Updated Dec 4th – Trader Joe’s WalkThrough:
Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa Stirring Spoon with Mini Marshmallows:
A wooden spoon with salted caramel hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows, designed to be stirred into hot milk. It’s described as not very chocolatey, with a stronger caramel taste, and is considered inferior to Swiss Miss hot chocolate.
Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Inspired Kettle Popcorn:
This popcorn is flavored with cinnamon and sugar, resembling the taste of a cinnamon bun. It’s very sweet and considered a dessert popcorn. It’s rated 9 out of 10, though noted for containing sunflower oil.
Trader Joe’s Moisturizing Lip Balm Set:
This set includes various flavors like Island Coconut, Peaches and Cream, Vanilla Bean, Cucumber Mint, Mango, and Strawberry Guava. They’re considered delicious and affordable.
Trader Joe’s Harvest Apple Salad Kit:
Contains spring mix, cheddar cheese, apple cinnamon chips, pecans, and apple vinegar dressing. The dressing is noted to be strong and vinegary, and the salad is rated 7 out of 10.
Trader Joe’s Barbecue and Black Pepper Toscano Chopped Salad Kit:
A favorite salad kit, particularly during winter, known for its great taste despite not having the healthiest dressing.
Trader Joe’s Hot and Sweet Pepper Jelly:
A pepper jelly recommended for use on crackers or bread. It’s described as sweet and spicy, and considered a good pairing for turkey.
Trader Joe’s Everything but the Leftovers Seasoning Blend:
A seasoning that tastes like holiday stuffing, containing ingredients like dehydrated onion, sea salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme.
Trader Joe’s Olive and Basil Pasta Sauce:
A pasta sauce with olives, sunflower oil, almonds, and extra virgin olive oil. It’s recommended for shrimp pasta.
Trader Joe’s Roasted Seasoned Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese:
A frozen item with a strong Parmesan flavor and considered very tasty.
Trader Joe’s Organic Beef Broth:
A gluten-free, low-fat beef broth. There’s confusion about whether it contains soybean oil.
Trader Joe’s Sliced Cracked Wheat Sourdough Bread:
A type of sourdough bread, with questions about its composition.
Trader Joe’s Shelled Soybeans (Edamame) with Sea Salt:
Ready-to-eat edamame noted for being high in fiber and protein.
Trader Joe’s Green Dragon Hot Sauce:
A highly favored hot sauce with ingredients like cilantro puree and vegetable oil.
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissant Scented Candle:
A soy, coconut oil, and beeswax blend candle with a chocolate croissant scent.
Trader Joe’s Hot Cocoa Body Scrub:
A body scrub with ingredients like glycerin, shea butter, and sugar, described as hydrating.
Trader Joe’s Organic Smoked Turkey Breast:
A smoked turkey breast product raised with vegetarian feed and free-range practices.
Trader Joe’s Barbecue Teriyaki Chicken:
Dark chicken meat with teriyaki sauce, commonly used in quick meals.
Trader Joe’s Hand Cut Potato Fries:
Fries that can be cooked in an air fryer, noted to contain vegetable oil.
Trader Joe’s Organic Rainbow Cauliflower and Organic Peas:
Frozen vegetables noted for their nutrient content and fiber.
Trader Joe’s Baby Shanghai Bok Choy:
Ideal for making congee, particularly in colder seasons.
Trader Joe’s Green Apple Sparkling Water:
A favorite flavor of sparkling water, considered affordable.
Trader Joe’s Crunchy Almond Butter Puffed Cereal:
A cereal with sunflower oil and a significant almond butter content.
Trader Joe’s Spicy Snack Bar Mix:
A holiday snack mix with a variety of salty snacks like pretzels, corn sticks, sesame sticks, and almonds.
Trader Joe’s Pate Pork Roast Wrapped with Uncured Bacon:
A pork roast item with olive oil and minimal nitrate content.
Trader Joe’s Eggnog:
A holiday beverage with stabilizers but no artificial flavoring.
Trader Joe’s Winter Wle Punch and Organic Sparkling YT:
High sugar beverages with festive flavors.
Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Sparkling White Chardonay and Organic Sparkling Rast Tea:
Non-alcoholic beverages with natural flavors and preservatives.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Rondos:
Chocolate items with raspberry, strawberry, or tarte cherries, noted for their relatively clean ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Cranberry Butter Cookies:
Butter cookies with cranberries, considered delicious and affordable.
Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Pancake & Waffle Mix:
A mix with ingredients like palm kernel oil and canola oil.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Roasted Pistachio Toffee:
A pistachio-flavored dark chocolate toffee with relatively clean ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Belgian Cookie Collections: A collection of Belgian cookies with various flavors, though not the healthiest option.
