11 Items That Aren’t Worth the Trip to Aldi

Aldi shopping hacks are a dime a dozen. After all, Aldi is one of the best grocery stops for stocking up on a budget.

But even with their great prices and family-friendly environment, not everything you can score at this retailer is worth the trip. It’s essential to be selective to maximize savings and quality.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of 11 Aldi aisles items worth getting somewhere else.

Although Aldi’s frozen fish may be cheaper, some customers report that the quality is inferior to fresh fish or other brands available at larger retailers. Frozen tilapia, salmon, and cod are among the options to avoid.

Many customers don’t like frozen fish items at all and instead prefer fresh when it is available. Even the fish sticks are more breading than fish.

While Aldi’s deli meats are affordable, some shoppers find the taste and texture less fresh than local delis or premium brands. Some customers consider them flat-out disgusting. Admittedly, these meats have a more slimy consistency than others fresh out of the container.

While Aldi offers excellent deals on many produce items, specific fruits and vegetables, like strawberries or avocados, may not be as fresh or flavorful as those at higher-end grocery stores or farmers markets.

If you don’t arrive when a good shipment of bananas arrives — which seems rare at most locations — your stock will brown within days, if not hours, of purchase.

Some Aldi canned vegetables lack the quality and flavor of those from more established brands, leaving customers with a less-than-satisfying experience.

Some customers have claimed that Aldi’s corn and green beans lack flavor and have an unsavory texture. Even refried beans — which tend to be easy crowd-pleasers — are uncomfortably chewy.

Pizza rolls — an otherwise straightforward, cheap staple — are getting called out for being nasty online.

Aldi’s Mama Cozzi brand doesn’t sit well with customers, whether they bake them in the oven or toss them in the microwave. Says one Reddit user: “I bought them and was HORRIFIED. Into the trash.”

While Aldi’s wine selection is generally praised for its value, some customers find the taste lacking compared to similar-priced options from other retailers. Some wines have an overwhelming vinegar flavor, turning them off to certain shoppers.

One Redditor explains the wine selection: “Aldi can have hidden treasures, but let’s be honest; it’s not frequent.”

If you love Oreos, I wouldn’t touch the Aldi version with a 10-foot pole. Whether you get the regular ones or the “double-filled” option, the vanilla cream tastes a little off—almost too sweet, with less vanilla flavor than the original creme.

The cookies are softer than the crunch of an Oreo and seem stale. Customers complain that even their kids won’t eat them.

While we want to love the concept of a “skinny” bagel with a fraction of the calories and all of the taste, it simply isn’t real.

Aldi has removed all the soft, pillowy goodness from the bagel, leaving it lacking. This is so disappointing that some customers have even compared it to cardboard.

Stay away from Aldi brand skincare products, particularly those for your face. The formula has changed a few times over the years, but many customers who dared to use the exfoliating cleanser or hydrating moisturizer were left with stripped, dry, and irritated skin.

If you haven’t stocked up on paper products in the aisles at Aldi, don’t. While you can absolutely snag a deal on items like tissue, toilet paper, paper towels, and napkins, the quality isn’t top-notch for any of them. You almost can’t buy toilet paper elsewhere without a coupon, and Aldi doesn’t allow them.

Instead of settling for thinner, scratchier, less absorbent paper items, combine store and vendor coupons at another retailer and skip that aisle.

While Aldi’s store-brand powdered creamers are about on par with other powdered options — which isn’t high praise — many shoppers have to rely on other stores for better-tasting creamers.

One Redditor explains, “I hate that I have to shop at another store just for coffee creamer. I hate the taste of this!”

Aldi is one of the most well-known grocers in the country because it does so many things right, and plenty of products are worth regularly adding to your pantry.

But if you want to save money on groceries, don’t stock up on ones that don’t stack up.