Given current economic climate and food prices rising and everything else, a version of this series where it’s the cheapest basics range vs the middle of the range or vs supermarket most expensive brands would be really interesting in helping people understand what it might be worth spending a bit more on, if they can afford to, instead of the choice being a ton more, like most of the premium ingredients on this series.
You make a great point - If the ingredient is ham for a ham sandwich and the options are pre-shaved deli ham and jamon Iberico, it just doesn't make sense. Practically none of the viewers are going to spring for the *most expensive* thing they can find with protected DOP status and only available at specialty shops or online.
I like the idea of a mid range added to this. it lets me know what is available and what to spend exta on. it also lets me know if there are possible allergens for me in the product.
You absolutely, positively, must have a round where exactly the same ingredient is used in both and watch them discuss the differences. Give it to Mike. Mike'll love that!
Barry: B has more umami and alot more funk to it. It feels like the chillis might have aged. B has more perfume. It's more aromatic. I am confident in my answer. Ben: A is the premium. Barry: I really couldn't tell the two apart
He literally says he was looking for nuances to try and make his guess. As in, overall, there wasn't much difference.... It's literally his next sentence...
@@Kingcloudii There is also a level of hot for some where that sensation shuts off the ability to taste. It's like some folk LOVE and others HATE -- marmite or coriander or pickled fish etc.
Loved the last round because in Germany, where I'm from, it is a tradition to get Jelly Donuts (Pfannkuchen/Berliner/Krapfen) for New Years Eve and hide a mustard filled one on the tray for a laugh. No one knows when or why this tradition started but it is relatively common in Northern Germany.
We don't do that so much in South Germany, at least not in my family. We simply drink copious amounts of wine, starting with the best bottles and ending with the worst and cheapest bottle at around 3-4 in the morning. With some beers and schnapps to clean the palate in between bottles
When I buy mustard, I often go with the more premium. For spices, I often go to the stores for that region (Mexican stores, indian, etc). Getting a generic looking bag with a specific kind of spice has always worked better for me than a fancier container from a place like Whole foods
I wanna see y’all do a homemade vs store bought series! Like is it worth it to make homemade mayo, salad dressings, pastas, spaghetti sauce, etc. I wanna see if the guys can tell the difference, esp when you compare homemade to a budget and premium option?
there are so many variables in that! I can make an okay naan from scratch but the own brand is better. not be miles but better. but my naan has no extra packaging and no extra fuel cost. but if I don't have the time to make a yeasted bread where does the "time vs convenience vs earth death vs shut up I just want naan" equation come in? in summary : it's a balance? or not? but naan is tasty.
@@kirstena4001 yes!! That is so relevant for so many. It’s helpful to see the pros and cons for yourself so you can decide what’s best for your situation. I could see this addressing three situations: 1. People who have more money than time: is store bought good enough to get the job done? will spending precious time to make it myself be worth it? 2. People who have more time than money: is it even cost effective to make it myself after I buy all the ingredients and equipment to make it? Will the average home cook be able to make something that tastes like it should? 3. Everybody in between / people with not much time or money: are there any other factors that I should consider beyond time, cost, and taste? For example, quality control of ingredients used (both for taste and health/allergy reasons), environmental impact (like foods using excess packaging or contain ingredients like palm oil that have a significant impact on the environment), and access (does it use ingredients that are especially expensive, hard to find, or have short shelf lives that can increase likelihood of food waste). Obviously I wouldn’t expect sorted to write a thesis on food lol, but it would be great to see some of these things being discussed! Given that the specific products they review in these videos aren’t available to many of their viewers (like me in the US), comparing homemade vs store bought would definitely appeal to a broader group of people bc we can all buy most ingredients wherever we live.
@@jessicazaytsoff1494 I totally get that! I couldn’t tag you in my other reply for some reason but I mentioned your idea in it! Also agreed that naan is tasty
Honestly some of my favourite videos. Get to find out where not to waste money every week. Especially in a time where gas prices are through the roof and grocery shopping isn’t far behind.
