Trader Joe's Products (2012–2015)

[Hassouni]

OK, I'm now a big fan of the TJ's biltong. Might make this a staple.

 

The sardines were good too. Nice and cheap and decent quality

[ElsieD]

We have tried a few of the things we bought at Trader Joe's and thought I would report back. The Chile Lime Chicken Burgers were very good, the Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels were good, the Dark Chocolate Speculoos Cookie Butter Cups were good and the popcorn was dreadful, absolutely dreadful to the point that they will be binned. The burgers were recommended to me and I would definitely get them again. The other three items were impulse buys and while two of them were tasty enough, I would not bother to get them again. No need to mention the popcorn again.

[jvalentino]

Ugh I got the popcorn on a whim yesterday. Unlike you I didn't bin it-I threw it in the trash.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Good to know on the white cheddar "baconesque" popcorn. I love white cheddar popcorn, but the "bacon-like seasoning" is surprising for TJ's which prides itself on natural real food ingredients and minimal additives at an affordable price. 

[ElsieD]

Ugh I got the popcorn on a whim yesterday. Unlike you I didn't bin it-I threw it in the trash.

Yeah, pretty awful, wasn't it?

[ElsieD]

Continuing on with our mini reviews, we have now tried four more items. The milk chocolate salted caramel butter cookies were pretty good but not so special that I would buy them again. The problem for me was the base as it was very dry and if it had any butter in it, I couldn't taste it. The topping, however, was delicious. The mango ginger chutney - well, I could just sit there on my chair with spoon in hand and eat the whole dang jar. It is delicious, and has gone on the Trader Joe list for next time. We also liked the basmati rice medley and will stock up on a few of those also. I understand that there is a frozen basmati rice medley but they didn't have it so I got this one instead. I bought the cold brewed coffee to have on hand for those mornings when circumstances did not allow for making the usual pot. It was good but again not so good that I would buy it again. It has been fun trying the different products I picked up.

[Shel_B]

[...] We also liked the basmati rice medley and will stock up on a few of those also. I understand that there is a frozen basmati rice medley but they didn't have it so I got this one instead. I bought the cold brewed coffee to have on hand for those mornings when circumstances did not allow for making the usual pot. It was good but again not so good that I would buy it again. It has been fun trying the different products I picked up.

 

The frozen rice of which you speak is not basmati.  It's a blend of brown rice, red rice and black barley ... reminiscent of a dish I have at a local Korean restaurant.

 

I may look into the cold brewed coffee.  I bet it's better than yesterday's leftover coffee that I had this morning - might be an (acceptable?) option for those times I run out of java.

[rotuts]

the Fz rice medley mention'd above  i like and keep in my freezer

 

I add it to my 'semi-home made' soup and enjoy it a lot that way.

 

I have not used it as 'rice on the plate'  

 

maybe i should ?

[ElsieD]

The frozen rice of which you speak is not basmati.  It's a blend of brown rice, red rice and black barley ... reminiscent of a dish I have at a local Korean restaurant.

 

I may look into the cold brewed coffee.  I bet it's better than yesterday's leftover coffee that I had this morning - might be an (acceptable?) option for those times I run out of java.

Maybe that's why I couldn't find it - I was looking for the wrong thing. I'll look again.

[Hassouni]

OK, I'm never buying that inca corn stuff again. It's just too god damn good and I can't stop eating it 

[Smithy]

OK, I'm never buying that inca corn stuff again. It's just too god damn good and I can't stop eating it 

That's the sort of endorsement a company likes!

[Hassouni]

Yeah but seriously it must have been half my daily caloric intake!

[ElsieD]

Next up we have the following:

Giant Peruvian Inca Corn - I'm almost afraid to say this given how many people like this, but this didn't do anything for us. I don't really know why, but it just didn't.

Speculoos cookies - good, not great.

Sweet Sriracha Uncured Bacon Jerky - I don't eat jerky but my husband does and he loved, loved, loved this stuff. It's one of the reasons I am thinking of getting a dehydrator. Definitely on the "to get again list" as is,

Siriracha Roasted Garlic Barbecue Sauce - this was outasight good. We loved this sauce and pan on stocking up.

[brucesw]

I tried the Inca corn once; that was enough for me.  I finished the bag, which is better than I did a couple of years ago when I found the same product locally and wound up throwing half the bag away.  TJ’s was better but not by enough.  

I have been enjoying the convenience of the Coffee Concentrate, too much so, perhaps; I've gotten very lazy about brewing a fresh cup.  I’m on my second jar but this will be the last, I think.  I’ve realized I can make my own cold brewed coffee concentrates at home with the equipment I already have and use beans I like and I can brew in small quantities.  I was beginning to find the TJ’s blend boring and I like variety in my cup, anyway.  I brew small batches, steeping the grounds in my large French press overnight then straining the concentrate both with the screen and through a paper filter in my Clever Drip Coffee Maker into a container to go in the fridge.  Making a concentrate to have on standby so you can produce a cup quickly results in a better tasting cup than saving and reheating leftover coffee.  I guess the cold brewing has something to do with that.

I’m also liking the Smooth & Really Mellow Decaf.  I have to have some decaf around and I’ve tried all the local roasters and never found any I like.  I was reluctant to buy that big a container, not knowing for sure what the blend is and how long ago it was roasted, but I’ve been pleased.  Also on my second canister.  This is the one in the reddish-brown canister not the greyish-green one which I tried and did not like.  Other than this I have avoided TJ's coffee and am sticking with local roasters I know.

I’m just getting started exploring TJ’s cheeses but I really like the Collier’s Welsh Cheddar and the Le Delice de Borgogne Triple Cream Soft Ripened cheese of the one’s I’ve tried.

