13 Must-Have Aldi Products For First-Time Shoppers

Aldi is a chain of supermarkets that was founded in Germany and has had a presence in the United States since the 1970s. It has a stripped-down shopping experience, which helps it maintain its goal of providing some of the lowest prices of any national grocery store chain, but can also create a stressful environment for those who haven't shopped there before, especially when it comes to renting a grocery cart for a quarter and paying for shopping bags.

While Aldi does carry a few name-brand items, most of its shelves are stocked with the company's own brands, which are much more affordable than even its competitors' in-house brands. Much of what you'll find is simply Aldi's version of basic staples, like milk, sugar, and eggs. However, as a European-born retailer, it also offers less expensive versions of popular specialties from across the Atlantic, along with some unique offerings that are not only cheaper but sometimes even better than the big brands. If you're a first-time Aldi shopper, below are some products you should absolutely add to your grocery cart. Just remember to bring a quarter, some reusable bags, and keep in mind that prices may vary by location.

Knoppers hit German shelves in 1983 and have become a favorite not only in Europe, but also in many other countries around the world. They feature five layers of wafers sandwiching milky cream filling and hazelnut cream with crunchy bits of hazelnut, all covered in a light coating of chocolate. While you can sometimes find them at other U.S. grocery stores, Aldi reliably sells five-packs of these crispy, creamy treats.

Knoppers Chocolate Wafer Snacks are available at Aldi for $2.95.

Aldi's gelato is packaged in plastic tubs, and removing the lid reveals dramatic waves of rich, creamy gelato with swirls of toppings, like in its Triple Chocolate flavor. You can also get a Mixed Berry version that's perfect for summer, or whenever you feel like being transported to Italy.

Sundae Shoppe Triple Chocolate Gelato is available at Aldi for $3.85.

Cheese curds are a vital component of poutine, a French Canadian delicacy of fries and curds smothered in brown gravy. They're also a specialty of Wisconsin and can be difficult to find outside the Midwest, except at Aldi. Mind you, these curds may not be as squeaky as the fresh stuff you get in the Dairy State (or Québec), but they'll work better than just about anything else you'll find outside the regions where they're made.

Happy Farms White Cheddar Cheese Curds are available at Aldi for $4.75.

Aldi's Graintastic bread provides 21 grams of whole grains per serving, along with 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. It's comparable to some other brand-name breads, like Dave's Killer Bread, but costs about $1 less per loaf. Aldi also carries other versions, including Seedtastic and thin-sliced varieties.

Simply Nature Graintastic Organic Bread is available at Aldi for $4.65.

Aldi actually has several varieties of this buttery French-style bread, including burger buns and breakfast loaves, but the appeal of its plain loaf is that it already comes sliced into uniform pieces, making it easy to assemble sandwiches or fry up French toast for brunch or a Monte Cristo sandwich. For a sweeter experience, try the variety with chocolate chips.

Specially Selected Plain Sliced Brioche Loaf is available at Aldi for $5.45.

Sometimes the brand of soda you use doesn't make much of a difference, like when you're glazing a ham. But regardless of your reasons for passing on the big brands, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Summit Cola actually tastes pretty good for a budget brand, and its diet cola option is even better. It's available in 2-liter bottles and 12-packs of cans.

A 2-liter bottle of Summit Cola is available at Aldi for $1.09.

Celebrity chefs often advise home cooks never to cook with a wine they wouldn't drink, and even Julia Child warned against using cheap bottles. However, that old rule is best applied to supermarket cooking wine, which contains salt. You don't need a fine vintage to deglaze a pan, and keeping an inexpensive bottle of Aldi's Winking Owl on hand is a budget-friendly way to add depth to your dishes. A crisp sauvignon blanc is one of the most versatile options for the kitchen, delivering bright acidity without turning your food purple.

Winking Owl Sauvignon Blanc White Wine is available at Aldi for $4.39.

Aldi has several in-house pasta brands, with many of its specialty items imported from Italy, but Priano is the option that's comparable to many premium brands. While the line includes several Italian staples, from spaghetti to gnocchi, its cavatappi is perfect for a baked casserole with fontina and veggies or macaroni and cheese. These hollow, corkscrew-shaped noodles with ridged exteriors trap sauces beautifully while offering a more interesting texture than elbow macaroni.

Priano Cavatappi is available at Aldi for $2.19.

Regardless of how much people insist that different mayo brands affect the outcome of dishes, a specific brand's flavor often gets lost once you add other ingredients to a recipe. Burman's Mayonnaise is less expensive than many name-brand competitors and is actually quite flavorful, too. Give it a try in boldly seasoned recipes, like Old Bay-seasoned deviled eggs or harissa potato salad, and you may not go back to the pricier stuff.

Burman's Real Mayonnaise is available at Aldi for $3.19.

The Deutsche Küche line of products at Aldi literally translates to "German Kitchen." Its sauerkraut is fermented in the traditional style and contains only cabbage and salt, with no vinegar, as you'd expect from a German-imported product. This in-house brand also includes a few canned soups, and you can sometimes find limited-time offerings in stores.

Deutsche Küche German Style Sauerkraut is available at Aldi for $1.89.

These tortilla chips feature two tropical flavors rolled into one: pineapple and habanero chiles. While many associate this pepper with its intense heat, it also has fruity and grassy notes that give many regional Mexican dishes their distinctive character. Pineapple's sweetness highlights those subtle flavors while also taming the pepper's fieriness. They're perfect paired with pineapple salsa or served alongside a bowl of mixed seafood ceviche.

Clancy's Pineapple Habanero Tortilla Chips are available at Aldi for $2.19.

Mexican-style street corn, also known as elote, consists of an ear of corn spread with sour cream and mayonnaise, sprinkled with spices, and finished with cotija cheese. Aldi's Street Corn Dip packs all of those flavors into a cup, making it more like a dippable version of esquites. It's especially good with the supermarket chain's Pineapple Habanero Tortilla Chips.

Park Street Deli Street Corn Dip is available at Aldi for $3.29.

If you're a fan of Oreo cookies and enjoy them in almost any form, from ice cream to chocolate bars, you need to add this spread to your collection. It features chocolate cookie crumbs in a creamy white spread reminiscent of the iconic sandwich cookie's filling. Spread it on toast, spoon a dollop onto ice cream, swirl it into cheesecake, or just eat it by the spoonful.

Berryhill Cookies and Cream is available at Aldi for $3.65.