The premise was simple: same product, two bowls, no labels, six adults and four kids voting. We tested twenty pantry staples over three weekends, from canned tomatoes to frozen waffles, with the neighbors as a tasting panel, and kept a spreadsheet of the results alongside the prices. The store brand won or tied on fourteen of the twenty. The three it lost were not close, which is useful to know too.
How we ran it
Each item was bought in the name brand and the supermarket's own brand on the same day. One person prepared both identically and labeled the bowls A and B. Everyone tasted and voted for a preference or a tie. We did not tell anyone which was which until all the votes were in, and we did not tell the kids there was a test at all; they were just asked which snack they liked.
Where the store brand won or tied
| Item | Result | Saving per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Flour, sugar, salt | Tie | 30–40% |
| Canned beans and tomatoes | Tie | 35% |
| Rolled oats | Tie | 45% |
| Frozen vegetables | Tie | 30% |
| Paper towels, foil, bags | Tie | 25–35% |
| Butter and milk | Tie | 20% |
| Peanut butter | Store brand won narrowly | 30% |
| Ground coffee | Close; price decided it | 35% |
| Frozen waffles | Kids preferred store brand | 25% |
| Cheddar cheese | Tie | 25% |
The pattern is that anything with a short ingredient list, or anything that is a commodity before it gets a label, is the same product in a different box. Often literally: many store brands are made in the same factories as the names.
The three to keep buying by name
- Ketchup. Lost ten votes to none. The store brand was thinner and sweeter and everyone noticed.
- Dish soap. The store brand needed nearly twice as much per sink of dishes, which erased the saving.
- Chocolate chips. One particular brand won every round, including with the kids, who are not usually a discerning panel.
Two that surprised us
Cereal was a split decision that depended on the type. Plain flakes and oat rings tied; anything with a marshmallow or a mascot lost, because the kids knew the box. And bread lost as a store brand at one supermarket and won at another, which suggests it is worth testing your own store rather than trusting our results.
What it is worth
Switching the fourteen winners saves us roughly $40 a month, without anyone at the table noticing anything. That is close to $500 a year for tasting a few bowls of beans. We kept the three name brands, which cost about $6 a month extra and are worth it for the peace at dinner.
How to run your own test
Pick the ten things you buy most often. Buy both versions once. Do the blind bowls on a weekend with whoever is around. It takes an afternoon, and the answer is usually permanent.
Questions we were asked afterward
Does the store brand change? Sometimes. Supermarkets switch suppliers, and a store brand that tied last year can lose next year. If something suddenly tastes different, it probably is different, and it is worth a quick re-test rather than assuming the whole category has gone bad.
What about the premium store brands? Most chains now run two tiers: a basic line and an upmarket line with better packaging. In our test the upmarket line was usually the same product as the basic one at a higher price. Where it was genuinely different, in coffee and cheese, it still came in below the name brand.
Is it worth switching stores for better own-brands? Not for us. The saving from switching brands within one store was $40 a month. The saving from switching stores would have been smaller than the fuel and the time. Test what your store sells first; the answer is usually already on the shelf you stand in front of every week.