Edited May 17, 2015 by brucesw (log)

[cyalexa]

 This is the one in the reddish-brown canister not the greyish-green one which I tried and did not like.  Other than this I have avoided TJ's coffee and am sticking with local roasters I know.

I’m just getting started exploring TJ’s cheeses but I really like the Collier’s Welsh Cheddar and the Le Delice de Borgogne Triple Cream Soft Ripened cheese of the one’s I’ve tried.

Re.cheese at TJs, Try Unexpected if you like cheddar.

 

Re. decaf, it's not cheap and it's not convenient but my favorite decaf is Major Dickason's Blend from Peet's. I also like Dandy Blend Herbal Beverage as a coffee replacement. It doesn't really taste like coffee but it tastes good.

[GlorifiedRice]

So whats the deal with Aldi/TJs denying Canada?

[GlorifiedRice]

Are those preserved lemon slices still available? I just went and they dont have them.

 

Also are the dried jackfruit chips available?

[ElsieD]

So whats the deal with Aldi/TJs denying Canada?

Not sure what you're asking. Care to elaborate?

[GlorifiedRice]

Not sure what you're asking. Care to elaborate?

 

There are no Aldis or Trader Joes in Canada.. why not?

[rotuts]

Taxes ?

 

look what happened to Target  @ Canada 

 

that means nothing as well TG lost their mind

 

Sooooo  send some email to the German company that owns TJ 's

 

why not ?

 

I think its Taxes.

[ElsieD]

Wish I knew. I'd sure patronize them.

[rotuts]

Ive thought about this and i think its the Canadian Tax on Booze.

 

In CA where I grew up  the TJ's sell both wine and hard booze.  all the prices there were much better than any where else

 

granted they might not have you're booze friend, well so what

 

here in MA  they only sell wine and only in 4 places

 

we pay those legislative  " Hor*se" so much money and the gobble so much on the Trough ..

 

but that's it here

 

ive talked to my Local TJ's and they tell me they make 50 + % on there nicely discounted  wine.

 

In CA  with the Hard Stuff  I got to tell you Its a lot higher.

[FauxPas]

rotuts,

It's not because of corporate tax rates that Trader Joe's has not come to Canada. 

 

Corporate tax rates in Canada are now generally lower than in the US. 

 

From:

 

http://taxfoundation.org/blog/how-much-lower-are-canadas-business-taxes

 

ETA: However, it might be US taxes that are a problem - that repatriation tax, perhaps. 

 

 

Burger King’s announcement that it will move its headquarters to Canada has put the spotlight on Canada’s tax system. Just what are the tax benefits of doing business in Canada versus the U.S.?

First, Canada has a much lower corporate tax rate: 15 percent at the federal level plus another 11 percent on average from provincial corporate taxes. Compare that to the U.S. federal corporate tax rate of 35 percent plus an average state corporate tax rate of about 4 percent.

Second, Canada has a territorial tax system, meaning there is no additional repatriation tax on foreign profits. The U.S. has a worldwide tax system, which applies a repatriation tax to foreign profits when those profits are brought back to the U.S. The repatriation tax is basically the difference between the foreign corporate tax rate and the U.S. corporate tax rate, which is typically more than 10 percent. The average foreign corporate tax rate in the developed world is 25 percent.

Third, the U.S. is not particularly competitive in terms of taxing shareholders. Canada integrates its corporate tax with shareholder taxes to avoid double-taxation. In the U.S. it just piles up, so theintegrated corporate tax rate on equity financed investment is over 50 percent.

Perhaps less important to Burger King are sales taxes and property taxes, but they still matter to some extent. Canada has a superior sales tax system that largely exempts business inputs. Most U.S. states apply their sales taxes to capital goods.

Canada has a superior property tax system that largely exempts business inputs. In contrast, state and local U.S. property taxes often apply to machinery and equipment and in some states to inventory. Some states also have capital taxes.

Putting the domestic tax factors together, Jack Mintz and Duanjie Chen of the University of Calgary found that the U.S. Marginal Effective Tax Rate (METR) on Capital Investment is the highest in the developed world, at 35.3 percent. In contrast, Canada’s METR is about half that, at 18.6 percent. By this measure, Canada has the lowest business tax burden in the G7.

Edited May 18, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[FauxPas]

If liquor sales are considered essential, that might contribute to TJ's reluctance to enter the Canadian market. Liquor sales are controlled by each province in different ways. In BC, we are only starting to allow liquor sales in grocery stores and the licenses are not easy to come by. So that might be part of the reason. 

 

But I still think they could be profitable here even w/o liquor sales. When I shop at TJ's in the US, the majority of carts are filled primarily or completely with grocery items. 

 

And in Vancouver, an enterprising guy makes a living by reselling TJ items, in a business called Pirate Joe's. 

 

http://www.piratejoes.ca/

 

It's got some interesting background to it. Trader Joe's has sued the owner/business and lost, but is appealing. Read more here:

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pirate-joe-raids-trader-joes-shelves/

 

Strange that they want to sue, as Pirate Joe's only increases their popularity and brand recognition. And the owner of Pirate Joe's says he will close his store, happily, if a real Trader Joe's opens in Vancouver! 

 

ETA: Target was a 'how-not-to' story. I think they could have made it here, but they planned it poorly and couldn't deliver what they promised. I was in a few of the Canadian Target stores and they were not well-stocked at all. Lots of empty shelves even after the stores were up and running. The selection of items at some stores was poor, even if they had been stocked. And prices were not particularly competitive. In the Comox Valley, the Target store opened only a couple of blocks from WalMart, so all too easy for people to do price comparisons. 

Edited May 18, 2015 by FauxPas (log)

[GlorifiedRice]

BTW I got those Aztec corn snacks! OMG they will break my teeth!

Im sure Sandra Lee will find a use for em in her next Kwanzaa Kake though