Hi guys, I have been watching for about 7 years now, and I just thought about how much I look forward to watching your videos religiously each week - you have built such an amazing channel with outstanding content and you are all great people who are so enjoyable to watch. Thank you for providing such great content :)
"What a lovely day!" A double dose of Sorted today as the team up with Tom Scott popped up in my feed earlier. Good video, I always like seeing the new products & the fun of watching Jamie trying to use cutlery while blindfolded is just the icing on the cake.
I would love if in this format you also added the brand leader to see how it compares. I think it would be great to see whether consumers are spending their money in the right area by buying brand leaders
"tracklement (plural tracklements) (UK, rare) A savoury condiment (for example a mustard, relish or chutney), especially one served with meat. " - Wiktionary I have also seen it described as a condiment made from ingredients from the surrounding area that goes well with a dish. Terry Pratchett uses the word multiple times in the Discworld novels, so I've looked it up before. I have no idea where Ben got his definition from, because even urbandictionary has a definition similar to the above.
Would love to see more videos like this/ cost of living increase videos to show us clever ways to stretch food, ingredients you can buy cheap that still work well etc and where not to go cheap.
As Ben says, all down to application.. I see uses for both versions of each of these ingredients, but for some of them, like the cider vinegar, you don't use all that much of it, so the bottle will last you a while, making it worth spending the money. Same with the mustard, the premium one has more kick to it, so you don't have to use as much to get the flavour in whatever you're making, therefore the jar will last longer. (but if you use it to make a marinade or something, go for the cheaper one, since the flavour will dissipate once cooked) I never use pesto so I probably wouldn't tell the difference between the two, and chili powder isn't something I use very often, but I like the idea of either version since it's made from chilis that have more flavour and less heat than the "regular" chili powder you get everywhere.
Premium Spices almost(?) always feel like not worth the price, the best food ive had from around the world has been from home cooks using those same bulk spices you find in the "ethnic" aisles in most supermarkets and the value is massively better than McCormick or w/e name brand.
I feel like this is the most divided blind tasting episode we've had so far! Even with the apple cider vinegar, I was so convinced that Baz was going to pick A all the way to the end. But love it as usual!!
I, for a long time bought bog standard tomatoes! I begin my day with a tomato and a bit of mature cheddar. I finally copped on to myself and now, I buy the best vine tomatoes I can find. I agree with Barry in respect of choosing a better taste every time!
Both Jamie and Barrys reactions to the Cider Vinegar made me think "I should give that a go" and their enthusiasm definitely helped. Two things 1 - Does it bother anyone that the 3 symbol was off center? 2 - 14 is not more than 10 times 2.5, Barry may need some math tutoring.
My top tip for pesto: buy the Sainsbury's (or other supermarket brand) Fresh Green Pesto. Sainsbury's one is £13.33 per kilo and it's actually quite good. Beats any jarred stuff hands down, regardless of the price.
If you have access to an actual spice shop, you can usually buy spices and herbs in whatever increments you want, so you could get a tablespoon for the one recipe you're making with it. Makes it a little more cost effective.
My normal grocery store has bulk spices and it’s one of the main reasons I shop there. It’s so much cheaper to by them in bulk. And I always get more than I need for a recipe just to have around.
@@vagabondwastrel2361 you also need to factor in wastage. The larger the package, the more likely that the spice will have lost part of its flavor before you get around to using it all. Your best bet is to buy in small quantities from a store with a high sales volume, and then store any leftover spices properly. Hard to go wrong with cool, dark, and air-tight.
I totally agree with Jamie on the mustard here, I usually put mustard on my sandwiches for both a bit extra moisture as well as flavor, and if you slathered a sandwich with the Trackleman’s mustard, you wouldn’t be able to eat it. That kind of punchy flavor you want a bit of, not a lot, so on a sandwich you’d want a mustard with less heat to it (you could definitely add some punchy mustard to it tho)
Englishmen taste testing mustard and there was no Colman's involved? Last time I was in the UK I bought like a dozen jars which got me quite a funny look from the lady at the cashdesk ("You do love your mustard, honey?"). It's so hard and ridiculously expensive to get Colman's in Germany - but it's the best mustard I know.
