These days most stores have their own brand of dry pasta and then a basics/essentials range. Which do you buy? The really cheap pasta is usually okay and there isn't much difference in what content, so why the huge price difference? Is it the packaging? In Sainsbury's their own brand can be 85p for 500g and the basics range will be 29p for the same quantity. I do like nice pasta, but I have used the basics and it's okay, however there is less choice in shapes, usually only penne or spaghetti. Do you trust the basics pasta?
Fortunately this not something that we have where I live - as the only choice we have is to buy either a named brand or a store brand - both of which are thankfully high quality. However the price difference you mention - very definitely has nothing to do with the packaging - as although its true that the majority of people don't notice much difference in terms of flavor between brands - there is a very discernible difference between high quality dried pasta and inferior quality - for example High quality dried pasta is made from only two ingredients - golden semolina flour - ground from hard durum wheat - mixed with water and when cooked maintains its shape and texture. Inferior quality pasta is generally made up of either - a mix of durum wheat flour and ordinary soft wheat flour or entirely of common soft wheat-flour - plus a whole load of additives and enhancers - both of which when cooked - struggle to remain ridgid and either break into slivers and little bits or becomes so sticky it turns to mush. The latter of which - although supposed to be labelled as such by law in most countries - is generally not and therefore if looking to buy real dried pasta and not something masquerading as such - its always best to check the ingredient label - as all high quality dried pasta regardless of its price - will have nothing else listed than - made from 100% pure hard durum wheat.
I find the store brand pasta to be of high quality and do not taste any difference between it and the name brand stuff. The only difference would probably be in fresh pasta. I like to stock up on the store brand pasta when they have it on sale for a dollar a box. I normally buy about 15 boxes and have enough to last me for several months. I only use half a box per meal, so it equals out to about 30 meals worth.
I've seen some ridiculously priced "premium" dried pastas - typically at specialty food stores, or even at farmers market type stores which sometimes offer a section of premium pantry items. The later is kind of a joke since you go to a farmers market to get good prices on high quality locally grown produce, then they turn around and also try to sell you ridiculously overpriced dried and canned goods. Some of these fancier premium brand pastas I've seen go as high as $8+ per bag, which is barely enough for 2 servings. They think if they slap some fancy label on them to make them look like they're home made and made in small batches, and dust them with some extra flour, they'll look more impressive to the consumer and hence justify the higher price. I've gotten some of these as gifts and cooked them up, and they are no different than the less expensive stuff. Dried pasta is dried pasta - at best, they may offer some different shapes you don't normally find, but that's about the only real advantage imo.
I go for the cheaper pasta almost always. I tried them both at the same time once and I honestly couldn't tell the difference and from that point on I just went with the cheaper brand. I suppose some others sat enthusiasts will probably notice the difference in quality but personally I don't see it and neither does my family. I'd only buy the expensive brand if the cheap one wasn't up to par or if I didn't trust the sanitation or quality of their product but seeing as the cheap brand is also a big company I choose to just trust them as well.
I always go for the cheaper brands, definitely more cost-effective. I'm not exactly a pasta expert. I mean, the branded ones generally are better, but I don't think they're so much better that they're worth double the price of the cheaper supermarket branded ones. I do have pasta pretty often, and I'd end up wasting a lot of money if I bought the expensive branded ones regularly!
I don't think that it really matters where pasta is concerned. Pasta is pasta right? Sometimes my household purchases branded pasts, and other times I don't think that I have seen any specific brand on the packaging. Either way, when you cook the pasta, you can't really easily tell the difference between the two, at least not in my household.
When it comes to dry pasta it all is basically the same when you check out the nutritional table and ingredients. They taste the same. The only one I noticed a difference in was the tricolor kind. The store brand used veggie type seasoning while the brand used veggie concentrates. I bought both to try and the taste was noticeable. I preferred the brand name dry tricolor pasta. It's a bit more money though.
Here in the Philippines there's a big difference between the pricey and cheap pasta. Way too different. With the cheap pasta, yes it's very affordable, but the quality is, I must say also cheap. It gets too starchy and has a very soft texture that it gets too poachy. So if you don't eat it right after you drain it then that's what usually happens. But with the pricey ones, yes it might be a little expensive but I can say that it's worth every penny. It's very firm. We call it al dente here in the Philippines. It's not starchy and it stays good even if you put it inside the fridge for days. So I always go for the pricey but worth it kind of pasta.
If a nice brand is on special I will buy it, but then use it when I have a nice sauce. I tend to use the cheaper pasta for a pasta bake or pasta salad because the dish will be kept as leftovers usually. I don't think cheaper pasta is bad, but I know some people are snobby about it, however if it came to a taste test (as they do in malls) I wonder what the result will be?
What I would always do is to give the cheaper product a go, and if it is something that you feel you could live with, I would make the most of it and save the money that you would have spent on the more expensive product. I really like buying pasta, as it tends to be relatively inexpensive a lot of the time, and this means that you can save money on your meals. Most of the time, cheaper products will taste just as good, as they have to meet the same standards during production, so you should always try them and see whether you like the taste or not.
