Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


11 Trader Joe's items even picky eaters need to try

How Trader Joe's got its name

Designing the grocery shopping experience--a look at Trader Joe's

6 Trader Joe's items that all ranch lovers need to try

9 easy meal hacks with cheap basics from Trader Joe's

11 new Trader Joe's items to try in August



Best tweets of the week:

I just spent $45 on flavored water and different forms on cauliflower at #traderjoes so you could say things with this “heathy lifestyle” are getting pretty serious.

— Crystal Collins (@crystalc912) August 4, 2018

Trader Joe’s cashier: “Got any big plans this weekend?”

Me: “Uh, I guess. I have a photoshoot tomorrow.”

Trader Joe’s cashier: “Oh, cool. You’re a model!”

Me, having never been mistaken for a model in my life: “You know you don’t get tips doing this job, right?”#TraderJoes

— Annabel Jones (@southern_bel) August 4, 2018

I went to #TraderJoes needing tahini and left needing a Xanax and a therapist. That place is insane.

— Mary Foster (@maryelizfoster) August 5, 2018

When you live in Hawaii but have a #TraderJoes problem. #Allthefood #weneedTJinHawaii #extrabagjustforfood pic.twitter.com/GVghaHupXG

— disgruntledHAPA (@kauaimomma) August 6, 2018

Trader Joe is history’s most boring explorer. Indiana Jones fought Nazis to find amazing antiquities, Trader Joe combed the Earth to find muffins and frozen naan. #TraderJoes #traveler #adventure

— Harrison (@BukowskiLite) August 6, 2018

Hi #TraderJoes, 1. Why don’t you have a Twitter and 2. Can I recommend myself as the spokesperson for these pizzas that are intended for children but are so delicious to adults that I ate a child’s entire supply? Please advise. Send me pizzas. Thank you. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/oUascx4Vwq

— Katie/Pastore (@NotGayleKing) August 7, 2018

New word: Ridiculicious

Used in a sentence: This #TraderJoes Praline Pecan Granola is so freakin' tasty good, it's ridiculicious!

You're welcome

— Adam Tyson (@LSATadam) August 8, 2018

So I finally bought the #TraderJoes Everything but the Bagel seasoning and I can say that my life can now be defined as a clear before/after experience. Before being eating boring English Muffins for breakfast; After being my newly elevated breakfast experience. 11/10 reccomend

— Emily Long (@omgliterallyem) August 10, 2018

I take great pride in the fact that, after 36 years on this planet, shopping at #TraderJoes is the closest I've ever come to joining a cult.

— Amanda Aykanian (@aykanian) August 10, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat in a Trader Joe's grocery bag:

Ya spend all this money on cat beds & perches and in the end they lay in a #TraderJoes bag. At least I recycled it...😂😺 #CatsOfTwitter pic.twitter.com/wvGYd7nKR8

— LoriK (@Redheadsays) August 2, 2018

Trader Joe's Organic Kosher Hot & Spicy Dill Pickle Chips

I didn't think I'd like these, so they sat in my refrigerator for several months before I finally worked up the will to try them.

I could not have been more wrong in my prediction. Not only did I like them, but I liked them so much that they immediately became my first choice in this product category. They are not so hot as to dominate the flavors from a burger; rather, they add a perfect amount of accent flavor and heat. Just as important, they're wonderfully crunchy and thick, unlike many pickle chips that are thin and limp and just kind of sad.


Will I buy them again? 

Yes. What's more, they will be a staple that I'll always keep on hand. I suspect I'll still occasionally buy plain ones, and go back and forth between them. But the best burgers I've ever made since giving up ground beef have been the three I made over the last week with these pickles and the new TJ's Brioche Buns. It's a combination that has changed veggie burgers from occasional use and "also ran" status to among my favorite things to cook for myself. My enthusiasm even extends to adding them to my Top Ten list. (That list now has 76 items in it. It's a paradox. Deal with it.)

Trader Joe's Brioche Buns

I loved these. They're my new favorite burger buns, and will become my staple in that category. They're large both in diameter and in thickness. They're buttery and just a little bit sweet (the latter trait being a turn-off for Nina, but I liked it). They are, as Mary Poppins described herself, practically perfect.

"It's a very big fluffy bun."






Will I buy it again? 

Yes. In fact, I don't know what would get me to buy any other burger buns.

This is one of the rare items that is going on all three of my lists (linked in the upper right corner): will buy again, a staple that I buy frequently, and a Top Ten.

Trader Joe's Old Fashioned Waffle Cones

These are very nearly perfect. They taste as good as most of the ones you'll get at an ice-cream shop. They're reasonably sturdy--almost no premature breaking or crumbling, and they don't get soggy from contact with the ice cream. They're not strong enough that you can shove whole scoops of ice cream down into them and expect them to hold up. But with just a little care--dropping small dabs of ice cream in first, then gradually increasing, until you're ready to top the whole thing with a big round scoop on top--you can end up with the satisfaction of a genuinely filled cone, with no significant voids inside.

