"Follow Me Monday" The Taste Test (Part 2)
Join me today for part II of my Taste Testing adventure with my very special guest. 😉 If you didn’t have a chance to view part I, then head over here. In this final episode, you’ll see me and my guest taste test macaroni & cheese, graham crackers, my favorite snacks (Wheat Thins), chocolate bars, and yogurt. As you’ll see, some of the results were very surprising. I pride myself in being a “Wheat Thins guru” so watch to see if I can distinguish between the store-brand Wheat Crackers and Nabisco Wheat Thins.
Note: I apologize in advance for the lighting on this video… it’s not the greatest.
**If you can’t see the video, go here to watch it.
Now that you’ve watched my two-part video series, consider hosting a taste test with your family. Here are my tips to hosting a successful taste testing adventure of your very own…
* Start with an empty stomach (i.e. do not eat an entire hamburger right before the testing begins 🙂 )
* Taste test products that you eat on a regular basis and/or products that you like
* Maintain an open mind
If you do decide to host your own taste testing adventure, please come back and leave a comment letting us know what you discovered.
I cracked up when hubs put the glass of water into the bowl of Wheat Thins.
That was real funny when you stuck your hand in the water, haha.
I agree!! It was also funny when Collin said “I’ll pay $6” for Oreo instead of store brand one plus she prefers double stuffed!! I really enjoyed the video. 🙂
That is just the funniest thing. The best parts are where the video is sped up and you guys sound like chipmunks. lolol!
Thanks for sharing!
i agree. i was laughing at those parts too. LOL
Too funny!
FYI, i use store brand oreos when I make oreo truffles – and they taste the same, when I use actual oreos – great video.
So, my Mom did this when Iw as a teenager with Jif peanut butter and store brand. We all preferred the Jif, so she bought a jar. But when that jar was empty, she secretly refilled the JIF jar with store brand peanut butter. And we NEVER knew.
LOL! Sometimes a little trickery is in order.
i really need to try this with my kids.
LMBO!
My mom used to buy store brand peanut butter, miracle whip & mayo and refil the name brand containers with them… because we were sooo picky we didnt want anything else. We never knew the difference! She did it to me with some store brand apple jacks & other cereals as well.. because we kept our cereal in a tupperware cereal holder. I never knew till I was older & they were just as good. I laughed at the Oreo part, because I just knew the outcome. Store brand cookies were never well received by our family, ever lol.
I still like some store brands better, but they all vary. I like stop & shop store brand olives, but not walmart etc. Also, sometimes when a name brand stops selling a certain product, or changes the formula the store brand doesnt! Campbells changed their Itallian Wedding soup BIG TIME!! And then they started carrying it only in the Healthy Harvest cans, where before they had it in Campbells Selects. The Stop and Shop brand Itallian Wedding soup (and some others) still taste like how Campbells used to and for a fraction of the price! Also, I truly believe Dayquil has changed its formula. The taste is slightly different and it doesnt work as well as it did before, but the CVS brand Dayquill is great! I also know from my brother, who works for grocery stores etc, that many store brands are the same product as the name brand, made in the same facility etc.. produced by the same companies, just packaged differently. Many times you can look on a label and see the same manufacturer… peanut butter is a biggie that does that! Also makeup!! Many nailpolishes, eye liners & lipsticks are made in the same facility… but put out under different names.
You would be extrememly surprised if you tried Walmart’s Great Value oreos and choc.chip cookies. The oreos are just as good as oreos (you’ve gotta try it!) and we actually prefer the GV choc.chip cookies….and we were very brand loyal before! Both sell for less than $2.
please test rice crispies! i swear there is a difference the store brand is terrible!
i agree.
I especially love the fast forwarded parts where you guys are squeeking – hilarious!!
Also, curious, are you stationed near your family? since your sister is there and you were talking about your mom picking something up? that must me nice!
Nope! 🙁 I’m not stationed by family… in fact, I live in North Carolina and they live in Idaho, so We’re VERY far from one another. I sure miss them!
This video was filmed during the summer when I was visiting my mom and sis in Idaho.
