TRADER’S: “With its rectangular shape, deep, crispy-edged crust, and golden underside, Detroit-style pizza has been wowing pizza fans and converting thin crust devotees since 1946. Believe it or not, the original Detroit-style pie was said to have been baked in steel pans originally used for auto parts!Trader Joe’s Detroit Style Uncured Pepperoni Pizza is decidedly not assembled in auto part pans, it is packaged in a rectangular, oven-friendly pan that’s sprinkled with cheese prior to pizza assembly. This crucial step delivers the golden, crispy-on-the-underside and pillowy-on-the-inside crust that’s characteristic of a Detroit Style pie.“
If you are looking to try Trader Joe’s (new) DETROIT STYLE UNCURED PEPPERONI PIZZA all I can say is GOOD LUCK! Frequently Sells Out – Most of the time I went looking to buy it all I found was an empty shelf.
I have a feeling this is due to social media; At the moment, this is HOT item. I guess each store gets a certain amount per day and whatever they get, sells out pretty fast.
When this happens I always wonder? Is it really that good or is it just Hype? When I finally saw it, I didn’t hesitate for a second and grabbed one! Here’s my honest review.
First I should say as a native “Noo Yawkah” pizza lover of our (classic) thin crust pizzas, I’ve never been a fan of thick crusts. And as you can see, the crust here is pretty thick. But you know what? Tasting this Trader Joe’s pizza I can tell you it is quite tasty.
My wife and I both enjoyed eating it, despite the amount of crust. I never had a Detroit pizza in my life so I can’t judge how accurate Trader Joe’s version is. But I do know that this was pretty damn tasty, folks!
Yes it is pretty dough-y, But overall tasty. All the elements were good. The tomato sauce is nice, thick and flavorful, very tomatoey, It matched perfectly with the nice amount of cheese.
The star of the show is of course that pepperoni. The uncured pepperoni on this is EXCELLENT. There was no pool of grease you see usually see on pepperoni pizzas. Nor did it shrink up into the cups like some pepperoni does. Is it very spicy? Nope. This uncured pepperoni is pretty mild.
What I’ve learned with this pizza is how to make this as good as possible. The main point being, make sure to get it well baked. See the last pic for how it looked when we ate it (i made some veggies for a side)
TIPS: The package says bake in the included oven safe paper pan for 23-25 minutes at 425. I say you can/should adjust their instructions.
I did not use their pan. I put it on a sheet pan as I thought metal will give it a better bake. After all a real one is baked in a steel pan, right?
I suggest it needs more time to get really well baked which is what it should be. After 25 minutes I tried it and decided it still needed another 5-7 minutes or so baking. I added a squirt of olive oil on the bottom to give the crust some help. The oil will help brown and crisp the bottom. Figure at least 30 minutes, and check it and adjust as needed. Also let your oven get very pre-heated, at temp for a good 10 minutes before you put in the pan.
I could have even brushed on some oil on the edges/sides. It looks a little dry as you can see; but this iis easily fixed with some evoo
I added my normal seasoning I like; slivered garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper….
My wife thought the two of us should eat the whole thing. I said that’s too much, let’s eat 2/3 of it and leave some. She fought me bitterly and snuck in a few bites of the “leftovers”. As you see, I made our meal a bit healthier with some veggies!
Not a bad deal at about $8 bucks for a pizza that can feed 2 or 3 people.
“In the center of each tub lies a just-right amount of briny Olive Tapenade made with black olives, manzanilla olives, capers, and olive oil. Not to be out shined by its piquant partner, the Hummus base is special in its own right. With twice the tahini of traditional hummus, it’s especially smooth and nutty with complementary sweet and savory flavors.” – TRADER JOE https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/olive-tapenade-hummus-079901
I wanted a big tub of hummus when I went to Trader Joes but unfortunately they didn’t have the large 16 oz MEDITERRANEAN STYLE HUMMUS when I went. This OLIVE TAPENADE HUMMUS was the next biggest tub at 10 oz.