Pesto in the family we got used to do it on summer in bulk and freeze it for the winter. Local basil, so fresh and relative cheap in the summer, nor pine nuts nor cashew is local so in the country we generally make it with walnut and olive oil is more varied, imported in 5l format. For the chili powder I was surprised B wasn't it looking so bright but it's probably just a great regional producer. Vinegar is really something I don't enjoy and won't comment, besides that I would likely like the less sharp one, mustards has a whole variety where a cheap of one you like can be more enjoyable than a premium of one you don't prefer.
I know you are reticent in doing plugs or focusing on a single brand but I've been buying Tracklements for a long time and even have their cookbook for making their condiments. I'd love to see the normals each choosing and making a condiment of their choice, whether a mustard, a ketchup or something to show how it can be done and what kind of things you can do
I really enjoy the comparisons been premium and basic ingreduents and would love to see more. I'd also love to see more of ingredients you can add to dishes or use in more applications than we're accustomed to. Great show guys!
Never before have I ever heard of a Waitrose product being described as "Basic" Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Coop, sure... but Waitrose? That's like saying "I bought a basic car, it's a Bentley"
I'd love to see a video going over past premium/pretentious ingreditents the normals said they would buy - and which ones each of them actually did buy.
That was so interesting - thank you guys. Offering of a very budget friendly meal - our little family calls 'baked beano' - it's tin baked beans in the bottom of a small dish, covered with mash potato. Now; depending on finance the mash could have cheese through or cheaper, just a cheese topping. Either one is gorgeous. Another hack - I'm disabled so need very convenient and easy options. Supermarket frozen mash does the job very well. Loving your channel guys and subscribed.
You guys should do one of these and have the exact same ingredients. With a badge up for grabs if they can confidently say that the two dishes are exactly the same.
When it comes to spices, it highly depends on the spice itself if I'm getting the premium or not. Also would love to see Ebbers in the hot seat for one of these
One of the things I learned very early on is that some (SOME) premium brands re-label themselves as off-brand/bargain brand/store brand. French's yellow mustard is the Walmart Great Value or the store name stuff. Mr. Noodles is the exact same as the generic ramen bricks on the shelf in the dollar/pound stores. Seriously, it's all about what's on the labels and where it's manufactured, not about the company name. Del Monte tinned fruit is sold under store brands most of the time I just found out. This may be something more prevelent in North America; I can't speak for Europe as manufacturing laws are different. My husband and I live in Canada where we have the Loblaws chain of stores; they have two in-store brands called President's Choice(PC) and No Name, and yes I'm serious, it's called that. When the No Name tinned plain diced tomatoes are $1 a tin (sometimes $0.85 on offer/sale), while the PC version is roughly $3, and the Hunts brand are nearly $6, guess which one I'm going for? It's possible that the No Name brand is the Hunts, so why pay so much more? I don't care much for premium in foods, since a lot of it is either far too expensive or *can* be a scam, as in mostly marketing BS, unless it's vegan "cheese" slices; it's a $7 per 250g every few months treat, so taste becomes everything and so many of those expensive psudo-cheeses taste like plastic. There is also no compromise on toilet paper: never get the cheap sandpaper-like store brand stuff, get the middle-tier for your comfort. Alcohol falls into this category, as it depends on taste, brand and preference (or lack thereof); we're particular with beer and whiskey. Otherwise, to Hell with paying a higher price for groceries in this poor, recession-if-not-depression-bound economic climate. Give me bulk spices stored properly, the generic/store brand goods, and the cheapest cuts of meat and we can make excellent meals with it, especially if you use the baking soda on meat trick to tenderise it to buttery softness. More than likely, I'm just being too careful, maybe paranoid, about spending too much money on food; we just spent $200 to get one recycled cardboard strawberry flat of necessary groceries, which is disconcerting for me. We used to be able to get about four of those for that amount just a few years ago. That and the cost of meat has skyrocketed; a "club pack" of about 12-14 chicken breasts used to be $20 three-ish years ago, and now they want $40 or more for the same amount. Do I want to get premium things? Eeeh, it depends on quite a few factors, but in the end, not really, as I'm not one predisposed to pretensiousness. It's more trouble and cost for what it's worth, and I want to be able to feel good about using it on a daily/weekly basis rather than "should I sacrifice XXml of this insanely expensive [mustard/spice/mayo] for my potato salad or save it for when we have guests?", as if it's some kind of holy relic for people to ooh and ahh over, but not taste any difference.
