Given current economic climate and food prices rising and everything else, a version of this series where it’s the cheapest basics range vs the middle of the range or vs supermarket most expensive brands would be really interesting in helping people understand what it might be worth spending a bit more on, if they can afford to, instead of the choice being a ton more, like most of the premium ingredients on this series.
You make a great point - If the ingredient is ham for a ham sandwich and the options are pre-shaved deli ham and jamon Iberico, it just doesn't make sense. Practically none of the viewers are going to spring for the *most expensive* thing they can find with protected DOP status and only available at specialty shops or online.
I like the idea of a mid range added to this. it lets me know what is available and what to spend exta on. it also lets me know if there are possible allergens for me in the product.
You absolutely, positively, must have a round where exactly the same ingredient is used in both and watch them discuss the differences. Give it to Mike. Mike'll love that!
Something that isn't brought up often is how magical you guys are with the editing. The way you blend the two different takes, questions and answers together into one seamless clip is simply a treat to watch. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely agreed. As someone that usually edits music videos - I'm quite often impressed with the way that the sorted team editor/s(?) piece together these videos. It feels very natural.
Honestly some of my favourite videos. Get to find out where not to waste money every week. Especially in a time where gas prices are through the roof and grocery shopping isn’t far behind.
Loved the last round because in Germany, where I'm from, it is a tradition to get Jelly Donuts (Pfannkuchen/Berliner/Krapfen) for New Years Eve and hide a mustard filled one on the tray for a laugh. No one knows when or why this tradition started but it is relatively common in Northern Germany.
We don't do that so much in South Germany, at least not in my family. We simply drink copious amounts of wine, starting with the best bottles and ending with the worst and cheapest bottle at around 3-4 in the morning. With some beers and schnapps to clean the palate in between bottles
Barry: B has more umami and alot more funk to it. It feels like the chillis might have aged. B has more perfume. It's more aromatic. I am confident in my answer. Ben: A is the premium. Barry: I really couldn't tell the two apart
He literally says he was looking for nuances to try and make his guess. As in, overall, there wasn't much difference.... It's literally his next sentence...
@@Kcii-99 There is also a level of hot for some where that sensation shuts off the ability to taste. It's like some folk LOVE and others HATE -- marmite or coriander or pickled fish etc.
When I buy mustard, I often go with the more premium. For spices, I often go to the stores for that region (Mexican stores, indian, etc). Getting a generic looking bag with a specific kind of spice has always worked better for me than a fancier container from a place like Whole foods
I wanna see y’all do a homemade vs store bought series! Like is it worth it to make homemade mayo, salad dressings, pastas, spaghetti sauce, etc. I wanna see if the guys can tell the difference, esp when you compare homemade to a budget and premium option?
there are so many variables in that! I can make an okay naan from scratch but the own brand is better. not be miles but better. but my naan has no extra packaging and no extra fuel cost. but if I don't have the time to make a yeasted bread where does the "time vs convenience vs earth death vs shut up I just want naan" equation come in? in summary : it's a balance? or not? but naan is tasty.
@@kirstena4001 yes!! That is so relevant for so many. It’s helpful to see the pros and cons for yourself so you can decide what’s best for your situation. I could see this addressing three situations: 1. People who have more money than time: is store bought good enough to get the job done? will spending precious time to make it myself be worth it? 2. People who have more time than money: is it even cost effective to make it myself after I buy all the ingredients and equipment to make it? Will the average home cook be able to make something that tastes like it should? 3. Everybody in between / people with not much time or money: are there any other factors that I should consider beyond time, cost, and taste? For example, quality control of ingredients used (both for taste and health/allergy reasons), environmental impact (like foods using excess packaging or contain ingredients like palm oil that have a significant impact on the environment), and access (does it use ingredients that are especially expensive, hard to find, or have short shelf lives that can increase likelihood of food waste). Obviously I wouldn’t expect sorted to write a thesis on food lol, but it would be great to see some of these things being discussed! Given that the specific products they review in these videos aren’t available to many of their viewers (like me in the US), comparing homemade vs store bought would definitely appeal to a broader group of people bc we can all buy most ingredients wherever we live.
@@jessicazaytsoff1494 I totally get that! I couldn’t tag you in my other reply for some reason but I mentioned your idea in it! Also agreed that naan is tasty
2,5 per kilo for the cheaper mustard 14 per kilo for the premium mustard Ebs: "More than 10 times the price" Have you stolen your calculator from Baz? 😅
Hi guys, I have been watching for about 7 years now, and I just thought about how much I look forward to watching your videos religiously each week - you have built such an amazing channel with outstanding content and you are all great people who are so enjoyable to watch. Thank you for providing such great content :)
I love these videos, but I think it would be really interesting to do one with 3 different price points. So you get the cheapest you can possibly get, a reasonable middle, and the premium item!
