Grocery Shopping

[handiacefailure]

Was at Costco today and they were totally out of paper towels and the only brand of TP they had was kirkland (had plenty of it) and some environmental friendly brand I never heard with a limit of one per member per day. Fortunately I have plenty of both. The upscale grocery store across the street from Costco didn't have either.

 

They were also out of yeast at the grocery store but have found out their bakery will sell it to you and weigh it out.

 

Wheat flour is something else I have had trouble finding but have found wheat berries and have just been grinding it in my Vitamix as needed and it it is better than store bought.

 

Something I hate is that I have to buy prepackaged coffee at Fresh Market now. I used to buy only 1/4 to 1/2 pound of coffee at a time and now I have to buy it prepackaged and most of the packs are 1 lb. I also hate that they have the coffee grinders unavailable and I was using my vitamix but broke down and bought a coffee grinder during prime days on amazon and I have found the quality of freshly ground is better than store ground.

[MikeBiDude]

Wheat flour is something else I have had trouble finding but have found wheat berries and have just been grinding it in my Vitamix as needed and it it is better than store bought.

Me too!

[Samfoslom]

Unless you have as many kids as the Duggars, what on earth are you going to do with 5 gallons of milk?? It doesn't keep in the fridge for that long, and really, how much milk can you drink?

perhaps a milk bath??

[rvwnsd]

...Something I hate is that I have to buy prepackaged coffee at Fresh Market now. I used to buy only 1/4 to 1/2 pound of coffee at a time and now I have to buy it prepackaged and most of the packs are 1 lb.

I used to feel the same way about buying pre-packaged vs bulk coffee beans at Sprouts/Whole Foods/etc. until Whole Foods was out of bulk coffee and I had to buy a 1 lb sack. The pre-packaged coffee beans tasted much better because they were not sitting in a bin exposed to air. A few years ago I switched to Nespresso Virtuo Line and never looked back.

 

...I also hate that they have the coffee grinders unavailable and I was using my vitamix but broke down and bought a coffee grinder during prime days on amazon and I have found the quality of freshly ground is better than store ground.

Those store grinders are terrible! All kinds of coffee residue gets mixed in with whatever you grind. I used my own grinder for several years until I broke down and bought a burr grinder. It really made a difference in the flavor of the coffee.

[+ 7829V]

I’ve been using Instacart. Works really well. First because of the stay at home order. Later out of convenience.

[MikeBiDude]

I’ve been using Instacart. Works really well. First because of the stay at home order. Later out of convenience.

I’m addicted to Instacart! Costco “runs” and long lines a thing of the past for me.

[MikeBiDude]

I broke down and bought a burr grinder. It really made a difference in the flavor of the coffee.

I wish you hadn’t mentioned this....I haven’t bought a burr grinder yet. But...I buy green beans, roast my own coffee, grind beans one cup at a time in a spice grinder, use a pour over filter again one cup at a time.

I’ve avoided a burr grinder because I tend to have 3-4 varieties of beans roasted and ready to go each day, and I like one cup at a time so I can experience 2-3 different coffee beans each day. Not sure I can find a burr grinder to make that easy ??‍♂️

[marylander1940]

I’m addicted to Instacart! Costco “runs” and long lines a thing of the past for me.

 

Long lines or long walks? I like walking the lines don't bother me either.

 

Once or twice a month I don't mind a long line specially if I see other products that are not on my list and discover new things. As I posted before in this thread even though I buy a few things online I'll never give up the experience of going to the supermarket. We can always find an hour twice or once a month to do it. I find grocery shopping a relaxing experience and for some of my friends who live in a suburb that might be the longest walk they do.

Edited November 9, 2020 by marylander1940

[+ 7829V]

I’m addicted to Instacart! Costco “runs” and long lines a thing of the past for me.

And the occasional hotties that deliver the groceries are a bonus

[marylander1940]

And the occasional hotties that deliver the groceries are a bonus

 

Depends... not so much in the city but the Safeway in Mclean has some of the hottest guys I've seen in my life.

[+ 7829V]

Depends... not so much in the city but the Safeway in Mclean has some of the hottest guys I've seen in my life.

There is a guy in my area that is around 6'7" tall. But very well proportionate and handsome. He does instacart. I see him around often. I wonder how big his dick is

[marylander1940]

There is a guy in my area that is around 6'7" tall. But very well proportionate and handsome. He does instacart. I see him around often. I wonder how big his dick is

 

No, but they're Abercrombie and Fitch models just like the ones at Mclean Hardware

 

I'm sure @MikeBiDude would stay n line just to check them out.

[MikeBiDude]

I’ve been using Instacart. Works really well. First because of the stay at home order. Later out of convenience.

Instacart is really branching out in my area...including Office Depot, Northgate (a top notch Hispanic grocery here in SoCal), Sprouts, and as mentioned Costco. Works so great for my busy self employed schedule (essential business too!) so the convenience you mention is paramount to me. Only complaint is an occasional piece of produce I probably would have chosen differently in person, but otherwise a win win for me.

