Trader Joe's

Pretty much everything from this thread, OP

I tried the pickled jalapenos based on a Datalounger's suggestion, and they were freaking awesome! The curried chicken is pretty good.

Here's a warning to stay away from their mochi snacks which I found quite vile.

old fashioned song about TJ's

here it is

- Frozen Indian food

- "Mideast Feast" — grape leaves, hummus, grain salads in one pack

- Smoked Gouda cheese (so cheap)

- Mozzarella balls in water (easy Caprese salads in summer)

- Shredded cabbages and vegetables (again, easy summer salads)

- Cheese bites (baked cheese squares, healthier than chips and can double as croutons)

- Jarred spicy black bean dip

- Lemon verbena bar soap (lasts a long time)

- TJ version of Windex (it's green, smells like sage and does a better job than Windex)

- Wine (currently sipping a $4.99 bottle recommended by the wine guy)

Babka, premium ice cream, fruit spreads

How decent are their frozen Indian entrees? I've been curious...

Most of thd Indian frozen meals aren't bad. I combine a couple as dinner roughly once a week.

The nearest Trader Joe's is 30 miles away, so I wouldn't know.

Their burrata is literally half the price of any other purveyor.

Cheese in general. Their handmade flour tortillas. Their peanut butter cups.

Used to love their citrus spa shampoo.

I always make sure to grab their green produce bags - they’re biodegradable I guess, and they’re very soft and stretchy, like a membrane. I reuse them.

Good suggestions!

Best grocery key lime pie in the land!

I love Trader Jacque’s French butter. Very close to the good stuff I buy while in France.

I really like their lavender soap. Also close to one of my favorite French soaps.

Those triple ginger cookies are overrated.

[quote]The nearest Trader Joe's is 30 miles away, so I wouldn't know.

Sounds like a good reason to move or to invest in a good cooler.

I go there for three reasons and that’s about it:

1. Triple Ginger Snaps 2. Everything but the Bagel Seasoning 3. Monopolowa Vodka

Rosemary ham cold cuts

Pub cheese with horseradish (used as a sandwich spread, not dip)

Carmelized onion dip

Elote corn chips

Hot and sweet jalapenos

Mini lemon biscotti

Chantilly vanilla bean mini sheet cake

Organic pasta dried is good. Sour cherry juice no sugar good as well.

Goddamn I love Trader Joe’s

Bags of spinach and kale chicken thighs chicken wings German wine canned chickpeas black beans. Those little $.99 bags of chocolate covered almonds and Trader Joe’s Reesie’s cups Their frozen Mexican food frozen Indian food brie cheese their hummus sourdough bread crackers... The chocolate trader Joe’s ice cream Key lime pie frozen cheesecake a peach and cream frozen baked good.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg between them and Costco and the farmers market I’m a happy camper

The peanut butter puffs are highly addictive and cheap at a buck a bag, and TJ's baking semi-sweet chocolate chips are good enough for snacking.

Their retort pouch and frozen Indian entrees are also very good.

The wines are shit

[quote] Sour cherry juice no sugar good as well.

Yes, love it.

Nothing mentioned here is actual food. It's all just product.

Enjoy your sodium and preservatives. Enjoy your sugar and fat. Enjoy not being able to read a recipe.

Blecccchhh!

R22 fuck off. About half the suggestions are for whole, minimally processed foods or ingredients.

[quote]Bags of spinach and kale chicken thighs chicken wings German wine canned chickpeas black beans. Those little $.99 bags of chocolate covered almonds and Trader Joe’s Reesie’s cups Their frozen Mexican food frozen Indian food brie cheese their hummus sourdough bread crackers... The chocolate trader Joe’s ice cream Key lime pie frozen cheesecake a peach and cream frozen baked good.

On your next shopping trip, please stop off at the Comma Store.

I like their curried chicken salad. You've seen -- the yellow one pictured below.

Everything But The Bagel seasoning

Raw nuts (almonds, cashews etc.)

Raw nut butters

Bags of pre-hardboiled eggs (snacks)

My dog loves all their dog treats

I don't go any more, sadly.

Anything I like, they get rid of as soon as I like it. Fuck that noise.

[quote]The peanut butter puffs are highly addictive and cheap at a buck a bag

OMG, those peanut bambas are FANTASTIC. Love love love them.

So good it should be illegal.

R1, thanks. The search option was wonky when I ran the topic through there.

The jackfruit curry is addictive.

Key lime pie right now..

I get my wine there...

The TJ chocolate. Made in Belgium and heavenly.....

[quote] Elote corn chips

These got a good review. Good value at $2.29 a serving.