@@mysisterisafoodie hey don't get me wrong, I do love the current format! I thought about this because one of their non premium products in this was from Waitrose which isn't an affordable place for a lot of people. Also, I wasn't suggesting changing the format forever - just doing the one off episode with 3 products (after all, doing 3 rather than 2 is a lot more work!) Hope that clears up my reasoning for suggesting this 😁
@@TallAndMusical Clearly the premium aren't affordable for most anyway. I suspect this is more about product placement and a source of revenues for the team. (there is no shame in this)
What I’m interested in with the pesto one is how much does it cost per kilo for Ben to make it himself by hand. Obviously fresher ingredients without preservatives and you can make the right amount for the dish you are making. Plus Ben doesn’t need to use cashew nuts, he can use just pine nuts
"What a lovely day!" A double dose of Sorted today as the team up with Tom Scott popped up in my feed earlier. Good video, I always like seeing the new products & the fun of watching Jamie trying to use cutlery while blindfolded is just the icing on the cake.
I would love if in this format you also added the brand leader to see how it compares. I think it would be great to see whether consumers are spending their money in the right area by buying brand leaders
"tracklement (plural tracklements) (UK, rare) A savoury condiment (for example a mustard, relish or chutney), especially one served with meat. " - Wiktionary I have also seen it described as a condiment made from ingredients from the surrounding area that goes well with a dish. Terry Pratchett uses the word multiple times in the Discworld novels, so I've looked it up before. I have no idea where Ben got his definition from, because even urbandictionary has a definition similar to the above.
I, for a long time bought bog standard tomatoes! I begin my day with a tomato and a bit of mature cheddar. I finally copped on to myself and now, I buy the best vine tomatoes I can find. I agree with Barry in respect of choosing a better taste every time!
I feel like this is the most divided blind tasting episode we've had so far! Even with the apple cider vinegar, I was so convinced that Baz was going to pick A all the way to the end. But love it as usual!!
Would love to see more videos like this/ cost of living increase videos to show us clever ways to stretch food, ingredients you can buy cheap that still work well etc and where not to go cheap.
As Ben says, all down to application.. I see uses for both versions of each of these ingredients, but for some of them, like the cider vinegar, you don't use all that much of it, so the bottle will last you a while, making it worth spending the money. Same with the mustard, the premium one has more kick to it, so you don't have to use as much to get the flavour in whatever you're making, therefore the jar will last longer. (but if you use it to make a marinade or something, go for the cheaper one, since the flavour will dissipate once cooked) I never use pesto so I probably wouldn't tell the difference between the two, and chili powder isn't something I use very often, but I like the idea of either version since it's made from chilis that have more flavour and less heat than the "regular" chili powder you get everywhere.
Pesto in the family we got used to do it on summer in bulk and freeze it for the winter. Local basil, so fresh and relative cheap in the summer, nor pine nuts nor cashew is local so in the country we generally make it with walnut and olive oil is more varied, imported in 5l format. For the chili powder I was surprised B wasn't it looking so bright but it's probably just a great regional producer. Vinegar is really something I don't enjoy and won't comment, besides that I would likely like the less sharp one, mustards has a whole variety where a cheap of one you like can be more enjoyable than a premium of one you don't prefer.
Premium Spices almost(?) always feel like not worth the price, the best food ive had from around the world has been from home cooks using those same bulk spices you find in the "ethnic" aisles in most supermarkets and the value is massively better than McCormick or w/e name brand.
We are HUGE mustard connoisseurs. No, we don’t consume a different one each week, however, we have at least 6 different styles, in two different fridges. LOL We also enjoy trying different sauces on wings, so we have an impressive variety of flavors of those, too.
Please do one of the premium taste testing with ketchup and try Dr Will's ketchup a chilli jam and red wine for a Bolognese. Love these videos they're my favourite 😍
My top tip for pesto: buy the Sainsbury's (or other supermarket brand) Fresh Green Pesto. Sainsbury's one is £13.33 per kilo and it's actually quite good. Beats any jarred stuff hands down, regardless of the price.
