I've been trying out different generic brands of things like butter and powdered suger and such. I haven't noticed much difference. Really I just make cakes for family and any other victims I can get a hold of. But I was just wondering if you guys had come across any that don't work at all, or that you use regularly. I usually use Kroger, Walmart and Meijer. I haven't tried all their brands though. I'm not even sure what the difference between name brand and store brand is, except that it's cheaper.
Any thoughts?
I usually buy name brand, but while practicing on making buttercream flowers I bought store brand. The difference in price where I shop - discount grocery store - is not that much, but with non discount chains the price difference is greater.
I guess it depends on what you purchase. Even little kids can distinguish between Kraft mac /cheese and generic. They won't eat the generic.
Also, I saw a program on companies like DelMonte that interchanges from a name brand label to generic to sell to people who won't pay the higher name brand price. If you read the generic label it will tell you DelMonte or whoever else is the producer, and you can determine whether or not it is name brand.
I try to buy generic store brands for alot of things to save money, like butter, sugar, confectioner's sugar, other dairy products. I haven't noticed a difference between these things and major name brands. However, I have noticed a difference in some other things, and will only buy name brands on things like cake mixes (Duncan Hines), extracts (McCormick or Nielsen-Massey if I can afford) and cream cheese for cheesecakes (only Philly there for me).
Ditto what MiaT said. I buy generic (or store brand) butter, sugar, flour but I'm not a fan of the generic boxed mixes either. But really, why would people buy a generic boxed mixs when you can buy them for .88 at Wal-mart or less than a dollar at other stores. They're so cheap as it is.
I guess it depends on what you purchase. Even little kids can distinguish between Kraft mac /cheese and generic. They won't eat the generic.
My in-laws are constantly trying to tell us that there isn't a difference. I won't eat any mac and cheese from a box but I notice a difference even in how the sauce mixes up.
I think with generic anything you should try the product and decide if it's any different than what you want. Things like butter aren't going to be much different because they all use the same ingredients and there isn't much room for variation on something like that where a more complicated item like pudding mix can have huge differences.
Personally I'm willing to try generic items, if there isn't a difference in taste than that's what I'll use them but if there is I'll stick to the brand name stuff.
I buy everything generic, butter, flour, sugar, powdered sugar, shortening, etc. and not one person who has my cakes has anything negative to say.
There are very few name brand products in my house....maybe that's because it's how I was brought up!
Toni Ann
I buy everything generic except cake mixes (Duncan hines) and shortening. Crisco is the only way to go.
Only a couple brand names for me. I like crisco and I recently started using brand name flour. The only reason for the flour though is because the generics always leak on me.
The major difference between brand name and generic is consistency. A big for instance is powdered sugar. Domino brand is guaranteed to have 3% cornstarch (maltodextrin) in it, while generic brands can be made from different manufacturers, with no control over the percentage of contents. I have seen generic brands with as much as 5% cornstarch added, yet cost just as much as Domino when on sale.
Butter is another good example. Store brands can be made by different processors, while brand names usually have their own farms and dairies (I know Land O' Lakes contracts with several dairy farms in my area). Generic butter normally has the minimum butterfat allowed, while brand names may have 2-5% more butterfat per pound.
Theresa
I use butter, granulated sugar and confectioner's sugar for my grocery store brand- but not any other generic brand. I actually think they are better than the name brand.
flour i go either way, i normally try to use unbleached organic flour
mac & cheese i agree is not as good when generic
Depends on what I'm making. I use Betty Crocker for cakes, but use Walmart brand chocolate cake mix for my chocolate-cake-mix-cookies. Daughter picked up a name brand cake mix once and made the cookies and they didnt' turn out as good.
Crisco only for my icing, but cheap-a$$ Imperial margarine for cookies. I haven't noticed a difference in powdered sugar. Peter Pan for peanut butter cookies.
I also grew up on non-name brand. With 6 kids in the house, you had to make the grocery dollar stretch!!! Ironically, it's why some non-name brands are ok and why I refuse to use non-name brand on other thing.
Like was previously said, I think you just have to try some things and see how they work out for you.
I used to grocery shop for some things at Aldi's and my daughter, who was a teenager at the time, asked me to never buy green beans there. She said, "They sell green bean butts!" because we'd find pieces of the stem still attached to the bean!
I use a generic cake mix ... but only a specific generic brand ... tried others and they are pretty bad.
I am in the minority ... I love generic brand macaroni (the old kind that came in the black and white boxes!)
Wal Mart all the way -- except for shortening. Their brand is very soft. I read that you have to be sure powdered sugar is from cane sugar as opposed to beet sugar for MMF to reduce those little balls, and Wal Mart PS is cane sugar. I have only tried their devils food cake mix and I like it, but usually I buy whatever is cheapest. I add so much extra stuff to a mix that it's hardly a box mix by the time I'm done!
I lover generic..I am very cheap lol....but I will never us walmart powder sugar for fondant....and their maragrine for anything...I have came to love the sam's club powder sugar though (kinda ironic they are the sam people lol) it comes in a 7 lb bag (my firend calls it my baby lol)...very good..anything else I don't care....
Wow, it looks like everybody has a different preference. I think I will stick to name brand box mixes, since most didn't like them. I will definately be checking the label for the company's name, that is interesting. I have never used name brand flour, but I think I'll try it. I did have a cake come out weird with store brand butter, but that could have been me . I will be keeping an eye on the fat in butter, I didn't even think of that. PS I'm not sure about. I don't know if I've ever used name brand to even know the difference. Thanks all for the great input
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