Just curious if anyone has tried Aldi chocolate chips? I bought a bag of them because they were only .99 and I had my kids do a taste test (tested against Nestle). 1 couldn't tell the difference, 1 liked Aldi best and 1 liked the Nestle. So just wondering what you guys think of them?
I have tried every brand imaginable in my cookies. I think to just taste the off brands they are okay. I find that they don't melt the same way as Nestle or Ghirardelli or another quality brand. When I take my cookies off the trays with a cheap brand, they kind of GLUE down to the bottom of the sheet. The taste and texture are inferior after baking IMO-but don't take my word for it...I don't even like chocolate! 
My kids and husband would agree though.
I've gotta admit...I can't taste the difference in my cookies. I'm pleasantly surprised. They melted fine and didn't stick to my cookie sheet either.
Leahs, I just recently started shopping at Aldi and I also think that the food is of good quality. You can't by produce anywhere cheaper, that's for sure. There are some things that I'm still skeptical buying but all in all I think it's a great place to get some inexpensive food.
We shop almost exclusively at Aldi. When we switched from Kroger, we were very careful to buy the same type of products in the same quantity that we had purchased routinely at Kroger. We saved receipts for three months and foudn we were saving about 40% by shopping at Aldi. And eating more fresh frutis and veg since they are cheaper at Aldi.
I use the Aldi chips all the time and get people tell me they love my chocolate chip cookies and wish theirs could be as good - and they use expensive chips! In fact, you will find that a lot of their "off brand" chocolate is actually chocolate from Germany. My daughter's teacher went to Germany on a business trip and brought chocolates for each of the kids to try "real chocolate". A few months later (at Chrismas time), there's the same chocolate in the same wrappers sitting there in the bins for really low prices!!!! My daughter's face was priceless ... "He told us you could only get it in Germany!" She thought he lied! 
Oooh...I do like Ghirardelli too. If I were only making cookies for myself...that's what I would use. But when you're making them and 5 of the neighbor kids are over, then I use Nestle.
I love them too, do you use the Nestle recipe with the Ghirardelli chips or the recipe on the Ghirardelli chip package?
If you like Ghiardelli chocolate chips - "Trader Joe's" packaged chocolate chips are the same as Ghiardelli bittersweet - just different packaging.
Aaaaand TJ's are $1.69/bag vs. $3.29 for Ghiardelli labeling.
I do not shop at Aldi often, as it was always too far away to justify the trip (with gas prices now, I have been reconsidering).
Anyway, I would like to add that the only time I ever had a problem with their brands is with the canned veggies. I found lots of leaf pieces and cornsilk in the corn, and stems and pods in the canned peas.
I approached the manager regarding this problem, and both times, he made good for the products.
Theresa
I use the Aldi chips all the time and get people tell me they love my chocolate chip cookies and wish theirs could be as good - and they use expensive chips! In fact, you will find that a lot of their "off brand" chocolate is actually chocolate from Germany. My daughter's teacher went to Germany on a business trip and brought chocolates for each of the kids to try "real chocolate". A few months later (at Chrismas time), there's the same chocolate in the same wrappers sitting there in the bins for really low prices!!!! My daughter's face was priceless ... "He told us you could only get it in Germany!" She thought he lied!
Dh says that they are owned by a German company. So your daughter's teacher can hold his head up in your daughter's eyes!! lol.
I love the Aldi's chocolate chips. The only time I use Ghirardelli now is in Golden Graham S'mores. Otherwise, it's Aldi's.
I love Aldi's in general because it's so quick to shop there. Since they generally only carry one brand of anything, it's a much smaller store, much less overhead, etc. And I can almost run down the aisles, toss in whatever it is, and be done shopping in less than ten minutes. (Checking out, at least at our's, is another story entirely! LOL)
When we first started shopping there, we tried one or two things at a time. Then discovered that Nacho Night at our house cost us almost $15 less, if we got stuff at Aldi's. I don't know about you, but $15 less means $15 more at the cake store! LOL
I am so glad to here everyones advice on Aldi we have one and I have never been in there,I guess thats were I'll be going today!
So DoniB wanna share that GoldenGraham Smore's Recipe 
Yummy!
The same frozen cream puffs at Aldi's were $3.00 cheaper than WalMart or Kroger... their petite early peas in a can are 80 cents cheaper than Le Sueur Peas and are packed clear to the top of the can, as are their chopped tomatoes!
I use their vegetable oil and baking items... very, very pleased with their sweetened condensed milk and brown/10 x sugars.
All in all, I shop at Save a Lots first; then stop at Aldi's before I go to E. W. James (for their wonderful meats) and then Kroger. Save a Lots is much cheaper than Aldi's on some items and vice versa, so I buy from both. Even with the gas situation, I still save tremendously!
If you have an Aldi's or Save a Lots close by, try them... they are customer-friendly!
This is a bit off topic but, is Aldi "kid friendly" or would I be better of going when DH is home to watch the kids? I've never been, but am all for finding ways to save some $!
My kids love to shop at Aldi too...however they are 7 & 9 so they are a little older. I have never found it to be crazy busy there so it's never been a problem. I agree...checkout can sometimes be a nightmare but it usually does go pretty quick.
