The Trader Joe's Product Discussion Thread (S/D)

We just struck out on like 4 products we had to return, which is a record for us, even if we knew better. Watermelon Jerky (which ... I know), Apple Cider Foaming Handsoap, Pumpkin Spice Rooibus and ... Cinnamon Bun Spread? Anyway, all duds, all disgusting. But it's cinnamon broom season, which makes me happy.

I really wish TJ's would come out with a nice, cheap, 'natural' mouthwash. It pains me to spend $5 or $6 on a bottle of blue colored alcohol, especially if I'm not supposed to drink it.

Bought a "spicy miso ramen" instant/cup noodle thinking how bad could it be? It was terrible.

i am using their furikake. it's pretty basic but fine.

My son likes the watermelon jerky but he’s not yet 3 years old so there you go.

New product I like: jalapeño sauce. Most of the heat of a real hot sauce but you use it in mustard/ketchup like quantities. Works very well with the new Mexican quiche thing they have.

The Brazilian dough balls are not as good as the real thing but they’re pretty good. Freezer section.

Oh and everything but the elote corn seasoning is great!

my wife swears by the chili onion crunch condiment.

Fuck!! Tha soymilk has been a staple for me for like 15 years. I don't see any others in stores that are unsweetened, and with only 2 ingredients. I'm mushed. almond milk is watery to me. Dammit

I'm pretty sure that the Trader Joe's Special Reserve Irish Whiskey is just Jameson... it even hints so on the label. At $15.99 it's a steal.

There is a cottage industry of people trying to suss out the spirits sourcing. I bought a bottle of "platinum reserve" wine the other day, and the sales person coyly told me that the $14 bottle was actually a $35 bottle under a different name/brand.

Their private label bourbon (90 proof, $15 for a 5th) is made by Buffalo Trace/Sazerac. But don't assume this is the same as their top or even mid-shelf bourbon, it just comes from the same facilities.

my local store unfortunately does not carry spirits, only beer and wine

I have to settle for Costco house brand liquors. That TJ’s bourbon intrigues me!

fwiw Benchmark bourbon comes from those distilleries but is only 80 proof. Could be a slightly-better one-off for TJ’s

Tha soymilk has been a staple for me for like 15 years. I don't see any others in stores that are unsweetened, and with only 2 ingredients. I'm mushed. almond milk is watery to me.

The one glimmer of hope is that there is one kind of soy milk that they didn't discontinue, but I didn't quite catch which one it is and I think they said that they don't currently have a source for it.

The Islay single malt whisky (Finlaggan $18.99) is a real deal... There are only 4 distilleries on that island, so it has to be one of them... possibly Lagavulin aged in Caol Ila barrels or something like that.

My understanding is the TJ scotch is high quality, but I can attest the bourbon is nothing special. Haven't tried Costco bourbon yet, but at least it has an age statement. 7 years, the sweet spot.

recommend:

chile and corn quiche with taco shell crust (freezer)
+
their jalapeno sauce (fridge)

The chocolate chip almond cookies are ridiculously addictive btw.

OMG this.

I gotta say... my favorite beef jerkey is Trader Joe’s brand

anyone tried the instant iced coffee? it's weird! i think it's good but it might be bad.

Can’t believe I missed the window to stock up on maple butter. I swear it was only available for like 3 weeks???

I've always liked the canned dolmas at Trader Joe's. They have recently stocked quinoa-stuffed dolmas in the same section, I think they are even better

xp haven't heard of maple butter, but it sounds good.

Some things are seasonal. I bought Autumn cheese there last year at this time, liked it but went back to find it gone. I found it again this year though.

My favorite ever purchases from Trader Joe's have been the peonies, which are only available in May

the most recent new thing there that I found there was "heirloom chicken", a ridiculous name but it is a whole chicken that is small, and it makes the best roast chicken

Sounds like a heritage or game hen.

it's good for the Zuni roast chicken recipe

most of the chickens raised for the mass market are just too large for roasting or selling rotisserie chickens!

that’s part of why costco was having trouble sourcing enough for their cooked rotisserie chickens and ended up buying their own chicken farm

I miss the gluten-free bread & bagels & chocolate cupcakes A LOT lot. It's not that they're super great compared to actual bread, it's that they're adequate and nothing else out there is (that doesn't also contain stabilizers and soy additives that I don't eat).

their gluten-free cupcakes were really good -- and I can eat gluten, so the GF cupcakes were actually better than some of the "regular" cupcakes I have had.

The green dragon hot sauce is the shit. I put it on everything.

green dragon is amazing, mix it with some mayo and it makes a killer flavored mayo/dipping sauce

I was disappointed with green dragon sauce at first because it seemed a little too sweet, but decided I like it

their new fromage pavé is really good

Did they get rid of the faux-Stoned Wheat Thins? Haven't seen them at my local for months.

Wish they'd bring back the lemur tea.

Yup, the faux-Stoned Wheat crackers have disappeared here, too. That's a death knell at least 80% of the time.

there are many Trader Joe's products that are suddenly discontinued, but there are equally as many new products there that I discover there when I go back

Are the lebkuchen back this season? If so, I may have to brave the store. I love those things.

sounds interesting. haven’t focused on their sweets but in the recent past I have discovered dolmas stuffed with quinoa, beef pho, different canned and jarred olives, artichoke hearts, plu gras butter, eggplant hummus, double cream gouda, fromage pavé, soup DUMPLINGS!, flour and corn tortillas, and heirloom chicken

not sure how DUMPLINGS! came out capitalized there tbh, I certainly didn't do it

ha ha. I didn't capitalize it, but I approve of the idea of DUMPLINGS!

whenever the word DUMPLINGS! appears ilx will automatically capitalize it and add an exclamation mark. this is a long standing tradition.

My parents have friends in Germany who used to send us lebkuchen every Christmas, and the Trader Joe ones are every bit as good as the German ones. Like, I genuinely can't tell the difference.

I will have to look for them

trader joes raisin bran was off the shelves for six months. when it came back the box and contents were different and it is now made in germany. it tastes exactly how you would imagine central european breakfast cereal tastes. i mean i like it. but it's definitely a style.

If so, I may have to brave the store. I love those things.

(the TJs near you is the only supermarket/grocery store I've seen enforcing limited numbers indoors, & with people fairly consistently spacing in the queues outside)

Yes, they're very good about it, and I do feel safer there than at other stores in the area. Most of the things I buy from TJs last a long time, though, so I still don't go that often.

trader joes raisin bran was off the shelves for six months.

I haven't seen it in maybe a year!

It’s back on the west coast but the box is very different.

I missed the peony season in May and early June this year at Trader Joe's because I didn't go shopping at all

the employees are pretty well-informed about what is on the outs and what is going to stop being stocked due to supply chain issues

I was buying some chicken taquitos (rip, lost them in my refrigerator dying) early this year and the checkout cashier told me it was probably my last chance for the near future because their supplier basically stopped all orders

if you want to know, someone in the store might know!