What is a product that you won’t accept a generic alternative for?

Ok, I know Lemmy doesn't have a spying algorithm like pretty much any other company's site, but it is a bit amazing that you brought that here just when I needed that product to glue a ceramic handle of a mug that I broke because of stupidity.

As you seem to know about the subject, may I ask if it is prudent to still use the mug in the microwave? (Usually I heat my coffee or water there), the handle looks very well attached and I have used it once to drink... With fear.

The technical datasheet for Loctite 404 is surprisingly detailed.

Not really what the project farm guy says.

TIL, thanks!

I much prefer super glue with the brush applicator, but I can't find it in the U.S. anymore. When I saw some on a trip to Portugal, I bought it and brought it home with me. I'll try refilling it when it's gone.

I agree their bottle/applicator is the GOAT. Can't go back to other brands after trying a bottle of loctite.

My local grocery store just made one that slaps actually. But most others suck

edit: I am talking about pizza. I don't eat band-aids

It's pretty weird to be basically shilling for brands in here but Nexcare bandages are superior to band-aids in pretty much every way; i agree that band-aids beat generic though

Band-Aids are a great call out!

I'm both active and clumsy with DIY stuff. Nothing else sticks "right" like Band-Aid brand. Yes, the off-brand shit is cheaper, better than nothing, but it's shit. And you're not saving any money by using twice as many.

And serious y'all, let me preach the gospel of Hydro Seal Band Aids. Game changing. No clue how they work, but they stick, puff up around the wound (infected bit) and come off when, and only when, you want them to. And taking them off don't hurt a tiny bit. Got a few in every med kit.

Any more than a paper cut, Hydro Seal. And even then, if I want it healed fast? Hydro Seal. They're also great for capping torn fingernails when you fucked it up too far down.

Tried the generic Amazon version. Meh, they're OK for half the price, "healing" tech seems the same. Doesn't stick quite right so you'll use twice as many. Worth it if you want that painful finger wound done with in 24-48 hours.

Caveat: They work a little too well on puncture wounds, seals the infection in, only treats the top. If you got poked deep, and congrats if that's your thing, it seals off the wound and makes it worse. Surface wounds like slices and scratches, go for it. Punched a drill bit 1/4" deep? Nope. Clean that one up and let it breathe a bit.

tl;dr $.70 for a band aid sounds crazy. I know. Just try it for me. Try it for yourself.

I find the cloth generic band aids to be identical to brand name, the plastic one of any brand, well they're just crap and I don't know why the even exist.

I buy nearly everything generic but generic Band-Aids have terrible adhesive so I always buy name brand.

Yeah, this is a case of a brand that's been subject to trademark genericization where the knock-offs and generic products genuinely aren't as good.

What frozen pizza do you recommend? Every single time I have the misfortune of trying a frozen pizza, I regret my life choices because they taste like dogshit. Even the crappiest delivered pizza is way better than any frozen pizza I've tried. Granted, my experience is limited and I can never remember which ones I've tried.l

Honestly, Safeway Select frozen pizza is pretty good. I'd take it over most of the midrange name brands.

Great Value used to have an amazing 5 cheese and bacon white pizza... can't find it anymore though.

The problem with non-generic frozen pizza is they cost like a dollar less than a real pizza. Some of the fancier ones cost even more than a pizza from the place right next to the grocery store. Maybe I’m just blessed living in the pizza sphere but even the best frozen pizza is fucking disgusting next to even mediocre real pizza.

Are there that many ducks on here?

I use an Aldi version of Dawn. There is no difference.

How much washing up do you think you could do without any washing up liquid?

My rule of thumb is does it smell good when it boils?

Dawn is the only soap I've found that smells good when it's poured onto a hot pan.

Yeah you should let your stuff cool before washing it.. but how many of us do that?

Dawn smells great boiling.. so that's the only soap I use.

