There was a time when tossing the generic version into your cart felt like admitting defeat. Sure, it was cheaper, but was it actually good? These days, that tradeoff isn’t nearly as clear-cut. Store brands from Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Target, Aldi, and other major retailers are increasingly giving household names a serious run for their money. In some cases, they’re not just cheaper — they actually taste better.
Consumer Reports has put plenty of these products through blind taste tests, and some private-label contenders have beaten or tied much pricier national brands. From hummus and cheddar cheese to ketchup and coffee, these best store brand products prove you don’t always get what you pay for — sometimes, you get more.
Great Value Fully Loaded White Cheddar Popcorn (Walmart)
Smartfood may have the name recognition, but Walmart’s Great Value Fully Loaded White Cheddar Popcorn can absolutely hold its own. Consumer Reports placed it in its Best-Tasting group alongside Smartfood and Angie’s Boomchickapop, with testers praising its crunchy texture and seriously cheesy, buttery flavor.
The biggest difference was the price. During CR’s test, Great Value cost about 30 cents per ounce, compared with 71 cents for Smartfood and 84 cents for Boomchickapop. That’s a pretty convincing reason to give Walmart’s version a shot the next time you’re craving a cheesy snack.
Good & Gather Classic Hummus (Target)
Sabra might be one of the first brands that comes to mind when you think of hummus, but Target’s Good & Gather version pulled off an impressive upset. In Consumer Reports’ 2025 comparison, Good & Gather Classic Hummus was the only hummus to land in the Best-Tasting category.
Testers liked the balance of chickpea, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon, and tangy flavors, rather than having one ingredient overpower everything else. Even more surprisingly, Sabra wound up in CR’s “Skip It” category. If you’re already making a Target run, this is one store-brand swap that doesn’t require much convincing.
Kirkland Signature Organic Orange Juice (Costco)
If your refrigerator is big enough for Costco-sized orange juice, Kirkland Signature Organic Orange Juice might deserve the space. Consumer Reports named it one of just two Best-Tasting orange juices in its 2025 testing, alongside Simply Orange.
Meanwhile, Tropicana landed in the “Skip It” group. Testers thought Kirkland’s juice tasted fresher and sweeter, while Tropicana had a bitter note reminiscent of orange pith. Kirkland’s version is also organic, pasteurized, and not from concentrate. Just remember that Costco sells a lot of it at once, so this bargain works best for households that can actually finish the two-pack.
Member’s Mark Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Sam’s Club)
Paying extra for name-brand cheese doesn’t necessarily get you a better block. Member’s Mark Sharp Cheddar was one of only two cheeses to earn Consumer Reports’ Best-Tasting designation in its 2025 comparison, sharing the honor with Cracker Barrel.
Testers described the Sam’s Club cheddar as creamy, buttery, and slightly sweet. But the price difference really made the result stand out: At the time of testing, Member’s Mark cost 23 cents per ounce, compared with 58 cents for Cracker Barrel. The catch? You’re buying a two-pound block. For cheddar-loving households, though, that’s probably not much of a problem.
The Original Honey Roasted Peanuts (Trader Joe’s)
Planters has been selling peanuts for generations, but that doesn’t mean Mr. Peanut automatically wins a taste test. Trader Joe’s The Original Honey Roasted Peanuts were the only honey-roasted peanuts Consumer Reports placed in its Best-Tasting category in 2025, beating both Planters Honey Roasted and Honey Dry Roasted Peanuts.
Testers especially liked Trader Joe’s stronger sweet-and-salty balance and plumper nuts. Interestingly, this isn’t necessarily a money-saving swap: CR found that Trader Joe’s and Planters were priced fairly similarly during testing. Sometimes the store brand doesn’t have to be cheaper to be the better buy — it just has to taste better.
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Colombia Supremo Coffee (Trader Joe’s)
Your morning caffeine habit can get expensive fast, especially if Starbucks beans are a regular part of your grocery haul. Trader Joe’s Supremo Whole Bean Medium Roast Colombian coffee earned a spot in Consumer Reports’ Best-Tasting Colombian coffee group in 2025.
It also had a sizable price advantage in CR’s test, costing 54 cents per ounce compared with 83 cents for the tested Starbucks Colombia coffee. For coffee drinkers who like a balanced medium roast, Trader Joe’s offers a compelling reason to skip the more recognizable bag. Buying whole beans also lets you grind them immediately before brewing for a fresher cup.
Great Value Colombian Coffee (Walmart)
Don’t have a coffee grinder? Walmart has another wallet-friendly option. Great Value Ground Medium Dark Colombian Coffee also landed in Consumer Reports’ Best-Tasting group, showing that you don’t have to venture into the premium coffee aisle for a highly rated brew.
At the time of CR’s comparison, Great Value cost just 44 cents per ounce, while the Starbucks coffee tested cost 83 cents per ounce. That difference can add up for anyone brewing coffee every morning. If you go through roughly a package every month, swapping a premium label for a well-rated store brand could turn into noticeable savings over a year.
Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt (Trader Joe’s)
Vanilla yogurt seems simple enough, but anyone who has compared brands knows there’s a surprising amount of variation in sweetness, tanginess, and texture. Trader Joe’s low-fat vanilla yogurt landed in Consumer Reports’ Best-Tasting group in its 2025 testing.
