The prices and quality of most of the things at Aldi can't be beat, IMO. I save so much money there and am usually well pleased with what I buy.

Since we're staying at home now, I've been doing curbside pickup and delivery, shopping with Instacart there and have been pleased with that as well.

I love Aldi! We're doing curbside too, carolb.

Welcome to good shopping, 3 katz!

Like you 3katz, I did not have a high opinion of Aldi a while back. Now - for the last 2 years or so, I shop there regularly and it keeps getting better in terms of organic products available and a slight increase in variety. They don't have a zillion offerings and I can't get everything there, but a big chunk of what I buy regularly now comes from Aldi and at significant savings from my previous shopping. There are a lot of things I don't buy there - convenience foods, snack items... - but I don't often buy those at other stores either. When I do have occasion to buy them, I very much like what I've tried at Aldi.

Once a year, usually around Christmas, they have a great cast iron enameled dutch oven for $29.99, two sizes to choose from. I've had mine for years and it seems just as good as my Le Crueset.

I buy a lot from Aldi, and the one near me is always clean. I like to bag my own groceries, and they also pay their employees a decent wage and offer benefits. During this pandemic, quarters aren't required for the carts, and they have an employee wiping down each cart after use.

When I visit my mother in Columbus, OH in November/December I always go to her Aldi's to buy German Stollen and Christmas cookies.

Aldi's in our area is not a full service grocery. There are a lot of items I just don't find there..but I have always been satisfied with what I do buy. What "off-brand"? You mean the over advertised labels that produce much of the other branded items also? Give me a break.

I love Aldi’s, was very excited when our town got one. It took me a couple of visits to get used to, but I really love the small size. It reminds me of grocery stores as a kid, before the big box stores. I also love: receipts that aren’t 3 ft long, the good quality of the meats and produce, the prices, the middle of the store freezer section with rotating foods. We tried the black bean and corn empanadas this past weekend, they were so good! Also love the veggie pizzas.

I was in sticker shock my first few visits — in a good way. I save so much there. They also carry our favorite Texas wine. :)

The closest one in my area is about 20 miles, and not on my regularly beaten path.

1st time I went, I was unaware you had to provide your own shopping bags. So I wheeled everything out to the car and un-bagged and it rolled all over the back of the car. LOL

I've shopped there just a handful of times, (and remembered my bags) and have been pleased. If it were closer, I'd probably go there more often.

I love Aldi, and shopped there weekly. We have now moved, and the closest Aldi is 30 minutes away. When I have to go that way, I make a stock up run.

I love Aldi too and it's my nearest grocery store. It's not one stop but there are things I only buy there. It's easy to have sticker shock at higher grocery stores like Publix.

I bought this rug recently for 9.99 to "try out" a rug in this area before committing to a nice wool one. I'm glad I did too, I've dropped sardine can oil on it too many times already and my dogs are licking it. Yuck! So, no permanent rug although I love the color addition and size.

FWIW, a lot of people use the empty cartons from the shelves to carry their groceries at the stores here. There's always plenty and the stores don't seem to mind. And the first time I went, I didn't know how to use the carts, so I wound up toting my increasingly heavy shopping bags.

I like Aldi for specific things-- I do not care for their chips/snack items but I don't often buy these things and shouldn't when I do. I have had good experience with their produce .. but haven't ventured into meats/seafood. I hear their Specialty Selects items tend to be very good but I haven't tried them yet. Also hear their European chocolate is good -- but I don't like chocolate.

What other things do you think are especially good?

Be sure to save your receipts. They have a Double Guarantee on non-name brand items. If you don't like it, you can go in and get your money back plus a replacement item. I think on meat and produce it's just get your money back. Check their website; I believe they have a good explanation there.

Oh, Funky - the snacks are deadly! We really like the Aldi brand (I think it's called Clancy's) cheddar popcorn and they often carry Cretors which is the closest I can get to Garrett popcorn from Chicago.