Dawn Powerwash is pretty great for general cleaning too, not just dishes. It’s great at removing soap scum. You can technically DIY it with dish soap, isopropyl alcohol, water, and a spray bottle, but the bottles they sell last a while and are cheap.

Electronics in general are you get what you pay for. It might work just as well for a while, but cheaper components will almost always fail quicker.

There's nothing quite as frustrating as loosing photos and footage before it's been ingested. Always use name brand media and always duplicate it asap. Ask me how I know.

Let’s just say you shouldn’t put a flimsy cotton stick in your ear unless you trust it’ll come out in one piece. Just don't.

You shouldn't put cotton buds in your ears at all, honestly I don't know how an industry managed to trick so many people into doing something so potentially hazardous.

Fuck Huy Fong Foods. Chinese-American businessman appropriates a traditional Thai sauce and uses marketing to brainwash the world into thinking they're the only ones that can make it. They tried to use their size to squeeze their longterm supplier and lost a $28 million judgement because they were objectively wrong as proven in a court of law.

They started their own shortage trying to fuck over farmers when they already had over $150 mil/year in sales and they deserve to die off.

The only meaningful impact we have against these predatory businesses is by voting with our dollars and if you cant give up a fuckin sauce that has hundreds of excellent options available from other companies then you are part of the problem.

I’ve never seen it go low in stock here in Aus.

Underwood Ranches uses the peppers Huy Fong used to use. It's made by their old pepper supplier. It's what I buy now.

Yes this is it absolutely. There are 5-6 sauces in my fridge that are ok but I don’t use. Need the good stuff.

Agree but also any non Hellmans mayonnaise is a fucking disgrace.

Indeed, I bought a different brand thinking it'd be the same because the recipe is public, boy was I wrong 🤮

My Trader Joe’s knockoff is not great. Too much vinegar taste and hardly any of the sriracha bite. Sucks that it’s so hard to find the real deal now.

in Australia you can get store brand butter that is every bit as good because it comes from NewZeland where every cow is grassfed.

Such a massive money saver that Woolworths now tells you where it's produced, for a long time it was an open secret.

Yes, once I tried kerrygold, I never went back.

What's different about it?

Irish are so much better than American. Word.

Irish butter is a generic category. Kerrygold is an irish butter name brand

Wait until you try french butter.

They also do excellent small kitchen knives for under 10€, best money invested to carv out those vegetables or meat.

I'm pairing it with a cheap knife sharpener from a certain Swedish company ^^

Their also (or at least used to) honor their warranty. I had problems with one of their knives several years after I bought it. It got replaced without a major hassle. Haven't had to use the warranty again in decades though, so it could be different now.

Had mine for over 20 years until it disappeared. Years later still no idea what happened to it. Only issue I had with it was the clock it had, broke halfway through owning it.

I can't agree with you more on this. I have used them for years, most recently got one with a scalloped side that fits in your hand so nicely. My son is a cub scout and just got one too, his first pocketknife.

Verners ginger ale puts the rest to shame

I actually prefer Royal Crown over Coke and Pepsi. It's not a generic, but it's not top-shelf either. It works out well with the sales at the Supermarket, too. Often they'll do a 12-pack mix-and-match with RC, Canada Dry, Squirt, etc. all very tasty sodas.

Germany has some great tasting cola brands that are nothing like Pepsi or Coke (and aren't trying to be either).

I actually prefer generics. But because I'm a fat ass, I haven't been keeping soda at the house.

While I agree with this, the one except I've found is Sprite. Different genetics have different tastes but I've found I like my Kroger generic Sprite more than the name brand.

It seems like half the time I buy them these days, pop-tarts don't even taste like pop-tarts. So I stopped buying them :(

I would definitely never consider the off-brand a viable alternative though, those things are pretty gross.

no other chocolate spread tastes nearly as good

That's because it isn't a chocolate spread, but rather a nut and nougat spread.

Trader Joe's would like a word

This is very true.

It actually has very little chocolate in it, that's why. It was made (i think) during WW2 when chocolate was in short supply, so they came up with a way to stretch it, by mixing a bunch of hazelnuts (and w/e else is in there) with it.