I totally agree with Jamie on the mustard here, I usually put mustard on my sandwiches for both a bit extra moisture as well as flavor, and if you slathered a sandwich with the Trackleman’s mustard, you wouldn’t be able to eat it. That kind of punchy flavor you want a bit of, not a lot, so on a sandwich you’d want a mustard with less heat to it (you could definitely add some punchy mustard to it tho)
Honestly, the only Indian spice I have that is from a "premium" brand is hing or asafoetida. Basically because my ex roommate who is from Hyderabad convinced me that in this case, the premium is worth its price.
I'm an indian and I agree with your ex roommate.. one more I would personally suggest is premium cardomom.. might seem expensive when you get less product but less goes a long way as the premium one's tend to be more flavourful, so you can use less pods and get more flavour. Especially in desserts it is more noticeable
@@gaurib This is the difference between Indian and most US dishes. Most US dishes are like a 4-piece rock band, while Indian food is more like conducting an orchestra. If you are going to go through the effort to create a dish where you carefully season it with multiple spices at appropriate times to bring out the flavor of each spice to contribute to the overall dish, why would you NOT spend a bit extra to make sure that spices are what was intended. I buy my Indian spices from an Indian store staffed with Indian people and trust them to be the experts on what needs to be "premium" and what can be "average". Basically, I hand them the list and let them educate me.
I remember my dad used to get big bags of spices from the local Chinese supermarket they were so much cheaper and giant bags of rice. Tofu was so much cheaper there as well.
I really enjoy the comparisons been premium and basic ingreduents and would love to see more. I'd also love to see more of ingredients you can add to dishes or use in more applications than we're accustomed to. Great show guys!
One of the best things I learned how to make during lockdown was mustard starting with the seeds 😊 I've not bought mustard since. It keeps for quite a while and you can vary the flavours to suit your own taste or other people's preference if you're gifting it. So I've got one friend who likes cheese and I make him a wholegrain mustard with tarragon and walnuts... and another friend who is celiac and likes meats and I make smooth mustard for her with tumeric and crushed celery seeds
I'm in the US and I'm blown away that your regular grocery store mustard has flour in it! For comparison, French's mustard (our most classic brand) contains: Distilled Vinegar, Water, 1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder.
That was so interesting - thank you guys. Offering of a very budget friendly meal - our little family calls 'baked beano' - it's tin baked beans in the bottom of a small dish, covered with mash potato. Now; depending on finance the mash could have cheese through or cheaper, just a cheese topping. Either one is gorgeous. Another hack - I'm disabled so need very convenient and easy options. Supermarket frozen mash does the job very well. Loving your channel guys and subscribed.
I think something that could be interesting here is having one of these videos where the normal not involved in testing is the one to cook the dish. It would really add to understanding the divide between the ingredients by showing (1) if most people using the ingredient understand enough about it to get the most of the premium and (2) if there is anything about the premium version that is easier/harder/different to use.
I regularly by mustard. For general application it´s the more basic version. For some occasions it´s the premium. I by the premium outside of the supermarket. We have a nearby specialized mustard shop. They have an estimated 100 varieties. With chilli I got usually go for hot chilli from TRS. Some hotter variants are only available as medium to premium, so I go for that. I do not buy pesto. It is so easy to make it at home. I use good ingredients and fresh herbs though. The food waste aspect kicks in as well. I make as much as I need and use it. Store bought pesto might sit too long an spoil.
Both Jamie and Barrys reactions to the Cider Vinegar made me think "I should give that a go" and their enthusiasm definitely helped. Two things 1 - Does it bother anyone that the 3 symbol was off center? 2 - 14 is not more than 10 times 2.5, Barry may need some math tutoring.
I buy 4 kinds, brands and price range of mustards. Very particular on certain things but usually have different olive oils for different purposes, etc.
I'm a firm believer in the difference really good spices make in a dish, so I choose to go for the best I can afford and buy directly from spice companies. Worth.every.penny.
Englishmen taste testing mustard and there was no Colman's involved? Last time I was in the UK I bought like a dozen jars which got me quite a funny look from the lady at the cashdesk ("You do love your mustard, honey?"). It's so hard and ridiculously expensive to get Colman's in Germany - but it's the best mustard I know.
If you have access to an actual spice shop, you can usually buy spices and herbs in whatever increments you want, so you could get a tablespoon for the one recipe you're making with it. Makes it a little more cost effective.
My normal grocery store has bulk spices and it’s one of the main reasons I shop there. It’s so much cheaper to by them in bulk. And I always get more than I need for a recipe just to have around.
