products at great prices!

Pound plus Belgian Chocolate Bars

Imported and Domestic cheeses - try the Black Pepper Toscano

Nuts and Dried Fruit - best prices around

High Quality Olive oils - try the Tunisian

Irish Breakfast Tea

Joe's Os

Bran Flakes

Heavy Cream - it is not ultra-pasturized, great for whipping

Bread - all of it

Coffee - whole bean, grinder in store if needed.

WW Pasta

Soups in boxes - try low-sodium Tomato Roasted Pepper

Baking supplies

Jams

Peanut Butters

Go explore!

Re: Trader Joe's

DiAnne — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 01:46:04 GMT

Great prices on cheese, nuts, dried fruit, wine. Unusual frozen food. They fall down on produce.

Re: Trader Joe's

ValuSkr — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 02:36:55 GMT

I agree with the others - it's an interesting little store, prices are generally good, and produce is definitely not their strong suit.

Re: Trader Joe's

Mothertrucker — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 03:33:08 GMT

weird, I like thier produce, but hten I am in Southern California and it strikes me reading this that maybe here our TJ's have better produce than some other stores in other parts of the countyr? Or are you ALL from here, too?

Re: Trader Joe's

jlkz — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 03:59:20 GMT

DH shops there frequently when we snowbird in FL. His favorites:

Vegetarian Lasagna ( frozen )

Breaded cod fillets frzn

French green beans " haricots verts " frzn

Boxed soups

cashews raw / unsalted

dried brown Smyrna figs

dark chocolate bars inexpensive but outstanding

( just came back from dinner with a group. The Vietnamese restaurant did not serve dessert so I pulled out a bar and broke it into pieces---it was devoured and received a rousing chorus of Mmmmm's. Even the waitress came over to inspect the now-empty wrapper. Sniffed it and wanted to know where to get it !!! )

Re: Trader Joe's

september — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 04:54:28 GMT

@Mothertrucker wrote:
weird, I like thier produce, but hten I am in Southern California and it strikes me reading this that maybe here our TJ's have better produce than some other stores in other parts of the countyr? Or are you ALL from here, too?

We get the best produce at my TJ's too. Also in CA.

Re: Trader Joe's

sfnative — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 07:48:51 GMT

@Shogirl

I've been shopping Trader Joe's since 1973 starting in Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge from S.F. That's a lot of years and $$$ spent at that chain.

Today for the first time I was aghast at what "our" store had become. My guess is that the total number of items has been cut by 25%, which means they're filling the shelves with more of same product next to it. Good example: 3 shelves of Nori, yes 3, filled to the max. And the next set ofshelves, the same. The variety was so lacking I doubt I'll go back.

Though folks have commented positively on Gluten Free items, I found only 2. One was a plastic pak of blueberry muffins. The #1 ingredient was sugar! The bread I found, whole wheat/white look exceedingly uninspired.

Very, very disappointing trip to TJ's today.

Re: Trader Joe's

ID2 — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 11:09:10 GMT

I've been in TJ a few times and just don't get the appeal. I've tried to get on the bandwagon. I've bought things from them. But it just isn't a store that I would care to shop at. The "favorite" things listed here bought by some just aren't anything I buy. To me TJ is just a pint sized grocery store. I'd rather do my one-stop shopping elsewhere, where they sell everything. JMO of course.

Re: Trader Joe's

Noel7 — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 02:21:04 GMT

Trader Joe's isn't a grocery store, they don't usually carry brands that you would see elsewhere that I know of... except for alcohol.

TJoe's is a speciality store with quality items and they cater to foodies, not those who shop only at grocery stores.

They have a lot of ethnic food not usually found in your typical grocery store, imported cheeses and butter, crackers, etc.

If all one wants are grocery store items, TJoe's is not the place to go.