I've only recently been made aware of this brand because someone gave me jars of their cookie butter as a gift and I was very impressed with the taste and quality so I decided to look them up, after which I was pleasantly surprised with how much variety in products they had. That said, I'd love to hear from anyone here who has had a chance to taste some of their other food products. I read some comments online that their frozen dishes are great, particularly the Indian cuisine ones. Anyone here a fan of Trader Joe's? Which products of theirs do you love?
I love Trader Joe's as they have a good selection of vegetarian food, organic and gluten free. I love their croissants as they are buttery and large and would recommend them. They are closest I have found to European ones in the USA. They do a great selection of drinks, not only alcoholic, but also cordials and different types of lemonade. In many ways, their generic brand is slight cheaper then Wholefoods and the quality is excellent. Their own brand of sauces, like toasted sesame oil and marinades are good value and they do their own chips and dips. My family in New York would make a special trip to Trader Joe's in New Jersey before they opened up in the city to stock up. It depends on how big the store is as some are smaller with limited lines.
Been a fan for more than 20 years and it seems that with time, it's harder to stay away long. Yesterday, I went with the intention of only buying a few things. Problem was that it was early where I had the aisles to myself so I was reminded of the many things needed and those I hadn't tried. I really hope these people never merge or start taking out print or TV ads because their prices are so much better than chain grocers. Recently, I got a few gifts cards from Krogers and I haven't used them yet because TJ's is better.
They have kind of a cult like following at all the locations I've ever been in. While I do appreciate how friendly and helpful the employees are there (though some days they could stand to "turn it down" a notch or two) the store does tend to get pretty jam packed with customers, and they are rather small stores. It's hard to stop and look at stuff in there when it's so packed, because every one is swarming around you or wanting to get down the aisle you are in with their big buggy. It helps to hold off going there until their "off hours" like really early in the morning or really late at night. I doubt they will ever turn into a giant supercenter type store like your typical grocery chain - the small store, cheap prices thing is kind of their niche, along with Aldi, their parent company. They do a good job promoting their own store brand products rather than rely on other big name brands, which is how they keep the costs down. Plus people don't feel like cheapskates buying Trader Joe's brand stuff because it's pretty highly regarded in its own right. I mainly go there for their frozen and pantry ingredients, which are great. I especially love the selection of seafood they have in the freezers as well as the unique cuts and blends of veggies. Their pizza's have gone downhill though, and aren't worth the price. It's a bit of trial and error to see what's good and what's not. The things I refrain from buying there unless absolutely necessary are produce and fresh meats. Their produce goes bad way too quickly, and I already live near farmers markets which provide better produce at a much better price. I've had several bad experiences with their meat as well, where I would open the package and it had a horrible sulphur smell to it, so I would have to return it. They also have great deals on cases of wine, and their chips and other snacks are great too.
If you want healthy stuff then you can't go wrong with Trader Joe's. I like pretty much all of their food and the organic stuff really is so much better than most other places. If you have one near where you live you should definitely give it a shot. I really like their Asian frozen meals as well. Their bulk packaged meats like chicken and pork chops are a pretty good deal as well. Hope you like it!
I love Trader Joe's. It's my favorite grocery store. I have been shopping there for decades. I would never move to an area without a Trader Joe's. I have never been disappointed by anything that I have purchased at Traders. They do have a satisfaction guarantee. I you're happy with your purchase, you can return it for your money back.
I love Trader Joe's, it's one of my favorite supermarkets to buy at. Especially their cooked and frozen meals, they are far superior to the ones other supermarkets, even from more expensive brands. Trader Joe's tends to be a little more expensive than usual supermarkets, but it's still more affordable then places like Whole Foods.