@@vagabondwastrel2361 you also need to factor in wastage. The larger the package, the more likely that the spice will have lost part of its flavor before you get around to using it all. Your best bet is to buy in small quantities from a store with a high sales volume, and then store any leftover spices properly. Hard to go wrong with cool, dark, and air-tight.
Greetings from the US! I love your channel. You are teaching and making me laugh! Could you introduce your behind the camera team. I loved seeing them recently at the feed the team lunch challenge. But it would be awesome to know who they are and what they do!
One of the things I learned very early on is that some (SOME) premium brands re-label themselves as off-brand/bargain brand/store brand. French's yellow mustard is the Walmart Great Value or the store name stuff. Mr. Noodles is the exact same as the generic ramen bricks on the shelf in the dollar/pound stores. Seriously, it's all about what's on the labels and where it's manufactured, not about the company name. Del Monte tinned fruit is sold under store brands most of the time I just found out. This may be something more prevelent in North America; I can't speak for Europe as manufacturing laws are different. My husband and I live in Canada where we have the Loblaws chain of stores; they have two in-store brands called President's Choice(PC) and No Name, and yes I'm serious, it's called that. When the No Name tinned plain diced tomatoes are $1 a tin (sometimes $0.85 on offer/sale), while the PC version is roughly $3, and the Hunts brand are nearly $6, guess which one I'm going for? It's possible that the No Name brand is the Hunts, so why pay so much more? I don't care much for premium in foods, since a lot of it is either far too expensive or *can* be a scam, as in mostly marketing BS, unless it's vegan "cheese" slices; it's a $7 per 250g every few months treat, so taste becomes everything and so many of those expensive psudo-cheeses taste like plastic. There is also no compromise on toilet paper: never get the cheap sandpaper-like store brand stuff, get the middle-tier for your comfort. Alcohol falls into this category, as it depends on taste, brand and preference (or lack thereof); we're particular with beer and whiskey. Otherwise, to Hell with paying a higher price for groceries in this poor, recession-if-not-depression-bound economic climate. Give me bulk spices stored properly, the generic/store brand goods, and the cheapest cuts of meat and we can make excellent meals with it, especially if you use the baking soda on meat trick to tenderise it to buttery softness. More than likely, I'm just being too careful, maybe paranoid, about spending too much money on food; we just spent $200 to get one recycled cardboard strawberry flat of necessary groceries, which is disconcerting for me. We used to be able to get about four of those for that amount just a few years ago. That and the cost of meat has skyrocketed; a "club pack" of about 12-14 chicken breasts used to be $20 three-ish years ago, and now they want $40 or more for the same amount. Do I want to get premium things? Eeeh, it depends on quite a few factors, but in the end, not really, as I'm not one predisposed to pretensiousness. It's more trouble and cost for what it's worth, and I want to be able to feel good about using it on a daily/weekly basis rather than "should I sacrifice XXml of this insanely expensive [mustard/spice/mayo] for my potato salad or save it for when we have guests?", as if it's some kind of holy relic for people to ooh and ahh over, but not taste any difference.
When Ben asked whether they could see the color difference of the chili powder, did he mean in the plates? Because the bowls side-by-side were shockingly different hues
18:02 where they are talking about the mustard pricing the 10x the cost doesn't make sense, with the cheaper being 2.50 per kg, the more expensive being 14 per kg, which would add up to being closer to 5.5x the cost
You guys should do one of these and have the exact same ingredients. With a badge up for grabs if they can confidently say that the two dishes are exactly the same.
Late to this one, but apple cider vinegar... I have 3. One (cheap, bulk...) for pickling...about $1CAD/L. Two is about twice that for marinades, sauces/dips and cooking (aside from frying eggs, where I use the cheap stuff for a bit of steam...). And three is a premium for anything where it is just as is, like a salad dressing... All three have their place. Same for the mustard...only I also have about 3 - 4 of my own 'concoctions'...which, coincidentally, the seeds are soaked in the expensive apple cider vinegar! ;)
Love this series, great work as always! Useful info, and fun to watch. I know it's not the usual format, but what if you compared something like truffle oil to freshly grated truffles in the same dish? One is much cheaper, but I would really be curious to see what a blind taste test would reveal.
I don’t know if it’s been done already, but I feel like chilli pastes would be a good one to try!?- I find many different pastes (for thai curries in my case) have different levels of heat AND flavour which make it important to chose “the right one”
Premium often, especially when considering the 'original' ingreadients. But the cool thing is you can find a mustard that has more mustard flour in it cheap picking the right source like buying a Polish mustard or the chilli.
I have to say, I always buy a pesto made with olive oil if its available, just like I would buy peanut butter that has peanut oil in. Gonna have a hunt for the Kashmiri chilly now too!