The packaging is a problem; they come nestled in a big polystyrene clamshell. But I suppose if they didn't, I'd be complaining that several of the cones were broken when I opened the box. As it is, they were perfectly protected.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes, at least once in a while. It's been years, maybe decades, since I bought ice-cream cones at a store. I suppose that's because I had found them disappointing. I just got used to eating my ice cream from a bowl. Now that I've had half of a box of these new ones from TJ's, I'm reminded how both the flavor and the form factor of a good cone enhance my enjoyment of ice cream. On the other hand, 12 is a lot of cones for a guy living alone to get through before they go stale, so I don't think I'll be keeping a supply on hand all the time. But I'll say this: I see no reason to buy any other cones now. These are the best you'll find in any store. They are Top Ten List material, even if the number in a package means they'll be a rare purchase for this single dude.

Roundup

This is my weekly compilation of news and other links about Trader Joe's.


Trader Joe's issues "health alert" (not recall) on three salads and wraps

18 gluten-free Trader Joe's products to try

Amazing inside account of the Trader Joe's shooting/hostage situation



Best tweets of the week:

There is no feeling of deep betrayal like going to #TraderJoes and finding out that the Everything But the Bagel seasoning is out of stock

— nats (@natiagredo) July 30, 2018

I just really love to dance down the aisles of #TraderJoes 🤷🏽‍♀️ #dancelife pic.twitter.com/bdrkWY5zFP

— Kylie Shea (@KylieSheaXO) July 30, 2018

Realizing that when other 25yo's are looking for a new apartment, proximity to bars, work, the gym, etc. are usually the priorities. The only thing I care about? Being walking distance to #TraderJoes and @Costco. Not sure when grocery shopping became my main hobby...👵🏼 pic.twitter.com/Jept8iFVRi

— Kelly Norris Taylor (@kntaylor0521) August 1, 2018

Hey #traderjoes I'm gonna pop in later but just want to confirm what ID I need to get my groceries. Passport ok?

— Fiasco Fray (@fiascofray) August 1, 2018

Just another example of why #TraderJoes is actually your fantasy husband ❤️ Can a company be president?? pic.twitter.com/vp26bSosoM

— Jackson Reynolds (@jackreynolds_jr) August 1, 2018

Hey guys- headed to #TraderJoes tomorrow. Do you think my license is good enough for ID or should I bring my passport card, too?

You can never be too sure with these new grocery ID laws. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

— JJ🌙⭐️Blessed be the Fruit Loops (@VTResist) August 2, 2018

And finally, here's this week's cute cat birds in a Trader Joe's grocery bag:

This bird decided to make a nest on the Trader Joe's bag which is on the shelf on the back porch.#TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/yWDxOd99Nv

— WayneStation (@station_wayne) July 31, 2018

Baby bird is too young to leave the nest on the Trader Joe's bag on the back porch. #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/D4NQCdL6Zz

— WayneStation (@station_wayne) July 31, 2018

Trader Joe's Mini Dark Chocolate Mint Coins

These are, in essence, Trader Joe's version of Girl Scouts Thin Mints--and they want you to know that, without quite saying it. Notice the camping theme of the artwork on the box. Notice the hibiscus symbol bringing to mind the Girl Scouts logo of the faces in profile. Notice the reference to "merit badge" in the wording around that.

So, do they measure up? Close.

First, they're tiny, probably only half the diameter of GSTMs. Second, there's a bit of an off note in the background, kind of like unbaked flour. I don't know what's up with that.

But other than that, they're a pretty good imitation--certainly good enough to carry an addict through the 11 long, dark months when the little girls in green aren't peddling their crack cocaine cookies.


Will I buy it again? 

Yes. They're not quite as good as the originals, but (1) they're a lot cheaper, (2) you don't have to deal with pushy parents and order sheets, and (3) no waiting.

Lightlife Smart Tenders Meatless Savory Chicken

This is the latest fake-meat product Trader Joe's has started carrying. You can see the manufacturer's information about it here. It's mostly a blend of wheat and soy protein.

I like these just fine. They rank right up there with my current favorite similar product, this one from Beyond Meat, made from soy and pea protein.

Nina thought they were OK in flavor, but deficient in texture, being too homogeneous.

My biggest complaint is that there's only six in a box. That was enough for two servings, as the label indicates--but just barely. I think both of us would have been happier with one more each.


Will I buy it again? 

Sure. It's been a while since I tried Trader Joe's own Chickenless Tenders, but I think I like these even better.