12 Fancy Foods And Drinks You Should Always Buy At Aldi

Aldi is quickly establishing itself as one of America's favorite grocery store brands. The company currently has over 2,000 stores in the United States and gained 1 million customers in 2022 alone. Many of these individuals were attracted by Aldi's famously low prices.

Those who are not in the know might assume that Aldi maintains such low prices by stocking lower-quality products. This is not the case. Instead, Aldi makes numerous strategic decisions that allow the brand to offer high-quality food and drinks at lower prices than its competitors. For example, the vast majority of products stocked by Aldi are private labels. Stocking private labels above name brands allows Aldi to keep marketing and distribution costs low while not impacting product quality. The savings made by this approach are reflected in the product's lower price.

Many consumers shop at Aldi in order to save money, but this doesn't mean customers are not in the market for fancy foods. As a result, Aldi stocks many luxurious, private-label products. While these products remain cheap, they are also of impressive quality and regularly outscore expensive products from well-established, luxury brands when entered into competitions. Here are some of Aldi's fancy products that prove you can have both value for money and luxury.

Americans love all types of steak, but no cut gets as much love as the ribeye. This is thanks to ribeyes carrying a great deal of intramuscular fat, known as marbling. The presence of this fat lends the cut a great deal of flavor. It also means that this cut is one of the most tender on the entire cow.

The ribeyes that Aldi stocks come from Black Angus cattle. These are a breed known for consistent, excellent marbling. As a result, the Black Angus ribeyes are routinely veined with a great deal of intramuscular fat. During cooking, this intramuscular fat liquefies creating an appetizingly juicy steak.

The Black Angus Ribeye Steak's quality is backed up by a USDA Choice grading. This is the second highest grading beef can attain in the United States behind USDA Prime. While not as exclusive as USDA Prime, the quality of meat -graded USDA Choice is still exemplary. As such, Aldi's Black Angus Ribeye is a steak of dependable and excellent quality.

Aldi has a long history of producing alcoholic beverages that punch above their weight. The Giambellino Peach Bellini is one such example; the product has previously received an exceptional rating of 92, and a gold medal, from the Beverage Tasting Institute. The Bellini also received a bronze medal from USA Wine Ratings. It's not just the professionals that like the Bellini either. The product was voted an Aldi Fan Favorite in 2022.

The Giambellino Peach Bellini is made with sparkling wine and natural peach flavors that remain strong throughout the drinking experience. At around $7 for a 750-milliliter bottle, the peach Bellini is a cheap and easy way to upgrade any Sunday brunch.

Aldi's bottled cocktail selection does extend further than the Bellini; the company also stocks a highly regarded mimosa. The Oh Me, Oh My! Mimosa is made from freshly squeezed orange juice and dry white wine. Although it is not sparkling, this cocktail is well-rated; it received an exceptional score of 90 from the Beverage Tasting Institute. Both products boast an ABV of 8% and are sure to be crowd-pleasers no matter the occasion.

Since 2014, Aldi has added several organic options to its stores. Unsurprisingly, these products are much cheaper than the organic options stocked by other grocers. This value for money has not gone unnoticed; when speaking about Aldi to NBC News consumer savings expert Lauren Cobello said: "They have a phenomenal line of organic food that is amazing. You're going to save at least 50% off Whole Foods."

Mini Sweet Peppers are one example of an organic product that the brand stocks. These peppers are a versatile vegetable which can be used both raw and cooked to add sweetness, crunch, and color to a variety of dishes. Thanks to their size, the mini sweet peppers also lend themselves to being stuffed.

As with all of Aldi's organic products, the Mini Sweet Peppers are grown according to USDA Organic guidelines. These guidelines prohibit the use of most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. What's more, the peppers are not genetically modified.

Few fish are as luxurious as salmon. While Aldi stocks multiple versions of this sought after fish, none are as decadent as Ducktrap Lightly Smoked Salmon Portions. The salmon in this product comes from producers that are Best Aquaculture Practices certified. This certification ensures that every stage of the production chain meets exacting environmental standards and is in keeping with Aldi's drive to adopt increasingly sustainable seafood sourcing strategies.

In terms of taste, the salmon benefits from a smoking process that encompasses four types of wood: cherry, apple, oak, and maple. This mixture of fruit and hardwoods results in a complex flavor that is marked by both subtle sweetness and an intense smoky note; flavors that perfectly complement salmon's rich, oily flesh. The result is a brilliant piece of fish that consumers, including this individual who posted to Reddit, love: "The last time I went they had a brand called Ducktrap lightly smoked that was 30% off so I tried it. [it] was the best piece of salmon I've ever had. I can't wait to get more."

Aldi routinely stocks an array of exceptional, private-label wines. 3 REIN Red Blend is perhaps the best of these, boasting a decadent, smoked aroma and a robust, medium body. On the palate, this red wine presents a mixture of berry flavors and smoke alongside exceptional tannins. The result is an impressive wine that was awarded 92 points by the Beverage Tasting Institute.

Made from an undisclosed blend of grapes in Washington State's Columbia Valley, 3 REIN Red Blend would not be out of place alongside the most decadent meal. Its flavor and body ensure the wine can be paired with a variety of foods including beef, pork, cheese, and rich pastas. For this reason, we would suggest serving it alongside a hearty ragu.

3 REIN Red Bend retails at around $8 per bottle. A wine of this price from Washington's prestigious Columbia Valley is almost unheard of. For comparison, other exceptional red wines from this region are known to cost over $200.

Queen olives, otherwise known as Gordal olives, are known for being the largest green olives produced in Spain. Aside from size, they are celebrated for their firm texture and bright, citrus flavor. Aldi supplements the olive's natural flavor with a variety of fillings including blue cheese, garlic, and jalapeño. Such a variety of flavors all but ensures there is a stuffed olive to suit every occasion.

