Brand Name and Generic Brand: Can you tell a difference in quality?

[Dodie16]

Real simple: Are there things that you buy in stores that just have to be brand name, or can/do you go with the cheaper version? Also, can you tell a difference between the two (besides the price)?

For some things, I feel I need brand name and it's stuff like medicine, toiletries, and ketchup. Yep. I need my Heinz ketchup or I ain't happy. Other things, like most food items and drinks, I can get the cheaper brand because I really can't tell a difference in taste.

[loaf]

Totally. Dr. Thunder taste worse then Dr. Pepper.

Cereal taste blander with the cheaper brands.

I can tell.

[Che]

Yeah, because wasting my money on something more popular tastes better.

[Block]

I don't know if better is the word I would use, but different is definitely true. I eat brand name cereals because they are familiar and I love them. If I had been raised on off-brand then I would probably still eat those, but I wasn't so I don't.

[Pete]

For most things, they're actually bottled/ canned/ packaged in the same place, and they'll literally just switch the labels. My dad worked in a sugarhouse for about 20 years and he said they'd just go from name brand sugar to store brand sugar by switching the label.

Personally, I don't really care one way or another. I'll buy the bootleg Cocoa Pebbles or the fake Frosted Flakes. I don't drink soda, so it's not an issue. The only thing I don't go too cheap on is beer. I needs my PBR. Actually, I'm a bitch when it comes to ketchup and mayonaise. I need Heinz and Hellmann's.

[Fate]

I really don't like store brand foods or stuff, for some reason. I guess it's that a corporation, you can trust that they make their foods better, you know. And actually, I think I can taste the difference in quality. For example, when I eat eat store brand peanut butter, it always tastes more...bitter, and sometimes more bland, than name brand peanut butter.

[DragonHeart]

When it comes to stuff like medicines I buy store brand. Half the time it's manufactured in the same place as the brand name, they just slap a different label on it, heh. Besides, since I work at a retail pharmacy I get a bigger discount if I buy the store brand. >_>

There are only a few things I would go brand name for, mostly food and personal care items. And of course expensive things, like electronics. No cheap Chinese/Korean knock-offs here.

~DragonHeart~

[Block]

And of course expensive things, like electronics. No cheap Chinese/Korean knock-offs here.

~DragonHeart~

Yah, just wanna get the non knock-offs made in the same country.

[Furore]

I remember a food tech class in high school where we had to taste test a variety of cola drinks and see if we could pick out which was which (in an attempt to show it wasn't possible). I picked them all correctly every time, but liked all of them bar the diet colas.

With me I'll try both the brand name and the generic brand and will stick with whatever I like the most. I've often been pleasantly surprised to find I like a generic brand considerably more than a brand name...

[Maridia]

You put Heinz and Hunts ketchup next to each other I couldn't tell you any difference whatsoever.

But you put a glass of Pepsi and RC Cola in front of me I'll spot it asap. My friend works in a restaurant and says how people can't tell that they use RC Cola not coke. Which is only half true cause as much as it is that alot of the time my dad who also worked in the industry for 20 something years said how they add syrup or carbonation to the cola itself at the restaurant so it changes from place to place by taste.

Knockoff the Van Damme classic is a documentary on this sort of thing. I suggest you check it out.

[Sean]

But you put a glass of Pepsi and RC Cola in front of me I'll spot it asap. My friend works in a restaurant and says how people can't tell that they use RC Cola not coke. Which is only half true cause as much as it is that alot of the time my dad who also worked in the industry for 20 something years said how they add syrup or carbonation to the cola itself at the restaurant so it changes from place to place by taste.

Soda guns, or just fountain soda dispenser in general, are all regulated to add co2 to the water and dispense a syrup at the same time. It's easier to store and replace than a big ass jug of soda, which is why fountain drinks taste different (and better, imo) than bottled or canned sodas from the factory.


Anyhow, for a lot of things I don't mind knock offs; ibuprofen is ibuprofen, no matter if it's advil or wal-mart brand ibuprofen. Sugar is sugar, no matter if it's C&H or Shop 'n Save brand, etc. There's a pretty big list in my head of what I'll buy generic and what I'll buy name brand, but getting into it would be a massive wall of text.

Basics for generics; cereals, milk, medicines, cleaners (bleach, windex, etc), all I can really think of for the moment.

Basics for name brands; cheeses, meats, sodas, chocolates. Most things that require extensive processing usually taste like shit from generic factories, this includes pretty much every type of cheese ever, and most knock-off meat-based products are a very low quality, commercial or standard, or in a *LOT* of cases, utility, where as buying it from a butcher (even in a grocery store) gets you choice or, in some cases, prime (for beef, see USDA Beef Grades)

Though, the brand of knockoff oreos we get from Aldi's taste just as good (if not better) than name-brand.