Sweet & spicy pecans. Really good in a fruit crisp, a salad, or by themselves!

r35 $2.29 a SERVING? Is the entire bag one serving?

Dark chocolate peanut butter cups

5000 vs 30000SKUs: that’s the difference. Lack of option paralysis in favor of the same crap food made by Nestle in packaging that makes you feel better for a higher price point.

R10, I will have to try their burrata.

The garlic dip is the best. I use in place of mayonnaise.

the breakfast trek mix is good for a snack, the Hawaiian bbq potato chips, mild deli salsa, pineapple salsa, the new peanut butter chocolate chip soft cookies are good

Soycotash, frozen pearl onions, frozen tamales and their mixed raisins.

Frozen Cherries

Key Lime Pie (frozen)

Mandarin Orange Chicken (frozen)

Cookie Butter Ice Cream

The frozen Mexican Style Roasted Corn is a tasty extra side dish if you're having a casual cookout or are serving a big buffet-style meal to friends and family.

(I would never serve premade food at a sit-down dinner party.)

You can zap the Turkey meatballs in about 5 minutes--just throw some Trader Giottos sauce in with them.

And the Montezuma 100% dark chocolate is mad healthy and has minimal sugar and carbs

Hummus wraps and Mochi. They appeal to my inner fatty.

I'd love this snack

My addiction is a cookie:

Their Indian frozen entrees are really good. I resisted the Fish Korma for a long time, then realized it's probably my favorite. TJ's Belgian Chocolate Pudding, found in the dairy section, is so good, I started calling it 'Bulging Chocolate Pudding' because I was eating so much of it. It's really rich. During the holidays, TJ has a rustic apple tarte. I bought a couple this year, but thought they were way sweeter than last year's. Almost cloying.

Their macaroni and cheese bites are excellent and are back for sale.

This is going to sound rather plain, but I've always liked their California Garlic Powder - prefer it much more than your standard McCormick variety.

I love their organic mayonnaise, orange cranberry scones, and beet chips.

What do beet chips taste like, r55?

^I was tempted to say chicken, but beet chips taste like beets. They have an earthy beet flavor.

Actually, TJ's beet chips taste mostly like tortilla chips (since they're corn-based with a bit of beet added). And I concur with R55 -- they're very tasty!

Whatever your favorite is, enjoy it now and stock up, because chances are it'll be discontinued sooner rather than later.

I get their brown paper bags from an in-law who shops there. I don't.

I love TJ's extra crunchy peanut butter. Addicted to it. And it's cheap. They also have great prices on the Spanakopita and a couple other frozen Greek cheesy pastry things.

Picked up a bag of benne wafers this afternoon. Man, are these one rich item - a few of them are plenty! The idea of filling them would be way too sweet for me. Not that I turn such down if offered ...

From r/traderjoes reddit: •Posted byu/J_di2 2 hours ago How do you cope with a Trader Joe's discontinued item?

Hey! I'm a writer for Melmagazine.com. Working on a story about one of the most pressing issues of our time: The never-ending pain of realizing a beloved Trader Joe's item has been discontinued.

What items are you still longing to return to? And how have you coped in these times of culinary crisis?

Lacey's Dark Chocolate Almond cookies. I'm eating them right now -- yum!

In the early 1990's, Trader Joe offered and then discontinued the most delicious lemon pepper fettucine. I used to buy it in Marin County. And then it disappeared.

I'm still cheezed off about this. That pasta was great.

why do they discontinue all the good items?

I haven't been to Trader Joe's in years. I love it but I always feel like I spend a ton of money on crap I don't really need to be eating.

Most of the garbage named in this thread I would never put in my body.

It's just like those quirky television programmes that we love (Pushing Daisies, etc) that get discontinued. A lot of the products just don't appeal to Joe Sixpack. I would like to think that many of us have a more sophisticated palate and we are exposed to more exotic and interesting fare. Lemon Pepper fettuccine sounds delicious but I bet it is way beyond the interest of most people.

Who's tried TJ Chicken Noodle Soup? Opinions requested.

Asking for my elderly neighbor. Thanks for all responses.

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R65, they also used to have a lemon-pepper papparadelle (wide pasta) that I just noticed isn't there anymore -- it was delicious and everyone I served it to loved it. Why discontinue something like that?

Don't even get me started on the gingerbread mix in a box at Xmas!

Thanks to you bitches, I’ve tried the Bamba and the Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Two thumbs up!

TJ Mayo tastes like homemade (can't stand Best Foods, Dukes or Kraft). Their Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream is ridiculously addictive. Mango Kefir is delicious and their Organic Sour Dough Batard is far better than Acme's.