It looked like it was worth trying and I happen to LOVE most any kind of olive, but normally I wouldn’t think of mixing tapenade with hummus. Here the tapenade is just a bit on top of the hummus added as an add on. My first bite reaction was “yeah like i thought, those olives overpower the hummus a bit” but as I kept tasting it, I admit the combined taste of hummus and a bit of olive grew on me more and more with each bite.
I kept the olives more or less as is, on top. Dipping in with pita, I could control just a little bit of tapenade with mostly hummus. Keep that bit of tapenade as-is just on top and grab a bit as you eat or scoop it. Then you mostly have hummus with just a little tapenade.
Certainly I might put out a dish of olives with a dish of hummus so the two are flavors I would combine anyway. The tapenade does kind of work. Don’t mix it all together. Olive are strong flavors and hummus more subtle but the combo was not at all bad eaten with some pita. This is something you would have to decide for yourself.
I did add some fresh lemon juice and some good EVOO and those certainly elevated everything. I might not buy this again but think this is worth trying if you are a big fan of olives like I am. Even has a bit of capers in it.
SIGN SAYS: “Ideal for pour overs and cold brews where its warm well balanced bitterness will shine”
“Smooth and satisfying, with balanced acidity and sweet nutty notes.”
TJ’s calls this “Medium” and I concur this is exactly medium roast. These nice looking whole beans look shinier in the photo than they actually are, which is not shiny, just bordering it.
Trader Joe’s Sulawesi Small Lot Coffee is a limited-release Small Lot coffee sourced from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Notes of caramel and little bit of a wine-y note too. A pleasant, smooth coffee. I made it in a Moka pot and it produced some nice crema but I’m sure a drip coffee method would work as well. Or true Espresso.
Kalossi beans (often called Celebes Kalossi) are premium Arabica coffee beans grown in the rugged central highlands of Sulawesi, Indonesia (historically known as Celebes). Named after the town of Kalossi—the central trading hub for the region—these beans are renowned for their heavy, syrupy body, low acidity, and rich, earthy flavor profile
$9.99 (12 oz bag) LIMITED!
My bag had a roast date printed on the bag of 3/14/26. I bought it around a month later? Not bad for Trader Joe’s Small Lot.
Here is another what I might call “small lot” style coffee Trader Joe’s has introduced but this too, like the Mexico Chiapas, is not a Limited coffee but one they seem to intend to have on the shelves every day. As they say:
“If you’re a regular in our coffee & tea section, you’re likely familiar with our rotating roster of limited-edition Small Lot coffees—carefully sourced, single-origin offerings that tend to be available only in small quantities, and only for a short time. Trader Joe’s Costa Rica Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee captures the spirit of our Small Lot releases—high quality, single-origin craftsmanship—and thanks to our longstanding relationships with some truly exceptional growers, we’ve been able to secure sufficient quantities to be able to offer it on our shelves every day.”
This one is from COSTA RICA, grown high up in the mountains there.
“Costa Rica’s temperate tropical climate and rich, volcanic soil promote slow and steady growth, allowing the coffee cherries time to develop rich, complex flavors.”
They again list this as “Medium” roast but to me, like the Chiapas coffee, I would say this is just a wee bit darker. The beans being just a tiny bit shiny with oil and once again, I think the roast is perfect for the beans. as long as you know to expect beans that are “dark medium” or whatever you might call this.
The beans looked good, smelled good, and had a wonderful aroma when ground. The brewed coffee was tasty and had a deep rich flavor with hints of chocolate. “Inherently sweet with nutty notes”.
This is a quite decent coffee. Still I think I liked the recent Organic Mexico coffee just a tad more. I liked this Costa Rican better than the organic one from Peru. This is not marked “organic”. In any case, if you are into trying out TJ’s coffee’s as I like to do, I say this is at least worth a try for $10 bucks.
If you just want a recommendation of which coffee(s) at Trader Joe’s are worth buying for a first timer, I’d recommend the Fair Trade Organic BOLIVIAN coffee if you like a lighter roasted coffee. If you enjoy a darker roasted coffee (“medium” they say) I’d say try the ORGANIC MEXICAN.
“MEDIUM ROAST – With notes of milk chocolate and stone fruits”
100% Arabica. Whole Beans. Organic.