Other things I buy there - produce, cheese, salmon, bone broth, canned tomato products, canned bean products, organic dried herbs/seasonings, Mexican popsicles in summer, organic single origin coffee beans, cashews, dried cherries and blueberries, organic eggs, organic grass fed ground beef..... I buy wine on occasion, the Aldi dupe for Sanpellegrino and their raspberry lemonade when we are having company. The weekly specials are always tempting , whether its the food or garden or kitchen or holiday items at the moment.

I will say I do not have consistent good luck with fruit - I think they keep their refrigerators in the back too cold but that may be just this local store. I go elsewhere for fruit but salad items and other vegies are always on my list there.

We do not have an Aldi's nearby. I went in one a couple of times when I worked, there was one not far from my office and occasionally we would need food items but then they put in a Publix and it was goodbye to Aldi's. TBH, I have not really looked the store over good, I have heard from others their produce is usually good. As far as store brands, or off brands, we all know sometimes they are good and other times they are not. Good to know you can return those items. I really do not enjoy grocery shopping (who does?) and refuse to go to multiple stores. I shop weekly and we do have a local grocery I'm pretty happy with. I love their meat department, they still have butchers on site. Our good friends' younger son raises beef cattle, so we are able to get beef from him, if we choose. All our steaks come from him. I go to my regular store and then when open (from early spring to end of year) I go to a local produce market. They also sell some dairy items. I am very picky about meat and veggies. Ever so often I go to Trader Joes, it is in the big city near me - about 45 minutes from here. I order some convenience items and paper products, cleaning products, laundry items mostly off Amazon.

I just went to Aldi's this morning. I have young adult children home who are into working out and lifting weights, and have high protein needs...during a pandemic, and they seek out non-meat sources of protein. The list below isn't necessarily what I eat, but also what my family likes from Aldi:

Raw almonds and other nuts (chopped walnuts and pecans in baking section, too)

Dried fruits (I add this and nuts to homemade granola)

A sprouted bread which is very good

Bananas

More bananas

All produce is good

Speciality organic honey vanilla greek yogurt that is truly decadent

Toasted coconut almond milk

Hummus

Organic peanut butter and almond butter

Kombucha (which I buy when I'm not making my own)

Plain kefir (but I'm making my own at the moment because the sweetened stuff is too sugary)

Quinoa

Canned beans

Organic coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil

La Croix coconut and watermelon flavors, which are my evening beverages of choice

I've been buying their eggs and milk out of convenience, too, because my family can go through a dozen eggs in a day.

I have not tried Aldi's meat, as I have a local meat shop. I also need to go to Costco and another chain grocery store to fill in some gaps. But I've been 99% happy with my Aldi purchases the last 2 years.

Southern Grove dried fruits are just wonderful, as are dried nuts of all sorts, salted and unsalted. Crackers, breads, meats, cheeses, produce, pantry items, I'm rarely disappointed at Aldi, especially when I compare prices with other grocery stores. An added bonus is that it takes a lot less time to shop at Aldi because one never needs to compare sizes, brands or prices, and there are no coupons to clip.

I credit that returned quarter-for-the-cart as the probable reason I've never had a cart with a wobbly wheel. Worth it!

Feathers you added many items I neglected to list but buy frequently. Have not tried the organic honey vanilla Greek yogurt and DH is a yogurt lover so will have to look for that.

Just got back from an Aldi’s shopping trip. Haven’t been there in a while, but did get a few staples, as well as some unique chocolates and crackers. And yes, I did go by the meerkats!

I used to shop there regularly for produce and always got a variety of Southern Grove dried fruits. They would occasionally get the large frozen lasagna from Panini's (it is an Italian name that I can't remember right now, I'll Google later). It was delicious! I would buy two for the freezer. I never bought Aldi's meat as at the time we had a grocery in town that had a butcher and I liked the meat there.

Whenever I would check out, I was always amazed at how many groceries I got for the money at Aldis. My bill was half of what it would have been at my regular market. I haven't been shopping at Aldis for a couple years.

ETA: I googled - the lasagna was "Priano's".

Before the Q, I had many stores in rotation, each having something in particular that we liked. So I would regularly shop at eight different food stores: our local family supermarket "chain" (they only have three stores so I would not call it a chain per se), a smaller local market, four specialty shops (an organic produce market, artisanal bakery, cheesemonger, butcher/fishmonger,) as well as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.

