Quality of Ingredients

Mayoegian

Hi guys! I'm planning to do lots of baking over the coming days, cakes, buns etc.:) However, I was just wondering whether own-brand names eg Tesco, would be the same quality as Oudlums? I need flour so I was looking at the Tesco flour for like €0.75 but the Oudlums flour of exactly the same weight is €2!!! I'm not sure whether to get the Tesco one or not because I dont have alot of money. Are they both the same in terms of quality?

Thanks!:)

boodlesdoodles

Hi, I use own brand flour all the time and I've never had a problem with it. In these fiscally challenged times cheap stuff like that always wins out :P

Honey-ec

I don't know about flour specifically but a lot of supermarket own-brands are made by the big brands - they save money by not advertising or marketing the products and this is why they're cheaper.

Possum66

Mayoegian wrote: »

Hi guys! I'm planning to do lots of baking over the coming days, cakes, buns etc.:) However, I was just wondering whether own-brand names eg Tesco, would be the same quality as Oudlums? I need flour so I was looking at the Tesco flour for like €0.75 but the Oudlums flour of exactly the same weight is €2!!! I'm not sure whether to get the Tesco one or not because I dont have alot of money. Are they both the same in terms of quality?

Thanks!:)

There is no difference. U can safely use the cheap version. The only thing I would not use is the so-called "cake covering chocolate" or whatyacallit... its no good. Go for the "full-fat" version, like Bourneville. I also find Tesco fresh cream very good quality, surprisingly :-)

I am from Hungary, and in my country Tesco=cheap cr*p, so I was suspicious at first, but not anymore. Actually they are quite good quality (well, comparing to the Hungarian stuff, anyway :-)

Happy baking!

Sigma Force

I use Tesco or other supermarket brand flour and it's grand. Haven't baked with Odlums or the like in a long time so can't really compare taste wise but anything I've made with the Tesco own brand stuff has turned out great.
Tesco has brought out a range of baking stuff now and even a lot of the spices and herbs are really good quality.

I always use super market brand free range eggs as well with no probs and eggs can make a big diff in the taste of a dessert or whatever, so far so good no problems at all.

Eviledna

I'm a huge advocate of experimenting with ingredients, and trying unorthodox or non-brand ingredients, usually with excellent results.

However, after much trial and error I have found these rules unbreakable:

1. Don't ever compromise on cocoa percentages in chocolate (buy high-cocoa versions 45%+, aldi/lidl is fine)
2. Don't use aldi/lidl flour for pastry. It's just not ground finely enough. It leaves shortcake pastry speckled, not smooth, and gritty.I tend to use Odlums cream flour for anything delicate, like pastry, buns etc.
3. Use Butter. Don't use margarine. Ever. Baking is not an exercise in low fat, treat it with respect, eat it in moderation, but use butter. It's the sunscreen of baking.
4. Use free range eggs when possible. They just taste better.
5. Use caster sugar for buns/pastry/anything delicate. Granulated will leave it gritty and speckled also. Aldi do a great caster, and cocoa too!
6. Invest in some parchement paper, also known as baking paper in aldi. Greaseproof is ineffective, parchement will not have anything stick to it! Excellent for cookies.
7. If you are making chewy/dark cookies, use brown sugar, not white. White will render a different taste and look. It costs the same in aldi/lidl.

There's no reason why ingredients have to be expensive, aldi/lidl and tesco are goldmines for wonderful nuts, eggs, syrups, jams, sugars and chocolates. Experiment and you will save!



But please use butter.:)

Mayoegian

Eviledna wrote: »

I'm a huge advocate of experimenting with ingredients, and trying unorthodox or non-brand ingredients, usually with excellent results.

However, after much trial and error I have found these rules unbreakable:

1. Don't ever compromise on cocoa percentages in chocolate (buy high-cocoa versions 45%+, aldi/lidl is fine)
2. Don't use aldi/lidl flour for pastry. It's just not ground finely enough. It leaves shortcake pastry speckled, not smooth, and gritty.I tend to use Odlums cream flour for anything delicate, like pastry, buns etc.
3. Use Butter. Don't use margarine. Ever. Baking is not an exercise in low fat, treat it with respect, eat it in moderation, but use butter. It's the sunscreen of baking.
4. Use free range eggs when possible. They just taste better.
5. Use caster sugar for buns/pastry/anything delicate. Granulated will leave it gritty and speckled also. Aldi do a great caster, and cocoa too!
6. Invest in some parchement paper, also known as baking paper in aldi. Greaseproof is ineffective, parchement will not have anything stick to it! Excellent for cookies.
7. If you are making chewy/dark cookies, use brown sugar, not white. White will render a different taste and look. It costs the same in aldi/lidl.

There's no reason why ingredients have to be expensive, aldi/lidl and tesco are goldmines for wonderful nuts, eggs, syrups, jams, sugars and chocolates. Experiment and you will save!



But please use butter.:)

If I could thank you twice I would!:) That's superb info, thank you so much! and to the other posters thank you for your info! THANKS EVERYONE!

Possum66

Eviledna,

great post. You should start a thread with these rules to help the beginners.

Faith

Eviledna wrote: »

1. Use Butter. Don't use margarine. Ever. Baking is not an exercise in low fat, treat it with respect, eat it in moderation, but use butter. It's the sunscreen of baking.

I couldn't agree more. I had a friend bake me a Victoria sponge with buttercream icing. She used Olivio spread for everything. It was a disaster!

lucylu

[*]Don't use aldi/lidl flour for pastry. It's just not ground finely enough. It leaves shortcake pastry speckled, not smooth, and gritty.I tend to use Odlums cream flour for anything delicate, like pastry, buns etc

Odlums make Aldi flour - its the same product.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/how-aldi-changed-the-way-we-shop-1870722.html

Eviledna

There are very few mills in Ireland, so I'm not surprised that odlums also make aldi flour.

However, it is not of the same quality, the "plain flour" from aldi is far more corsely ground than odlums cream flour. Trust me, I've had many the be-speckled and gritty apple tart because of it. The extra cost of odlums cream flour is probably due to the more labour involved in producing it, more processing etc.

If you were making a wholewheat blend, perhaps for 50%-50% scones, aldi plain would do fine. It just doesn't make good shortcrust pastry.