[+ RJD]

Instacart is really branching out in my area...including Office Depot, Northgate (a top notch Hispanic grocery here in SoCal), Sprouts, and as mentioned Costco. Works so great for my busy self employed schedule (essential business too!) so the convenience you mention is paramount to me. Only complaint is an occasional piece of produce I probably would have chosen differently in person, but otherwise a win win for me.

 

My experience with Instacart has been positive for the most part. They’re very quick to refund items you’re not happy with, such as produce which has seen better days or if the shopper mistakenly picked the wrong product. I also like the interactive features that update you on out of stock items as the shopper is working your list and being able to communicate with them to approve or reject alternatives.

[MikeBiDude]

My experience with Instacart has been positive for the most part. They’re very quick to refund items you’re not happy with, such as produce which has seen better days or if the shopper mistakenly picked the wrong product. I also like the interactive features that update you on out of stock items as the shopper is working your list and being able to communicate with them to approve or reject alternatives.

Yes I’ve had a couple major refunds, one $60 for an improperly chosen package of Costco ribs! Also, twice I’ve received items that aren’t mine...they’ve said “keep it!” Once was some really fine wild caught salmon from Sprouts!

 

Flip side, I opened a big container of Costco cashews a few days after delivery...they were a bit stale. InstaCart suggested I take them back to Costco with the Instacart receipt, that didn’t happen with my schedule.

[handiacefailure]

I used to feel the same way about buying pre-packaged vs bulk coffee beans at Sprouts/Whole Foods/etc. until Whole Foods was out of bulk coffee and I had to buy a 1 lb sack. The pre-packaged coffee beans tasted much better because they were not sitting in a bin exposed to air. A few years ago I switched to Nespresso Virtuo Line and never looked back.

 

 

Those store grinders are terrible! All kinds of coffee residue gets mixed in with whatever you grind. I used my own grinder for several years until I broke down and bought a burr grinder. It really made a difference in the flavor of the coffee.

I

The thing I like about Bulk coffee is you can buy a small amount which is what I want since I only make about a cup a day at home.

 

Fresh Market has a grinder for flavored and unflavored (I like the falovered) and would run the grinder for a few seconds to get the residue out and that helped. I like to switch out beans and use a Keurig and am scared of the residue from another flavor getting mixed in but so far no problems.

 

I thought abuot buying a Virtuo machine but they don't have enough variety in flavors and the capsules are a pain to buy. I have a nespresso original espresso machine I like and used to have the same complaint about the capsules being hard to find but Costco sells them now.

[maninsoma]

I

The thing I like about Bulk coffee is you can buy a small amount which is what I want since I only make about a cup a day at home.

 

Fresh Market has a grinder for flavored and unflavored (I like the falovered) and would run the grinder for a few seconds to get the residue out and that helped. I like to switch out beans and use a Keurig and am scared of the residue from another flavor getting mixed in but so far no problems.

 

I thought abuot buying a Virtuo machine but they don't have enough variety in flavors and the capsules are a pain to buy. I have a nespresso original espresso machine I like and used to have the same complaint about the capsules being hard to find but Costco sells them now.

 

I avoided the Vertuo for years until I learned that, unlike the Original line capsules, the Vertuo ones are easy to open, refill, and then reseal. I suppose the least expensive way to do this would be to make your own foil reseals, but that seemed like too much work for me so I buy ones from Amazon that end up costing about 10 cents each when bought in packs of 200. The capsules can be used repeatedly as long as you are careful with them, especially the first time you are refilling them since removing the original foil requires more effort than a foil reseal. The bonus of refilling and resealing is that you not only can use whatever kind of coffee you want, but the cost per cup goes down significantly.

 

I owned a Keurig machine for a couple of years. I still used my original Nespresso machine when I wanted a good cup of strong coffee, but figured the Keurig was decent enough for the days I wanted a full cup of coffee. I had forgotten how much I was sacrificing on flavor when I went to Keurig. The Nespresso Vertuo machine just makes a much better cup of coffee.

[rvwnsd]

I

The thing I like about Bulk coffee is you can buy a small amount which is what I want since I only make about a cup a day at home.

 

Fresh Market has a grinder for flavored and unflavored (I like the falovered) and would run the grinder for a few seconds to get the residue out and that helped. I like to switch out beans and use a Keurig and am scared of the residue from another flavor getting mixed in but so far no problems.

 

I thought abuot buying a Virtuo machine but they don't have enough variety in flavors and the capsules are a pain to buy. I have a nespresso original espresso machine I like and used to have the same complaint about the capsules being hard to find but Costco sells them now.

Nespresso now offers free shipping on orders above $35, which is about the cost of three sleeves of Vertuo capsules. If you sign up for the machine plan (scroll down the FAQs), you pay $1.00 for a Virtuo machine and a milk frother and are charged $35/month which is applied to your account. You can then use the $35 toward the cost of coffee. Essentially, you are receiving a machine at no charge.

