Trader Joe's Torture: What one thing do you have to buy?
Along the lines of the mixed nuts question . . . .
You are at Trader Joe's. You are surrounded by gourmet items at bargain bin prices. And you can only buy one thing. What would it be?
For me? Probably the goat yogurt (I can get affordable Greek yogurt closer to home, if need be. No way on the goat yogurt.)
How about you?
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70 Comments:
Today, if I was going it would be their English Muffin Bread. Thick and when toasted crunchy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside.It's a good bread for BLTs. A couple of weeks ago if you'd asked that question it would have been edamame and a couple weeks from now I'm sure the answer will be totally different.
evilchefmom at 12:33PM on 01/12/08
I'm not a big frozen food person but I do really like those Colossal Butterflied Shrimp they carry.
kcline at 7:57PM on 01/12/08
banana chips!
chlamers at 8:45PM on 01/12/08
Meringue cookies, sold by the tub. Oh, but wait! The frozen tamales....
AlliHart at 10:57PM on 01/12/08
i love their muscat orange vinegar. it's so delish that you don't need oil on your salad and it's only three bucks a bottle.
cybercita at 11:24PM on 01/12/08
I would have said their edamame (precooked--thaw and eat), but they've discontinued them until they can find a non-Chinese source, due to safety concerns. That aside, perlini! Mozzarella the size of a pencil eraser. I toss them down like popcorn.
Barbara Hanson at 11:26PM on 01/12/08
Their (frozen) Thai vegetable dumplings
Curlz at 9:38AM on 01/13/08
BaHa, I went shopping at Trader Joe's this Thursday and the edamame are back!
evilchefmom at 12:11PM on 01/13/08
Colossal bars of bittersweet chocolate for baking.
Scallions.
Sage--and other packets of fresh herbs, Dec. through May
Organic carrots.
Greek-style yogurt.
Honey.
Maple syrup.
Vanilla: extract and bean.
Plugra butter.
French roast coffee.
Cornichons.
Oil-cured olives.
5-lb. bags of under-sized Bosc pears for $4.
Valrhona chocolate.
Mixed dried fruit (for oatmeal purchased bulk at Whole Foods)
Sultanas
Dried apricots
Multigrain Entertainment Crackers
Dried Just Mangoes
Raw almonds (caveat emptor on others since WF can be superior in quality &/or price)
Eliz. at 2:59PM on 01/13/08
@ Eliz - You were supposed to pick one thing, you cheater. :)
KarynMC at 3:12PM on 01/13/08
evilchefmom, you just made my day! I'll stock up as soon as I'm back from my trip. Wow!!!
Barbara Hanson at 3:33PM on 01/13/08
KMC: Not playing the game and am perfectly happy to walk away from Trader Joe's empty-handed. Have done so plenty of times. Instead, I am assuming the underlying point of the game and listing the things I find good deals and worth the trip to the store.
Therefore, I'll add:
Unfiltered Italian olive oil (for salad dressings, drizzling on a bowl of soup...)
Sicilian olive oil ;)
Eliz. at 5:44PM on 01/13/08
Organic Hass avocados. They're the only ones I've found since moving back east that taste right. I miss California...
Messily at 7:27PM on 01/13/08
At this time of year I'd be tempted to say clementines, they have the best price I've found. But for a trader joe's exclusive product, I'd have to say their "pound plus" bittersweet chocolate bars. Good enough to go into brownies, or just my mouth!
LizNYC at 12:01PM on 01/14/08
Mmm, chocolate covered blueberries!
Kerosena at 12:11PM on 01/14/08
Coffee, tea, artisan bread, chocolate covered anything, edamame, sesame-seed cashews, black pepper cashews, Pirate's booty, veggie chips, frozen burritos, Thia noodles in a bowl.
Sorry..there's no such thing as "one item" at Trader Joes!
RichardCrystal at 12:45PM on 01/14/08
Earl Grey Green Tea.
