Generic vs. Brand Name Products

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Cassandra Shie, AOL

Putting Generics to the Test

Every shopper makes a trade-off of price versus taste. But where do you draw the line? We decided to taste test a number of common name-brand products and the generics that set out to compete with them, to see which was a better value.

Click through our gallery to see when it is worth it to pay more for the name brand and when you can save money on the generic equivalent ... without sacrificing quality.
' Plus: The Nitty-Gritty on Generic Brands

First Up: Sandwich Cookies

Brand Name Sandwich Cookies

Brand: Double Stuf Oreos
Price: $4.79
Size: 1 lb. 2 oz.
Review: Moist, chocolatey and delicious

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Sandwich Cookies

Brand: Kroger Double-Filled Kid O's Cookies
Price: $2.39
Review: Passable, but harder and not as much chocolate flavor.
Verdict: Kroger's are OK, if you don't have a real Oreo sitting next to the Kroger cookie. Once you do, however, you'll see how much more moist and chocolatey the real Oreo is.

Next: Wheat Crackers

Brand Name Wheat Crackers

Brand: Wheat Thins
Price: $4.29
Size: 10 oz
Review: Nice salty, wheat flavor and satisfying crunch.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Wheat Crackers

Generic: Kroger Wheat Crisps
Price: $1.24
Size: 10 oz.
Review: Taste just like Wheat Thins, but contain less salt.
Verdict: Kroger's crisps are virtually indistinguishable from Wheat Thins. Both have no trans fat or cholesterol. Wheat Thins have two and half times as much salt as the Kroger crackers. Maybe Wheat Thins are a little more crispy, but certainly not $3 worth of crispy.

Next: Vegetable Soup

Brand Name Vegetable Soup

Brand: Muir Glen Organic Garden Vegetable Soup
Price: $3.69
Size: 19 oz.
Review: Plentiful vegetables and no greasy orange spill on top makes this canned soup stand out.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Vegetable Soup

Generic: Whole Foods 365 Organic Vegetable Soup
Price: $1.69
Size: 14.5 oz.
Review: Virtually the same as brand name, but carrots were a little smaller.
Verdict: Tie -- and tie goes to the store brand because it's cheaper. The soups seemed just about identical. The carrots in the Muir Glen were slightly bigger, but they both had the same generous amounts of green beans, peas, carrots, celery and potato. Neither had that fluorescent orange oil spill on top.

Next: Lime Tortilla Chips

Brand Name Lime Tortilla Chips

Brand: Tostitos Restaurant Style with a Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips
Price: $3.69
Size: 13 oz.
Review: Tostitos is a light, crispy chip with a delicious and addictive lime taste.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Tortilla Chips

Generic: Whole Foods 365 Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips Cilantro & Lime
Price: $2.79
Size: 13 oz.
Review: Heavy, bland and lacking in lime.
Verdict: Tostitos blows the generic away. The Whole Foods chip is so heavy I had to recheck the bag to see I didn't inadvertently buy a baked chip. I couldn't really taste any lime. I know they face added pressure for meeting organic standards, but this kind of bland fare gives organics a bad name.

Next: Granola

Brand Name Granola

Brand: Nature's Path Organic PomegranPlus Granola with Cherries
Price: $4.39
Review: I could barely find the cherries, let alone detect any pomegranate essence, in Nature's Path cereal.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Granola

Generic: Whole Foods 365 Organic Fruit & Nut Granola
Price: $3.49
Review: Lots of tasty fruits and nuts.
Verdict: The Whole Foods cereal is actually better. It had fruit (mainly just raisins but also cranberries) and nuts (both pecans and almonds!) that you could easily spot and taste.