The Kraft one isn't half bad

But then note I said "isn't half bad", not that it's great. But I'd say it works in a pinch, or if it's on sale...

I live in France and there are lots of brands that are exactly like Nutella, or even more tasty. Nutella is cheaper yet.

The Kirklands one is good, but doesn’t hold an emulsion. And trying to stir a 3000 litre tub of “hazelnut spread” to re-emulsify it isn’t on my list of desirable morning activities.

For nougat, the Milka stuff is better. If you want real chocolate, take Caotina.

no other chocolate spread tastes nearly as good.

I could eat that as the fucking Whine Poo eats the honey ngl.

pay-once-cry-once situation

I've never heard this phrase, and I'm struggling to figure it out from context. Does it mean that you regret the purchase after finding out it's not as good as you thought, but then don't replace it with something better because you don't want to spend more?

For consumables, I agree that generic almost always tastes nearly the same.

However, there are some snacks that the generic brands can't seem to get right for some reason. Generic Oreos? They taste great and almost exactly the same. Generic sour cream and cheddar potato chips? They taste like shit for some reason and I'm not sure why.

The liquid gels are so profoundly better than the other types of pills that I've stopped purchasing any other brands or kinds of ibuprofen forever. Liquigels are the GOAT

I take Advil Cold and Sinus to help me breathe. LOL, the brand name certainly has a sweet coating vs. the generic! No difference in effect, and it's not like I'm chewing it up first.

Tasty until it's not. And it happens fast.

There’s off-brand SPAM?

If you like Cetaphil and Cerave, you will also like Vanicream and Eucerin.

Any tips for the toothpaste? For me I have to get the sensitive ones because they put a shit ton of menthol in the non sensitive ones and it knocks the feel of my mouth out of balanace (read: too damn minty)

I have found the natural mineral toothpaste tends to work best but unsure if the lack of flouride can be an issue. Had some lovely lemony ones though. Bicarb can go suck it.

Hema rookworsten FTW

Zeisner curry ketchup is the best though! Don't know if you can buy it in the Netherlands.

I'm definitely trying the frikandelbroodje next time I'm at Albert Heijn. Don't know if the Belgian one has all the same products.

Which is kinda ironic since most TJs brand stuff is a knockoff of something else. But I get it, because TJs quality is awesome.

Fun fact: Oreos are the knock-off brand. Hydrox was the original.

HEB Twisters > Oreos

Really? I think the Great Value knockoff Oreos taste fantastic.

Tried buying some organic Oreos once.

They were quickly referred to as "punishment cookies".

That one box lasted almost 3 months rather than the 3day lifespan of a normal Oreo.

What about Annie's? Or call we even compare them?

Growing up I always saw kids in American shows/movies enj it so I assumed it was delicious. I was 10 when the finally began selling it here, my parents were also curious so they bought enough for 5 people. IT TASTES LIKE VOMIT. My parents never bought it again. 12 years later my sister bought it again because she didn't remember the taste and I gave a try again because I thought maybe just maybe I would like it better since my tastes hace changed, AND IT STILL TASTES LIKE VOMIT. so we ended up making our own with real cheese and pasta and it was actually cheaper than the boxed crap

Epicurious put out a fun video last week having a few chefs compare boxed mac and cheese products. You might find it interesting https://youtu.be/uambW2W6zmQ

I prefer Velveeta shells and cheese to all the other boxed Mac and cheese dinners. That said, if I have someone to act as a dishwasher, I will make a banging baked Mac and cheese that blows any box out of the water. I don't mind the cooking, or prep. Cleanup is always a chore.

What about compared to homemade Mac and Cheese?

Or just bulk purchasing.

Knew a fellow that worked for a food company - juices, nectars, preserved fruits, jams and compotes, baked goods with fruit, etc - that has a name brand. Most of the production is exported for so called "premium markets".