 

I avoided the Vertuo for years until I learned that, unlike the Original line capsules, the Vertuo ones are easy to open, refill, and then reseal. I suppose the least expensive way to do this would be to make your own foil reseals, but that seemed like too much work for me so I buy ones from Amazon that end up costing about 10 cents each when bought in packs of 200. The capsules can be used repeatedly as long as you are careful with them, especially the first time you are refilling them since removing the original foil requires more effort than a foil reseal. The bonus of refilling and resealing is that you not only can use whatever kind of coffee you want, but the cost per cup goes down significantly.

 

I owned a Keurig machine for a couple of years. I still used my original Nespresso machine when I wanted a good cup of strong coffee, but figured the Keurig was decent enough for the days I wanted a full cup of coffee. I had forgotten how much I was sacrificing on flavor when I went to Keurig. The Nespresso Vertuo machine just makes a much better cup of coffee.

I had a Keurig and disliked it intensely. Thank you for the tip on the replacement foil seals for the Virtuo pods. I will try that. What grind do you use for a cup of coffee?

[handiacefailure]

Nespresso now offers free shipping on orders above $35, which is about the cost of three sleeves of Vertuo capsules. If you sign up for the machine plan (scroll down the FAQs), you pay $1.00 for a Virtuo machine and a milk frother and are charged $35/month which is applied to your account. You can then use the $35 toward the cost of coffee. Essentially, you are receiving a machine at no charge.

 

 

I had a Keurig and disliked it intensely. Thank you for the tip on the replacement foil seals for the Virtuo pods. I will try that. What grind do you use for a cup of coffee?

 

Thanks for the heads up on the Vertuo and free shipping. Was going to look at what holiday flavors nespresso had. I didn't realize you could fill Vertuo with your own coffee.

 

Does it do a good job of iced coffee? That's one thing I love about the Keurig is it makes great iced coffee.

[rvwnsd]

The thing I like about Bulk coffee is you can buy a small amount which is what I want since I only make about a cup a day at home....

I agree with you on that, which is why the Nespresso works for me. I am not a fan of flavored coffee, so the limited Nespresso flavors is not an issue for me. Another bonus w/Nespresso is since they stopped offering tastings in the store they give you two sample capsules when you place an online order.

Thanks for the heads up on the Vertuo and free shipping. Was going to look at what holiday flavors nespresso had. I didn't realize you could fill Vertuo with your own coffee....

Of course! They've come a long way. I think they reduced the minimum for free shipping since the pandemic forced them to temporarily close stores and, upon re-opening them, reduce the number of people they let in at a time.

...Does it do a good job of iced coffee? That's one thing I love about the Keurig is it makes great iced coffee.

I make iced coffee routinely in summer and it is great! I fill a cup with ice, make two espressos over the ice and voila! perfect iced coffee. They also sell capsules made especially for iced coffee, typically at the beginning of summer.

 

My biggest complaint about the Keurig is the coffee lacks flavor and strength. The Virtuo capsules are bar-coded, so you can choose to make the Costa Rica stronger and the Columbia weaker and the machine stores the setting for that type of capsule.

[maninsoma]

Nespresso now offers free shipping on orders above $35, which is about the cost of three sleeves of Vertuo capsules. If you sign up for the machine plan (scroll down the FAQs), you pay $1.00 for a Virtuo machine and a milk frother and are charged $35/month which is applied to your account. You can then use the $35 toward the cost of coffee. Essentially, you are receiving a machine at no charge.

 

 

I had a Keurig and disliked it intensely. Thank you for the tip on the replacement foil seals for the Virtuo pods. I will try that. What grind do you use for a cup of coffee?

 

After visiting Miami right before the pandemic started, I got hooked on Cuban coffee. Maybe it's just a mental thing because, in theory at least, I shouldn't prefer a brand of coffee that I can buy for under $4 for a 12 ounce bag at Target or a dollar store. However, I've really been enjoying Cafe Bustelo lately.

[orville]

Have you seen an increase in your total spend on groceries post-covid?

Is Instacart better than the own delivery service of the supermarket itself?

[handiacefailure]

Costco has the Vertuo Next for $190 with 62 capsules and Bed bath and beyond wants $210 without the capsules. Not sure if I can get the black friday 25 percent off on a Vertuo machine or if it's excluded from the discount.

 

Both places have the same stock photo with the milk frother next to it but neither indicate if the frother comes with it or not. If the frother comes with it that is a great deal at Costco if it's coffee you like.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

Have you seen an increase in your total spend on groceries post-covid?

Is Instacart better than the own delivery service of the supermarket itself?

From March through July, my grocery spending increased but my restaurant spending decreased by a similar amount, so it was a wash. I am single, so buying fresh in bulk goes to waste. Since July, restaurants have reopened in my state so restaurant/grocery spending has returned to normal for me

[orville]

From March through July, my grocery spending increased

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply.

I meant to know if you've felt like grocery prices have increased in your area since COVID ...