Next: Malted Milk Balls

Brand Name Malted Milk Balls

Brand: Whoppers
Price: 3 bags at $.89 each, $2.67
Size: 1.75 ounce
Review: Invites you to let it melt in your mouth the way a malted milk ball should.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Malted Milk Balls

Generic: Kroger Chocolate Malted Milk Balls
Price: $1.50
Size: 6 ounce bag
Review: The generics are big and clunky, with a thick, shiny, waxy chocolate coating and a mildly mushy malt center.
Verdict: The real Whoppers are better. They are more delicate: the malt center is crisp, the outer chocolate is thin and fine.

Next: Cheese Curls

Brand Name Cheese Curls

Brand: Cheetos Crunchy
Price: $2.49
Size: 5 oz.
Review: Nice crunch, but you taste more salt than cheese.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Cheese Curls

Generic: Kroger Crunchy Cheese Curls
Price: $1.69
Size: 7 oz.
Review: Cheesier and more satisfying
Verdict: The Kroger brand is actually better. It feels more dense. They still turn your fingers orange. It's everything I want in a cheese curl.

Next: Shortbread

Brand Name Shortbread

Brand: Walker's Shortbread
Price: $3.99
Size: 5.3 oz
Review: Buttery and delicious, but kind of pricey.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Shortbread

Brand: Walgreen's Shortbread Fingers
Price: $2.99 or 2 for $5
Size: 5.3 oz
Review: Made by Walker's too, but not that much cheaper.
Verdict: I bought the Walgreen's shortbread thinking that cheap shortbread is better than no shortbread at all, but I was suspecting disaster. Then I tasted it. It was just as buttery as I hoped. No stinginess with ingredients. As it turns out, Walgreen's buys the shortbread from Walker's -- one of the very few instances of a name brand making its own competition. Then again, it's not that much cheaper.
Next: Yogurt

Brand Name Yogurt

Brand: Stoneyfield Lowfat Raspberry Yogurt
Price: $.99
Size: 6 oz.
Review: Creamy, delicious, but container is too small.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Yogurt

Generic: White Rose Raspberry Lowfat
Price: $.69
Size: 8 oz.
Review: Amazingly creamy and delicious for a store brand yogurt. Bigger size, but more sugar and calories.
Verdict: Generic yogurt used to be poor quality. The last time I tried it, it was gelatinous, almost slimy. This time I was amazed at how creamy the White Rose yogurt was. The downside is that White Rose has nearly twice as much sugar and calories as Stonyfield.

Next: Frosted Flakes

Brand Name Frosted Flakes

Brand: Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
Price: $4.49
Size: 17 oz.
Review: A bowl of these had large, crisp flakes with sweet frosting evenly distributed and slightly glossy.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Frosted Flakes

Brand: Pathmark Frosted Flakes
Price: $2.99
Size: 17 oz.
Review: While the flakes were a little smaller, darker and not shiny, there was virtually no taste difference.
Verdict: The significant savings makes it more than worth the price -- and the generic goes on sale as much or more so than the name brand, making it sometimes an extra special value.

Next: Diapers

Brand Name Diapers

Brand: Pampers Baby Dry, Size 4
Price: $44.99
Size: 176 case
Review: There's a reason Pampers are the industry standard -- they fit, they absorb and they don't smell. In a large case from 1800diapers.com or a warehouse store, they are cost-effective.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Diapers

Brand: Lulla-Bee (Pathmark brand diapers)
Price: $22.99
Size: Case of 92 diapers
Review: For one penny difference per diaper, there's no reason to go for diapers that are bulky, bunch up and don't absorb odor. They are truly stinky.

Next: Baby Wipes

Brand Name Baby Wipes

Brand: Huggies Natural Care Wipes
Price: $3.99
Size: 80 wipes
Review: Huggies Wipes are embossed with cutesy teddy bear shapes and are somewhat thicker than generic wipes. Unfortunately, they're alsoflimsier, and tear easily when you're taking them out of the dispenser, or when you're wiping enthusiastically.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Baby Wipes

Brand: Safeway Mom to Mom
Price: $2.99 (or $5.99 for a three-pack)
Size: 80 wipes
Review: Mom to Mom wipes are textured with a simple dot pattern and, though they look flimsier than Huggies, are actually a lot sturdier; and seem to have a milder scent.
Verdict: In my side-by-side testing, I was able to use fewer Mom-to-Mom wipes to get the job done. They were easier to remove from the package and had a less pronounced scent. Since they are far cheaper and sturdier than Huggies, I'll only buy Mom-to-Mom in the future.