Should have been a draw.... The mustard one was done wrong, imo, Jamie's opinion was correct, if the mustard completely removed the flavour of the cheese, the in that use case the more subtle mustard was the proper choice..
But they are not trying to pick the best one, they are trying to pick out the premium one. In many occasions the conclusion is that for either price or flavour the premium is not worth it, but the selection and points are based on finding the premium.
Perhaps they have to separate the group sometimes just to keep things under control. I mean, you saw what happened at the end there even with Mike absent. 😆
A serious word of warning (I just watched the video after I stumbled upon this information)- in a spice shop where I occasionally shop they had to recall quite a number of TRS products within just last year- govt inspection and analysis showed that cumin powder contained pesticides (some batches also another chemical, banned in EU as well), cumin seeds ETO (ethylene oxide), cinnamon sulphates...
I have to say, I always buy a pesto made with olive oil if its available, just like I would buy peanut butter that has peanut oil in. Gonna have a hunt for the Kashmiri chilly now too!
Late to this one, but apple cider vinegar... I have 3. One (cheap, bulk...) for pickling...about $1CAD/L. Two is about twice that for marinades, sauces/dips and cooking (aside from frying eggs, where I use the cheap stuff for a bit of steam...). And three is a premium for anything where it is just as is, like a salad dressing... All three have their place. Same for the mustard...only I also have about 3 - 4 of my own 'concoctions'...which, coincidentally, the seeds are soaked in the expensive apple cider vinegar! ;)
Greetings from the US! I love your channel. You are teaching and making me laugh! Could you introduce your behind the camera team. I loved seeing them recently at the feed the team lunch challenge. But it would be awesome to know who they are and what they do!
My wallet loves regular store bought ingredients, but my pallet prefers premium ingredients. It's a battle I want my pallet to win, because it loves a good mustard.
This trope always makes chuckle. A is "budget" (I would say most people see as premium) and from Waitrose B is the premium and 30 times more expensive than the "budget" Have you considered doing a "normal's" budget vs premium?
Love this series, great work as always! Useful info, and fun to watch. I know it's not the usual format, but what if you compared something like truffle oil to freshly grated truffles in the same dish? One is much cheaper, but I would really be curious to see what a blind taste test would reveal.
A video comparing UK vs US items to see if they're that different and if the guys can tell they're the same products. I bought organic, more premium vinegar one time because the sale price was cheaper. I'll never go back to regular apple cider, balsamic, and especially red wine vinegars.
Would love to see something like a miss match where you find ingredients that are are cheaper than the supermarkets but which Ben and the food team would identify as better quality
Thanks to this episode, we ordered some Tracklements mustard in the USA (we absolutely love good, strong mustard). The price worked out to about £73 per kilo, and it was totally worth it. Not going to spend that much for everyday use, but totally would pay that for the occasional indulgence.
My mom got me into premium olive oils and vinegars and I didn't realize vinegar could be more sweet than sharp. Even the decent balsamic vinegar from the grocery store just can't compare to the craft balsamic vinegar from a specialty store.
We had an oil shop like this in our farmers market for years! You could bring your own glass bottle, find the one you want from spicy to sweet to heavy or whatever... and buy it per ounce. So delicious, so much variety. Also so much more expensive. 😂 My favorite is the loose leaf tea shop of the same idea next door.
@@adde9506 I absolutely hate store bought tea now ... so valid argument. 😂 I plan occasional trips to a store front one town over and have to go in with a hard set budget.
I'm a firm believer in the difference really good spices make in a dish, so I choose to go for the best I can afford and buy directly from spice companies. Worth.every.penny.
i buy spices from the local Indian shop and agree go with the companies who have been doing it for ever. They are good quality and SO much cheaper and more sensible size packets than the tiny ones you get in the supermarket. For English mustard I buy pure mustard power and make my own partly because of the bulking out with wheat flour issue the mustards in my price range often have and I'm Celiac.
