5 Most Overpriced Trader Joe’s Items, According to Superfans

In some ways, Trader Joe’s seems like more than a mere grocery store. For the devoted superfans who shop there every week, buy Trader Joe’s shopping totes for more than their regular grocery hauls, and subscribe to TikTok channels devoted to recipes made with ingredients from Trader Joe’s, TJ’s is a lifestyle. 

Still, for all the ballyhoo over items like Everything Bagel seasoning or Jo-Jo’s cookies, there are some foods even superfans don’t love. Some items just aren’t worth the price, especially compared to options at other stores.

GOBankingRates took a look at some of the most overpriced, overrated items at Trader Joe’s.

The team at TastingTable was unsparing in its review of the Trader Joe’s Beef Pho soup — which is ironic, given that their chief complaint about the supposedly cozy concoction is that it’s rather sparing with the beef. 

“This soup is super watery and lacking in all its flavor promises. You shouldn’t be surprised to find only two or three small pieces of beef swirling around in the plastic bowl,” wrote reviewer Sarah Klimek. 

She went on to describe the noodles as befitting a frozen soup. At $3.49 a box, you save money and gain more flavor by warming yourself with a canned or boxed soup from a store like Aldi or Lidl. 

TastingTable didn’t love the overnight oats from Trader Joe’s, calling it, “goopy, syrupy and sad.” Klimek said given the mushy, unappealing taste, a far better option is simply making your own overnight oats. 

“Trader Joe’s prices these oats at $1.99 per container,” Klimek said, “but you can make them for a fraction of the cost by buying your own whole oats, mixing them in a jar with your milk of choice, and letting it sit overnight.”

Sliced bread may be often joked about as one of humankind’s greatest accomplishments, but Real Simple isn’t sure that the sliced bread at Trader Joe’s could count as a marvel of achievement. 

Writing for Real Simple magazine, Ariel Klein explained that since Trader Joe’s-branded products, including the breads, are made without preservatives, these goods are likely to go bad within a few days. “This is particularly true of the pre-sliced loaves, which tend to get moldy more quickly than TJ’s breads that aren’t sliced,” Klein said. 

With even the simplest, cheapest loaf at $2.49 and more options like gluten-free, multigrain bread inching up to $4.49, you’d probably find longer-lasting options at a local bakery.

Across Reddit, people had complaints about the quality of Trader Joe’s produce. One Redditor put it bluntly: “Bagged produce … mush.” Other Redditors shared that they felt they got more of their money’s worth at Whole Foods since that produce lasts longer than three or four days. 

While there seemed to be particular ire for the bagged produce, the “fresh” veggies also came under fire. Redditors shared that they could find cheaper green onions at local Asian markets. 

“Things like onions/bell peppers go bad so quickly,” said a Redditor. “Most of their produce is priced per piece and not by weight, which is my ultimate pet peeve. Packaged items like zucchini usually include more zucchini than I can ever use.”

From pre-made options like the orange chicken, which one Redditor called “weird dry stringy pieces of chicken covered in batter,” to general frozen poultry or beef, Trader Joe’s meat options don’t exactly wet the taste buds of many Redditors. 

Even in a Reddit group devoted to Trader Joe’s fans, people expressed their hesitation about the value of Trader Joe’s meats across multiple threads — and often in very colorful terms.