I came across this list of products where generics just don’t cut it. Some of the items surprised me, while a few of the others were no brainers.
- Butter-this one rather surprised me. I bake a lot and have only had to get European style butter for a couple of recipes, and have always been pleased with the results. The difference to me is paying attention to salted and non-salted and using which is specified.
- Soda
- Ketchup-Yep, this one surprised me! We’re not huge into Heinz in our house, preferring Hunts with no corn syrup if I don’t make it myself.
- Makeup-they say that more expensive brands typically have more color or last longer.
- Diet Foods, like Lean Cuisine meals
- Processed Cheeses-this one I can attest to! In college I tried to save a buck and instead of Kraft, I bought the store brand of Singles to make grilled cheese-not one of my finer cooking moments. There are more local dairies that do make good cheese Singles though!
- Beer
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Dish Detergent-the article claims that these generics are less efficient and you may need to run a cycle more than once.
- Salsa
What do you think? Are there items that you just have to buy the name brand of?