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Trader Joe's Products (2012–2015)

Katie Meadow

By Katie Meadow
in Kitchen Consumer

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Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

tried the TJ's Hatch canned green chile today

very disappointed: bland bland bland. its one thing to be bland in the sense that to me there is very little heat here, but quite another to be bland as in flavorless: no green chile flavor at all. or not much.

After trying these chiles, I wondered what all the fuss was about Hatch chiles. I do buy them for one specific dish where I want a very mild and not to hot chile background flavor. It's for a specific spinach cheese frittata that is often eaten by women in their 70s and 80s who want very little heat. These chiles are perfect for them.

 ... Shel


 

Fernwood

Fernwood

Posted
Posted

tried the TJ's Hatch canned green chile today

very disappointed: bland bland bland. its one thing to be bland in the sense that to me there is very little heat here, but quite another to be bland as in flavorless: no green chile flavor at all. or not much

that's 2 votes for Huh?

what's your vote ?

open that can up and give it a taste.

I was pleased to see them at TJ's, but found them bland and a little bitter. I'll probably go back to Ortega brand from the supermarket. No local access to anything more interesting in my part of New England.

powerdog

powerdog

Posted
Posted

The first TJ in Vermont will be opening soon. How do the prices compare to supermarkets for staples like milk, fruit, chicken breasts, frozen veggies, etc? I'm wondering if it would be more or less affordable to shop there regularly.

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

Milk: supermarket sale better, every day about the same. Plain vanilla type milk

fruit: supermarket

Ck Breast: i only get at supermarket on sale

fz veg: Tj's more interesting variety

cheese; TJ's

Wine Tj's

nuts/dried fruit: Tj's

meat: regional

fz fish Tj's

fz pizza: Tj's

you have to get the hang of the place. you will go there quite a bit for the stuff they do better.

they have more or less 'returned' to you a chunk of the National Advertising budget of 'National Brands'

they have no sales. they gladly take what you didnt like back. save package/container/bottle

Edited by rotuts (log)
  • Like 1
chefmd

chefmd

Posted
Posted

The first TJ in Vermont will be opening soon. How do the prices compare to supermarkets for staples like milk, fruit, chicken breasts, frozen veggies, etc? I'm wondering if it would be more or less affordable to shop there regularly.

Where in VT? My son lives in Burlington and I would love to break good news to him.

Honkman

Honkman

Posted
Posted

The first TJ in Vermont will be opening soon. How do the prices compare to supermarkets for staples like milk, fruit, chicken breasts, frozen veggies, etc? I'm wondering if it would be more or less affordable to shop there regularly.

Their fruits and vegetables are often prepackaged stuff and quite low quality and should be avoided. The cheese and wine selection is reasonable prized but again relative low quality. (Yes, 2Buck Chuck is cheaper than in other shops but still not better than a $4 wine, so why bother). TJ is good for nuts/dried foods and some of their salads as lunch. (And some of their stuff is really wired like their 1/2 gallon organic milk which has added milk powder)

  • Like 1
Two Foodies - One Journey
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

no one drinks

2Buck Chuck

\

no one.

look at the Mid shelf for wine

the top shelf there is still a lot cheaper than any other place, any ones area.

get to know the Wine Guys.

it they tell you about a wine that sounds good to you ....

try it

you can take it back

empty.

:huh:

  • Like 1
Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

The first TJ in Vermont will be opening soon. How do the prices compare to supermarkets for staples like milk, fruit, chicken breasts, frozen veggies, etc? I'm wondering if it would be more or less affordable to shop there regularly.

Much of the dairy in the local TJ's is just a little to a lot less than the supermarkets in the area, and, for the most part, the quality is equal to or better than those supermarkets.

TJ's has good prices and a nice selection of cheese. Today Toots and I hit Costco, and Toots specifically compared some cheese prices. Costco was a little less expensive, but a much larger amount of cheese had to be purchased.

I compared some frozen berries, and TJ's had the better prices.

Coffee prices were comparable, but at Costco we had to buy 3-lbs but a more reasonable amount (about a pound) could be had at TJ's, and TJ's had a wider selection.

Meat was something of a tossup, depending on the cut.

TJ's eggs are better priced than the local supermarkets, and TJ's has better prices and a more interesting selection of breads.

