Store Brand vs Name Brand

Source: Paul Jerry

As I was walking out of the door for work this past Tuesday, I reached into the pantry and grabbed the breakfast of champions.  No...not that cereal.  Pop Tarts.  I opened them up and took a big bite of my frosted strawberry name brand breakfast treat and realized that I had been eating store brand toaster treats for long enough that I no longer have a taste for the name-brand product from Kellogg's.  I actually prefer the store brand. 

There are some products that I cannot differentiate between store brand and name brand.  I taste little difference in pasta, milk, breads, canned fruits or vegetables, ethnic food products, and the like. I could not tell you in a blind taste test whose soup, sour cream, or hot dog buns I was eating. No idea whose box that jello was in or what the package of those frozen veggies looked like. Salad dressings?  Except for ranch, I have no preferences.


There are other products that I can tell a difference, but don't mind the store brand. Typically fruit juices, sodas, bottled water, potato chips, sliced bread, frozen pizza, frozen french fries.

There are products that I actually prefer the store brand - Publix ice cream, Walmart sandwich cookies, store brand cereal bars, Publix brand yogurt, and others. 

But there are a few products that I cannot handle a store brand.  Peanut butter, saltine crackers, cheese,  ketchup (although strangely, mustard is all the same to me), ranch dressing, buttery crackers, and Oreos.

So that made me want to ask, what about you?  Are there some products that you MUST have your preferred name brand?  Are there others that you cannot tell a difference?  Are there some that you prefer the store brand?  Let us all know!  You might let us in on some delicious treats for less money!