There have been threads before about which certain products you MUST purchase brand names. I’m going for the opposite here: which generic/bottom shelf/house brand products have really impressed you and caused you to become loyal to them?
Mine are:
Nice! (Walgreen’s brand) toilet paper- I know toilet paper was one of those things most people wouldn’t risk, but when you’re broke, you get what you can! I actually go to Walgreen’s specifically for TP now, even when it’s out of my way
De-Lish (again, Walgreen’s) Maple Cream Cookies- best cookie on the market!
Equate (Walmart) Apricot Facial Scrub- smells better and is both thicker and grittier than its St. Ives counterpart. Equate’s Facial Cream Cleanser is miles ahead of Noxzema as well
Great Value (again, Walmart) Unscented Dryer Sheets- these are what I’ve always used, and I have sensitive skin, so I won’t risk switching
Most Costco house (Kirkland) brands are made by very impressive name-brand manufacturers, and in one article I read online about them, Costco reps expect to be able to inspect the companies’ facilities directly and (at least in certain cases) expect the house brand items to be of at least equal if not better quality.
Specific items that I like are their toilet paper and paper towels, plus their natural peanut butter (ingredient list: peanuts, salt), but typically anything Kirkland brand is at least quite good.
Private Selection (QFC’s brand and I think Kroger too?) makes really good ice cream. They had this cherry cheesecake one that I was in love with so of course they stopped carrying it though, like all products I love.
I think all the store brand dairy products I’ve had were good. Maybe I just really like dairy products.
I actually prefer some store brand sodas I have tasted to name brands, but I am failing to think of any right now. I think Fred Meyers brand root beer was really good when I was growing up.
The best ramen noodles ever are Winn-Dixie Hot and Spicy ones. At least they used to be- I’m low-sodium these days. Winn-Dixie Astor brand coffee was always excellent, too. All of Winn-Dixie’s Chek sodas are good, especially the Green Apple, Black Cherry, and Ginger Ale. The best peach soda I’ve ever had is Kroger’s Big K.
I doubt that all Meijer stores use the same dairy, but the dairy ours uses is exceptional. The plain full-fat yogurt is as stiff as Greek yogurt with no sourness at all. The cottage cheese is the only brand I like. Their ice cream is, well, frankly the best I’ve ever tasted. It’s great.
Pathmark’s house brand (“America’s Choice,” which is admittedly a ridiculous name) cleaning products are pretty good. I always get an all-purpose cleaner (like Fantastik) that works as well as any name brand. Also glass cleaner, toilet cleaner, etc.
They actually carry two different vodkas, one is French and the other is IIRC, American-distilled. (Rumors are that they’re made by Gray Goose and Ketel One, respectively.)
No Name soya sauce is lower in sodium than, the high priced and duly labelled ‘low sodium’ soya sauces most groceries carry.
Also Walmart has a store brand cracker, with cracked black pepper, that is very low in sodium. Soup is hard for people on low sodium diets, it pretty much has to be home made. The Unsalted crackers you see beside the ones you buy, really only mean there is no salt on top. They are still high in sodium, such that having soup and crackers just about is out of reach. But these crackers made a big difference. I can even enjoy crackers and small amounts of select cheeses if I eat cautiously the rest of the day. This has gone a long way to making my diet easier to abide.
While not exactly bargain basement, the Whole Foods “365” house brand line has some topnotch products. I love their teriyaki sauce, their unsalted peanut butter, their olive oil, and many other goodies.