A Trader Joe’s fan blog with some NYC attitude. Mostly raves with a few rants.
07 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in All Natural, can, General, Italian, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: new, no preservatives, product, Products, Trader Joes
Seen at Trader Joe’s New York City. NEW ITEMS Section. Large cans of tomatoes, the look a bit upscale. Locally sourced (New Jersey) “Vine Ripened, Kettle Cooked, Crushed Tomatoes” 28 oz for $3.49. Have not tried these yet. Want to. The picture on the label appears to look a bit like the elongated Roma (like San Marzano) type of tomato?
Here’s what I found on the First Field company website: https://first-field.com/shop/28-oz-crushed-tomatoes-bpa-free … good for sauce, pizza, etc
02 Apr 2024 1 Comment
in All Natural, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: grains, healthy, no preservatives, product, Products, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian, whole
So Trader Joe’s used to carry “whole wheat couscous” , a nice whole grain which a lot of people loved, including yours truly.
A while back they discontinued it! It’s been off the shelves for a year or more. However its come back reincarnated this time as Organic Couscous.
The old whole wheat couscous came as a 500 gram (17 oz.) package and cost $1.99. With this organic version the sign says 12 oz. for the same price as before, $1.99. More Shrinkage? Yes, I know its now Organic. On a side note, a TJ’s Captain told me a some point they took some products off the shelves in order to eventually replace them with an organic version, like this case with couscous. The Captain said he thought Trader Joe’s will try to make all of their products Organic in the future, kind of like Whole Foods?
In any case I’m happy to see the couscous back. I love it as its one of the easiest and fastest grains to prepare. Add the grain to boiling salted water (or stock), with some butter, turn it off and let it sit for 5 minutes, fluff it up and serve as a side dish.
“It can be prepared a number of different ways, including in the microwave, but if you ask us, our favorite method is to bring a cup of your favorite broth, combined with two tablespoons of butter, to a boil, remove it from heat, then stir in one cup of this Organic Couscous, cover, and let sit. After only five minutes, you should have a hearty, fork-fluffable side that’s ideal for serving alongside grilled salmon, Shawarma Chicken Thighs, or any other protein you’d prefer.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/organic-couscous-077993
If you want to make a real Moroccan Couscous here a link to a recipe
28 Mar 2024 11 Comments
in All Natural, DIY, General, Health & Beauty, Home Goods, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: health and beauty, no preservatives, Products, Trader Joes
New Item (Feb/Mar 2024) For years Trader Joe’s has carried the TOM’S OF MAINE deodorant and that’s what I’ve bought. I have found it fine. Like all of TOM’S stuff its good and Trader Joe’s carries a few TOM’S items as well for example their toothpaste, also good!
TOM’S is one of those rare brands Trader Joe’s actually sells under the original name and not re-brand it as their own.
Recently I saw this in the New Items section – TRADER JOE’S UNSCENTED DEODORANT which comes in a round cardboard tube and thought I should check it out for review.
First this is not oval like all other deodorants we’ve tried before? This one is Round…interesting!
To use it, you just twist the cardboard tube which will raise the round stick up. The first ingredient listed here, is Coconut Oil so that’s what it smells lightly of, the natural aroma as this is Unscented and has no strong aroma. As a deodorant it seems to work fine.
One thing about this I do find odd, as unlike almost any deodorant you or I’ve ever tried before, this one is actually a bit hard to apply. The stick is a bit solid and doesn’t melt instantly under your arms. You have to rub it a bit to get it on. This doesnt go on as easy as say the TOM’S stick which applies easily. A minor gripe but still. Just so you know.
It is coconut oil and even my jar of TJ’s coconut oil can change from a clear liquid oil to solid white mass depending on how warm the room is. If its warm enough it liquefies, it its cold it hardens to solid. But even when its in the more solid state, the coconut oil melts pretty fast in my palm at skin temp maybe with just a little rubbing in a few moments.
TIP: I’ve found out that if I just hold the stick in place under my arm for say 10 seconds or so, letting my body temp warm it, it makes it easier to apply. Do it like that and it works.
As a deodorant it seems to work quite well. Price wise the two brands cost about the same. The TOM’s has a bit more of it: 2.25 oz vs 1.8 oz here.
So I do like this new deodorant and I think I would buy it again. Still I hope they will get enough customer feedback and perhaps reformulate the stuff so it melts just a little more easily (more “ozerkerite wax” perhaps in the formula or less arrowroot? 😉
PROS – Pleasant natural unscented smell (coconut oil). Works fine. One Plus: the packaging is (mostly) paper not plastic like Tom’s. Bit more eco friendly, though now I see the tube inside is plastic. So mostly paper.
CONS – A little too solid so hard to apply, a minor gripe.
UPDATE – I got it again. Seems a bit easier to apply now, so perhaps they took note! (sept ’24)
$4.99
I’m posting pix of both this and TOM’s so you can compare the ingredients:
26 Mar 2024 2 Comments
in All Natural, Changed, fresh, General, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rant, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Food, healthy, inflation, no preservatives, price hike, price increase, product, Products, Trader Joes, vegan gluten free, vegetarian
(posted late march 2024)
Well it took 20 years but Trader Joe’s decided to finally raise the price of one of it’s most popular products, and the internet became abuzz with this new.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2024/03/26/trader-joes-bananas-price/73102762007
Trader Joe’s raised the price for BANANAS. They raised the price 20%. For the last 20 years Trader Joe’s has sold bananas individually at 19 cents each.
