Best Buy food and drink

We've independently tested a range of everyday essentials, such as cheddar cheese, ground coffee and peanut butter, 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, with some cheaper supermarket own labels beating well-known brands, and different supermarkets excelling in different areas. In some cases, big brands really are best – but they're not necessarily 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, beers and more. 

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Best Aldi food and drink

Aldi's cheap and cheerful food and drink can be a good choice if you're shopping on a budget. Its frozen roast potatoes 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 Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes – These superb-value spuds were not only the cheapest, but they were also rated among the tastiest. See the full results from our roast potato taste test.

Best Co-op food and drink 

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

• Co-op's 'Charlie the Caterpillar' cake – Charlie proved more than a match for M&S' Colin the Caterpillar, impressing with its chocolatey flavour and moist sponge. See the full results from our caterpillar cake taste test.
  
• Co-op Irresistible Hand Cooked Sea Salt & Chardonnay Wine Vinegar Crisps – If you like your salt and vinegar crisps to have a sharp tang and crispy texture, Co-op's crisps are a tasty choice. See the full results from our crisps 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 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 Bon Gelati Vanilla Ice Cream – This top-scoring tub beat big brand Carte D'Or, impressing tasters with its well-balanced vanilla flavour and creamy texture. See the full results from our vanilla ice cream taste test.
  
• Lidl Gelatelli Classic Ice Creams – Lidl's cheap own-label ice creams are less than half the price of Magnums, but our panel thought they tasted just as good. Check out the full results from our chocolate-covered ice cream taste test.
  

Best M&S food and drink 

M&S tends to be pricier than most supermarkets, but we've uncovered an array 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 from 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 from our fish finger taste test.
• M&S Chunky Chicken & Root Vegetable Soup – Rated among the tastiest on test, this hearty soup scored high marks for its satisfying flavour and good-sized chunks of chicken and vegetables. See the full results from our chicken soup taste test. 
• M&S Colin the Caterpillar Cake – It just missed out on the top spot, but M&S' classic caterpillar cake stood its ground against supermarket rivals, earning a Best Buy recommendation. See the full results from our caterpillar cake taste test.
• M&S Cornish Cove Extra Mature Cheddar – This top-notch cheddar was a hit with our panel, outshining big brands Cathedral City and Pilgrims Choice. See the full results from our cheddar cheese taste test. 
• M&S Crunchy Peanut Butter – M&S topped the rankings in our peanut butter taste test, with most testers finding the saltiness, sweetness and crunchiness just right. Check out the full results from our peanut butter taste test.

Best Morrisons food and drink 

While it may not have as many high-scoring products as some supermarkets, Morrisons has picked up a Best Buy for its own-label mayonnaise.

• Morrisons Mayo – This own-label mayonnaise was the top scorer in our taste test, making it a great choice if you're after a cheaper alternative to Hellmann's. Check out the full results from our mayonnaise taste test.
  

Best Waitrose food and drink 

Waitrose has picked up Best Buys for its extra mature cheddar cheese, 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, according to our panel, beating Birds Eye. See the full results from 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 from our roast potato taste test.
• Waitrose No.1 Extra Mature Cornish Quartz Cheddar – Although pricey, this Cornish cheddar was a cut above others, with most of our panel finding the flavour, saltiness and creaminess just right. See the full results from our cheddar cheese 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 vegan burgers to ice cream. 

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 from our roast potatoes taste test.
  
• Beyond Meat Beyond Burger – Available from Amazon, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Check out the full results from our vegan burger taste test.
  
• Magnum Classic Ice Cream – Available from Amazon, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results from our chocolate-covered ice cream taste test.
• Miami Plant-based Lincolnshire Sausages – Available from Ocado. Check out the full results from our vegan sausage taste test.
• Pukka Steak & Ale Pie – Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado Sainsbury's and Tesco. Check out the full results from our steak and ale pie taste test.

Even if a brand bags the top spot, it's worth checking our full results for 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.

We go the extra mile to ensure that our food and drink reviews are based on robust testing, so you can be confident in our recommendations. All the food and drink we test is 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?

• Caterpillar cake taste test 
• Cheddar cheese taste test
• Chicken soup taste test
• Christmas pudding taste test [members only]*
• Crisps taste test
• Fish fingers taste test
• Ground coffee taste test
• Hot cross buns taste test
• Chocolate-covered ice cream taste test
• Mayonnaise taste test
• Mince pies taste test [members only]*
• Peanut butter taste test
• Roast potatoes taste test
• Smoked salmon taste test  [members only]*
• Steak and ale pie taste test
• Tomato ketchup taste test
• Vanilla ice cream taste test
• Vegan burgers taste test

Supermarket drinks tested by Which?

• Cola taste test
• Beer taste test [members only]*
• Champagne taste test [members only]*
• Hot chocolate taste test
• Irish cream liqueur taste test
• 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, often focusing on newer/smaller categories or budget versus premium ranges. We often uncover good-value alternatives worth trying if you're on the lookout for money-saving swaps. 

• Pimm's taste test
• After Eights taste test 
• Mini eggs taste test

Prices and availability information correct as of April 2024.