According to Lifehacker Readers, 20 Well-Known Brands to Choose Over the Usual
What’s in a brand name? Wouldn’t a product by any other name taste so sweet, salty, or rich in mayonnaise? Last week, inspired by my humble sigh when I opened a new box of disappointing store-brand cheese crackers, I asked you if all of the big name brands deserve your everlasting loyalty , despite the fact that you usually pay a little (or a lot) more for them. Your responses were pretty much what I expected (I also know how painful it is to try to rip off a sheet of unnamed paper towel without tearing it to useless shreds), and in surprisingly passionate ways that I didn’t expect. I mean, wow, people really love Dawn Dish Soap. However, if Dawn was the most popular response, then other trends emerged. Most of you seem to be able to tell the difference when it comes to condiments, such as from mayonnaise to ketchup to Worcestershire sauce. Many of you are keen to name specialty grains and sodas. And I was pleased to see that – with the exception of a few lost, lost people on Facebook (of course ) – almost everyone agrees that Cheez-Its is worth its weight in MSG.
We did have a few opponents pointing out that brands are often perfectly fine if they hadn’t been created on the same hardware (and in the same formulations) as their branded competitors (with the Costco Kirkland brand spun off, in particular for a combination of quality and cost). And I agree – I didn’t come here to bury generics, but to praise them for missing bucks in my pocket.
Just don’t try to go without dish soap other than Dawn. They will know and they will come for you.