Bush's Best is Best Except When
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (93299)
United States
November 21, 2024 7:09pm CST
As cheap as I am, there are still certain brands of things that just stand out for me and tend to wind up in my cart despite the premium price. But some things are also just worth it.
Take Rain-X windshield washer fluid. It's the only thing I will put into my reservoir. When it comes to sauerkraut, there is none better than Frank's. If I am going to make a homemade cole slaw, I wouldn't consider any other dressing but Marzetti's slaw dressing.
And when it comes to baked beans, hands down and without any argument or question, Bush's Best is the best there is.
However, when it comes to baked beans I actually find there are two other off brands I really like and come very close to Bush's Best. Those would be Dakota from Aldi and the Kroger store brand.
They are not Bush's Best by any stretch, but they are good enough that I am happy to make an occasional compromise to save a bit of money.
What are some brands you absolutely will not compromise on, and what are some that come very close to others you wouldn't otherwise compromise on?
11 people like this
9 responses
@LindaOHio (183178)
• United States
22 Nov
We use Charmin and Kleenex, Bush's Baked Beans, Manwich and Progresso Soup to name a few. I have tried many, many store brands and have used those instead of name brands, especially the Equate brand at Walmart. All of their pharmaceutical items so far have the same ingredients as the name brands. Have a good weekend.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (183178)
• United States
2 Jan
@porwest Yup. You can save a lot with house brands.
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@porwest (93299)
• United States
2 Jan
@LindaOHio Yes you can. And you know I like saving money.
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@MarieCoyle (39237)
•
22 Nov
Many people don’t realize that store brands are as good as the other in most cases. I know Aldi and Kroger brands are excellent. Aldi Dakota brand chili beans make wonderful chili. I usually cook my own chili beans from scratch, but sometimes I just use their brand. Their salsa and tortillas are really good, and so are the dairy products like sour cream, butter, etc. There is no difference in quality or taste, it’s just cheaper.
My son is a brand snob about a few things. He hates generic ketchup and is a snob about ranch dressing, he thinks Ken’s Steakhouse brand is the best. When it’s on sale I grab two so he has it here if he wants it. But for the most part, we aren’t brand snobs.
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@porwest (93299)
• United States
2 Jan
I agree. On top of that many people don't know that many store brands are actually made by the same companies who make the brand names. I cite this often using Great Value. Their coffee is made by Sara Lee and so is Great Value bread. Great Value jellies and jams are made by Smuckers. Great Value mac and cheese in the box is made by Kraft. So many examples.
As for ketchup, Great Value ketchup is made by ConAgra, and ConAgra owns the Hunt's brand. So, when you buy Great Value ketchup, you are essentially buying a ketchup made by Hunt's.
Land O' Lakes makes Great Value Butter. Peter Pan makes Great Value peanut butter. Utz makes Great Value potato chips. Proctor & Gamble makes Great Value paper towels. Great Value mayonnaise is made by Kraft.
What is in a brand? Marketing. And that pretty much sums it up. lol
The brand name companies are willing to make the store brands because no matter which one you choose, they still get the sale rather than compromise a sale if you choose the store brand to save money.
1 person likes this
@porwest (93299)
• United States
3 Jan
@MarieCoyle Exactly. Not like they have a special cow. 
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@MarieCoyle (39237)
•
3 Jan
@porwest
This brings to mind the Prairie Farms brand so popular here in the Midwest, we have discussed this. A gallon of Prairie Farms milk is now $5.49 here. A gallon of the house/generic brand is around $3.60. And they are both processed and packaged by Prairie Farms. Who in their right mind would buy the Prairie Farms brand one?
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@moffittjc (121824)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Nov
For the most part I don’t think I’m loyal to a tee on any particular brand, I usually will go for whatever is on sale.
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@everwonderwhy (7376)
•
22 Nov
... I'm not so crazy about baked beans, whatever brands they may come into. 
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@dgobucks226 (35806)
•
22 Nov
I agree with you, sometimes there is no substitute worthy of your favorites. I'm also a fan of Bush beans. Progresso soup is another brand I prefer, and not because Campbell soup saw fit to change their name, lol.
Others on my list are Quaker Oats, Philly Cream Cheese, Skippy Peanut Butter, and Rinaldi Tomato Sauce.
Since Bidenomics I have substituted brands like Hellman's Mayo, Heinz Ketchup and Reynolds Wrap for store bought with satisfactory results. 
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