Grocery Shopping With a Purpose: Gelson's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Ralph's

Our family taste tests started many years ago when we were waiting for a delayed flight at LAX.

THE MINT TASTE TEST
The Mint Taste Test was executed with mints purchased at a store in Terminal 7.  We did it as a blind taste test and solemnly selected our first, second and third preferences.  I don't recall which won, but it was fun.  We've since performed it with chicken (free range vs large brand name), cheese (different types), berries (different farms from the Farmers' Market).  There have been more, too many to name.

TASTE TEST FORMAT
The format is simple.  We purchase three different brands of the same item, cook them if needed or unpackage and place on a dish, sans labels.  Taste, opinion, group consensus (or not) follow.

THE FOUR SUPERMARKET TASTE TEST
With the new Gelson's at the corner of 2nd and PCH (in Long Beach), we now have 4 supermarkets just a few blocks from each other:  Gelson's, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Ralph's.  So the Chocolate Bar Taste Test we'd planned for last weekend turned into a Chocolate-Bar-From-Each-Of-Four-Supermarkets-Taste-Test.  On the way we (I) added the  Coated Pretzel Taste Test and I couldn't resist the $2.49 Merlot Taste Test.

This was perhaps the least perfectly executed taste test that we've ever done, but it did make me think about the number of new and specialty groceries that are popping up around us.

In addition to the four mentioned, we have the Von's Market on Ocean, the Lazy Acres in Los Altos and let's not forget the many Fresh and Easy stores!  So many choices!  (Don't get me wrong, we LOVE choices, but we also want to understand how to navigate through them...)

On my little tour last weekend, I did observe some of the nuances of each market.  Gelson's has a really cool mushroom section.  You can buy Chanterelles by the pound (or ounce), as well as grow your own mushroom farms.  Whole Foods has a really great bulk foods section as well as an extensive variety of candy bars.  Trader Joe's and Ralphs are our warm and fuzzy familiar markets.

This seems to need a little more investigation.  What makes each special?

Grocery Shopping with a Purpose.

If you'd like to see some of the fast-paced action, you can check out YouTube channel Taste Tests, and the video of this taste test...

Candy Bar, Covered Pretzel and $2.49 Wine Taste Test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsxZH7Il_Jc

More Taste Tests

Disclaimer.  When you do a taste test, obviously one will come out in front of the other.  These opinions are mine and the opinions of the testers involved.  Yours may be different.  This is not an attempt to influence your choices (of markets, candy bars, pretzels or wine) in any way.