Quality of Aldi's baking supplies . . . - Page 3

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

On 10/15/2014 little miss sunshine said:
We just had an Aldis open up near us. I bought a can of sweetened condensed milk to make a keylime pie. When I looked at the label, it said it came from Mexico. I'm not going to use it because I don't know what they feed their cows in Mexico or how clean their production is of milk/products. Now when I shop there, I read labels and see where the product is made.

This is something I started watching a couple of years ago, the source of the food in any grocery store I shop. Aldi's in particular, seemed to have a lot of food either imported or not labeled with country of origin or packing. That is starting to change, and I wish it was mandated that this information be on all labels. It is much more important information (to me) than calories or fat content (not that I don't want those things, but are less important than where the food is from).

Pook · ‎03-20-2010

While the generic products sold at Aldis and other stores may come from the same plants as the brand names, they are the bottom of the barrel that is not as good of a quality as the name brands. They will still give good results but I am a serious baker and they will not give the best results for most things! There will be differences in texture and taste and allowances often would have to be made in baking time to get the best results but that doesn't make the baked goods awful - just not as good!!

Dumac · ‎09-30-2010

On 10/15/2014 Nightowlz said:
I have used their yeast with no problems. Have not used any of their flour, sugar, brown sugar etc. I use King Arthur or Hodgson Mill Flour when I don't have any flour from a local farmer that mills their own white & wheat berries. Aldi sugar is not pure cane sugar & is made with genetically modified beets.

Aldi is a German company and in Germany, sugar beet sugar is very common....if Aldi imports their sugar from Europe, it is not genetically modified...GMO food is banned in Europe so i would feel safer eating European imports than their American counterparts....

MALC · ‎04-21-2011

I bake constantly and get rave reviews on my results. I have used products from Aldi's for several years with no change in my baked goods. I formerly used the name brands or store brands, and I can neither see nor taste any difference.

Nightowlz · ‎03-11-2010

On 10/16/2014 Dumac said:
On 10/15/2014 Nightowlz said:
I have used their yeast with no problems. Have not used any of their flour, sugar, brown sugar etc. I use King Arthur or Hodgson Mill Flour when I don't have any flour from a local farmer that mills their own white & wheat berries. Aldi sugar is not pure cane sugar & is made with genetically modified beets.

Aldi is a German company and in Germany, sugar beet sugar is very common....if Aldi imports their sugar from Europe, it is not genetically modified...GMO food is banned in Europe so i would feel safer eating European imports than their American counterparts....

I don't know where they get their sugar beets from to make the sugar. I do know the majority of sugar beets here are GMO. I will stick with pure cane sugar. I know GMO foods are banned in Europe. I emailed Aldi to ask if their sugar was made out of sugar beets & they emailed me back & said yes. I did not ask if they were using genetically modified beets or not. I will just assume they are since they did not bother noting that in the reply. That's why they need to pass labeling laws so everyone knows what's in the food we are eating.

CountryMusicGal · ‎03-09-2010

Thanks, ladies! I see you are divided on your opinion of Aldi's products. I bought the flour yesterday and made pizza dough with it. Came out fine, but my only observation is that the flour appeared lumpy, and I sifted it (tho the bag said it was pre-sifted). I am going to try the yeast next week. If I don't like it, just won't buy it again. Their produce prices are unbeatable. Publix sweet potatoes are over a dollar a pound. and Aldi's had a 3-lb. bag for that price. You have to pick & choose, and it's not a "fun" store to shop in (like Publix!) but you can definitely save some $$$!

FunkyHulaGirl · ‎06-25-2011

On 10/16/2014 MALC said:
I bake constantly and get rave reviews on my results. I have used products from Aldi's for several years with no change in my baked goods. I formerly used the name brands or store brands, and I can neither see nor taste any difference.

Same here, and I never get anything but rave reviews on the baked goods I make. (And I used to bake professionally.) I wonder if the problem with those who claim to see a difference is psychological? (I don't intend that in a mean way...just sayin'...) It's like a friend I used to have who only shopped high-end stores. She could see the identical item in a Daffy Dan's, a TJ Maxx, or whatever, but wouldn't even think of purchasing it there, considering it inferior.

On the very rare occasion I've been less than satisfied with an Aldi product, I had no problem returning it.

Pook · ‎03-20-2010

It's definitely not psychological!! I do wedding cookies and the consistency of the dough is affected using generic supplies. For the average home baker maybe it wouldn't matter if the look wasn't quite as nice or the flavor not as tasty and it also would depend on what you are baking.

Many of my recipes must have the exact consistency that using only quality baking supplies can achieve! I'm not saying that the results will be horrible but the butter, flour, sugars and even the baking soda and powder definitely make the out come of recipes different. I have given some of my recipes to others and there were many who complained that theirs did not look and taste the same as mine and in all cases, they used generic products!! Generic butters are watery and generic flour is prone to clumping and stickiness and more has to be used which alters the flavor. Some generic sugar is grainy and does not mix well either!

Lynneuk · ‎03-10-2010

A lot of the foods sold in Aldi are European and Europe is way ahead of the US in terms of laws about food health and safety. So I always feel good about anything I buy there. I am an avid baker and everything I have used has been absolutely the same as anything bought at high priced stores. In fact it's often better! It's simple, if you don't like Aldi's don't shop there. But don't knock it if you haven't tried it, just because food is from Europe. You are missing out on good food at very reasonable prices.

FunkyHulaGirl · ‎06-25-2011

On 10/16/2014 Lynneuk said: A lot of the foods sold in Aldi are European and Europe is way ahead of the US in terms of laws about food health and safety. So I always feel good about anything I buy there. I am an avid baker and everything I have used has been absolutely the same as anything bought at high priced stores. In fact it's often better! It's simple, if you don't like Aldi's don't shop there. But don't knock it if you haven't tried it, just because food is from Europe. You are missing out on good food at very reasonable prices.

Well put! ${#emotions_dlg.thumbup1}$