NEW ITEM
“You’re likely familiar with our rotating roster of limited-edition Small Lot Coffees—carefully sourced, single-origin offerings that tend to be available only in small quantities, and only for a short time.”
This is not a Small Lot however Trader Joe’s says this coffee captures the spirit of their Small Lot coffees. They managed to find enough supply to have this on a regular basis. Trader Joe’s has this new coffee from Chiapas, Mexico.
This is an excellent coffee.
Chiapas is the southern most part of Mexico and has the Sierra Madre mountains. These beans are grown high up there between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. This coffee is “grown by a collective of nearly 2,000 small farmers.”
“… thanks to our longstanding relationships with some exceptional growers, we’ve been able to secure a supply of Trader Joe’s Organic Mexico Chiapas Whole Bean Coffee large enough to offer every day. It captures the spirit of our Small Lot releases—high-quality, single-origin craftsmanship—only this time, it’s here to stay.”
I really really liked this. High quality indeed. These beans smelled great upon opening the bag. Ground up fresh the coffee smells even better.
ROAST – You can never count on when TJ’s says Light or Medium. This bag says “Medium Roast”. However to me it’s clearly darker than Medium. I might say a dark medium or a light dark roast? As you can see the beans are just a tiny bit shiny. Whatever they call it the roast is perfect for these beans.
This made a wonderfully flavorful cup of coffee, which they describe as “with notes of milk chocolate and stone fruit”. I made it in my MOKA POT. I even got a bit of crema. It should work for any brewing method. Delicious.
I would not mind having another bag at all. This coffee is a keeper!
I’ve thought about posting something like this for awhile, instead of a review. The issue: Wasting money. Wasting food. Argh !!! I’m sure you are with me. I just hate discovering produce wasn’t used fast enough and is basically garbage now. I hate to throw out food. I’m sure you feel the same. With everything costing more and more, frankly now it seems more important than ever.
We all know all too well, the horrible feeling of looking in a bag of greens or something only to find something black and melted and looking like it’s ready for the garbage. Some things go faster than other. Pre-washed soft little greens for one.
Say washed, ready to eat Mixed Greens at Trader Joe’s. I’ve found those really don’t last long. Great for 3, 4 days. They go bad pretty fast. Faster than almost anything else I buy at Trader Joe’s as the little mixed lettuces are very delicate. After four days, I will usually find a few rotten pieces deep in the middle.
So how do you keep your veggies and stuff from going bad for as long as possible?
Every vegetable and package presents a different challenge. A lot of stuff at Trader Joe’s is packaged in plastic. Most? Way too much plastic and of course Plastic doesn’t “breathe”. Moisture is both the friend and enemy with veggies. Just enough is good to keep them as fresh as possible. But if no air, it will rot faster.
My so called hack is a mix of air (holes) and paper towels to try to regulate the moisture in the bag.
AIR FLOW. What I usually do is I make holes if there aren’t any already. Even if there are (bagged carrots for example) I may add some more holes. What I do is a combination of things to regulate the moisture. Sometimes adding a paper towel in the bag to absorb moisture (and provide it slowly). On occasion both the two together, poking lots of holes and a paper towel in the bag. It’s tricky as you don’t want stuff to dry up, but not have too much moisture either.
For example take that bag of ARUGULA – which I buy frequently. The first thing I do before I put the bag in the fridge is take a sharp pointy knife – and STAB IT all over to make a lot of holes. Seriously stab it. Not two or three holes. I stab the bag maybe 10 times on each side. A lot of little holes to make it more breathable. I might slit open the bag and put a paper towel in along the side.
Mixed greens? Air holes and paper towels in the bag. Close up with a clothes pin or similar.
GREEN ONIONS – Same thing. Air holes all over.
Once you open a bag, which I usually do with scissors, i use clips or clothes pins to seal shut.
With green onions, sometimes I will remove them all from the bag and wrap a paper towel around the bottom which is barely moistened with a few drops of water to keep those root ends moist. A wonderful Cantonese chef I watch alot of cooking videos of, recommends standing green onions upright in the fridge, in a plastic bag with the roots wrapped in barely moist paper towels. That does work but I usually have them horizontal.