My husband and I are still mourning the loss of their discontinued edamame tofu nuggets. Damn, those were so good!

They used to be one of the few non-restaurant options for gazpacho. I haven't seen it in several years.

The Trader Joe's troll is back again, trying to get people to have positive conversations about TJ's.

This person must work on the PR team for TJ's or something. This has been going on for years. So tiresome.

All TJ's stuff is processed crap, and their "fresh" salad and foods are made in a commissary and shipped to the stores. They are far from freshly-made.

Their frozen products are full of preservatives.

ass snacking' delight

Peanut Butter Pretzels

Valencia Peanut Butter

Artichoke Cheese Dip (frozen)

Golden Raisins

Triple Ginger Cookies

Bacon-wrapped Scallops (frozen)

ABCK Salad (Apples, beets, carrots, kale with a lemon poppyseed dressing)

Bananas for 19 cents each

R77, I am the OP and I most definitely do not work or shill for Trader Joes....

R77, I am the OP and I most definitely do not work or shill for Trader Joes....

These are delicious.

As are these.

I bought some of the frozen shakshuka base and I'm gonna try it tomorrow.

This Peaches and Cream Tarte (frozen) is very good. I'm going to go back and stock up before they're gone for the season.

The pumpkin stuff is starting to trickle in. Spotted: pumpkin kringle, pumpkin butter.

I like the arugula salad with chicken. Delicious red pepper sweet and spicy dressing and a cute little cup of baby raisins.

It's back! This granola is seasonal and so good.

[quote] Delicious red pepper sweet and spicy dressing and a cute little cup of baby raisins.

R87, you're getting too emotionally involved with your salad.

And it's heartless to kill the raisins before they have a chance to grow up like everybody else.

I was planning on making a batch of chicken tagine, so picked up a small jar of TJ harissa. DAMN - that stuff is HOT! A teaspoon is enough of a condiment for an entire plate of food.

Nuts

r82 those are the best. yum.

Trader Joes is way overpriced, I'll stick Wal-Mart

TJ Shakshuka was disappointingly too acidic. Won't buy again. The apple tarte that usually only appears during the holidays was waa-aaaaaay too sweet last year. Also disappointing. Belgian Chocolate pudding (or, as I call it, 'Bulging Chocolate pudding') is consistently rich and good. An occasional treat. Love it.

i like their trio box of face masks. Please do not eat.

Chocolate covered Joe-Joes.

I'm making these now and my house smells amazing.

My favorite—oil-packed grilled Mediterranean vegetables—is sadly among the discontinued. The checkout girl had some story about how their supplier failed to maintain quality, so they discontinued it pending improvement or a new supplier. Ridiculous!

Frozen cauliflower gnocchi.

It tastes more like actual pasta (which i cannot eat because of pre-diabetes) than any other vegetable pasta on the market.

Apple Blossoms, the peaches in a jar, the cashews (roasted, salted), the German cherries, the Valencia Peanut Butter, the Blondie mix, ABCK slaw/salad (seasonal), the Tarte d'Alsace, the ice cream chocolates, the caramel sea salt sauce, and triple ginger cookies.

I'm still mad and broken-hearted about the discontinued gingerbread mix that was always too good to be true -- and now it's not!

I just used two of their mixes to make some cookies: Maple Pecan Shortbread, and Maple Pecan cookies. Both were quite good.

why do they discontinue everything?

Because lowest common denominator. To keep prices down they have to be hypersensitive to what sells and to quality assurance on the part of their sellers. Too many variables—and too big a customer base—to keep most products on the shelves for very long.

[quote]I'm still mad and broken-hearted about the discontinued gingerbread mix that was always too good to be true -- and now it's not!

Saw the gingerbread mix at Joe's today, actually...

Their stores are quite small and there's only room for the biggest-selling items. So they have to rotate out things that aren't as popular (or that have become too expensive or too hard to source). Shelf space is valuable in a small store.

I loved their banana nut cereal and the fact that they had small pretzel bun batards for a dollar.

But they've either discontinued both, or the new city where I moved to is in a different region that does not have them.

[quote] Trader Joes is way overpriced, I'll stick Wal-Mart

If TJ's is too high priced for you, you must be one of the poorest people who has ever lived.

Trader Joe's is completely overpriced. I stick to my local food bank.

Trader Joe's is completely overpriced. I stick to my local food bank.

Walmart overall is far, far more expensive than my local Smith's/Kroeger. However like all grocery stores a few of their items are cheaper.

Trader Joe's have excellent products for the price, and just a few are more expensive than the equivalent at Walmart IMHO.