They’ve stayed 19 cents for 20 years!
However Trader Joe’s decided to raise the price of bananas from 19 cents to 23 cents (regular bananas) with Organic bananas, which were 25 cents for the same amount of time, now costing 29 cents each. Yes, this price increase looks small but this does work out to about a 20 per cent price hike. Inflation is supposedly down to 3 or 4%. So its a noticeable jump as most people who buy say 5 bananas at a time will be at least 20 cents more for them.
One more sign of inflation. As if we needed another one, right?
One Trader Joe’s spokesman said due to inflation they have finally had to raise the prices due to cost increases. Street vendors in New York City sell them usually 4 for $1 (25 cents each) Trader Joe’s used to undersell the guys on the street but now they are about the same price. I may buy them from them now, we’ll see.
21 Mar 2024 2 Comments
in All Natural, Beer, bread, cheese, condiments, dairy, Dried Fruits and Nuts, drink, fresh, General, Home Goods, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, recipe, Recipes, review, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: cheese board, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes
PRODUCT OF ENGLAND
Trying this for the first time, left me impressed. It is quite good. A very tasty English cheese. Here I find the addition of the onion/chives enhance the cheese, they don’t overpower it.
This is the kind of cheese you might find at an English pub. A semi soft cheese. Neither hard nor soft, its a bit softer than regular cheddar. Speaking of which this is fairly different than regular Cheddar cheese; as a “Gloucester cheese” is its own thing.
I first tasted it on its own, then on some plain crackers and found the flavor really lovely in both cases. Just very tasty. I think this would be great on a cheese plate or cheese board.
Equally nice is the way this cheese melted, which was very easily, as its not very hard to begin with. So this will be great to melt on things and cook with. I put it on a taco and it melted easily and was delicious especially when I let it get little brown. It would be great of course mixed into scrambled eggs. Would this make a great Welsh Rarebit? I think yes, so I intend to try that sometime.
This cheese is going for $10.99/lb, my hunk coming out to about $5. It is an Imported premium cheese, so that is not bad.
I would buy this again.
13 Mar 2024 Leave a comment
in All Natural, bread, cheese, dairy, Dried Fruits and Nuts, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, review, seasonal, snacks, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: cheese, Food, imported, irish, no preservatives, product, Products, St. Patricks Day, Trader Joes
Getting near St. Patrick’s Day, I saw two new Irish cheeses in the cheese case at Trader Joe’s.
They looked interesting so I decided to try them.
The first one is called IRISH PORTER CHEDDAR CHEESE. As you can see, it’s got yellow areas mixed with brown areas which I imagine is the porter beer (the brown color makes me think of Guinness though that is technically a stout) Its a nice mild cheddar cheese. I think the porter mellows it out nicely. When you slice this cheese it looks really interesting with a pattern of swirls of brown and yellow.
The second cheese is also a cheese with a little something extra, here an IRISH CHEDDAR CHEESE with Irish Whiskey. This cheddar is a bit more robust than the other one, and this is very tasty too. It has a little more sharpness to it. However to be honest I could not distinguish the taste of whiskey but the cheese has a nice blend of flavors. Maybe a hint of whiskey is in there so very subtle; don’t expect this to taste like a big slug of Jameson’s.
Both of these cheeses were $11.99 a pound; a bit more expensive of course than many other imported cheddar cheese’s such as one my top favorite cheeses at Trader Joe’s: the excellent New Zealand Grass Fed Sharp Cheddar, which is now $6.99 a pound (used to be 5.99)
Still if you want to have some Irish cheese on the table for St. Paddy’s Day you may find either of these Irish cheddar cheeses worth trying. They would be nice on a cheese plate with an assortment of crackers and fruit. Or I imagine would match nicely with some Irish Soda Bread.
I assume these are “Seasonal” cheeses put out around the holiday; they may not be stocked forever, maybe just for a few months?
12 Mar 2024 Leave a comment
in All Natural, coffee, New, News, organic, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: beans, coffee, Food, healthy, moka pot espresso, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian
NEW ITEM (Mar 2023)
‘RICH AND FLAVORFUL WITH NOTES OF SWEET CARAMEL‘
“Sourced from the heart of Bolivian coffee country”
I love this new coffee Trader Joe’s introduced:
ORGANIC BOLIVIAN BLEND
In fact I find it so good this has became my favorite coffee Trader Joe’s sells! It’s so bloody good!
I’m pretty sure I may have never even tasted a Bolivian coffee before this one. Coffee from Bolivia is a bit rare in the U.S. Certainly not as well known as other South American producers as Brazil or Columbia or even Honduras. This however could change if people try this new Bolivian coffee Trader Joe’s came out with. I think its just a wonderful tasting coffee. TJ’s says….
