This week Aldi BB #:116756 released the results of its 2024 Fan Favorites Survey: 13 Aldi items shoppers are obsessed with nationwide.
Blue Book media is also obsessed with certain Aldi items, which we will share here.
Greg’s selections are from Kansas City, MO, area stores, and Pamela’s are from Austin, TX, area Aldi’s, so selection may differ based on regionality.
- Summer Cookout: The Deutsche Kuche brand Bavarian bratwurst is “product of Germany” so you know it’s good and well worth the $4.19 per pack of four.
- Everyday meat: The 85 percent organic grassfed ground beef is a high-quality bargain at $4.79 for a one-pound pack.
- Charcuterie Favorite: Appleton Farms Italian dry slice salami is pricey at $8.79 per 16-ounce pack, but it’s great quality and lasts a long time.
- Top Catch: It’s hard to beat the Fresh Atlantic Salmon that also made the fan favorites list.
- Best Combo: For a restaurant quality sandwich, go with the frozen Kirkwood breaded chicken fillets (also known as Red Bag Chicken) and Specially Selected Brioche buns, $4.39 for a 6-count. A pricier Aldi selection, but high quality.
- Fresh Fruit: Bagged avocados, various brands. My latest trip found Calavo Calavo’tinis, 6-count bag for $3.39. Bonus: Aldi consistently has the cheapest grapes in town. They may be a grade lower than other stores, but they’re well worth it at $1.29 a pound vs. $2.99 a pound most other stores.
- Fresh Veg: Romaine hearts. At $3.39 for three massive hearts, there’s no excuse not to add them to every sandwich or burger and eat salads until they’re gone. Caution: make sure to choose your lettuce from the refrigerated section.
- Crunchy Mom: Millville crunchy whole grain granola: oats, honey & almond. At $2.99 for 14-ounce bag, it’s a lot of granola to add to your yogurt and berries.
- Sweet Treat: The Specially Selected premium vanilla at $6.49 per 48-ounce is every bit as good as high-end ice cream competitors, and the standard ice cream usually costs less than $3 per 48-ounce, and tastes as good for less than competitors.
- Wine Time: Sadly my closest Aldi does not sell alcohol, but others do. For value, I recommend Winking Owl 3-liter box of Pinot Grigio for $13.95. It’s a varietal that always seems to be good no matter how cheap. For a fancier option, go with the Quarter Cut Bourbon Barrel Red Blend, $9.99 per bottle.
- Aldi Gear: Finding merch in store can be very difficult as collectors often snap them all up as soon as a store opens, but Pamela was savvy enough to gift a few items to Greg, and the windbreaker is the clear favorite.
Pamela’s Aldi shopping differs in that it’s not her regular shop, primarily due to proximity. It’s about 15 miles to the closest Aldi, in Georgetown, TX, whereas H-E-B, Costco, and Walmart are all within a 1-mile radius.
That means a trip to Aldi mirrors what Aldi’s 1990s slogan said: “The Stock-Up Store.”
But the stock-up is more like fancy cheese and charcuterie than everyday fruits and vegetables.
Pamela’s favorites include:
- Cheese, Please: Any of the Smoked Cheddar and Gouda, or even the snacking cubes of Gruyere and Gouda always make it into the cart. On a recent trip, Pamela found Tete de Moine and Appenzeller, both favorites in the Riemenschneider household.
- Fancy, and not so fancy, Meats: The kids are big fans of the Simms brand of Slim Jim knock-offs, and bite size salami. The charcuterie end cap also had Italian salumi picante.
- Deutsche Küche: The pre-made German food also is a hit in the Riemenschneider household (go figure…)
- Produce: Pamela usually grabs staples that are on sale, like seedless cucumbers and bell peppers, but most of the time her local H-E-B’s prices are either the same or lower than Aldi, so it has to be a spectacular deal.
The difference? Pamela’s splurges are definitely not budget-friendly. Like an occasional Costco shopper who wanders around and somehow spends $400, the fun finds at Aldi are Pamela’s weakness.
From Aldi’s list:
- ALDI Encore – Huntington Home Swedish Dish Cloth
- Charcuterie Favorite – Specially Selected Aged Cheese
- Cozy Comfort – Black Angus Beef Chuck Roast
- DoorDash Delights (a tie!) – Clancy’s Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips AND Mama Cozzi’s Deli Pizza
- Feel Good Pick – Park Street Deli Hummus
- Fresh and Fabulous – Tri-Colored Peppers
- In a Pinch – Little Salad Bar Chicken Caesar Salad Bowl
- Summer Cookout – Ribeye Steak
- Sweet Treats Anyone? – Bake Shop Cheesecake Sampler
- Top Catch – Fresh Atlantic Salmon
- The Internet Made Me Buy It – Barissimo Barista Cold Foam