My friend went with me the first time I went because it was almost like going into a whole other world. I was a little intimidated. Let me give you a few pointers if you decide to go.
#1) You have to have a quarter to get a shopping cart. Once you're done shopping and put your cart back you get your money back. This is one reason your groceries are cheaper...because they don't have to hire people to go retrieve the cart from the parking lot.
#2) Bring your own bags. You can also buy them when you check out. Here the plastic ones (which are large and strong) are .10 and the paper ones are .5.
#3) Here's the kicker...you have to have cash. They don't take checks or credit cards. I hate carrying around a lot of cash and I definitely don't like spending cash on groceries and trying to estimate if I have enough. So another friend told me that they will take a ATM card though where you just punch in a pin code. This has been a huge life saver for me. I never had one before so I went to my bank and got one. Now I can buy as much at Aldi as I want to and not worry if I have enough cash.
#4) It is a smaller store so you won't have as huge of variety. For instance, they have skim, 2% and whole milk but not 1% (which is what I drink). So that kind of thing is frustrating. Basically I do 2 stops...Walmart and Aldi. But I do save a lot.
#5) I just have to mention this...when you first walk in there are cheap snacks in the first isle. If you can get your kids past this you will have no problem.
Good luck! My advice is to give it a try.
I am so glad to here everyones advice on Aldi we have one and I have never been in there,I guess thats were I'll be going today!
So DoniB wanna share that GoldenGraham Smore's Recipe
Yummy!
16 -20 bars
Ingredients
* 8 cups Golden Grahams cereal
* 6 cups miniature marshmallows
* 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
* 5 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
* 1/4 cup light corn syrup (optional)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
(I save about 1/3 cup of morsels unmelted, to add in at the end. You can also use broken-up choclate bars at the end instead)
1.Grease 9x13 pan.
2.Pour cereal into large bowl.
3.Heat 5 cups marshmallows, chips, butter and corn syrup in medium saucepan over low heat.
4.Stir constantly until smooth.
5.Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
6.Pour mixture over cereal; stir until coated.
7.Stir in remaining marshmallows and chocolate chips.
8.Press into pan.
9.Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm.
10. Cut into bars.
My hubby pointed out (several times) recently that we haven't had these in a Long Time. (insert his woebegone look here)
When I was a kid, my Mom use to shop at Aldi's only for her baking items, we had bad experiences with their canned goods as we were growing up, and I tell you what, my Mom baked the most awesome chocolate chip cookies, in fact any type of cookies using their products, she would follow the Nestle recipe, but altered it, and I wish she were here today so I could follow her recipe (She died of breast cancer 8 years ago at the age of 42), I mean those cookies would melt in your mouth, never a dry one in the bunch, they were fabulous. Anyway, ever since then, I purchase my baking products from there, I also purchase their bread products (Buns/bread/bagels) and the kids love their "drumstick" ice cream cones, taste just like the original. I do wish they would make the mini chips, I prefer those over the normal size morsels. My Mother-in-Law is a HUGE fan of Aldi's, she buys all of her food there, but her fav is the chocolate chips, she has the most awesome fudge recipe. Anyway, for those who are afraid due to "labels", or feel you have to buy top notch/commercial brand items or whatever, drop it and try it, you will not be disappointed.
Speaking of meats, we buy ours from Town and Country or Strack Van Till or Kmart depending on sales. We did not like the quality of the Aldi meat too much. My husband worked for a company when he was younger that made the boxes for Cereal and cake mixes, and there are certain companies when they run out of their boxes, they place their products in the Aldi boxes. He would have never guessed it until he saw it with his own eyes. Amazing how it all works.
Sincerely,
Veronica
speaking of aldis has anyone ever tried their cake mix? i shop there a lot love the products but i have never tried their cake mix. has anyone?
My husband actually just made their chocolate cake mix last night. I think it is about the same as the other mixes once it is doctored up with all of our extras. The one he made he just used straight box, directions as labeled 
and then 
canned frosting . I have to admit, even made the "regular way" it was fine
One more tip for Aldi's, if you decide to go... if you are only getting a few things, you might just grab an empty box (they're always sitting around on top of stacks or in the floor, just for this purpose), to carry your stuff, instead of getting a cart. Then you can also carry them to the car in the box, and skip the bagging altogether. (hey, a dime is a dime!)
#4) It is a smaller store so you won't have as huge of variety. For instance, they have skim, 2% and whole milk but not 1% (which is what I drink). So that kind of thing is frustrating.
if you drink enough a week.....save one empty jug. buy 1 skim and 1 2%. Mix 1/2 & 1/2 -- bingo 1%.
#5) I just have to mention this...when you first walk in there are cheap snacks in the first isle. If you can get your kids past this you will have no problem.
ain't that the truth -- all at child level it seems too...
oh and this warning also applies to grow men who like snacks! all the chips, the chocolate.
If you like Ghiardelli chocolate chips - "Trader Joe's" packaged chocolate chips are the same as Ghiardelli bittersweet - just different packaging.
Aaaaand TJ's are $1.69/bag vs. $3.29 for Ghiardelli labeling.
Interestingly enough Trader Joe's and Aldi are owned by the same company....now if this means that Aldi chips are actually Ghirardelli chips, I don't know...but it makes one wonder!
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