Shopping at the discount store: the best of the worst

2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20

Ah, the prejudices. That stuff that prevents you from falling in love with your neighbor if you come from a penniless family, or from living the gastronomic experience of life by setting foot in that homely restaurant on the outskirts.

Do you see it or not, that prejudices make you make bad choices?

Even in everyday life, when you are sure that i discount products they are all of low quality, or in any case worse than what you find in the rest of the "branded" large-scale distribution.

But no, that's not always the case, we've seen it with beer and snacks, and we want to become champions of a crusade to overthrow these preconceptions.

Because we in the discount stores have spent a lot of time looking for products that should be promoted, both from the point of view of ingredients and - obviously - from that of taste, which is the yardstick around which it moves. our entire universe.

And you know what? At Lidl, Eurospin and In's we found products that far exceeded sufficiency. In some cases, it must be admitted, we struggled a bit. But in others, we have also found many (for example from Lidl, which stands out positively in this one).

Tell us what you want. That such low prices cannot be explained, that we should respect the zero kilometer more, which causes the ruin of the grocery store under the house. But we, these twelve products, bought them, we would buy them back and buy them back.

1. Our stars - Parmigiano Reggiano DOP 30 months

Eurospin - 16, 98 € / Kg

The price, for a 30-month Parmesan, is excellent. The taste (and how could it be otherwise?) Too. The packaging (if interested) is elegant.

Still not convinced?

Then know that the origin is the same as a well-known brand of the GDO. The factories where this Parmesan is produced for Eurospin are those of the Granterre / Parmareggio consortium.

2. Ricottine Land

Eurospin - 3.75 / kg

Needless to say: if you have a small dairy near your home, that's probably where you'll find the best fresh cheese. But we are talking about large distribution. And then, Eurospin's Land ricottine presents themselves really positively.

Very short ingredients list (pasteurized whey, pasteurized cream, salt, acidity regulator: citric acid), label with correct information (including instructions for the correct disposal of the packaging).

And now, a drum roll before we find out where this ricotta is made. Because the factory, ladies and gentlemen, is that of the much better known Granarolo.

3. Hot smoked natural fresh salmon steak

Lidl - 28.72 € / kg

We can already hear you jump from your chairs, at the idea that a salmon for less than € 30 per kilo is being promoted. Nevertheless.

We tasted that salmon and tasted it again, because we liked it. On paper, nothing to report, especially as regards the ingredients list: 98% salmon, salt and stop.

4. Medium-strong mustard

Penny Market - 2, 20 € / kg

The condiments chapter is often sore even among the most well-known brands, let alone in the hard discount. The principle seems to be that if the hamburger is junk food, the quality of what is spread on it does not matter.

Instead, we strongly claim our craving for a good ketchup, or a good mustard. Like the one we found at Penny's for an almost ridiculous price.

A good percentage of mustard seeds (19%), for example even higher than the one that is probably the main competitor on the Italian market, Calvè (which has 16%) and an ingredients list that does not include aromas, thickeners or junk various.

5. Bio Organic Campo Largo spelled

Lidl - 3, 97 € / Kg

At Lidl you will find an entire category of products from organic farming, as market needs require.

Prices are generally competitive, and the organic is guaranteed and certified by CCPB.

6. Cream of peas and Ca 'dell’orto courgettes

In's - € 3, 21 / kg

Okay, ready-made food is not the best in life. But everyone has had little time for lunch, or have been so tired that the microwave is a godsend.

However, not everyone has been lucky enough to find a soup ready like this: just broth of water, carrots and onions; vegetables (peas 35%, fresh courgettes 18%, onion), extra virgin olive oil and salt.

7. Piadina Romagnola PGI Rimini-style

Penny Market - 2, 75 € / kg

We great panini fantasists have seen packaged wraps that, at the time of rolling, did not hold up when folded and shattered into a thousand pieces. We have seen some dry, stringy, not very tasty wraps. Not this one.

We like this - produced by Artgianpiada for Penny, just as we like that extra virgin olive oil is used to dress it and not a simple olive oil, or worse.

8. 100% Puertosol Italian apple juice

Eurospin - € 1.99 / kg

We are aware of this, in large-scale distribution there are also cheaper fruit juices.

But here we are faced with a true product of excellence: an Italian apple juice, produced not from concentrate, in which there is only one ingredient. The taste (and it could not be otherwise) is excellent.

9. Feta Eridanous

Lidl - 8.45 € / kg

One of the fun things about discount stores (and Lidl in particular) is that you can find exotic products there, which remind you of that trip you took years ago, and which allow you to prepare a different recipe, or to taste something you've never tried before.

Sorry if it is little, in the era of globalization. We are curious, every time the week of US products, or Chinese ones, or Japanese ones is inaugurated.

This is why we have included feta in our ranking. At Lidl Greek products are present continuously, and are also of quality: yogurt, to say, or this feta: milk (sheep and goat), salt, lactic ferments, rennet.

10. Organic apple and pear puree

In's - € 6.20 / kg

Who would have thought that in a discount store you could find a healthy snack for your children?

Here it is: apple and pear (in equal measure) blended, all organic. Stop.

Of course, the price per liter is not very low (the 100 g pack makes everything seem cheaper) but you pay for quality, even at the discount store.

11. Troccoli Heart of earth

Penny Market - € 2.98 / kg

How we enjoyed this selection of fresh regional pasta. Spaghetti alla chitarra, bigoli, cavatelli, orecchiette. A tour of Italy based on durum wheat semolina.

In the end we chose the troccoli, which satisfied us even once cooked (our suggestion is not to exceed 6 minutes of cooking).

12. Chillies stuffed with tuna Selezione Più

In's - 8, 45 € / kg

Of all, it is the product that has put us in the most difficulty, because of that sunflower oil. If it had even been in olive oil only, we would have had no doubts in promoting these stuffed peppers, because they are good, much tastier than other large-scale retail competitors.

And there is nothing to say about the rest of the ingredients on the list either. Therefore, we promote them with reserve, waiting for them to change oil by listening to us.