What about say a package of PERSIAN CUCUMBERS? They have cardboard on the bottom which is breathable, so better. The plastic wrapping them, I pierce all over and make (more) air holes. Keep loosely covered.
What about Trader Joe’s plastic square boxes of parsley or cilantro? I stab the plastic box like crazy to make holes in them and take a paper towel and wrap up the whole bunch of parsley in the paper towel. Maybe add a few drops of water to keep it moist – barely. Freshen every few days.
Another thing I do, is when things start to look no longer perfect is I will cook the greens when they get past prime time (a bit not garbage). Lets say I have half a bag of arugula left over, It looks a little past it’s prime but not too bad. Not great for a salad but not ready to toss in the garbage. So I cook it. I remove any really bad leaves, give it a quick rinse, and toss it in a pan with oil and garlic. Sauté it for a few minutes till wilted. Arugula is great to cook with too. Or if I’m cooking something, throw it in at the end for 1 minute or so till its wilted / cooked.
I really like this very versatile dressing. Sold in the refrigerated section near salad stuff. Sure this a “salad dressing” but it is also more than that.
Trader Joe’s has this to say about it: “When is a salad dressing more than a salad dressing? How about when it’s also a great dip, condiment, marinade, sauce…”
Salad dressing, a marinade, a glaze, a condiment, even a dipping sauce for your dumplings!
It can be used for all those and maybe more. This is really versatile and useful to have in your fridge. It is of course peanut-y and a typical Asian style mix of sweet and savory. We tried it as a salad dressing. Very yummy. After we poured some over mixed lettuce and arugula my wife said “I think this would also be great on noodles“… Yes! Toss some into your noodles. Or grilled chicken (use for a marinade and a glaze). Or Salmon. Or Shrimp. Or Baked Tofu. Or an omelet. A dipping sauce for dumplings. Cole slaw. Grilled vegetables…. you name it.
It is a bit sweet (from agave syrup) and of course very peanut-y. Has the tiniest amount of spice listed as the last ingredient but I can’t really detect any level of “spicy” here. If you want that, just add your favorite spicy stuff. You can even top with some crushed peanuts (this is smooth) for added texture. I really like this!
You will find it good on or with so many things. The cousin of this, also very good is TJ’s TOASTED SESAME DRESSING.
It lists 120 Cal per 2 tbls
$3.99 bottle (12 oz)
Great with chicken. Marinate some boneless breast or thighs in a bit of this sauce for 1/2 hour. Grill or broil them. Brush on some sauce in the last minute cooking to get a wonderful glaze. Serve with more sauce.
Here’s what Traders has to say: “After the runaway success of our Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips, including their record-breakingly early entry into the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame, we knew that they needed a companion within the snacks section. Where their Chile Lime cousins are tangy and hot, these Ranch Rolled Tortilla Chips are creamy, herby, and well-rounded. They get their bold, yet markedly mellow flavor via a suite of savory seasonings and spices, including buttermilk, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley.”
The wonderful Chili Lime Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips are among Trader Joe’s most popular snack items they have come out with. Me, I am crazy for them. I adore them. I love spicy. The Chili Lime chips have crazy strong flavors and are quite spicy.
But they are not for everyone. Especially those sensitive to spice or strong flavors. My wife does like some level of spicy but she really doesn’t like the Chili Lime rolled chips at all. She says they are just too strongly flavored and way too spicy ( I”m not complaining as I don’t have to share mine 😉
So as popular as the spicy ones are I imagine Trader Joe’s figured there are people like her who find them too strongly flavorerd. Which must be why they figured lets come out with another version of the Rolled Tortilla Chips. Which is this one. Not spicy. Mild. Ranch Flavor flavor.
My wife likes these more mellow Ranch ones! I will have to share…..
TJ’s gave this variation a buttermilk ranch flavor that includes dried onion, parsley and other seasoning.
On the internet you get that this one is another hit. Some people really like this version. and say things like “the bag didn’t even make it all the way home. i ate the whole thing”!