Trader Joe’s Sumac Rub, Chunky Garlic, and Jalapeno Hot Sauce, General Sal Sauce, Korean G Jan Sauce: Various sauces with unique flavors and ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Cheese Fondue, Brie Petite Brie, and other cheese items: A range of cheese products for the holidays.
Trader Joe’s Candy Cane JoJo: Cookies with vegetable oil in the filling.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars and Gingerbread House Kit: Holiday-themed sweets with various ingredients.
Trader Joe’s Caramels, Five Seed Almond Bars, Crispy Peanut Butter Filled Milk Chocolate Peanuts, Cinnamon Roll Drizzled Granola, Peanut Butter Protein Granola: Various snack items with differing ingredients and health considerations.
Trader Joe’s Onion Comet Swirls, Cheddar Cheese Sticks, Apple Crumble Pie, Holiday Plants: A variety of snacks, desserts, and decorative items.
Beers: They tasted two beers – the “Societé Debutant” Amber Ale and the “Enrin Brewing Company Christmas Bo.” The Amber Ale was appreciated for its warmth, depth, and pairing potential with chocolate. The Christmas Bo was noted for its darker color and a unique aftertaste reminiscent of Christmas spices.
Caramel Assortment: The review included a taste test of various caramels with flavors like Creme Brulee, Fig and Honey, Sea Salt Maple, Double Espresso, and others. The reviewers noted the distinct flavors of each caramel and enjoyed guessing the flavors. They suggested the caramels were well-differentiated in taste compared to previous years.
Snack Mix (“Step up to the Snack Bar Mix”): This mix was praised for its variety, including honey mustard pretzels, cheddar rockets, quinoa corn chips with flax seeds, honey-roasted peanuts, and sesame sticks. The honey mustard pretzels were a particular favorite.
Beef Bulgogi: Priced at $12.99, the beef bulgogi was considered slightly overpriced but of good quality. The initial taste had a gristly piece which was off-putting, but overall, the flavor was good, though a bit oily.
Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine: The Platinum Reserve Brut Rosé was highly rated for its smoothness and quality. The reviewers recommended it for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or bridal showers due to its appealing color and taste.
Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts: The reviewer found them more saucy than expected, with a medium level of spiciness. The texture was soft, which wasn’t preferred. The flavor was compared to Kung Pao chicken but with Brussels sprouts. The reviewer liked the flavor but not the texture, rating it 9 out of 10, while another person disliked it due to its mushiness.
Trader Joe’s Garlic and Asiago Cheese Dip: Described as creamy, cheesy, and with a pleasant garlic fragrance, this dip was highly praised. It was compared favorably to garlic cheese bread from Little Caesars and rated as very good for its warm and cozy feel.
Trader Joe’s Roasted Hatch Chili and Jalapeno Cheese Dip: This dip was noted for its medium spiciness and creamy, cheesy texture with a heat that hits the back of the throat. It was rated even better than the garlic cheese dip due to its spiciness and flavor, with a 10 out of 10 score.
Trader Joe’s Autumn Vegetable and White Bean Gratin: This product was described as rich and cheesy, with a strong flavor of butternut squash. It was likened to a Thanksgiving dish and rated 8.5 out of 10, recommended for holiday gatherings.
Trader Joe’s Roasted Seasoned Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese: This item was found to be very flavorful and slightly too salty. It had a strong Parmesan cheese flavor with a peppery taste. The reviewer preferred this to the Kung Pao Brussels sprouts, rating it highly successful.
Trader Joe’s Sweet Cinnamon Filled Korean Pancakes: The reviewer was excited to try these but did not provide a specific taste test or rating in the transcript.
Trader Joe’s Crunchy Almond Butter Popped Cereal: The cereal was described as not too sweet with a nice almond butter flavor. It was considered a good snack option, even though it contained sugar.
Trader Joe’s Rice Crackers: The crackers were praised for their affordability and similarity to Asian flavors familiar to the reviewer.
Trader Joe’s Bamba Peanut and Corn Snacks: This dessert snack was liked by the reviewer’s husband and noted as a less unhealthy alternative to ice cream.
Trader Joe’s Woodlands Candle: The candle was noted for its woody, fresh, pepperminty scent, suitable for the fall and winter seasons.
Trader Joe’s Barbecue Teriyaki Chicken and Brown Mushrooms: These were mentioned as a favorite easy lunch meal but not specifically taste-tested in this transcript.
Trader Joe’s Salad Kits: The Lemon Arugula Basil and Barbecue and Black Pepper Tano Salad Kits were purchased, with a note of caution about the dressing’s oil quality.
Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Oat Creamer with Brown Sugar: This creamer was highly liked for its dessert-like flavor in coffee, despite its sugar content.
Trader Joe’s Grass-Fed Milk: Purchased due to its affordability and 2% fat content preference.
Trader Joe’s Kettle Corn: The kettle corn was favored for its balance of sweet and salty flavors and was associated with fond childhood memories.