Butter is substantially less spendy at TJ's.

Bottled water of the type I sometimes buy is about 20% less than the local supermarkets.

Cereals (like Cheerios, Shredded Wheat, Kashi products, and oatmeal varieties) are generally much less expensive at TJ's.

Snack crackers are a better deal at TJ's, and they have some very nice, and unique, selections.

 ... Shel


 

powerdog

powerdog

Posted
Posted

Chefmd, the TJ will be on Dorset Street in South Burlington, next to the Blue Mall. I think it's expected to open in spring.

So, for a week's shopping, it sounds like I'd take my list to TJ first, get the items that look reasonable there, and then finish the shopping at a regular supermarket. Is that a logical approach?
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

Id just go to TJ's and study the place. The right stuff will talk to you. get that. toss the list. that's for the supermarket.

  • Like 1
powerdog

powerdog

Posted
Posted

I'm looking forward to it. I've visited TJ in other cities, but never focused on things like ingredients and staples. Only stuff like cookies that I could put in my luggage. What I've tried, I've liked.

Toliver

Toliver

Posted
Posted

no one drinks

2Buck Chuck

\

no one.

Uhm...I do. I will use the reds in pasta sauces (and pour a glass for the cook, too :wink: ). Sometimes I'll use a white when I bake salmon or make some sort of seafood fettucini on the stove.

2Buck Chuck now costs a little more than 2bucks. It's drinkable and it's cheap which is fine by me. :cool:

  • Like 1

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

compare it to TJ's brand from Chile some time. that's stuff's fairly pricy tough, 25 - 33 % more, depending your area

my area ( MA ) due to local Graft and Corruption laws, 2buck is 3 buck. one buck to some one's nephew 'No Show'

and the Chile is 4 bucks. Nephew gets a bite of that too.

very interested in you thoughts the Chile Chard would be nice w salmon or seafood fett. can't really drink the Chile Reds.

not dry enough for me. used to be.

BTW youve got a lot off company w the 2 - 3 buck: they sell a massive amount of it weekly. They told me at

my TJ's once, but the number was so large ive forgotten it.

Edited by rotuts (log)
Shel_B

Shel_B

Posted
Posted

no one drinks

2Buck Chuck

\

no one.

Uhm...I do. I will use the reds in pasta sauces (and pour a glass for the cook, too :wink: ). Sometimes I'll use a white when I bake salmon or make some sort of seafood fettucini on the stove.

2Buck Chuck now costs a little more than 2bucks. It's drinkable and it's cheap which is fine by me. :cool:

I don't drink much wine these days, but even when I had a nice cellar there was always a place for 2 Buck Chuck. I now use the merlot for cooking, especially when I make a particular spaghetti sauce.

  • Like 1

 ... Shel


 

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

Ive never looked. not my type unless bone-dry

however, the staff at my TJ's really know the wine they sell. if they are similar at your TJ's ask the Wine Folks

they will at least give you a fair idea of what your are going to try.

and if you don't like the wine, rate it a :wacko: , take the bottle back. no fuss.

Honkman

Honkman

Posted
Posted

no one drinks

2Buck Chuck

\

no one.

look at the Mid shelf for wine

the top shelf there is still a lot cheaper than any other place, any ones area.

get to know the Wine Guys.

it they tell you about a wine that sounds good to you ....

try it

you can take it back

empty.

:huh:

A lot of people are drinking $2Chuck and it is a pretty lousy wine. I know a lot of people who are very much into wines and none of them would buy anything at TJ (either not cheaper than pther places or cheap but low quality wine) and there are many better places if you want good, affordable wines but just not TJ.

Two Foodies - One Journey
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted (edited)

I disagree

vintage aside, the top shelf is quite good if you know what you are doing.

and you can learn carefully and take it back

maybe not 58 cases.

:raz:

Edited by rotuts (log)
  • Like 2
rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

How delicious and healthy can this be ?

Oat Toasted.jpg

it sure looks good when you study the front of the carton

Whoooops ! its all added sugar

this is Frosted Flakes w no Tony

should you try it, well

i took it back

avoid unless you are a fan of Eventual Insulin

just saying.

bummer

rotuts

rotuts

Posted
Posted

I don't think so.

this would be fine w/o the hidden added sugar.

you just add a few slices of fresh peach, some berries etc

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