Not as bold as the original OG Chili Lime these have a mild flavor of course so may appeal to more people, my wife being one. The are great on their own or equally great with a dip or guacamole. I liked them dipped into some DILL CREAM CHEESE SPREAD. They are good with cheese too.
I love the original spicy one a bit more as it’s so zingy spicy and unique but I do like this new RANCH one too, and you may end up buying both kinds!
I would buy it again.
$2.99/9 Oz
On a side note though it doesn’t say Gluten Free, I kind of think they may be? Just corn, no wheat that I can see in the ingredients
Trader Joe’s Kettle Cooked Olive Oil Potato Chips are a popular, crunchy potato chip snack.
INGREDIENTS : Potatoes. Olive Oil. Sea Salt
These are made from only three ingredients: Potatoes, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt. Even though we are not big eaters of potato chips, we found these to be incredibly tasty. Even addictive!
I would call these “gourmet” potato chips. The olive oil imparts great flavor.
The flavor profile of these is very simple and pure, as there is no other flavor added, just potatoes with a touch of salt, with the fruity flavor of the olive oil coming through. All of which makes these taste better than most standard chips.
These have amazing crunch. Like most chips described as “kettle cooked” these chips are cut thicker than regular potato chips such as “Lays” and the like. These have a great texture. Crunchy and delicious. These could probably hold up to most dips.
Now we did find these to be just the tiniest bit on the greasy side, so be aware of that. However since this is olive oil I imagine this is part of the appeal. Another plus is that some people want things made with “non-seed” oils. So this fits that bill, though the words “healthy potato chips” are an oxymoron!
As far as calories goes, the bag says 16 chips have about 140 calories.
I’ve never written a “review” of fruit before so this is a first for me. Why now?
I was at Trader Joe’s, looking for the new Ranch flavor rolled tortilla chips and could not find any on the shelves. So I asked one of the employees if they had any in back. He went and found what he said were the “last two bags”.
I was thankful, of course, and we started talking a little bit and he asked if I had every tried “Dekopan”. He said you have to try it. I drew a blank. I had no idea what that was. He walked me over to where oranges were. He pointed out a large weird looking bumpy skin, giant mandarin orange with a bumpy top knot. He said they’re expensive but actually worth it. It’s a “premium” fruit. Very seasonal, only available for around 3 months. A TJ employee cult favorite which they wait for all year.
So I had to get one to try. How is it? Well it perhaps actually is The best orange/mandarin I ever ate.
It is Huge. A pound each? So juicy and sweet. So easy to peel, it just slipped out of its skin. Smells fantastic. No seeds! I can see what a Trader Joe’s Cult Favorite.
Also probably at $2.49 each, the most expensive orange I ever bought. Yikes. Still, at other stores they might be even more expensive than that.
But its huge and really really good and a rare treat.
So even if just once, I would also say, “you’ve got to try this” while you can as it’s seasonal (around Jan-April) only available for about 3 months.
When my wife and I tried it after dinner we were both so impressed with the taste and while expensive, very special indeed. Just so delicious and a treat for a dessert. A way healthier dessert than the cake we had. By the way, its so huge it was shared by us both.
I got one for $2.49 weeks ago. Just saw them now weeks later I saw them bagged (about 5?) for maybe $6, way less per orange. Probably end of season and they need to get rid of them.
GOOGLE: Trader Joe’s Sumo Citrus (Dekopon) is a highly anticipated seasonal fruit available roughly January through April. Known for being very large, seedless, incredibly sweet, and easy to peel, these premium mandarins feature a distinct top-knot bump.
Key Details About Trader Joe’s Sumo Citrus:
Seasonality: Typically available in the winter and early spring, specifically January to April.
Taste & Texture: Extremely sweet (high Brix count) and juicy, with a texture closer to a tangerine than a standard orange.
Appearance: Distinctive, bumpy, thick rind with a “top knot” bump, making them easy to peel.
Price: Known to be expensive, with individual fruit priced around $2.49 and bags sold for roughly $5.49–$5.99, but still cheaper than at many other retailers.
Origins: Originally developed in Japan in the 1970s, now grown in California’s Central Valley.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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