Bamba
Average Price: $0.99*
Verdict: Buy It
Bamba Peanut Snacks are one of the most popular snacks in Israel, and Trader Joe’s has brought them all the way to the United States to sell in their stores. The 3.5-ounce bag of peanut nibbles costs only $0.99, making them extremely affordable. Because the snack is difficult to come by in the United States, and because US shops do not frequently stock it, Trader Joe’s has a monopoly on the market. Bamba Peanut Snacks are corn grits cooked into cheese puffs and seasoned with peanut oil. They are a popular snack in South America. Consider Cheetos, but with a salty-sweet peanut flavor instead of the original. The Trader Joe’s website lists these air-baked treats as one of the store’s highlights, and they are indeed delicious. In addition, vitamins have been added to the snacks to make them appear to be more nutritious than they actually are.
Trader Joe’s Frozen Pie Crusts
Average Price: $3.99*
Verdict: Skip It
In addition to being reasonably priced, Trader Joe’s Pie Crust also has a pleasant flavor. You will be charged $3.99 for two eleven-ounce pie crusts (two come in the same box). They are delivered frozen and rolled, and this is where the trouble resides. Customers’ concerns have nothing to do with the taste or the pricing, and everything to do with the way the rolls are rolled. The pie crusts from Trader Joe’s are practically impossible to unfold. When a Simply Recipes reviewer attempted to unroll her pie crust, she claimed that it “totally split apart,” and that it was “beyond repair.” But the pie crusts were uncooperative despite her meticulous following of the packaging instructions.