It's definitely been disappointing to have that curtailed. Now, if I go food shopping, I try to buy for a week in that one trip. That pretty much leaves out going to the specialty shops since I can't get a week's worth of food in one trip . I've tried getting everything from Peapod, but (on top of staying up till 1am to get a slot) their produce is limited and their meat is meh (even filet mignon for goodness sakes). Whole Foods quality is very good but they don't have all the sundries we need. Yesterday I had to run an errand at TJ, so I shopped there. I rarely if ever had their meat before. Their ground beef (organic 85%) was nearly Barbie Doll pink and tasted awful. I mean just awful. There are a lot of things I like there, but again they don't really qualify as a meet-all-your-needs market.

DLM, it's this one--a bigger container (not individual serving). And it is indeed indulgent.

BTW, I have bought a lot of non-grocery things at Aldi too - garden hoses, potting soil, garden tools, camp chairs, air mattresses, kitchenware, etc., and everything has been very good quality for low prices.

Yes, me too carolb. One time I bought some outdoor solar lanterns that were the longest lasting ones I ever had, and they were an end of season special for $6.99 each. I actually went back and bought four more (the last ones they had). They never sold those particular lanterns again tho. :(

We have an Aldi’s about 15 minutes away from us. I find Aldi okay but we have a lot of options. At least 10 different brands of grocery stores closer than Aldi. I have found a few things I really like at Aldi, the chocolate and one of the salsas. I agree that it is worth making the trip for the German Christmas cookies. Overall the snacks are less expensive than our other stores, but about 1/2 that we have tried we did not like. If I am going in the direction of Aldi I will stop by. but it is not really worth it for me to go out of my way to shop there. Now I will drive to Winco once every month or so, it is further than Aldi. Winco has great prices on brands I like and I love their deli.

Thanks Feathers - I never look at the large containers so that explains why I haven't seen it. Will def check it out next trip.

Just curious.....Has anyone shoppedLidl? Initially they were opening at a fast pace and almost always within view of an Aldi from what I read. The slant of the article made them seem a bit like dirty players although they certainly aren't the only ones who use that kind of business model.

I like Lidl because it has a small bakery. It has a better fresh meat section w/ more organic, grass fed, etc type meats. I don't have one really close, so the only time I go is when I'm on the way north side of town, which is not very often. Traffic over there is bad after work, and on the weekends, it would be a 35-40 mile drive one way.

I like to browse Aldi so see what they have. I'll usually pick up a few things but it's not my go place for grocery shopping. Their produce usually look pretty good though. I do pretty good getting all I need from Wal Mart. Even meat.

Aldi has become my preferred grocery store since they have great produce. I have rarely had any that was not excellent. I buy a lot of chicken, too, because it is so good. I am Gluten Free so I appreciate their GF products, too. I buy pretty much the same things every week so it suits me just fine. The store is clean, and the staff is pleasant. I have gotten my grandkids some really nice game/flash card type items as well as some cute boots, long underwear, etc.

You cannot underestimate the “ thrill of the hunt”.

I go there fairly regularly, when I need staples like eggs, milk, oatmeal, salad greens, beans (canned or dried) and mini peppers. Also if they are having a good special on any fruits or veggies - I got 3# bags of delicious gala apples there last fall for $2 . Zucchini and summer squash are usually much less expensive there in season. I like their fat free half&half, low fat string cheese, their copycat laughing cow-type cheese, hummus, and their frozen thin crust pizzas. Some of their frozen veggies are often the best price too.

I bought some chicken legs there (pre-quarantine) that were huge! and tasty too.

I have even tried the frozen sushi and liked it! Not to compare with the best freshly made, but a really nice item to have on hand at home - some days it just hits the spot.

It is about 7 miles from my house, straight up the main road, and I pass Meijer, Kroger, Walmart and Giant Eagle on the way. I never shop at Walmart or Giant Eagle, but I check the ads for Meijer and Kroger so that I can stop there too, in one journey.