While all of these olives make exceptional appetizers, their usage should not be limited to snacking alone. The blue cheese stuffed olives in particular have a variety of uses. Most notably, they work exceptionally well as a garnish for martinis – a trend that gained traction in the 1990s. If a whole blue cheese stuffed olive in your martini feels too much, the brine the olives come submerged in can be used to create a cheese-tinged dirty martini. Just add a few drops to taste when making your drink.

To many consumers, American chocolate is inferior to European chocolate. This is because of a very simple reason: American chocolate contains less cocoa and more sugar. As a German brand, Aldi routinely imports high-quality chocolate straight from Europe. Much of this chocolate comes packaged under the Moser-Roth brand, a private label produced for Aldi by Storck, another company that's based in Germany.

Much of Moser-Roth's chocolate comes in the form of differently flavored bars. However, the fanciest Moser-Roth product is the Luxurious European Chocolate Truffles. This product features 16 truffles that include flavors like chocolate and caramel as well as strawberry and rhubarb and even cheesecake. The product has been well-reviewed by Aldi customers with one customer stating on Reddit: "I love these! Great texture and flavors! I bought some for a Christmas present and ate them already." Aldi also sells smaller boxes of truffles under its Specially Selected brand.

When it comes to cooking oils, few are held in as high regard as extra virgin olive oil. Unfortunately, many fake iterations of extra virgin olive oil — where subpar oil is labeled as extra virgin — are being sold within the United States. Thankfully, one extra virgin olive oil sold by Aldi has a protected denomination certification guaranteeing that the oil inside the bottle is genuine.

Aldi's Specially Selected Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil carries the Val Da Mazara P.D.O. This certification ensures that all olives are cultivated and processed within Palermo and Agrigento. The oil must pass certain checks and is packaged within this area too. Not only is the oil rigorously tested, it is also delicious, presenting distinct grassy flavors as high-quality olive oil is known to do.

The other two extra virgin olive oils stocked by Aldi are not P.D.O. certified, however, they do carry the NAOOA certification. All oils that have achieved NAOOA certification must meet International Olive Council standards. The oils are also regularly tested with samples being taken directly from the market. As a result, the integrity of all these extra virgin olive oils should not be doubted by customers.

Aside from wine, Aldi also stocks an exceptional range of beer. The best of all these is Wernesgrüner Brauerei Pils, a German pilsner. Good iterations of German pilsner are traditionally pale with a malty sweetness balanced by a strong presence of bitter hops. Such excellent beer is why Germany is renowned as a leader in the pilsner market.

Aldi's take on Pilsner is a fantastic one. Certified cicerone Eric Sadovnick described it to Thrillist as follows: "The malt and hops are so well balanced. It's true to type with a nice long finish and a depth of flavor. The aroma carries over to the flavor. It's an excellent beer."

Sadovnick's opinion is backed up by others; Wernesgrüner Brauerei Pils has previously been awarded a score of 88 from the Beverage Tasting Institute. This high score was partly due to the beer's refreshing nature, a result of the distinct flavor of lemon zest. At 4.9% ABV, Wernesgrüner Brauerei Pils is also a weak pilsner which makes it all the more approachable for the regular drinker.

Emporium Selection is a private label that Aldi markets its premium quality cheese under. While the usual suspects of parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar are represented, this line also boasts more select options including protected denomination manchego from Spain.

The P.D.O. certification guarantees that Aldi's manchego is made in Spain's central region of La Mancha from the milk of Manchega sheep raised in the region's famous dehesa. As a result, Aldi's cheese demonstrates the classic characteristics associated with manchego. It is semi-hard with a herringbone weave pattern on the rind. In terms of flavor, the cheese is sweet with lovely herbal notes. These characteristics have caused the cheese to be well received by Aldi shoppers of all descriptions with former cheesemongers even praising the cheese.

Aldi's also sells other famous European cheeses under its Emporium Selection brand. Most notable is the gruyère, a nutty, Swiss cheese that is particularly suited to melting. Smoked gouda is also available.

Another USDA Choice steak stocked by Aldi is Cattlemen's Ranch USDA Bacon Wrapped Beef Chuck Tender Filet. Unlike ribeye, chuck steaks are known for being incredibly lean. As a result, grilling this steak can have dire consequences; it is extremely easy to overcook the meat, turning it tough and dry. To prevent this from happening, the beef should be slow-cooked instead of grilled.

Browning the meat and then braising it in a stew softens the meat and allows the flavor of both beef and bacon to seep into the entire dish. This is a unique way to enjoy a steak that should not be passed up on, especially as the Cattleman's Ranch Chuck Steak routinely retails for a meager $2,

Once again, the steak's quality is guaranteed by its USDA Choice grading. What's more, the steak is hand-selected and trimmed which limits moisture loss during processing.

Prosciutto is a type of dry-cured ham that was invented in Italy. As with many other European specialties, Aldi produces an exceptional version, sold at a bargain price under one of its private brands.

Appleton Farms Prosciutto is not only excellent by Aldi standards but by prosciutto standards in general. The product regularly ranks among the best when tasted side-by-side with competing products. The general consensus is that, at under $5, the prosciutto is exceptional value for money, a sentiment echoed by one customer on Reddit: "Appleton Farms dry-cured ham prosciutto. Great quality every time at a reasonable price. A phenomenal bite that pairs well with mild cheese, sweet fruit, or both. Phenomenal."

Fans of this dry-cured meat should also try Aldi's Specially Selected Panino Deli Tray. This product contains three different deli meats — prosciutto, pepperoni, and salami – wrapped around strips of mozzarella; a brilliant addition to any charcuterie board.