R106, did you see the "Deep Dark Gingerbread Cake and Baking Mix with Molasses and Ginger" in the orange box (at the link)? Or did you see the "Gingerbread Cake Mix with Crystallized Ginger Pieces" in the purple box? The latter is the version that's currently being sold and is pleasant but not the one that I dream about -- that's the former, which is divine (perhaps literally).

If you saw the orange box, please tell me where your store is!

R113 I am pretty sure it was an orange box. I did not look closely at the label to be able to tell you the exact name. I'm in PA. I would just call your local store, see what they have.

Thanks, R114. I already know what my 4 local stores have (Silicon Valley) -- they haven't carried the good stuff for the past 3 years and say that TJ no longer offers it. Maybe I can e-mail the Pennyslvania stores and see whether they're just selling off old stock (unlikely, since the leavening would probably be too old to work now and customers would complain), or whether things are different east of the Mississippi, or what. Don't worry, I won't use your name.

R115 As someone who just moved a time zone, I can tell you that different regions carry or don't carry different things.

The maple ginger cookie ice cream is fantastic. Damn. Hope it’s seasonal.

Thanks, R116 -- that's encouraging. I just e-mailed Big TJ to ask whether the old gingerbread mix is in fact still available at stores outside my area and, if so, whether I might order some by mail. I got a form letter reply thanking me for my interest and explaining why it's sometimes necessary to discontinue products -- if I don't receive an actual answer to my actual question soon, I'll try calling or e-mailing some of the Pennsylvania stores after the Thanksgiving rush ends and see whether anyone's interested in helping me.

Does Aldi carry any gingerbread mixes? They often have the same products but re-branded for their store.

R4 makes me feel warm inside

R119, we don't have Aldi's here (Silicon Valley) yet -- I hope they show up some day.

R121, I emailed Aldi's and asked when they're showing up in Vegas. Got a form letter back saying that they're still expanding.

Lidl will soon be opening up on Long Island. They're higher than Aldi's but below Trader Joe's in terms of quality and price.

French Onion Soup.

Returned to Trader Joe's today and looked at the gingerbread mix. It is actually a purple box, so I was wrong before. The light-colored box that I glanced at was pumpkin.

Best trail mixes around. And the Seville Orange Marmalade is ambrosia.

Thanks, R125 -- you've saved me a phone call to a TJ in PA. And you're a better man than I am, going to a grocery store on the day before Thanksgiving -- glad you survived to post on DL and hope you recover in time to enjoy whatever's going on in your life tomorrow.

R126, the Seville Orange Marmalade is excellent for Nigella Lawson's "Marmalade Pudding Cake", which is easy to make and perfect for a brunch party or a dessert.

This chutney. It's really great on curry.

Oops, here we go. This chutney. It's really great on curry.

The cookie butter with the yellow cap. It's like peanut butter, but better. Use it with apple slices.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm gurrrlllll

I agree wholeheartedly, R113. I made the orange box over the weekend and it just did not have that robust flavour that one craves in gingerbread. It was an unsettling beige colour rather than the deep brown one usually finds in gingerbread.

I remember many years ago, I used to get Dromedary Gingerbread mix. All you did was add water and mix it right in the baking pan. It was wonderful for munchies because it was so easy to throw together. It was dark and rich and spicy - not bad at all from a box. I don't think they make it anymore.

I use their handle bags for recycling paper products.

One week ago Friday I bought these butter cookies dipped in chocolate. Really yummy. In my Trader Joe's they are located where the cakes and bread are. It comes in a clear plastic small package.

I do not recommend the Turkey Pot Pie. I just threw it out.

The mini carrot cakes - basically four huge carrot cupcakes topped with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. YUM.

Has anyone tried TJ's "parmesan" cheese? Made in the USA rather than Italy, aged less than a year -- but $9/lb vs $17/lb for the real thing. I don't have a discerning palate and am not a food snob -- if the two cheeses are comparable in taste and quality, I'll give the cheaper one a try.

Why the quotes? Is it fake cheese? Vegan cheese?

Mirepoix.

I haven't been to Trader Joe's since the pandemic; now that I'm double-vaccinated, it's going to be one of my first stops.

Bean chips, which they stopped selling years ago

Their rice cracker medley is addictive.

R138, the "real thing" is Parmigiano Reggiano, which is made in the Italian provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia -- similar cheeses must legally be called something else and "parmesan" is the most commonly used name for those. Trader Joe's version isn't fake cheese, it's just not made in Italy and isn't Parmigiano Reggiano -- it may be sufficiently similar for my plebeian purposes but I haven't tried it. I'm hoping that some DL folks have and can give me their opinions.