Can you say addiction?!
sheldel at 12:47PM on 01/14/08
crunbled goat cheese... $1.99 for a tub of it. Can't beat that!
trigirl at 1:04PM on 01/14/08
oh why can't there be a TJ's in Denver..whywhywhywhy??? I love their wine section, their friendly staff... oh and non-food item....the mango vanilla shave cream- is so lush and moisturizing!
bisbee at 2:27PM on 01/14/08
The european syle yogurt any flavor.......... though the green tea is great!!!!! The jar peaches,,,,,,, the fresh burritos are great...Chocolate Pudding....Scones
rabbitriddle at 3:08PM on 01/14/08
i really need to get with it -- maybe a TJ seasoned shopper can escort me. I've visited several times, but have never been tempted to buy. Seems like a lot of packaged/frozen food... the prices don't strike me as particularly cheap (except for the wine), and when i do find that 1 item or so i'd be interested in picking up, there is no way in hell i'm going to stand on the 30 minute line to pay for it.
Am i not seeing the value because you can get so much cheap good quality stuff in NYC? Or is there something else?
mh330 at 3:30PM on 01/14/08
TJ's yogurt question - How is the European-style? Is it sort of like Greek style? Or is it like the non-TJ's Australian style I tried, which called itself "thick and creamy" but dripped off my spoon?
KarynMC at 3:31PM on 01/14/08
If you are talking about the wine store, the Marques de Caceres reserve is at a good price at Trader Joes. I'm not one for jarred sauces, but I cannot resist the Thai Yellow Curry. (big fan of the edamame too)
midgepingleton at 3:58PM on 01/14/08
mh330 I have never purchased anything at the NYC Trader Joe's either simply because of the lines.
bobbob at 4:13PM on 01/14/08
The Trader Giotto's Three Cheese pizza . . . although lately I've been feeling a bit guilty about buying a pizza that's been imported all the way from Italy. Talk about the antithesis of buying local!
swirlingnotions at 4:47PM on 01/14/08
chimmichuri rice,
thai gyoza dumplings
corn chips with flax seeds
truffle cheese
pesto tortellini bowl
maple and brown sugar oatmeal
peanut satay noodles
winter blend coffee
5 layer mexican dip
traderjanki at 5:26PM on 01/14/08
the slab apricots
sloppydelicious at 7:02PM on 01/14/08
Oregon Chai. I haven't bought it in a while, but it's cheaper there than anywhere else. It's refreshing in the spring/summer.
misseditor at 8:20PM on 01/14/08
the lines at the nyc store aren't as bad as they were when it first opened -- i went several times during the first couple of months and walked right back out. but now i never wait more than about five minutes anymore.
i was in the wine shop a few days ago buying sherry. the clerk asked me if i was planning to drink it, and i said no, i was going to saute chicken livers in it. he told me i had chosen the wrong one to do that with, and ran to the shelf to get me the right bottle. they're so kind over there!
cybercita at 9:42PM on 01/14/08
Definitely if you're a vegetarian, or even if you're not, go for the Meatless Corndogs. They're amazing and healthy!
tonks442 at 10:43PM on 01/14/08
I am definitely a TJ's addict, but since I didn't notice them above, how about the triple ginger snaps? And I really appreciate that the meats are from by-product free animals. I pretty much exclusively buy cheeses and cereals from there--with the exception of sliced American--because the prices are so good.
caprafan at 11:22PM on 01/14/08
I have to pick just one thing?? Torture is right. How about the pesto ricotta gnocchi?
emily20008 at 6:54AM on 01/15/08
-Corn Bread mix
-Truffle Brownie mix
-Olive Oil
-Ciabatta Rolls, Procuitto, Salami, and whatever cheese catches my fancy for the best PANINIS!
-Frozen pizzas
-Frozen Basmati Rice and Brown Rice
-Best prices on all nuts and dried fruit
-Bagel Chips
I didn't follow the rules, either. :-) I'm sure there are many other things, too, but these are what's coming to mind right now.
stacylyn at 8:39AM on 01/15/08
Trader Joe's is the one place I always walk out of with 5 more things than I meant to get.
I got hooked on, of all things, their frozen chicken burgers with lime chile seasoning. Perfect for those days when I get home and don't feel like anything but something quick.
Their Kung Pao sauce is pretty fantastic as well.
And their organic beef tenderloin pieces are very good and perfectly sized.
yellowdog442 at 9:03AM on 01/15/08
1.Hummus with tahini
2. Savory rice crackers (multiseed with soy sauce)
Emsev333 at 10:12AM on 01/15/08
just one? family could not live without their Turkey Sausage Strombolli. really. so good and so easy. Of course I wash it down with some Charles Shaw Cab...
