Trader Joe's Products (2002–2011)

[LizD518]

I just finished off a pack of their char siu bao for breakfast. They come frozen, four to a package. Heat up in about 5 minutes or so in a steamer basket. I've never had the real thing, but these were pretty tasty - filled with tablespoon or so of chopped bbq pork, and surrounded by a soft white bread bun that is a little sticky and chewy when it comes out of the steamer. I'm thinking they would be good it I let them come down closer to room temp before eating them, but I was hungry!

Has anyone had them? How do they compare to the "real" thing?

[jmolinari]

Has anyone had them? How do they compare to the "real" thing?

Not very well.....

[Katie Meadow]

My latest discovery: TJ's chocolate hazelnut biscotti. They are crumbly, not too sweet, addictive. They have completely replaced Famous chocolate wafer cookies in my arsenal. And they make a delicious crumb crust. I made a lemon cheesecake using about half and half graham crackers and these biscotti (I didn't have enough of either without combining them) and it was excellent.

[Kouign Aman]

TJ's low sodium soysauce is a good flavor for a good price, and saves a separate trip to the asian market, or paying 2x as much for the slightly better San-J tamari.

Pomegranate Kefir:

[heidih]

I live for the frozen langostinos. Thawed and tossed into a seafood salad or risotto they are fantastic.

Is this the product you are referring to? I picked some up today $10.99 for the 12 oz. bag.

[heidih]

Pain Pascal - Oraganic Demi Miche: I needed some bread to make croutons and this new product caught my eye. It made some lovely flavorful XL croutons, tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and baked at 350. I made a big batch for a function and went back today to get another demi loaf to make more - great tossed into the seasonal tomato and other fresh salads. The ingredient list is organic whole wheat flour and sea salt. It is $2.99 for the half loaf - only way they sell it. The sign says you can bake it further to crisp it up. I must admit to being so enamored of using it for croutons that I have not explored it in other uses. Anyone else try this?

[Special K]

New (to me, anyway) product: smoked sea salt - a little goes a very long way! These are going to make great stocking-stuffers this year. Umm! And as I've mentioned before, the containers (grinders) are re-useable.

[DanM]

There is an awesome new product at Trader Joe's... at least the one in Orange, CT. They have mystery beer 6 packs in brown paper bags. They can be a single type or a mixed pack. If I wasn't a beer snob, I might give it a try.

[heidih]

I was pleased and surprised with the frozen Argentinian wild raw red shrimp - large size - that I picked up recently at $8.99/lb. They are deceptive because they are indeed red like a cooked shrimp, but are raw. They come peeled and de-veined with no tail shell left on.

[Shel_B]

Pain Pascal - Oraganic Demi Miche: I needed some bread to make croutons and this new product caught my eye. It made some lovely flavorful XL croutons, tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and baked at 350. I made a big batch for a function and went back today to get another demi loaf to make more - great tossed into the seasonal tomato and other fresh salads. The ingredient list is organic whole wheat flour and sea salt. It is $2.99 for the half loaf - only way they sell it. The sign says you can bake it further to crisp it up. I must admit to being so enamored of using it for croutons that I have not explored it in other uses. Anyone else try this?

I just finished a half-loaf a few days ago. The bread is very flavorful and crisps up nicely. I'll get it again ....

[Hassouni]

There are certain things I only get at TJ's....

Chocolate - the house brand 85%, or the Valrhona 86% (the TJ's one is a lot cheaper though and roughly on par)

Cheese - I love their Stilton and Gruyère, and the Vintage English Cheddar or whatever it's called is by far the best I've had in the US, on par with all but the very best in England. The fresh mozzarella is the best I can find for the price.

Corn tortillas - WAY better than WF's (which are awful) and better than most of the mass-produced brands from Hispanic grocery stores.

Nuts, especially the roasted unsalted peanuts and almonds, and the walnut halves. The husk-less pumpkins seeds are good, but the whole ones don't have the required thick layer of salt that the ones from the Lebanese store have (addictive salt bombs that they are...)

Coconut water - the best price on the litre packages of Zico, about $2 cheaper than the Whole Foods across the street (Tysons Corner, VA). I also pick up various soda waters right next to it.

Additionally, the 40% reduced fat bacon is also really, really good, and mostly meat as opposed to fat. Still has a great taste though. The organic European-style yogurt is great, much like Yeo Valley and Rachel's Organic brands in the UK. Also get evaporated cane juice and turbinado sugar, organic milk, sardines, pre-cut haricots verts, numerous canned vegetable and bean products, chicken stock, coffee....I also like their pre-marinated Carne Asada and similar things. Their hard pretzels are also good, and I'll echo what everyone has said about the Savory Thins - AWESOME.

Also, their Ice Floes are really good in summer, and the Joseph's Brau beer (or whatever it's called) is great at $6 a 6-pack. I really like the dark hefeweizen, the Vienna lager, the Bohemian-style pilsner...

I rarely buy produce there, however, preferring Super H Mart in Fairfax for all that (and all my Asian purchases), though in summer they have local corn, tomatoes, and other things that are pretty good.