Next: Black Tea

Brand Name Black Tea

Brand: Choice Organic Irish Breakfast Tea
Price: $3.89
Size: 16 tea bags/1.1 ounces total
Review: Choice tea is an excellent Irish Breakfast tea with a sharp but smooth flavor. The tea bags are usually good for a second steepingif you've brewed your first cup quickly.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Black Tea

Brand: Trader Joe's Fair Trade Organic Black Tea
Price: $2.59
Size: 20 tea bags/1.4 ounces total
Review: Trader Joe's is very comparable to Choice brand; though it's slightly less richly flavored and, when brewed atthe same time, took longer to reach desired strength.
Verdict: These teas are very close in flavor and Choice brand is significantly more expensive, but Trader Joe's tea bags are individually wrapped in plastic, meaning every box sends 20 plastic wrappers into the trash. The entire contents of the Choice brand box can be composted or recycled.
Next: Cranberry Juice

Brand Name Cranberry Cocktail

Brand: Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Price: $3.29
Size: 32 oz.
Review: Tastes just like the juice you've always known since you were a kid.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Cranberry Juice Cocktail

Brand: Target's Market Pantry Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Price: $2.99
Size: 32 oz.
Review: A little more watered down and a little more sugary-tasting than the Ocean Spray.
Verdict: The taste wasn't that different, so for the money I saved, would actually go with the Target brand over Ocean Spray.

Next: Apricot Scrub

Brand Name Apricot Scrub

Price: $3.99
Size: 6 oz.
Review: The No. 1 Most Popular facial scrub on Drugstore.com, and an Allure Magazinebeauty pick. I have been using this stuff for years, but I think they've recently changed the forumla. It now has a very unappealing scent,like an apricot gone bad. I still like how it scrubs my face, though.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Apricot Scrub

Brand: CVS Brand Apricot Scrub
Price: $2.99
Size: 6 oz.
Review: A little less grainy than the St. Ives, but it has a much more appealing scent. It cleans my face pretty well.
Verdict: I would actually lean toward the CVS brand since it smells so much better. I might use St. Ives every once in a while because it scrubs harder but CVS might be my new go-to scrub.

Next: Cashews

Brand Name Cashews

Brand: Planters Whole Cashews
Price: $10.99
Size: 21 oz.
Review: Delicious, but salty, with a satisfying al dente crunch. Many in the can were in halves, not whole.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Whole Cashews

Brand: Kirkland (Costco) Whole Fancy Cashews
Price: $12.99
Size: 40 oz.
Review: Nuts are very large, meaty and satisfying. Not too salty. Seemed very fresh.
Verdict: It's a close race, but I prefer the Kirkland nuts, especially for the price. They are bigger (almost none were in halves), meatier, and have a soft-yet-firm texture that makes them seem just out of the shell. My family favored the Planters, which are saltier, crunchier and, they argued, more flavorful.

Next: Dishwashing Detergent

Brand Name Dishwashing Detergent

Brand: Cascade
Price: $4.39
Size: 45 oz.
Review: Cascade really does seem to provide the extra "grease-fighting power" and "shine shield" that its label promises. Detergent is thick and smooth and easy to pour.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Dishwashing Detergent

Brand: Kirkland (Costco) Liquid Gel
Price: $7.99
Size: Two 125 oz. bottles (250 oz)
Review: Cleans well, but gel can separate and be watery at first, then later get clumpy and harden around the top of bottle so it doesn't close properly.
Verdict: I'll keep buying Kirkland on price alone. Cascade seems to get the dishes a bit cleaner and the liquid has a better consistency, but Kirkland does the job too and is much cheaper.