The largest supermarket chain here aproaches the company to have a few products made under their label. Not waterdowned versions of their recipes but completely new recipes or variations on the producers recipes.

Final product is as expensive or more to produce than name brand, which implies lower margins but still good money.

Supermarket product is not a waterdowned version but a completely separate product. If the end product is garbage, the supermarket gets the bad record.

I was comparing frozen diced veggies a couple of years back (in Australia) and noticed that the store-brand version was approximately 1/3 broccoli stems by volume, which certainly explained the cost difference.

No. Heinz rides on a name, not on quality.

I can name three local brands that dwarf that bottled red sludge in quality, sell cheaper and larger volumes.

Only thing I will grant to Heinz: glass bottles.

There was a big scandal in canada a few years ago in cananda where heinz moved its ketchup manufacturing from Canada to the US. Many people switched to french's, a lot of people seemed to prefer french's. I'm not sure if it was the boycott but heinz eventually returned to Canada.

I was going to say Heinz beans, but yeah, the ketchup too.

Everything made by Nestle is automatically garbage, unfortunately...

Most of that list is not brand specific.

DeWalt and Milwaukee. Milwaukee doesn't last long but with their lifetime warranty I basically start every other project with a new set of tools so w/e

Sel de Camargue here in the EU.

Black Diamond salt for me, which is what a lot of restaurants use. Worth the extra cost, especially given how potent a small bit of salt is.

Interesting. In the USA, it’s nearly impossible to get a brand name drug approved by insurance unless you have a serious reaction to the generic version

Huh? Lol most birth control I've ever used or seen my friends use has been generic? Name brand is much more expensive and sometimes not entirely covered by insurance. Excepting IUDS.

Here in the South the store brands are coming from the same processor as the ones that cost 3x. Check the codes by the date that are used for traceability.

You're right. The dual-action 12-hour Mucinex is far superior to the slow 12-hour generics, but it's quite a bit more expensive.

I think that's just them being gel. There are generic gel pills that in my experience work just as fast.

Most places have a generic gel version. It's literally the same thing, so it's worth saving the money.

But of course, you do you.

Can agree with the gel pills. I still do go for the normal compacted powder pills if I'm not doing much, but for a faster set-in the advil gel works the fastest.

I've never seen it. I struggle to believe it's better than DIY with a container of sour cream + one of the Hidden Valley Ranch packets. That's the true ranch dip of the gods.

Genetics, or generics?

Generic Bulk Fiber night be fine, Genetic Bulk Fiber sounds scary.

holy shit i thought i was the only one
all other cheese curls taste greasy and overseasoned in comparison

The problem I keep running into with cottage cheese is finding large curd. I went to the supermarket today and only managed to swipe one off of the restocking cart. There wasn't a single container on the shelf. I'm just not a fan of the smooth texture of the small curd, might as well eat ricotta.

Not me. I ordered a pallet of Sam's Choice when I hit puberty and should be set for life. Got so many I double them up sometimes.

Idk dude, I don’t think old bay seasoning batteries sound very reliable.

Legit 3M command hooks are the shit. 3M products seem to be like that. Yeah, more expensive, but always worth it. Nice to see a company stay focused on quality vs. last quarter's spreadsheets.

You misspelled Kikkoman. Lol

I've never had trouble with off-brand SOS pads. But damn, shitty off-brand scotch tape? Yeah that stuff sucks. You have to watch cheap masking tape too. Some of them leave horrible residue behind.

That's interesting because Hanes is a "cheap" brand to me. I've never had socks that properly fit my feet my entire life and recently I treated myself to some Feetures and holy shit I'll never wear another brand of socks again.

Fage and only Fage.

Ever tried Duke's mayo? I was Hellman's always until my sister in law turned me on to Duke's.

I always preferred Seagate spinning steel over Western Digital. I've had some WD drives fail horribly, unexpectedly and very prematurely on me. My PC today still has some Seagate HDDs in it that are approaching 15 years of age.