I must admit, I wasn’t an Aldi shopper. I mean, I was until I wasn’t.
Okay, let’s back track. My parents always were and always will be Aldi shoppers. Ever since they lived in Germany, they have a special infatuation with Aldi. Although the American Aldi and the German version are similar they are not too much alike. But my parents love it and I won’t argue with that.
In essence, I grew up eating Aldi food. But when I GREW up, I found their selection to be small and their brands to be… well… off. So I moved on. But every once in a while, I would stop in for their German products. The chocolate and the cheese, oh my!
On the other hand, their produce and meat selection has always been good and recently, Aldi really surprised me. Their stores are still small. Their selection is still petite. But the quality of the products they represent has improved. Way to go Aldi.
Now before I bore you to death with all of that, let’s talk about why you are really here: coffee.
I am an avid coffee drinker. 3-4 times a day. I absolutely love it.
Black, with milk, no sugar or lots of sugar. Cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, Americanos, affogatos, you name it – it’s mine. Which is why I feel like I have the authority to review coffee. ☕
Let’s get to it.
I started with a cup of joe from each of the stores. Made with hot boiling water (tap) and the same amount of coffee for each. Here are some of the steps and what I found.
PROS & CONS:
Trader Joe’s:
- Stronger flavor
- Bolder aroma and taste
- Darker in color
- Smokey aroma
- Bag closes well after opening
- 13 oz
- $3.99
- 100% Arabica Coffee
Aldi’s:
- Lighter in flavor
- Not as bold
- Lighter in color
- Almost floral in fragrance
- Bag enclosure fell off immediately after opening
- 12 oz
- $3.99
- 100% Arabica Coffee
FINAL THOUGHT:
I loved TJ’s dark roast before and I will continue to love it. Not only do you get more for your money but the flavor is definitely better. It’s bolder and feels like dark roast as you drink it. The Aldi version is good but you need more of it to get the same flavor as TJ’s. Which is a waste of money.
TJ’s wins this one.
Stay tuned for the next few weeks. I am reviewing 3 more TJ vs Aldi items. Make sure you subscribe and you will be the first to know!
But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions what I should try next, please comment below. Thank you for stopping by.
I am a coffee lover from way back so any post of coffee gets my attention. I am always on the lookout for a good grocery store cup. I find the TJ’s French Roast to be a quite a rich and roasty brew. If you are near a Kroger try their varietal, under the Private Selection label. I am drinking the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe as I post and find it to taste as an African varietal should: mediom body with hints of berry. Remember, as with wine, the more specific the label the better the coffee will be. That means beware of coffee called “blends” or “styles” …Thanks for the post!
Thank you so much. I will definitely try the French Roast next. I do not have a Kroger near by but I will look for an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe maybe under a diff label. Thanks again for your input and I appreciate the tips!!!
I’m totally into the dark roasts lately, doesn’t matter the brand. Funny I used to think it was too strong and now anything else than that kind of blend doesn’t seem strong enough!
That used to be my husband and I as well. But now we love dark roast 🙂