It is tough! We are in NC too (Lejeune) and our families are in CO and AZ. Those visits sure are precious aren’t they? BTW, I just LOVE your blog, it is wonderful! I think it is fabulous to see another Marine Corps wife putting herself out there, sharing what she knows with others. Keep up the awesome work Collin! 🙂
thanks for clearing that up, i was so jealous since i wished i lived near mine! (we are stationed at Charleston AFB)
LOL! I loved the look on your faces when you tried the store brand yogurt. Priceless!!
i LOVE watching they dynamics between you and the hubs! priceless! Love your vids- keep them coming! 🙂
Aldi brand cereals are WAY better than the name brands and they’re made with REAL sugar, not HFCS! But there is absolutely NO substitute for Yoplait. 😉
I agree, there is no substitute for Yoplait!
That was funny when you introduced Jeremy, and said he was excited to be on video….he said “woo hoo”! You two are a cute couple 😀
Was that a lg box of Wheat Thins?? for $1.78??? Good prices…..Az Wag’s had the tiny box of wheat thins at $1.99 last night!!!!
Question: On things you “swear” by and then discover you like the store brand … are you switching (if there isn’t a couponing deal)? ie. Wheat Thins and … there was something last week, too.
As a manager for a large retailer I can tell you that most of the time the store brand is the same as the as name brand just in different packaging…If you remember the peanut butter issue from a couple of years ago it was petter pan peanut butter and great value…they just repack the peanut butter in the store brand packaging, this is the case for many items.
This may be true for some things, but it just CAN’T be true for others. Graham crackers are a great example: store brand are NOT the same as Honey Maid.
It is true that some items are actually the same, made by the brand name company. I used to work at CVS and know that CVS Brand batteries are actually made by Duracell.
To fix the lighting problem: Collin should always FACE the brightest area in the room. The light should be at the videographers back.
Yes, loved the video, but a little hard to see details.
yes, I was really enjoying the taste test and all, but I had to stop watching because I just couldn’t see anything at times except light from the windows, even when I adjusted my monitor. But I love the fact that you were so surprised by some of the comparisons – this was a very fun challenge and educational 🙂
How cute are you and your hubby!
My son LOVES the HoneyMaid Graham crackers! I buy them at Sams for around $7.50 for 4 boxes!
Another thing not to buy store brand on is the little smokies links….stick with the Hillshire brand!
In an effort to save money, I bought the Market Pantry (Target store-brand) version of Ritz crackers, and they tasted stale as soon as I opened the package. They’re not disgusting enough that I threw them away, but I will pay the extra dollar to get the Ritz brand rather than store brand.
I did a taste test on my husband with two name brands of peanut butter. My husband swears he likes Jif best, but skippy is always a better price and more often on sale. I can usually get skippy for free to .50ea. So on to the taste test. My husband loved one way more than the other and the one he loved….the skippy. I guess after so many jars of free to cheap skippy I converted him:) We had fun too Collin thanks for the idea.
You were very fun to watch! I agree with you on the mac and cheese. We LOVE store brand because it tastes much better. My husband and I did a chocolate taste test on the best chocolate and Hershey’s won out of all the different ones we bought. We bought 11 brands that you can find in the store. We did it around Easter when they have a lot of the brands around.
Love it Love it!!
Love it Love it! You are too much fun!!
We taste tested the GV chocolate bars this summer and 3 out of 4 got the Hershey wrong. They sell for $1.50 at my walmart for a 6 pack, so even though they aren’t as good as Hershey, they are good enough for me at that price!!
you guys are so cute! this made me smile.
Thanks for all your hard work for us scrimping moms!
I had a question… are all store brands similar? I don’t think so. So sometimes in comparison a store brand might be better than a name brand but their quality vary from store to store whereas the name brand tends to remain consistent..
But I liked the idea of using a taste test to have fun and an opportunity to decide which ones you like the best.
I will probably try this with a name brand and multiple store brands and let you all know on the results…
Thanks Collin for those enjoyable videos
Another great video! Cute and informative! Doesn’t get better than that! Thanks Collin!
i LOVE that follow me monday are back in full force! thanks collin. you always make my mondays nights.