Go to your local ethnic shops for herbs and spices always! Better products and so much cheaper. You can also get staples like rice much cheaper there too.
I would like to see them do a few episodes where they make dishes where one dish is made with all premium and one is all budget. I think sometimes you can't pick out a single premium ingredient in a dish, but the cumulative impact of all premium ingredients makes an impact.
I go for the taste more than cost. Especially for mustard. I don’t like ones that blow my head off. However, when it comes to Horseradish I would gladly pay premium if I could get it with grated horseradish root in it.
I use Kashmiri chilli for colour and no other reason. It gets lost in the other flavours most of the time. This series is perfect for the current time we’re in. Also can you guys just give the same dish but A and B and see what random things they come up with😂😂
You should do a version where you compare cheap, premium and homemade. They have to guess which is homemade and which is premium and how much homemade cost to make. Then give advice on how to store homemade. I love homemade pesto but find it goes off so much quicker than shop bought. During the current climate it would be good to know whether its cheaper/healthier to make at home and how to store for best use.
I feel the last one was a trick because one is a strong mustard and the other is a basic rendition, and are kind of two different products that comparing something closer in relation.
Couldn't believe a mustard and mornay filled doughnut existed...looked around and found that this is actually a thing!! Now it is my deepest desire to try one.
I should have a job as a professional vinegar taste tester. No idea why, but the taste of a good vinegar is one of the best flavors in the world to me.
I'm having to do more clean eating (cutting out all the sugar and chemicals) .. working on finding keto diabetic friendly meals is hard to do ...so premium products and they tend to have less junk in them
@@DizzyBusy unless you make everything yourself including all your ingredients, sauces, pastas,breads, then no avoiding additives are nearly impossible .. talking difference so small that you might never think about .. like block vs pre grated cheese.. most dressing for salad turn the healthy meals to a chemical dumping grounds .. starches and sugars have so many names
Even the most basic stuff usually hold a very nice standard in Sweden, however at christmas I go superpremium and it means that mustard I make myself. We don´t like pesto or cidervinegar
My family’s Kashmiri so of course I use Kashmiri chilli! It adds such a lovely warmth to a dish. [BTW folks: The spelling of chilli is correct. While American English spells it ‘chili’, many other countries spell it with 2 Ls]
You should make cheap shop brand vs made by the food team. Same ingredients (preferably same portions), one is made bulk in factory, other is made by hand. I'd like to see boys blind test gravlax. Even used to eating it "raw" on bread it sometimes feels just so icky strange texture :p
I've taken to quite regularly buying mustard, though mine is honey mustard. I do go a bit premium on mine - buying from Boar's Head (a rather nice deli company in my area). It has a very nice, smooth flavor profile, and I've recently discovered a caramelized onion jam that my grocery store carries, and just a bit of the mustard with some of the onion jam on a bit of toasted lovely, crusty bread... especially with some nice just-firm yolk spread over the top of it with some aged cheddar to go with it? Amazing. Helps that I've learned how to make medium-boiled eggs in my instant pot XD
They did well but sharing a thought. Maybe colored glasses for them to wear on messier food so they can get it in their mouths more easily but probably still can't tell the differences. I was thinking red, but how would those affect Jamie?
A really cool comparison would be premium store bought vs homemade. Is the time and effort worth the homemade version. Like butter, yogurt, ricotta, salsa, guacamole, tortillas, red wine vinegar, vanilla extract ext. Is any of it worth buying ready for use or are we all to lazy to make it ourselves?
Making your own mustard & pesto is so much better than buying premium. Good mustard is so easy to make toast seeds before dropping them into mortar with a bit of salt, oil, & vinegar pound until smooth. 8 parts mustard seeds to 1 part grape seed oil & 1 part rice vinegar plus salt.
Chili - tend to get from the Indian grocery store so I'm not sure. Mustard - make my own so not relevant Apple cider vinegar - both, depending on application Pesto - best I can find.