I've never tried Trader Joe's Parmesan. I think Parmigiano-Reggiano is worth the price ($14.99/lb. at Penn Mac in Pittsburgh).

Their black bean and cheese burritos that they sell in the section where they have pre-made salads are awesome. I add some of teh lite shredded mozzarella to them and then eat them with green salsa and on the side I cut up an avocado on which I squeeze lemon and salt and a bit of chili. I love their Thai pot stickers too. I make them with soy sauce. Their gnocchi with cheese is also pretty good. In the frozen section I get the frozen Indian dinners too and their Hatch Mac N' Cheese. Of course, kale and baby spinach are great too if you drizzle some of their Romano Caesar Dressing. I also toss together a rotini pasta salad with baby tomatoes, their canned artichoke hearts and canned sliced olives which I also drizzle with the Romano Caesar Dressing.

Chicken gyoza, the tiki masala, the samosas, the chicken tamales, their cottage cheese, their hard cider.

R137, you’re right. It’s good enough.

i love TJ's and don't consider them to be expensive AT ALL...in fact, pretty much the opposite with good products. my decade+ long gripe with them is the discontinuation of favorite products (paneer, chili verde, etc.). My theory on the constant discontinuation is that the vendor that supplies them jacks the prices when they notice that things are selling well and they try to do a bait and switch so TJ's just pulls the plug because they have a particular price point.

i haven't visited them for a year since lockdown because the stores are small, crowded and there is no curbside/online option. i wonder if they've suffered because they don't offer online/curbside or delivery options. Hopefully once my "group" comes up for vaccination, i can re-visit. i miss their indian entrees, frozen burritos, gyozos, cheese selection, rosemary ham and more. my criticism for them is their produce does NOT last very long, nor do their baked goods (but i attribute that to not using a lot of preservatives, however i can't eat that much bread that quickly).

Thanks, R144 and R147 -- one opinion from each camp. But R144's negative vote can't really count because he hasn't actually tried the Trader Joe's product.

I usually get Pecorino Romano at Costco and find that an acceptable substitute for Parmigiano Reggiano. But that's so huge I have to chop it into fourths and freeze three of those, which takes up space. Trader Joe's parmesan is a much smaller size and I'd rather get that if it's comparable. I'll check the Costco price today and see if Trader Joe's $9/lb is a bargain compared to that.

They’re always discontinuing good things! Remember the mango spring rolls? Also, they don’t seem to have the soy creamer anymore WTF.

My favorite thing at the moment is the package of baby asparagus - it’s so good!

I also love the kalamata olives, the French Roast coffee and the new vegan “chicken” tenders. I also buy flowers frequently (Mary!)

Most of their greeting cards are blah but a few are excellent art -- all are 99 cents!

The kipper fillet in green cans has been missing for awhile now. I liked them for a quick salad meal. And their Chinese dumplings went missing just before lunar new year. The dumplings were tastier and better value than the ones sold in Chinese supermarkets.

[quote] i miss their indian entrees, frozen burritos, gyozos, cheese selection, rosemary ham and more.

After a year, how many of them do you think will still be there? As noted above, they discontinue products constantly.

r149 The grated pecorino-romano at Trader Joe's is my #1 must have. I usually buy two or three containers.

Every single thing I liked at Trader Joe’s has been discontinued. I went there a couple of weeks before Christmas to get some of the Christmas stuff like the chocolate covered peppermint Joe-Joes and they had nada. The only Christmas thing they had was a small box of salted caramels with 4 pieces in it. So during the year they don’t have Trader Joe’s stuff I used to buy and now at Christmastime they don’t have the Trader Joe’s Christmas stuff I used to buy. I have no plans to return.

Maybe they've had these for a while and I've just noticed them, but: handmade tortillas. Fluffy and delicious with no preservatives (you have to refrigerate them after opening).

And their Seafood Cocktail Sauce doesn't taste anything like the supermarket cocktail sauce; it's got shreds of real horseradish in it. It's great on burgers.

Thanks, R149 -- I didn't even know that Trader Joe's had a grated Pecorino Romano -- I'll look for that and give it a try.

Today, I learned that Costco's Pecorino Romano wedge is $7.99/lb, which is $1 less than Trader Joe's "parmesan". However, Costco's ingredient list includes rennet, whereas Trader Joe's doesn't (it just says "enzymes", which I choose to interpret as being safe for vegetarians). On that basis, I was prepared to pay the extra $1 for Trader Joe's -- but now that I've read R149's post, I want to check out the grated stuff at Trader Joe's first.