The interesting thing about this pick is that Trader Joe’s wasn’t dramatically cheaper than the comparable top-rated national option. This is another example where the appeal isn’t simply saving a buck. The store brand performed well enough on flavor to compete with established yogurt brands on its own merits. Just keep an eye on added sugar when comparing vanilla yogurts, since sweetness can vary considerably between products.
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Good & Gather Organic Honey Almond Granola (Target)
Target’s Good & Gather Organic Honey Almond Granola proves that private labels aren’t necessarily the bargain-bin version of premium products anymore. Consumer Reports put it in its Best-Tasting category alongside Kind’s Oats & Honey granola.
Testers particularly liked its crunchy oats and balanced brown-sugar sweetness. Here’s the twist: Good & Gather wasn’t actually the cheapest granola CR tested. Its flavor was good enough to earn a recommendation anyway. So while bargain hunters should still compare unit prices, shoppers choosing between Good & Gather and a familiar national brand shouldn’t assume the fancier-looking label automatically means better granola.
Creamy Ranch Dressing (Kroger)
Hidden Valley is practically synonymous with ranch, but Kroger pulled off a blind-taste-test upset. In Consumer Reports’ 2022 store-brand comparison, tasters actually preferred Kroger Creamy Ranch to Hidden Valley.
The Kroger dressing had the familiar buttermilk, dill, onion, garlic, and pepper flavors ranch fans expect, along with a cheesy quality that testers particularly enjoyed. Better yet, CR found that Kroger’s dressing cost about half as much as Hidden Valley at the time. Ranch preferences can inspire some surprisingly strong opinions, so Hidden Valley diehards may not be converted. For everyone else, Kroger’s version is certainly worth a side-by-side taste test.
Wellsley Farms Organic Pure Maple Syrup (BJ’s Wholesale Club)
Real maple syrup isn’t cheap, so finding a store brand that tastes better and costs less is a sweet deal. Consumer Reports’ tasters preferred BJ’s Wellsley Farms Organic 100% Pure Maple Syrup to the name-brand Butternut Mountain Farms syrup in its 2022 testing.
The Wellsley Farms syrup had more complex caramel flavors, with tasters even picking up a slight coconut note. CR also paid 17% less for it than the name-brand comparison at the time. Just make sure you’re comparing it with other bottles of 100% pure maple syrup rather than inexpensive “pancake syrup,” which is an entirely different product.
Good & Gather Pure Maple Syrup (Target)
Target scored another win in the maple syrup aisle. Good & Gather 100% Maple Syrup was also preferred over Butternut Mountain Farms by Consumer Reports’ tasters in the publication’s 2022 comparison.
What makes this one unusual is that Target’s syrup actually cost slightly more than the name-brand option at the time of testing. So why include it on a list for budget-minded shoppers? Because being smart with money isn’t necessarily about buying the cheapest product every single time. If you prefer the taste, a store label can still be the better purchase. In this case, tasters praised Good & Gather’s more complex flavor.
Burman’s Tomato Ketchup (Aldi)
Messing with someone’s preferred ketchup brand can be risky business, especially when Heinz is involved. But Aldi’s Burman’s Tomato Ketchup came surprisingly close to the classic in Consumer Reports’ 2022 blind testing.
Tasters found Burman’s slightly less tangy and less heavily seasoned than Heinz, but overall quality was comparable. The price difference was anything but subtle. CR paid 9 cents per quarter-cup serving for Burman’s versus 33 cents for Heinz — more than 70% less in that particular comparison. For families who fly through ketchup on burgers, fries, meatloaf, and everything else, those savings can add up quickly.
Great Value Tomato Ketchup (Walmart)
Aldi isn’t the only retailer making Heinz sweat. Walmart’s Great Value Tomato Ketchup also performed impressively in Consumer Reports’ 2022 blind comparison.
Testers described the Great Value version as mildly seasoned with a strong tomato flavor. CR paid 10 cents per quarter-cup serving for Walmart’s ketchup, compared with 33 cents for Heinz. Brand loyalty can have a powerful effect on how we perceive familiar foods, which makes ketchup a particularly fun candidate for an at-home blind taste test. If nobody in your household can reliably identify Heinz without seeing the bottle, paying substantially more for the label starts looking a little silly.
Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers (Trader Joe’s)
Trader Joe’s Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers aren’t trying to fool anyone into thinking they’re beef — and that may be part of their appeal. In an August 2026 Serious Eats blind taste test of six black-bean burgers, Trader Joe’s patties won the entire comparison.
Tasters liked the crispy breadcrumb exterior, moist center, and bold Southwestern seasoning. The patties combine ingredients including black beans, quinoa, corn, red pepper, cumin, and chile, resulting in enough flavor that Serious Eats’ testers didn’t think they needed to be rescued with piles of cheese and condiments. For shoppers who actually want a veggie burger that tastes like vegetables and beans, that’s a strong endorsement.
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream (Costco)
There are Costco shoppers who don’t buy Kirkland Signature Vanilla Ice Cream because it’s the generic option — they buy it because they genuinely love the stuff. An August 2026 Simply Recipes review praised the ice cream’s dense, creamy consistency, rich texture, and balanced vanilla flavor.
That fits with Costco’s broader philosophy for Kirkland Signature, which aims for private-label products that meet or exceed the quality of leading national brands. The obvious downside is size: This is Costco, after all, so you’re committing to twin containers of ice cream. But if you’ve got freezer space and a household of vanilla fans, buying premium-style ice cream in bulk might not be such a difficult decision after all.
