In a bid to help readers save money on their supermarket shops, Manchester Evening News have been taking a look at well-known household brands and products, and comparing them to supermarket own-brand ranges in the hopes of reducing the cost of a weekly shop, without compromising on quality.
Over the past 12 months, we’ve compared everything from custard creams and Twix chocolates, to spaghetti hoops and crumpets.
Now, our sister site, The Express, have turned their attention to kitchen roll as the cost of living crisis continues to take its toll on people’s wallets.
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Reporter Ashley Summerfield purchased leading brands Plenty and Regina Blitz and pitted them against Aldi, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Morrisons in a bid to settle once and for all if ‘you get what you pay for’ - or if a cheaper alternative can get the job done just as well.
Ashley poured cordial onto a plate and counted how many kitchen roll sheets it took to wipe up and how each brand fared.
Here is how he got on:
Regina Blitz - 8/10
Regina Blitz costs a whopping £3 for 100 sheets, so I had high hopes. At first glance, the sheets are the largest of the bunch and are blue, whereas the others are white.
These "supersized" sheets are triple-layered, which really helped when wiping up the spillage—so much so, it only took one to wipe the plate dry.
I was really impressed with how well it absorbed the liquid; it held it well and did not drip afterwards.
Plenty - 9/10
Next up is perhaps the most famous kitchen roll brand? Every time I hear the word, the tagline from its advert plays in my head.
It costs £2.70 for a 100-sheet roll. The two-ply sheets are not as big as Regina; they are a similar size to the supermarket own-brands, though noticeably thicker.
Now, the moment of truth, how many sheets will I need to use to mop up the spillage?
Well, they were not lying; one sheet does plenty, at least in my particular test.
It stayed strong, maybe even more so than Regina, and it held the liquid well, not dripping afterwards.
Sainsbury's - 3/10
It costs £1.20 for Sainsbury's 240-sheet jumbo roll, significantly less than the name brands.
However, does that mean their quality is significantly worse? Let us see.
While the sheets are similar in size to Plenty, they are not as thick.
Sainsbury's disappointed me; it took three sheets to wipe up the spillage, and they struggled to hold the liquid, dripping quite a lot afterwards.
Aldi - 7/10
Come on, Aldi, you usually win at these comparison pieces. I purchased the 240-sheet jumbo roll from Aldi for £1.19.
The sheets are slightly thicker than Sainsbury's, but I was feeling more positive this time around.
Aldi did a good job; it took two sheets to mop up the spillage. However, it held onto the liquid and did not drip afterwards.
For the amount of sheets you get and at that price, I would say that is impressive.
Tesco - 4/10
I picked up Tesco's 240-sheet jumbo roll for £1.19. It has the thinnest joint sheets, along with Morrisons.
Upon wiping up the spillage, the sheets fell apart, and it was a mess. That being said, I still managed to wipe up the liquid with two sheets.
Morrisons - 4/10
It costs £1.19 for Morrisons' 240-sheet jumbo roll. There is not much to say really, the end result is similar to the others. It took two sheets to mop up the spillage and it dripped afterwards.
Verdict
Spending more on kitchen roll definitely gets you better quality. However, Aldi does a good job in the budget kitchen roll department.
You can save yourself a couple of pounds by opting for Aldi's kitchen roll, and while it may take a couple of sheets to wipe up your spillage, you are getting 240 sheets rather than 100.
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