Next: Paper Towels

Brand Name Paper Towels

Brand: Bounty Paper Towels
Price: $0.99 per roll
Size: 69 sheets
Review: The paper towels felt thick and fluffy. After spilling a little bit of water and laying a paper towel on the spill, it picked up most of it but water remained in some spots.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Paper Towels

Brand: Wegmans Paper Towels
Price: $0.89 per roll
Size: 60 sheetsReview: The paper towels were not as soft as Bounty but had the exact same results.
Verdict: Since they are equally effective and the price works out to be almost the same, your choice basically comes down to whether you want floral print or plain.

Next: Orange Juice

Brand Name Orange Juice

Brand: Tropicana No Pulp
Price: $2.99
Size: 1/2 gallon
Review: Tasted like it was just squeezed, had a pleasing look, perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Orange Juice

Brand: Wegmans No Pulp
Price: $2.59
Size: 1/2 gallon
Review: Tasted great, but slightly less sweet compared to Tropicana. The color was a little lighter, too.
Verdict: They both taste almost the same (neither are from concentrate), but the Tropicana OJ is just barely sweeter than the generic brand. If extra sweetness is worth 40 cents to you, go with the Tropicana, otherwise stick with the store brand.

Next: Cold & Allergy Elixir

Brand Name Cold and Allergy Elixir

Brand: Dimetapp Children's Grape
Price: $8.24
Size: 8 oz. bottle
Review: Great grape taste with a nice after effect of a good night's rest.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Cold and Allergy Elixir

Brand: Wal-Mart's Equate Children's Cold & Allergy Grape
Price: $2.84
Size: 8 oz. bottle
Review: The Wal-Mart version was great tasting and also helped me sleep.
Verdict: Equate is the clear winner giving me a savings of $5.40. Other than the cost and the packaging the products seemed identical.

Next: Weight Loss Shakes

Brand Name Weight Loss Shake

Brand: Slim-Fast Optima French Vanilla
Price: $6.97
Size: Six 11 oz. cans
Review: The Slim-Fast Optima tasted like a thin vanilla milkshake without the "mmm" factor. It also had a granular feel to the liquid. I drank the shake at 1 p.m. after breakfast at 9:30 a.m. (three eggs with green peppers and a yogurt). I was hungry three hours later.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Weight Loss Shake

Brand: Equate Ultra French Vanilla
Price: $4.59
Size: Six 11 oz. cans
Review: The Wal-Mart version tasted nearly identical to Slim Fast but with a touch more sweetness and no grainy feeling. As with the Slim-Fast, I was hungry three hours later.
Verdict: Both drinks are fine to the taste, although the texture of the Slim-Fast was bothersome. However, Slim-Fast has 2.5 grams of saturated fat whereas the Equate has no saturated fat and ten less calories. The Equate kept me full for the same time, had no "grain" in it and saved me $2.39.
Next: Peanut Butter Cups

Brand Name Peanut Butter Cups

Brand: Reese's
Price: $2.69
Size: 12 oz. bag
Review: The peanut butter was very nutty and the chocolate covering had a nice crisp bite to it.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Peanut Butter Cups

Brand: Target's Market Pantry
Price: $1.49
Size: 6 oz. bag
Review: The peanut butter was very smooth, moist and very fresh tasting.
Verdict: I thought the Target cup was better, but I had an additional 15 people test the cups. Out of 16 taste tests nine people preferred the Market Pantry cups -- which cost more per ounce. After looking at the saturated fat levels. though, I will stay with Reese's because they have 1.5g less saturated fat per serving and they cost less.