“Our Bolivian Blend is a medium dark roast with a smooth textured body, delicate acidity and sweet flavor characteristic of caramel…. A Fair Trade coffee sourced from small family farms in the land located between the peaks of the Andes and Amazon Basin…This region has ideal growing conditions for this unique perfectly balanced coffee.”
I didn’t know what to expect but all I can tell you is when I brewed up a cup of Joe from these beans I was both surprised and quite impressed. It tasted so good. I just loved it the moment I tried it. I find this coffee perfectly balanced with nice hints of acidity and caramel that makes a perfect cup of coffee. I let some other people try it and they also loved it.
So I’m giving this ORGANIC BOLIVIAN BLEND a huge RAVE. Once again, Trader Joe’s world traveling coffee buyers managed to source some wonderful coffee beans, this time from the mountains of the Bolivian Andes.
Upon opening the bag, you get a wonderful aroma from these beans which are Medium Roast, and I found the roast right on the money. Grind the beans and you will get an even more wonderful heavenly smell; These just say “now this is coffee” to me.
I think this is one of the best coffee’s I can remember tasting from Trader Joe’s. It instantly became my new FAVORITE coffee and when I wake up now all I think about is making some of this coffee.
It doesn’t say “Small Lot” which means a limited supply but not wanting to take any chances as I’ve missed out in the past on some great coffees that went out of stock quickly, I went back and bought two more bags of this Bolivian Blend a few days later.
Interestingly enough brewing this in my Moka Pot, this coffee is making way better crema than I am used to getting. I mean I am seeing much more crema from this than other coffees I’ve been using and I’ve done nothing different. Same grind, process, method, which leads me to think its the coffee.
I think this will be good for any brewing method. Espresso machine, Moka, drip or pour over.
Not only is this very good its a Fair Trade coffee direct from small growers
https://groundsforchange.com/blogs/learn/fair-trade-coffee
Decent price too. $8.99 a 12 oz bag.
I say run, don’t walk to Trader Joe’s and give this Bolivian coffee a try.
I would buy it again.
07 Mar 2024 Leave a comment
in All Natural, fresh, General, New, News, Pantry, Prices, Products, Rave, review, snacks, spices, Staple, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update, vegetarian, WhatsGoodAtTJ? Tags: Chips, Food, no preservatives, product, Products, Rave, review, Trader Joes, vegetarian
NEW ITEM
Gourmet Level Chips.
TJ’s says: “Made with Lady Clair and Dakota Pearl potatoes grown in western Canada, our supplier fries these Chips in small batches, then kettle-cooks them until they’re ready to be seasoned and cooled. This method, as opposed to the typical “continuous fry” method of chip-making, results in extra-flavorful chips with a harder, crunchier bite.”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/everything-but-the-bagel-seasoned-potato-chips-069082
My wife bought these and we we tasted them we both loved them from just one bite. So Delicious.
Theses are kettle cooked and cut a little thicker, so are very crunchy. I would say they taste like the best, high quality, kettle cooked potato chips you’ve had. Those “gourmet” level ones. The “EBTB” Seasoning is delicious here. Blends in well, and just enough. Not overpowering to the chips, just enhancing them. They use just enough for a great extra taste but not where you don’t taste “potato” first and foremost, not the added “flavoring”, so way better than say Lay’s in this respect.
One thing about these though. The bag should have a Warning label about being: “Highly Addictive”.
$2.99 bag (7 oz)
We would buy them again.
Product of Canada
05 Mar 2024 Leave a comment
in baked, fresh, General, New, Pantry, Prices, Products, snacks, sweets, Trader Joes, Uncategorized Tags: items, kids, new, product, snacks, Trader Joes
SEEN IN NEW ITEMS yesterday
CHEERY LEMON ANIMAL CRACKERS – “Covered in a yogurt candy coating with non-pareils”
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/cheery-lemon-animal-crackers-077828
I didn’t try these but they looked to me like something kids might go for, and they are just 99 cents for a small package.
Trader Joe’s says : “creamy, yogurt coating, with authentic citrus aroma & lemony zing…. 13 unique & gladsome Animals, including: bears, elephants, cats, donkeys, goats, tigers, lions, horses, cows, rhinos, camels, bison, and hippos.” Colors come from natural sources like: vegetable juice, beta-carotene, and turmeric.
Not many things anymore you can find at TJ’s for just 99 cents !
03 Mar 2024 5 Comments
in All Natural, Blog, Changed, Discontinued, News, Products, Rant, Trader Joes, Uncategorized, update Tags: complaints, discontinued, Products, rant, Trader Joes
Not happy about a discontinued product? We’ve all been there.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/contact-us/discontinued-products
I discovered this link on Trader Joe’s website and just want to share it to make sure every one knows about how to contact them and voice your opinion.
Surprisingly Trader Joe’s does have a way that you can complain when they dropped a favorite item of yours.
Now of course who knows if it will have any effect? But if they get enough complaints and feedback about some product they got rid of, perhaps they might even reconsider. It may be worth a try, you have nothing to lose and at the very least you get to have your say.
As they say, one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar, so probably best to be a bit polite.
Trader Joe’s Rants & Raves (mostly raves, a few rants) 
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