TemperedWoman at 12:37PM on 01/15/08
My one thing....
All of the above! I have to drive 75 miles one way to get to a TJ's so there is NO getting out with just one thing!
Flaglady at 12:40PM on 01/15/08
Two things... Please!!!
Chocolate Cat Cookies
Egg White Egg Salad (Ranchero-style) - don't know why I even like this, but I am addicted!!
flourgirl at 3:16PM on 01/15/08
TJ's Cherry Cider
sixsonnets at 3:56PM on 01/15/08
No TJ's in Texas so when I go home to L.A. I always get several bottles of the muscat orange vinegar. It's fab!
greenkitchen at 4:01PM on 01/15/08
I find the european style not to thick just right an tates great it is not as thick as the greek style~
rabbitriddle at 4:50PM on 01/15/08
TJ's frozen puff pastry is my daddy. And don't go thinkin' I'm stuck up . . . the Joe-Joes are my daddy, too.
Susquehanna at 6:08PM on 01/15/08
EVERYTHING!!!!
daer91 at 8:18PM on 01/15/08
Double dark coffee.
ccbweb at 9:04PM on 01/15/08
the fresh pretzel bread which my local TJ does NOT stock!!!!!!!!!
chon76 at 12:32AM on 01/16/08
if its only one thing i would definitely have to say flaxseed veggie tortilla chips, stock up every time i go no one sells anything close to it, if you havent tried them they are amazing
sustarz at 1:34AM on 01/16/08
Trader Giotto's frozen pizza margherita.
oh, and the frozen chicken quesadillas (sp.)...mmmmm
mcc32 at 12:08PM on 01/16/08
Cheese. Good selection. Best prices.
Not the coffee. They pre-stale it.
rockhopper at 6:00PM on 01/16/08
One thing?! Ouch...I LOVE me some TJ's.
I like their organic lowfat cottage cheese, organic spring mix for $1.99, and organic unsalted tortilla chips. The prices for their ground turkey is pretty great too.
I don't know about the rest of the US but In the SF Bay Area, their store brand cream-top yogurt (made by Strauss) is my latest addiction.
Non-food wise, I like their miniature orchids for $7.99.
mandabear at 6:18PM on 01/16/08
Cannot do without TJ's Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce...a must for hot dogs, hamburgers, deviled eggs, add to mayo, etc, etc, etc.
cookiebaker at 8:31PM on 01/16/08
Triple ginger snaps
Minjenah at 8:55PM on 01/16/08
Blenheim dried apricots, dried mango, nuts.
There is also plenty of crap at TJ's - jams full of corn syrup and worse.
epices6 at 10:39PM on 01/16/08
veggie corn dogs and non dairy blintzes, and from the booze section black sea vodka, rear admiral gin, whaler's rum, and the joe's bavarian.
Ravara at 4:00AM on 01/17/08
Cashews, the 50% lower sodium ones, and loads of them. ;D
hereandthe at 10:22AM on 01/17/08
dark chocolate covered caramels and the fleur de sel caramels they had during the holidays. and what they said about the triple ginger snaps.
mkdew at 12:51PM on 01/17/08
The Chocolate orange sticks are amazing!
tiffzell at 5:39PM on 01/17/08
For my husband, the Madelines. For me, tough call, I like so much.... probably their green chile chicken burritos. Yum!!
*stares guiltily at the empty English Toffee container on the desk*
lisana at 6:15PM on 01/17/08
The Chocolate Covered Blister Peanuts.
**drool**
And for my husband, the Chocolate and Pistachio covered Toffee.
vox8ight at 9:29PM on 01/17/08
mh330 and bobbob, if you have the chance to go to NYC TJ's at "nontraditional" hours, like 11 a.m. on a weekday, you will find maybe two people in line, if any. Until TJ's opened, I couldn't afford things like frozen fruit for smoothies, which at WF or any local health food store are at least twice TJ's prices (even TJ's prices for organic versions), and their prices for tofu, peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, tortillas, and other staples are much better than I've found anywhere else. TJ's has its problems (their produce section is dismal), but they really do offer tremendous value, especially if you focus on staples rather than pre-prepared items. That said, I think my one item would be their cheese and green chile tamales - I don't get them often, but they are delicious!
producestories at 10:54AM on 01/18/08
Almond butter crunch at about 50% to 60% cheaper than I can buy it anywhere else.
phaelon56 at 1:36PM on 01/18/08
This California girl began going to TJ's in childhood, at least 35 years ago. Back when it was a well-kept secret, a great place for sandwiches and cheese and snacks to go with the wine you were really there to buy. Back before it got trendy, and before they became a mega-chain. Back when TJ's was an insiders' term and never actually used by the company.