[midgetbob]

Yah, just wanna get the non knock-offs made in the same country.

Looks like Picard is all about that "Off" haha

Though, I prefer both types... some things I want brand name, other things I want off brand... who knows? And it might change from day to day... haha

[smurphy]

The only product where i'll buy the brand name every time is Coca Cola. Anything else(even Pepsi) i'll take one sip and throw the rest in the sink. I guess you could say i have a coke addiction. The better kind though.

[Ethan Blitzball King]

i really don't actually notice but if i took the time i probably would

[Tiffany]

There is a difference, but that doesn't mean that I need to buy the brand-name stuff. I actually prefer some of the no name stuff. The coffee whitener for example, Carnation (brand name) is really sweet and I don't like it as much as the no name kind. I think the only things we buy name brand are condiments, tbh.

[Arch]

Publix "cola" tastes nothing like regular coke.
Toilet paper- I need my charmin, its simply the best toilet paper.
Ketchup- have to agree dodie ,heinz and heinz only.
Mayonaise- Kraft Mayo is the only mayonaise I would eat,Miracle whip is Miracle Crap.
No generic cookie can taste like a chips ahoy cookie.

This only a few I could name off the top of my head .

But most of the time I will buy the cheapest things.

[Josh_R]

It depends on what I am buying. I am a big fan of Save-A-Lot and the generic food, but some stuff I buy name brand. Ketchup, and BBQ Sauce are two of the major items I buy name brand. They are two things that I can definitely taste the differnce in. Heinz ketchup, and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ(best shit ever, I advise everyone to run to your local grocery store, and find it). Items like cereal, soda(when I still drank it).

Some items I buy like instant mashed potato's the store brand actually taste better than the name brand. Me and my roomie bought a box of hungry jack, and wal-mart brand, and the wal-mart brand taste much better than the hungry jack.

Kraft cheese is a must. If I am buying sandwich cheese it has gotta be Kraft. If you buy the generic brand you can taste the difference in it. Or at least I can. Lately however for all my cheese needs I have been hitting up my local meat markets deli section, and buying a couple of pound of provolone, or colby-jack cheese. It taste much better on a sandwich than cheddar..

When it comes to stuff like medicines I buy store brand.

Buy equate brand. It is the exact same shit as the stuff that cost twice as much..

[Priscilla]

I buy brand name everything. I prefer brand name food to generic. I just always find a brand that tastes better than the cheaper brand. There was a big article on generic food the other day. What they add or skimp out on to make it cheaper. Not for me.

If we're talking about brand names such as clothes. I go with those also. I have no problem forking out hundreds of dollars for a brand name. Fakes and cheap brands aren't for me. I like looking good and wearing something nice to match is great. I hate the smell of cheap perfume so I need to buy the expensive stuff. =]

[Block]

You can't tell me that a knock-off brand would be as good as the original. Vince here will show you exactly what to do with the imitations:

[chrono]

Totally. Dr. Thunder taste worse then Dr. Pepper.

awww man, i was at this lil party a while back and they were serving Dr. thunder.....i had never heard of the stuff but ooooo weee i laughed my ass off at the name. I think they also had some mt. lighting(equally funny).


I do not drink sodas anymore but when i did coke and pepsi were in their own league.

[Howling Wind]

It depends. With food I really don't care what my parents buy. With something like electronics we always buy brand name stuff. Like if we buy a PC we buy it from Sony instead of Dell. The price is higher sure. But it looks better feels sturdier and in are experience. Lasts longer. Same with clothes. I don't really care what brand of clothes I have even though the cheaper one might get loose threads faster. If its something electronic my parents think its better to get your moneys worth (as my dad always says)

[Bleachfangirl]

I can definitely tell the difference. The generic brand tastes better because I'd have saved money buying it, and my tummy can feel the difference from my pocket. =P

But seriously, I can't ever tell the difference, so usually I'll go with whatever is cheaper by a lot. Generally, that'll be the generic brand. When both prices are fairly close though, I'll just check out the nutrition facts in the back or see which one has more random crap in it.

[Clint]

Things that cost less taste much better. I prefer the taste of Acme brand Dr. Pepper much better than regular Dr. Pepper. It has almost a sweet flavor to it, like an "extra money in my pocket," kind of flavor.

Now if everything was free, like it would be in a perfect world where people don't worship inflated paper which they say is worth value, everything would be much more delicious.

[GypsyElder]

I've had generic brand stuff that taste way better than name brand. I've also noticed that for generic brand foods you tend to get more out of it, I feel like they get cheap and greedy when it comes to Name brand stuff. I don't know, maybe it's just because our economy sucks, but it's something I've noticed for a while though.

I was sad to notice that my Teddy Grahms had no faces anymore I mean at least when they have faces they know I'm gonna eat em, sheesh but having no face? what a horrible way to get eaten, they can't even see what's coming.

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