Best Buy food and drink

We've independently tested a range of everyday essentials, such as ground coffee, fish fingers and tomato ketchup, as well as some premium products, including champagne and wine, to find the best-value and tastiest supermarket products.

Our consumer panel and expert taste tests are always conducted blind, so tasters don't know which product they're trying.

The results are often surprising. Some cheaper supermarket own labels beat well-known brands, and different supermarkets excel in different areas. In some cases, big brands really are best – and they're not always the priciest option.

Here, we've rounded up the top-rated products by supermarket, so you can see what's worth snapping up when you shop. You can also browse the full list of taste tests at the bottom of the page.

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Only logged-in Which? members can access our full list of expert taste tests, which includes the best premium supermarket products such as wines, olive oil and more. 

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Best Aldi food and drink

Aldi's cheap and cheerful range of food and drink can be a good choice if you're shopping on a budget. Its frozen roast potatoes, ice cream and ground coffee came top in our taste tests, offering superior flavour as well as good value.

• Aldi Alcafé House Blend Roast & Ground Coffee – Aldi's house-blend coffee hit the spot for our tasters, earning our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations. Check out the full results from our ground coffee taste test.
• Aldi Gianni's Tropico Exotic Fruit Lollies – If you're after a cheap and tasty alternative to Solero Exotic, these own label tropical ice creams are a great choice. See the full results from our tropical ice cream taste test.
• Aldi Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes – These superb-value spuds were not only the cheapest, but were also rated among the tastiest. See the full results from our roast potato taste test.

Best Asda food and drink

Asda came up trumps in our veggie burger, ice cream and everyday tea taste tests, earning our Best Buy recommendation.

• Plant Based by Asda Veggie Burgers – Asda's cheap vegetable-based burgers topped the scoreboard, picking up high marks for their crispy breadcrumb coating and well-seasoned filling. See the full results from our veggie burger taste test.
• Asda Everyday Tea Bags – If you’re after a satisfying brew that won’t break the bank, Asda's tea bags are a great choice. See the full results from our everyday tea taste test.
• Asda Strawberry Ice Cream Cones – Our panel gave these strawberry ice cream cones high marks for their delicious flavour and creamy texture. See the full results from our strawberry ice cream cones taste test.

Best Co-op food and drink 

Whether you're after a crowd-pleasing birthday cake or some brilliant veggie burgers, there are a few winners worth picking up if you're near a local Co-op store.

• Co-op Charlie the Caterpillar cake – Charlie proved more than a match for the M&S Colin the Caterpillar, impressing with its chocolatey flavour and moist sponge. Available in-store only. See the full results from our caterpillar cake taste test.
• Co-op GRO Crunchy Veg Burgers – These Best Buy veggie burgers proved popular with our panel, beating big-brand Birds Eye. See the full results from our veggie burger taste test.
  

Best Lidl food and drink 

As well as often being the cheapest on test, Lidl's products sometimes impress on taste, too. If you're stocking up on ketchup or ice cream, it's a great place to bag a bargain. Lidl products are available in-store only.

• Lidl Batts Tomato Ketchup – If you're looking for a budget-friendly supermarket ketchup, Lidl is our best-value pick. It got top marks for its great consistency and well-balanced tanginess and sweetness. See the full results from our tomato ketchup taste test.
  
• Lidl Strawberry Bon Gelati Ice Creams – Cornetto was no match for Lidl's crowd-pleasing cones, which offer fantastic value for money. See the full results from our strawberry ice cream cones taste test.
  

Best M&S food and drink 

M&S tends to be pricier than most supermarkets, but we've uncovered a range of standout products worth trying. Most M&S products are available in-store only. You can click on the links below to buy them online from Ocado.

• M&S Belgian 70% Dark Hot Chocolate Flakes – Luxury brands were no match for this great-value own-label hot chocolate, which won over our tasters with its delicious chocolatey flavour and creamy texture. See the full results of our hot chocolate taste test.
• M&S Breaded Jumbo Cod Fish Fingers – These fish fingers got the thumbs-up from tasters, impressing with their great flavour and crispy coating. See the full results of our fish finger taste test.
• M&S Colin the Caterpillar Cake – It just missed out on the top spot, but the M&S classic caterpillar cake stood its ground against supermarket rivals, earning a Best Buy recommendation. See the full results of our caterpillar cake taste test.
• M&S British Dry Aged Beef Burgers – A little pricier than average, but worth splashing out on if you're after a top-notch burger. Check out the full results of our beef burger taste test. 

Best Morrisons food and drink 

Morrisons is a great choice for barbecue essentials, picking up Best Buys for its pork sausages and beef burgers.