Next: Fiber Chewy Bars

Brand Name Fiber Chewy Bars

Brand: Fiber One
Price: $2.34
Size: 5 bars
Review: These fiber bars are delicious and I've been an addict to their great taste for some time. They are sweet, chewy, and nutty. They taste like a healthy candy bar. Each bar is 150 calories and has only two grams of saturated fat (the bad fat) per bar. Cost wise it works out to about 47 cents a bar.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Fiber Chewy Bars

Brand: Target's Market Pantry
Price: $1.84
Size: 5 bars
Review: These fiber bars don't look as appetizing, but they have a powerful nutty punch and they satisfy my taste buds. The bars work out to be 37 cents each.
Verdict: They have a subtle taste difference that I think comes down to more of the amount of rice vs. oats mixed into the bars, Target having more rice. Since I'm a fan of the fiber bar and will buy a lot of these, my vote falls with the Target brand which is cheaper.
Next: Cola

Brand Name Cola

Brand: Coca Cola Classic
Price: $1.89
Size: 2 liter
Review: Good, sweet taste, a good level of carbonation and a pleasant aftertaste.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Cola

Brand: Safeway Go 2 Cola
Price: $0.81
Size: 2 liters
Review: Though it has more sugar than Coke, it's not as sweet. I just opened the bottle and the soda seems a little flat.
Verdict: Coke is definitely better, but if I wasn't tasting them back to back I don't think I'd notice any of the shortcomings of the generic brand. I don't buy soda very often so since the actual difference in price is pretty small I'd probably just buy the Coke. If I bought it more often I'd definitely buy the generic since it's less than half the cost.
Next: Applesauce

Brand Name Applesauce

Brand: Mott's Cinnamon
Price: $2.19
Size: 24 oz.
Review: Mott's was light in color, sweet and a bit liquidy. It tasted good.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Applesauce

Brand: Giant Cinnamon
Price: $1.79
Size: 25 oz.
Review: The Giant brand was a little darker in color and had a much stronger cinnamon taste (too strong for me). But overall, the taste was decent.
Verdict: They both tasted good. I would give a slight edge to Mott's on taste alone, but with the cost difference it becomes a tie.

Next: Canned Corn

Brand Name Canned Corn

Brand: Green Giant Whole Kernel
Price: $1.69
Size: 15.25 oz. can
Review: Large yellow crisp kernels, good chewy skin texture.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Canned Corn

Brand: Shoppers Food Whole Kernel
Price: $0.75
Size: 15.25 oz. can
Review: Kernels were inconsistent in size and color. Flavor was good. The overall color was not as yellow.
Verdict: They both tasted similar. The consistency of Green Giant was better, but for the cost difference would probably buy Shopper's again.

Next: Vanilla Wafers

Brand Name Vanilla Wafers

Brand: Nabisco Nilla Wafers
Price: $3.79
Size: 11 oz. box
Review: Nilla Wafers were crisp with a nice taste. All the wafers I tested had a consistent quality.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Vanilla Wafers

Brand: Giant Vanilla Wafers
Price: $1.99
Size: 12 oz. box
Review: The generic brand wafers were not as crisp and didn't really taste like vanilla. They were bland, harder and had an after-taste. They almost tasted stale even though it was a brand new box.
Verdict: I was surprised the generic was half the cost, but the taste was considerably different between the two. This is one case where I would definitely spend more to get the name brand over this generic brand.

Next: Root Beer

Brand Name Root Beer

Brand: A&W Root Beer
Price: $1.18
Size: 2 liter
Review: A&W had a rich, creamy, and malty taste with a nice presentation of foam. This root beer kept well in the fridge until it was all gone.

Next: See Generic Review & Verdict

Generic Root Beer

Brand: Wal-Mart Root Beer
Price: $0.67
Size: 2 liter
Review: This root beer tasted very spunky; it had "zing." It is sort of a sweet and tangy root beer. However, after the sixth day it had gone flat. I really liked the taste at first, so I'd only buy it again if I knew it would be consumed fast.
Verdict: I personally liked the Wal-Mart root beer better, especially in a root beer float. But since the generic brand went flat so fast, I would only buy again if I knew other people would be over to help me finish it off quickly. A&W wins because its fizz lasts longer.
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