Let me share a very important lesson I've learned... one which became such a problem for me, that it's one of the primary reasons I and most of the other old-timers I know almost never shop there anymore:
Don't get too hooked on any one item TJ's carries, even if it's a staple. Why? Because at some point it's almost guaranteed they will do one of the following:
(1) discontinue it... they do this constantly... not necessarily a terrible thing, but very disappointing if you're hooked and can't find it elsewhere
(2) reformulate it to a mere ghost of its original goodness, although since it will be in the exact same packaging, and appear to be the exact same thing, you'll be scratching your head trying to figure out why it doesn't taste right
(3) if it's a brand-name item, discontinue it temporarily, then bring it back under private label, either using an inferior recipe or eventually going to step 2 above... the "new" product is often in smaller packaging and always sold at the same price they charged for the brand-name... this one is is standard operating procedure and absolutely infuriating
Don't get me wrong. I do completely understand why people who are new to TJ's get so excited about it, especially since they never knew it when it really WAS a truly remarkable store.
Just trying to be helpful by passing along some hard-earned wisdom!
LoCo at 2:02PM on 01/18/08
I've seen so many of my favorites listed above - the orange muscat vinegar and triple ginger snaps definitely.
But if I had to give up TJ's except for one thing, I'd pick the honey sesame cashews. They are SO bad for you, yet SO good.
No matter how many fancy foods I cook for a party, those nuts are the biggest hit. Always.
kit_pollard at 2:24PM on 01/18/08
Tomatoes. It may be weird, but I'm devastated when TJ's is out of canned, unsalted whole plum tomatoes with basil, which at least on the West Coast are *much* better than even most of the fancypants brands, at about half the price. (I make a lot of tomato sauce.)
Other stock-up items: unsalted butter and the Pound Plus bittersweet chocolate bars, for baking. So good and so cheap! I actually don't love a lot of the frozen and prepackaged food -- but the pizzas are a lifesaver.
Oh, and white cheddar popcorn.
jenmeansgo at 6:21PM on 01/18/08
Simple...dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts...WOW!
Purenvy at 8:02PM on 01/18/08
Everyone should be blessed with a Trader Joe's, although I protest the price increases (in my head only). Before I got braces, it would have been the English Toffee -- pistachios, toffee, chocolate. I used to eat it on the way home from the store.
Now, I have to go with the very reasonably priced Valrhona chocolate. I will admit that I've never gone into the store without picking up some sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. I wish they had wild-caught shrimp.
NuJoi at 8:09AM on 01/19/08
I never realized how lucky I was. I have five TJ's within 15 minutes of me here in Boston. If I had to pick just one thing it would be their Maple Rosemary sauce. It is perfection on some wonderful pork tenderloins.
BostonFoodMan at 9:48AM on 01/19/08
I wish I had thought of this before I left Ann Arbor for TJ's bereft San Antonio.
One item, it would be the Truffle Brownie mix. Just about the only brownie mix I can find that has no corn or milk in it (family member allergies).
I would be awful sad to leave without a log of their super-affordable chevre. Alway 2 or 3 bucks less per log than anyone else for the same brands. Maybe I'd send my wife back in for that ...
ebraun at 10:27AM on 01/19/08
Tarte d'Alsace. Ham, Gruyere, caramelized onions and creme fraiche on a shatteringly crisp crust. *Unbelievably* addictive!
marlys at 2:50PM on 01/19/08
CANDY CANE JOE JOES!! They are the best, unfotunately they are only seasonal. I also love the CORN CHIPS WITH FLAX but Trader Joes are discontinuing them and selling them at 49 Cents a piece!! Get them while you can!!!!!
pinkfloyd95209 at 12:55PM on 01/28/08
They have cheap brie and those 100 calorie chocolate bars. Also, the dried fruit and veggie chips. Oh! There's also almond milk, trail mix, spinach pies when I'm too lazy to make my own...
fritesandfries at 12:16AM on 07/01/08