THE supermarket wars of WA have begun and who will emerge the eventual winner is yet to be seen. In an effort to help you decide where to shop Mandurah Coastal Times, reporter Rachel Fenner, sales representative Gavin Harrison and Editor Vanessa Schmitt took part in a blind taste testing. They compared six popular products – some from Aldi and some traditional brands.
Here are the results.
Tinned spaghetti
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READ NOWA. Aldi shortcut spaghetti 420g 65c B. Heinz spaghetti in tomato sauce 130g 90c
Rachel: B was gluggy and salty, A was sweeter with a nicer texture. I prefer
Winner: A
Vanessa: A was not salty enough for my tastes and a bit chewy. B was much nicer, with a better texture and a familiar taste.
Winner: B.
Gavin: A was quite sweet. B was more savoury.
Winner: A
Cream Cheese
A. Bramwell’s cheese spread 250g $2.69 B. Kraft cream cheese spread 250g $4.20
Rachel: A has a weird grainy texture and bits in it. It was slimy. B was more cheesy with a finer texture. No bits!
Winner: B
Vanessa: A is plastic-y and tangy, I don’t like it. B is more cheesy with a stronger flavour but enjoyable. It has a pleasant aftertaste.
Winner: B
Gavin: A has quite a bitey flavour. B is smoother and more subtle.
Winner: B.
Salt and vinegar chips
A. Thins salt and vinegar chips 175g $3.65 B. Sprinters salt and vinegar chips 250g $2.29
Rachel: A are really crunchy, there’s a nice balance between the salt and the vinegar. I went back for seconds. They’re moreish. B are satisfyingly crunchy but don’t have as much flavour. There’s lots of salt, but not enough vinegar.
Winner: A
Vanessa: A are crisp, salty, delicious and definitely moreish. B are crunchy but not salty enough, they are almost bland in flavour.
Winner: A
Gavin: A have a strong flavour and B have no flavour.
Winner: A
Chocolate coated biscuits
A. Arnott’s Tim Tams, 200g, $3.65 B. Belmont just divine biscuits, 200g, $1.59
Rachel: A are tasty, with a good chocolate taste. The chocolate looks tempered. These are the Tim Tams! B are really good too though, they have a more caramel flavour, they’re crunchy and really tasty.
Winner: I like both.
Vanessa: I knew A were the Tim Tams. They have the original flavour, they’re delicious and crunchy. B is not a Tim Tam. They aren’t a good imitation. The flavours don’t meld as much.
Winner: A
Gavin: A – I know that taste! B has a more caramel flavour.
Winner: A
Chocolate hazelnut spread
A. Choc hazelnut spread, 400g, $2,49. B. Nutella, 220g, $3.65
Rachel: A tastes similar, but has a weird aftertaste. B is rich and chocolate-y, with no aftertaste. It goes the best with the salt and vinegar chips.
Winner: B
Vanessa: A has a smoother texture and a mild taste. It’s enjoyable and wouldn’t overpower accompanying food. B has a much stronger hazelnut flavour, it’s delicious and tastes like melted chocolate.
Winner: B
Gavin: A is silky and light. B has a similar texture, it was ok. They’re very similar.
Winner: A
Birthday party staple chocolate mud cake A. Coles bakery mud cake, 600g, $6. B. Aldi mud cake, 600g, $4.49 Rachel: A is rich and dense, the icing is hard though, it has an eggy taste. B’s icing is so soft and the fork goes through so easily. Winner: A Vanessa: A is crumbly with a rich flavour. B is moist, delicious and flavoursome. It has a much smoother texture. Winner: A Gavin: A is rich, with a lingering chocolate taste on the palate, it’s quite yummy and denser. B has the softest icing, the cake is also soft and has a better body to it. Winner: B Rachel: I preferred some of the traditional brands, but the Aldi brands weren’t terrible, I wouldn’t complain if someone served them up. They are also a lot cheaper, in total the Aldi shop came to $14.35 and the other shop came to $20. That would make a huge difference in my weekly shop. I have three kids, so the Aldi chocolate spread and their Tim Tams will be regulars in our pantry from now on. Vanessa: I was surprised that I preferred the brand labels. I’ve always been of the belief that paying more doesn’t guarantee quality. However, this taste test has proven to me that the original is always best. Gavin: I’ll be sticking with the traditional brands.