I tested 5 Trader Joe's dupes of major brands from Annie's to Reese's - grocer wins but was surprise

NAME Brands are well known among Americans – but Trader Joe’s has products that are both budget-friendly and satisfying.

Founded in 1967, it’s easy to see why so many customers love taking a visit at one of the grocery chain’s stores.

Inside Trader Joe’s locations, customers are often met with friendly employees, no automated checkout machines, and low prices.

Put that all together and it’s easy to see why the grocery chain continuously tops all other supermarkets in shopper satisfaction rates, according to data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

But there are popular products that stand out with Trader Joe’s too.

The U.S. Sun has come up with a list of some of our favorites and compared them to major national brands including Reese’s and Annie’s.

1. FROZEN PIZZA

DiGiorno’s classic, $5.49 for 19.3-ounce pack, 28 cent per ounce
Trader Joe's bambino pizza formaggio, $3.99 for 16-ounce pack, 25 cents per ounce

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While most people would probably prefer to pick up a pizza and their favorite corner parlor – it’s not always in everyone’s best financial interest.

So, some might turn to affordable options in the frozen section of grocery stores.

Many are probably familiar with DiGiorno, which is widely available in just about every supermarket in the country.

However, it’s also not the cheapest option, as we picked up a 19.3-ounce classic pie for $5.49.

DiGiorno also makes other varieties including stuffed crust four cheese.

Trader Joe’s also makes several of its own different private branded frozen pizzas.

The U.S. Sun compared DiGiorno’s classic with Trader Joe’s bambino pizza formaggio.

Each bambino pizza formaggio box includes four small pizzas and is served in a 16-ounce box, costing $3.99.

That equals out to about 25 cents per ounce compared with DiGiorno’s about 28 cents per ounce.

While Trader Joe’s offers more of a cost-friendly option – I was a little surprised by the results of the DiGiorno’s taste test.

I was expecting it to be a low-quality commercial frozen pizza.

However, the sauce tasted more lively on DiGiorno’ compared with Trader Joe's.

The crust quality was also a bit better on DiGiorno’s.

However, I am going with Trader Joe’s not only because of the price – but due to the ingredients used.

DiGiorno’s contains seed oils such as soybean and canola, which is something my gut seems to be more sensitive to.

Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s in its bambino pizza formaggio uses higher quality extra virgin olive oil, which brings out a fruity flavor.

2. MAC AND CHEESE

Annie's organic macaroni & cheese cheddar, $2.99 for a six-ounce box, 50 cents per ounce
Trader Joe's organic shells and white cheddar, $1.79 for six-ounce box, 30 cents per ounce

It can be tough to find organic mac and cheese in the grocery store.

However, Annie’s is one brand that’s pretty widely available at major grocery chains.

A box of the brand’s organic macaroni classic cheddar markets itself as being free of artificial colors and flavors.

But $2.99 for a six-ounce box isn’t exactly cheap.

Thankfully, Trader Joe’s has a white cheddar shell organic option for customers that only costs $1.79 for a six-ounce box.

That’s about 42% cheaper than Annie’s.

Also, Trader Joe’s taste is superior thanks to it being a creamier option once all of the ingredients are mixed in.

Keep in mind that the U.S. Sun in this taste test added three tablespoons of milk, and a tablespoon of butter to give these two a fair shot head-to-head.

3. CHIPS

Siete sea salt kettle chips, $3.99 for a 5.5-ounce bag, 73 cents per ounce
Trader Joe's kettle cooked olive oil chips, $2.99 for a seven-ounce bag, 43 cents per ounce

Now it’s on to the fun stuff – snacks.

For chips, I prefer again to avoid seed oils.

One of my favorite brands out there is Siete, which fries its chips in avocado oil and uses a few simple ingredients in its products.

Its most classic version is the Siete sea salt kettle chips.

A 5.5-ounce bag costs $3.99, setting you back around 73 cents per ounce.

Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s makes kettle-cooked chips too – but with traditional olive oil instead of avocado oil.

Despite the oils being different, they tasted quite similar.

Perhaps Trader Joe’s was a tad bit saltier – but that’s it.

The biggest difference is the price, as Trader Joe’s only charges $2.99 for a seven-ounce bag of olive oil potato chips.

That equals about 43 cents per ounce – or 41 percent cheaper than Siete’s avocado oil potato chips.

4. BUTTER CUPS

Reese's miniature cups, $4.99 for a 10.5-ounce bag, 48 cents per ounce
Trader Joe's dark chocolate sunflower seed butter cups, $3.49 for a 4.2-ounce bag, 83 cents per ounce

For almost a century now, Reese’s has been one of the most popular snack brands seen in households.

It is known for its peanut butter cups.

While Reese's might be the one and only in the area – Trader Joe’s has created its own version.

That’s with butterscotch and sunflower seeds instead of peanuts and peanut butter.

And they are small – but a little bigger than Reese’s miniature cups.

As far as cost goes, Trader Joe’s actually loses on price, as the brand sells a 4.2-ounce bag for $3.49. That equals 83 cents per ounce.

That compares to Reese’s $4.99 for a 10.5-ounce bag or about 48 cents per ounce.

But Trader Joe’s wins for two particular reasons in our view.

It has less processed sugar at eight added grams per serving compared with Reese’s 13 grams.

Also, Trader Joe’s chocolate cups are a little bit lighter compared to the peanut butter.

Another plus is Trader Joe’s chocolate cups are dairy and gluten-free.

5. MOCHIS

My/Mochi strawberry, $4.99 for a 6.1-ounce package, 73 cents per ounce
Trader Joe's mochi strawberry, $4.99 for 6.8-ounce package, 81 cents per ounce

Those who like ice cream in small portions may like Mochis.

This is a Japanese treat that features ice cream surrounded by rice dough, which tends to be chewy.

Some Americans might be familiar with the My/Mochi brand, which makes several flavors.

But Trader Joe’s makes its own version of mochis too.

Both brands make a strawberry flavor in stock at stores – so we decided to go with that flavor for the taste test.

My/Mochi’s stands out for three reasons.

Before taking a bite, you’ll notice it has powder, which gives it extra flavor.

In addition, My/Mochi’s was softer than Trader Joe’s and the strawberry was a little livelier.

However, Trader Joe’s gets the edge due to the price and that it contains two fewer grams of processed sugar per serving.

Trader Joe’s sells a 6.8-ounce box for $4.99, or 73 cents per ounce.

My/Mochi’s version sells for 81 cents per ounce.

Keep in mind that this list is based on the author's opinion and may not be the best choice for you.

Be sure to shop based on what’s available for you and what best fits your needs as a consumer.

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