• Morrisons Strawberry Ice Cream Cones – Rated superior to Cornetto, with a good crunchy cone and plenty of strawberry sauce. See the full results from our strawberry ice cream cones taste test.
• Morrisons The Best Steak Burger – Moist, well seasoned and full of flavour, these brilliant burgers were a clear favourite among our panel. Check out the full results of our beef burger taste test.
• Morrisons The Best Thick Pork Sausages – Our panel enjoyed the delicious porky flavour and juicy texture of these Best Buy supermarket sausages. Check out the full results of our pork sausage taste test.
  

Best Tesco food and drink 

While it may not have as many high-scoring products as some supermarkets, Tesco topped the scoreboard in our beef burger and sweet chilli crisps taste tests.

• Tesco Finest Aberdeen Angus Beef Burgers – These crowd-pleasing patties scored high marks for their fantastic meaty flavour and juicy texture. Check out the full results of our beef burger taste test.
• Tesco Finest Thai Inspired Sweet Chilli Crisps – Tesco's sweet chilli crisps were named our best value pick, beating big brands including Pipers and Walkers Sensations. Check out the full results of our sweet chilli crisps taste test.

Best Waitrose food and drink 

Waitrose has picked up Best Buys for its fish fingers and frozen roast potatoes. Its own-label products can be pricier than those of rivals. If you're a regular shopper, it's good to know when it's worth switching to the own-brand option and what to stock up on if you happen to be nearby.

• Waitrose Frozen Breaded Cod Fingers – These may be some of the most expensive fish fingers around, but they’re also among the tastiest – better than Birds Eye, according to our panel. See the full results of our fish finger taste test.
• Waitrose Frozen Roast Potatoes in Beef Fat – Rated on a par with Aunt Bessie's, these Best Buy roasties had a great crispy texture and satisfying flavour. See the full results of our roast potato taste test.

Best food and drink: when is it worth buying branded?

Although supermarket own labels often impress in our taste tests, our results show that in certain cases you might be better off sticking with a well-known brand. Below are some examples of brands that have topped our tests, from roast potatoes to ketchup. 

Branded versions are typically pricier than supermarket equivalents, so it's worth keeping an eye out for offers, which tend to cycle on and off, and avoid paying full price whenever possible.

• Aunt Bessie's Duck Fat Roast Potatoes – Available from Amazon, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results of our roast potatoes taste test.
  
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup – Available from Amazon, Co-op, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results of our tomato ketchup taste test.
  
• The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages – Available from Amazon, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Tesco. Check out the full results of our premium pork sausage taste test.

Even if a brand bags the top spot, it's worth checking the full results of each test, as we often uncover good-value supermarket own-label alternatives that aren't far behind.

Full list of Which? taste tests by product

We've blind-tasted more than 30 everyday food and drink products, covering everything from essentials to luxury items, such as champagne. 

Whether you're looking to find the best-tasting options or just want to know which supermarket own-labels are worth buying, our unique research-led insights can help you make the best choice.

Our food and drink reviews are based on robust testing, so you can be confident in our recommendations. All the products we test are assessed by either an independent panel of experts or a large sample of consumers (at least 60 people) – and the tests are conducted blind, so the panellists never know which brand they're trying.

Check out our full list of taste test results using the links below:

Supermarket foods tested by Which?

• Beef burger taste test
  
• Caterpillar cake taste test 
• Christmas pudding taste test [members only]*
• Extra virgin olive oil taste test [members only]*
• Fish fingers taste test
• Ground coffee taste test
• Hot cross buns taste test
• Mince pies taste test [members only]*
• Pork sausage taste test
• Roast potatoes taste test
• Strawberry ice cream cone taste test
• Sweet chilli crisps taste test
• Tomato ketchup taste test
• Tropical ice cream taste test
• Veggie burger taste test

Supermarket drinks tested by Which?

• Asian gin taste test [members only]*
• Champagne taste test [members only]*
• Everyday tea taste test
• Hot chocolate taste test
• Irish cream liqueur taste test
• Pink gin taste test [members only]*
• Premium gin taste test [members only]*
• Red wine taste test [members only]*
• Sparkling wine taste test [members only]*

*Our premium taste tests are judged by a panel of leading experts. Full results, including more detailed tasting notes, are only available to Which? members. To access these and thousands of other expert product reviews, sign up to Which? today.

Head-to-head taste tests

These smaller-scale taste tests pit up to three products against each other to see how cheaper options compare with a pricier version or leading brand. They often focus on newer/smaller categories or budget vs premium ranges. We often uncover good-value alternatives worth trying if you're on the lookout for money-saving swaps. 

• After-dinner mints taste test
• Mini eggs taste test
• Kombucha taste test
• Pringles taste test

Prices and availability information correct as of September 2024.