# Generic/House Brands That Impress You **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 29, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897 "2013-09-29T03:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/21 "2013-10-01T03:04:46Z")
I agree to the consensus about Kirkland. Also, ISTM that the Home Depot and Lowes store brand tools are pretty good too. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/22 "2013-10-01T05:06:19Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > 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. We shop at Winn-Dixie a lot and I agree most of their stuff is pretty good. My wife won’t drink Diet Mtn. Dew but likes the Chek Diet Kountry Mist. I also second what someone else said about Target’s Archer Farms products. I don’t shop there as much as I used to but one thing I remember was their black bean and corn salsa that was very good. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/23 "2013-10-01T08:01:20Z")
Definitely Archer Farms. Their Cheddar and Asiago Sourdough Squares are fantastic and I love their packaging! ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/24 "2013-10-01T13:26:52Z")
As much as I hate going to Walmart, we buy Diet Twist Up and Great Value frozen Buttermilk Biscuits. Sprite and 7-Up don’t measure up and I’ve tried every brand of frozen biscuit and have found none that can match GV. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/25 "2013-10-01T14:38:39Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > 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.) I’ve heard this about the Kirkland French vodka as well, that’s it’s basically rebottled Gray Goose. That said, I don’t have a Costco membership myself. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/26 "2013-10-01T15:13:49Z")
Yep, Kirkland has some great stuff. I’m also deeply in love with Safeway’s [O Organics](http://www.safeway.com/ShopStores/O-Organics.page) line. They offer a _huge_ variety of products, and everything we’ve tried is fresh and delicious. And we’ve tried a bunch - sometimes, my cart is filled with nothing but O brand stuff. They cost a little more than typical house brands, but they’re surprisingly cheap. Much less expensive than a lot of the non-organic name brands. The other day, I bought cherry tomatoes, and O brand was the cheapest available, by far. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/27 "2013-10-01T16:01:49Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I actually prefer some store brand sodas I have tasted to name brands, but I am failing to think of any right now. I’m a fan of Safeway’s pink grapefruit soda but it’s not as though they have a lot of major label competition on that front. I like the Aldi brand (whatever it’s called) deluxe pot pies. They come four to a box and are sizable and have a good deal of meat, carrots, potatoes and peas in them. My wife swears by Target’s house brand (“Up & Up?”) baby wipes and refuses to use anything else. There’s plenty of serviceable house brand products, especially foods, but those baby wipes are one where she demands that product rather than “settling” for house brand lemonade or glass cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/28 "2013-10-01T16:10:00Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > 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. Definitely Costco/Kirkland. Except, funny enough, the TP and paper towels are two things I won’t get again. They are good enough quality but I just didn’t like the TP as well as Scott (which Costco also sells in bulk) and with the paper towels I don’t like that the sheets are larger than normal…I feel like I’m wasting 1/3 sheet each time I use one. Add margaritas, rum, beer, and coffee to the list of great Kirkland items. I think my favorite set of sheets is also Kirkland. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/29 "2013-10-01T17:43:58Z")
Both Kirkland and Members Mark batteries are superior to the shiny brand-name ones, and at about one-quarter the cost. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/30 "2013-10-01T17:51:09Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Definitely Costco/Kirkland. Except, funny enough, the TP and paper towels are two things I won’t get again. They are good enough quality but I just didn’t like the TP as well as Scott (which Costco also sells in bulk) and with the paper towels I don’t like that the sheets are larger than normal…I feel like I’m wasting 1/3 sheet each time I use one. But it’s better than the Sheets O’Bark store brand from the local “pack your own” store. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/31 "2013-10-01T17:55:05Z")
In New England, Shaw’s house brand is Essentials. Most of their stuff is very good quality at a decent price. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/32 "2013-10-01T19:25:41Z")
Another vote for Kirkland. Safeway brand ice cream is at least as good as Breyers - I buy whatever is cheapest and am not at all disappointed if it is Safeway. Safeway brand lemon cookies are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/33 "2013-10-01T19:31:46Z")
Wal-Mart sells low calorie drink mix similar to Crystal Lite under its Great Value brand. They have some pretty good flavors such as mango, strawberry-watermelon, and strawberry-orange-banana. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/34 "2013-10-01T19:40:52Z")
Nearly everything I’ve tried from **fresh&easy** ’s store brand is the best I’ve ever had. Costco’s Kirkland stuff is usually good but more often than not doesn’t rise to the level of “exceptional”, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/35 "2013-10-01T19:45:23Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Nearly everything I’ve tried from **fresh&easy** ’s store brand is the best I’ve ever had. > > **Costco’s Kirkland stuff is usually good but more often than not doesn’t rise to the level of “exceptional”, IMO.** I don’t think that’s the intent. It’s more “match name brand quality at generic/store brand price”. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897/36 "2013-10-01T19:47:09Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > …and with the paper towels I don’t like that the sheets are larger than normal…I feel like I’m wasting 1/3 sheet each time I use one. The Sam’s brand went to one-third sheets long ago. I don’t know why people buy anything but these narrower perf towels now that they’ve become common. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-house-brands-that-impress-you/669897.md?page=1)