What are you brand loyal on?

[AntePrincess]

I'd just mentioned my King Arthur flour addiction in the pizza dough thread, and it got me thinking: what groceries are you brand loyal on and which are you happy to use a generic for? Are there any items that you'll only buy generic/store brand?

My husband tends to stick to brands that he knows and it can be a major debate to suggest trying either a new brand or a generic. Our house is decidedly a King Arthur flour house, we essentially don't buy flour unless the little 3 lbs bags of organic whole wheat and all-purpose are available. I'm pretty much the opposite, in fact you could call me brand loyal to the store brand of the grocery chain we've been shopping at since I was a little girl (there's something so nostalgic about looking at an identical package of instant oatmeal from my youth, although I almost never eat instant oatmeal these days). The store brand has just introduced an organic line, which turned out to be a real organic line (unlike Kirkland which sources from Aurora and Horizon, both known to be "organic"), and I'm thrilled. Organic dairy is now as low as half the price I'd pay elsewhere.

So, what can't you live without a specific brand? Does it have to be Libby's pumpkin, or will any old can do? (Or do you have to make the puree from fresh like we do?)

 

[Mom2micayla]

The only thing I'm really brand loyal to is the toilet paper (Charmin). I'll gladly use generic on just about everything, but I refuse to use generic scratchy toilet paper.

Oh and I guess soda. When I was drinking it was only Mt. Dew. I don't drink soda now, but my DH will only drink Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke. He claims the store brands aren't as good.

 

[msmayor]

Skippy Peanut Butter
Heinz Ketchup
Bush's Baked Beans

 

[SGMCO]

Honda cars

 

[luvmy3]

Perdue chicken
Arnold's whole grain white bread

I even buy those when they aren't on sale

 

[pilesoflaundry]

There are very few things I'm brand loyal about but these are mine:

miracle whip
heinz ketchup
chinet plates
kraft singles

and with the exception of root bear I will not drink generic soda

I don't care what brand of tooth plaste or toilet paper (except charmin), shampoo, cereal etc.

 

[Minniemama350]

saran wrap
ketchup
milk
laundry soap

 

[bettyann29]

for me its..

Heinz Ketchup
Kraft cheese.. except when I buy mozarella cheese it can be generic
Kraft mayo
Angel soft toilet paper
Libbys pumpkin

I think those are the only things that I do not buy generic on

 

[tbandemommy]

Heinz ketchup
JIF peanut butter
Northern TP (DH)

 

[JandJ]

Tide
Downey
Dove soap
Heinz ketchup
Breakstone's sour cream
Hellman's mayonnaise
Tampax tampons

We prefer the store brand on a lot of things, such as:
frozen waffles (Publix)
butter (Publix)
toilet paper (Kirkland/Costco)

I used to be brand loyal on spaghetti sauce (Prego), peanut butter (Jif), and BBQ sauce (Bullseye) but now we make our own, which taste so much better!

 

[turkeymama]

Heinz ketchup
Peter Pan peanut butter
Kraft or Blue Plate mayo

There are other things we are brand-specific on but it is generally due to my daughter's food allergies.

 

[AKL_Megs]

For me, there really aren't many!

Windex
Clorox Bleach
Scott Toilet Paper
Starkist Tuna
Heinz Ketchup
Miracle Whip

 

[dakuhn]

Ragu spaghetti sauce, playtex tampons, hellmann's mayo, A-1 steak sauce, neutrogena t/gel shampoo

 

[momof1princess]

i don't have many brand loyalities, but i must have naturally more peanut butter. i used to be a loyal charmin buyer, but i discovered the members mark brand at sam's is just as good and several dollars cheaper.

 

[sylvenmaid]

I don't have many but here are a few:

Name brand cereals (I've tried many generics but I can tell the difference)
Quaker Instant Grits (store brands are yucky)
Kraft Cheese Singles (blocks and shredded doesn't matter)
Campbell's Soups
Community Coffee and Creamer

I pretty much use generics on lots of other things. I actually prefer Equate Alka-Seltzer compared to the name. Go figure.

 

[Swimnoid]

Basically Heinz Ketchup

....and Mountain Dew


I'll try anything else that is store brand and have found most everything is pretty good or better. I dont like our store brand bread though...but their buns are ok.

 

[englishteacha]

I'm almost all generics for regular groceries. DH likes his name brand snacks, but I don't buy those. If he wants Doritos, he can buy them.
The things I won't buy generic:
Dove beauty bar soap for sensitive skin for me
Pert Plus for DH
Purpose moisturizer for me
Life cereal (if there were a generic I'd try it!)
Pepsi One soda for DH
Marshmellow Fluff (the marshmellow cream is NOT the same!!)

Everything else is generic, I think. Cocoa, flour, sugar, "crispy rice" cereal, milk, tea, PB and Jelly...
I do buy OJ not-from-concentrate, but I just buy whichever is cheapest. Lately it's been Florida's Natural.

 

[branv]

Charmin (and it's so expensive! But that's DH's thing...maybe I should start charging a premium TP fee to his allowance )

Hellman's (Cooks Illustrated agrees with me )

French's yellow mustard (has a spiceness other regular yellow mustards miss...and most of them are too vinegary)

Nabisco Premium Saltines: other crackers get gluey in soup

Oreos: if you've gotta have an Oreo, it's gotta be the real thing Though I am sad that I haven't found a more natural variety that is as good (sorry Newman's)

Owen's sausage: when I eat breakfast patty sausage, which isn't often, it has to be Owen's. I've tried the rest, but they just don't compete.

SS Chocolate Chips -- NO store brands -- they're always waxy, brittle, off. The cheapest mass brand I'll use is Tollhouse (but never Hershey's).

jarred Green Olives -- has to be Goya. Store brands are way too briney, and even most of the major brands are terrible. Goya manages to have firm, not mushy, olives that taste like olives, not just salt.

Rotel -- have yet to find another brand that is as good.

 

[spare+a_pair]

I didn't think that I was too "btrand specific" until I started thinking about it.

Here is what we buy on a regular basis without switching!

All Pure or Purex Laundry detergent
Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Cascade Dishwasher detergent
Lysol with Bleach Cleaner
Clorox Bleach
Hellman's Mayo
JIF Peanut Butter
Rotel
Hunts diced tomatoes
Scott toilet paper - but only because our Spetic guy said it was besk for Septic tanks
Drain-O Drain clogger
Aleve
COKE
Razor blades
T-Gel Shampoo
Head & Shoulders
Stayfree Heavy Overnight Pads

That's my long list - at least most of it is cleaning/personal stuff vs food

 

[AKL_Megs]

I forgot Playtex Tampons and Dawn Dish Soap... saveaduck.com is the reason for me!