You should try the fruit and cream instant oatmeal, my husband says there is a huge difference but i don’t taste it. I would like to know what others say. (maybe my taste buds are broken)
I absolutely love that your sister and husband participate in this site! I think that is wonderful, and y’all are just too adorable! I am hoping my sister can come visit me soon, and making a guest video is definitely on our to-do list 🙂 Thank you Collin!
We did a taste test between regular and reduced fat Oreos last summer, none of us could tell the difference by taste.
You and Your Husband are so cute!! =]
Collin, So love your follow me Monday videos. Also, loved getting to see your husband help you out with one. Shows his support of your work. I bet his fellow service men got a kick out of seeing him taste test with you or would if they saw it. I imagine their wives follow your site more than the guys do. I periodically find a store brand I prefer over a name brand. Now that I coupon so much, I like most of us, can find the name brand cheaper. Thanks for all your efforts on our behalf!!!!
I buy store brand (walmart and food lion) low fat vanilla yogurt in the bigger container and they taste exactly the same as the Dannon.
Thanks for posting the video!!
This is the funnies thing I have seen all day. I just laughed the whole time! I like that you guys keep it real 🙂
What a great video- love how your husband was involved!! I am definitely looking forward to doing my own taste test!!
You two are too cute! Awesome video…I just enjoyed the comedy of it more than the actual taste test!. It was pretty funny when you chose the store brand “Wheat Thins”!
I did the same thing years ago…I used to love Wheat Thins, but decided I’d give the ‘all natural’, Back To Nature brand a try. I like the Back To Nature the best…not really cheaper, but definitely better tasting and probably better for you.
Collin, Love your videos! How nice that your husband participated with you. You guys are a very cute couple! Keep up the good work. Thanks~
If anyone has a Piggly Wiggly nearby, their roasted peanuts (in the jar) is WAY better than Planter’s! (It may be a brand called “Our Family”, I’m not sure)
I believe most store brands have a money back guarantee. If you try it and don’t like it, return it. I happen to love Stop and Shop’s store brand items. Also, (I think it was) Cooking Light magazine did a taste test recently and Target’s store brand items were among the best, beating out several name brands.
Collin, I’m a regular reader of your blog and thanks for sharing all your tips and for all you do. As for the taste test video feedback, I have to say it’s hard to follow the tasting process and the verdict. I’m sorry to pick on your sis, but as you already mentioned in the 2nd video the lighting was terrible, the camera isn’t that steady and a bit of zooming out would be nice so we can actually see the products.
I do realize that there is only so much you can do between your personal life, shopping, finding the deals and postings. I really do like the concept/topic, but it needs some work and planning before it gets published. I would suggest: 1) A proper intro of each sample with some sort of labels for the viewers to follow 2) Use of a blind fold etc… A bit of professional like touch.
Thanks again for everything and I hope I wasn’t too critical.
i think its fun that its not too scripted and polished, myself.
Rachel,
I too agree and by no means I’m suggesting it be a scripted thing. The best example I can give you is if you ever watch the show “MythBusters” (one of my fav!). It’s scripted, timed and edited/polished yet doesn’t seem like it. It combines science with fun!
Ok I’m sorry but I have to throw in my two cents. I agree with all the results you got in the taste test….except one. When it comes to mac & cheese Kraft is the only one I will EVER buy. I have tried store brands more than once and I hate them and my kids take one bite and won’t touch it again. They will even ask me “Is this the good mac & cheese?” before they even taste it. I tried fooling them once and lost that battle after the first bite so I know it’s not just the look of the box cause it was no where in sight. So for us it will always be Kraft, if it is just gonna sit on the pantry shelf or go in the trash there is no point in buying it 🙂
Loved this! My husband is a huge coffee creamer snob. I started buying the Aldi brand of coffee creamer and refilling the Coffeemate container. He never noticed. I eventually got busted when he found the generic creamer in the pantry. He then said, ” I KNEW it tasted different!”. I then asked how long ago he noticed that it tasted different and he said it had been about a couple months. I rendered him speechless when I told him he’d been having generic coffee creamer in his daily coffee for over 2 years!
I am dying that the yogurt was only .44 cents. Its .70 cents in MD. Gotta love Idaho!!!!
I’m in MD and yoplait is $.50 at Walmart!