I will occasionally get meat at TJ's, but I tend to go Whole Foods or the organic butcher in my town for that.

[ScoopKW]

the Joseph's Brau beer (or whatever it's called) is great at $6 a 6-pack. I really like the dark hefeweizen, the Vienna lager, the Bohemian-style pilsner...

In general, I think TJ's best products are alcohol-related. Their TJ's Blanc d'Blancs sparkling wine is easily the best $4 bottle of wine anywhere. And their beer is just craft-brews made by the larger regionals, branded for TJ's.

We have so many good markets in Las Vegas, it doesn't make sense to buy most of their other products.

[Shel_B]

Pain Pascal - Oraganic Demi Miche: I needed some bread to make croutons and this new product caught my eye. It made some lovely flavorful XL croutons, tossed with a bit of olive oil and seasoning and baked at 350. I made a big batch for a function and went back today to get another demi loaf to make more - great tossed into the seasonal tomato and other fresh salads. The ingredient list is organic whole wheat flour and sea salt. It is $2.99 for the half loaf - only way they sell it. The sign says you can bake it further to crisp it up. I must admit to being so enamored of using it for croutons that I have not explored it in other uses. Anyone else try this?

Since I read this post several months ago, I've been geting the bread regularly. It's one of my favories. As it happens, one of the local senior centers that I fraequent has a del with several bread producers and sellers to get their day old and close to expiration bread, and it's passed along to us for free. So, since I almost always end up freezing bread as I cannot eat an entire loaf before it starts to go bad, this is a great deal.

I love toasting it in the oven.

Edited December 18, 2011 by Shel_B (log)

[maggiethecat]

I bought a box of TJ's Cheese Sticks this week: crispy, flaky, cheesy. Recommended.

[heidih]

Chocolate covered potato chips - skip them (too much fake tasting barely chocolate stuff and just a bit of chip)

Winter blend coffee with ground cinnamon, cloves, red & green peppercorns - I like it

[Pierogi]

Chocolate covered potato chips - skip them (too much fake tasting barely chocolate stuff and just a bit of chip)

I was sadly, sadly disappointed in those chips as well. And that sweet/salty combo is one one of my favorite tastes (witness my butterscotch coated pretzels). But those were really terrible.

[nolnacs]

Trader Joe's has started carrying speculoos, the cookie based spread that originated in the Netherlands. I've never had the opportunity to try the original product, but the Trader Joe's version (which is made in the Netherlands) is very, very tasty. It's quite smooth and tastes quite a bit like gingerbread or in the words of my wife: "it tastes like Christmas!"

[Katie Meadow]

Recently I've discovered Trader Joe's brioche bread. It is an extremely useful product--especially if you need stale brioche bread for french toast or bread pudding, since it is pretty much stale as soon as you buy it. Actually I very much like it for toast.

[chezcherie]

katie, i believe that terrific brioche is seasonal, so you might want to freeze a few loaves before it disappears! and nolnacs, that "cookie butter" as tj labels it is so, so good! i have started hoarding it, as i think it has "discontinued" written all over it...just not the type of thing i think will catch on with the masses, so...i've got a few jars in the "earthquake kit". it's a knock-off of the biscoff spread they sell in europe, and i used to bring a couple jars back in my suitcase, wrapped in least-loved sweaters, so i'm really glad to have this option--and so is my dry-cleaner!

[Genkinaonna]

I always stock up on the frozen puff pastry while they have it in stock...as a matter of fact, I have some palmiers in the oven right now for a cookie swap!

[TheNoodleIncident]

I did a search for this, so hopefully I'm not repeating one that has been posted.

Has anyone tried TJ's 2011 Vintage Ale? Or any of the prior year's offering for that matter? It's contracted brewed by Unibroue (brewers of La Fin du Monde and Maudite), so it's hopefully good stuff - and at $4.99 for a 750ml, it's a steal! It's a strong dark Belgian ale, and has received decent reviews on the regular craft beer sites, but was wondering if anyone here has tried it personally?

[tikidoc]

I did a search for this, so hopefully I'm not repeating one that has been posted.

Has anyone tried TJ's 2011 Vintage Ale? Or any of the prior year's offering for that matter? It's contracted brewed by Unibroue (brewers of La Fin du Monde and Maudite), so it's hopefully good stuff - and at $4.99 for a 750ml, it's a steal! It's a strong dark Belgian ale, and has received decent reviews on the regular craft beer sites, but was wondering if anyone here has tried it personally?

Yea, we had some last year. Bought a bottle a couple days ago but have not had it yet. Last year's was pretty good. I've had similar beers from other breweries that were similar, a malty dark ale with spice added (I seem to remember clove and other autumn-y spices, but it's been a year and I've had a few beers since then). I should mention that I tend to go for more hoppy stuff like IPAs, but I do like a good stout on a cold evening too.

Jess

[GlorifiedRice]

Im becoming a convert too...

Their Asian foods are KNOCKOUTS!

[Manager's Note: This topic continues in Trader Joe's Products (2012 - )...]

Edited March 26, 2013 by LindaK
Edited to add note (log)