Name-Brand Spirits
Average Price: $9.99-$19.99*
Verdict: Buy It
In addition to the excellent food that Trader Joe’s offers, one of the things that customers appreciate about the store is that it offers name-brand liquor at a reasonable price. Other stores’ costs are lower, and Trader Joe’s brand of alcohol is by far the most affordable. If you’re a fan of booze, there are a few deals you should be aware of that you should take advantage of. To give you an example, a bottle of Rebel Yell Bourbon, which was awarded two gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition three years ago, costs only $9.90. A bottle of Trader Joe’s Vodka is also available for $9.99. The Art of the Still Organic gin is available for purchase for $13.99.
Trader Joe’s Protein Patties
Average Price: $4.49*
Verdict: Debatable
Trader Joe’s Protein Patties, which are made with pea protein, are just another attempt to capture a piece of the booming vegan market. It may be a commendable try, but at $4.49, is it really worth your time? The price itself may not be an issue (Beyond offers its own patties for roughly $5.60), but the taste may not be to everyone’s liking (Beyond sells its own patties for around $5.60). According to Insider, the patties sizzle in the pan and are juicy enough, but they don’t quite match up to the quality of other faux-beef brands such as Beyond or Impossible Foods in terms of taste. Depending on your expectations for your plant-based burger, this might either be a huge success or an unforgivable failure. When you call something protein patties, you can bet that it isn’t going to appeal to your taste senses in the same way that a juicy hamburger would. TJ’s appears to be in need of some rebranding assistance on this one, despite the fact that the market for vegetarian meat substitutes is already somewhat saturated.