Thanks to this episode, we ordered some Tracklements mustard in the USA (we absolutely love good, strong mustard). The price worked out to about £73 per kilo, and it was totally worth it. Not going to spend that much for everyday use, but totally would pay that for the occasional indulgence.
I've taken to quite regularly buying mustard, though mine is honey mustard. I do go a bit premium on mine - buying from Boar's Head (a rather nice deli company in my area). It has a very nice, smooth flavor profile, and I've recently discovered a caramelized onion jam that my grocery store carries, and just a bit of the mustard with some of the onion jam on a bit of toasted lovely, crusty bread... especially with some nice just-firm yolk spread over the top of it with some aged cheddar to go with it? Amazing. Helps that I've learned how to make medium-boiled eggs in my instant pot XD
if you want mustard for that mustard, get some flat dijon that starts fading from a yellowish-green into a bit more greenish-grey dim shade, it looks a bit pauperish because of not being so bright in terms of color exposure, but trust me , inside that greyish green stuff, that's where the real mustardy mustard is at those will clean out your sinuses proper :)
I do buy pesto occasionally, but is always cheaper stuff, because if I have an occasion appropriate for good quality pesto I'll make it myself, and this applies to a bunch of things that are premade ingredients, like salad dressings and sauces. If is worth the money, it's also worth the time and personal attention to get exactly what I want.
Perhaps they have to separate the group sometimes just to keep things under control. I mean, you saw what happened at the end there even with Mike absent. 😆
I would like to see them do a few episodes where they make dishes where one dish is made with all premium and one is all budget. I think sometimes you can't pick out a single premium ingredient in a dish, but the cumulative impact of all premium ingredients makes an impact.
I know you are reticent in doing plugs or focusing on a single brand but I've been buying Tracklements for a long time and even have their cookbook for making their condiments. I'd love to see the normals each choosing and making a condiment of their choice, whether a mustard, a ketchup or something to show how it can be done and what kind of things you can do
A video comparing UK vs US items to see if they're that different and if the guys can tell they're the same products. I bought organic, more premium vinegar one time because the sale price was cheaper. I'll never go back to regular apple cider, balsamic, and especially red wine vinegars.
When it comes to spices, it highly depends on the spice itself if I'm getting the premium or not. Also would love to see Ebbers in the hot seat for one of these
Chili - tend to get from the Indian grocery store so I'm not sure. Mustard - make my own so not relevant Apple cider vinegar - both, depending on application Pesto - best I can find.
Making your own mustard & pesto is so much better than buying premium. Good mustard is so easy to make toast seeds before dropping them into mortar with a bit of salt, oil, & vinegar pound until smooth. 8 parts mustard seeds to 1 part grape seed oil & 1 part rice vinegar plus salt.
You should do a version where you compare cheap, premium and homemade. They have to guess which is homemade and which is premium and how much homemade cost to make. Then give advice on how to store homemade. I love homemade pesto but find it goes off so much quicker than shop bought. During the current climate it would be good to know whether its cheaper/healthier to make at home and how to store for best use.
Given current economic climate and food prices rising and everything else, a version of this series where it’s the cheapest basics range vs the middle of the range or vs supermarket most expensive brands would be really interesting in helping people understand what it might be worth spending a bit more on, if they can afford to, instead of the choice being a ton more, like most of the premium ingredients on this series.
You make a great point - If the ingredient is ham for a ham sandwich and the options are pre-shaved deli ham and jamon Iberico, it just doesn't make sense. Practically none of the viewers are going to spring for the *most expensive* thing they can find with protected DOP status and only available at specialty shops or online.
Definitely
I like the idea of a mid range added to this. it lets me know what is available and what to spend exta on. it also lets me know if there are possible allergens for me in the product.
Commenting to add my agreement! I'd love to see three plates.
I agree! Would love a third plate, being that Sainsbury's and Waitrose are not places people on a budget would choose to shop
You absolutely, positively, must have a round where exactly the same ingredient is used in both and watch them discuss the differences.
Give it to Mike. Mike'll love that!
😂 they would be so confused!
@@SortedFood DO IT!!!! It would be so funny, slightly mean but funny none the less 😄
An April fools video? 😀
@@zhangfeicui8207 but then we would have to wait until April for it, that's too long 😂
or atleast one "placebo" where its the same
Something that isn't brought up often is how magical you guys are with the editing. The way you blend the two different takes, questions and answers together into one seamless clip is simply a treat to watch. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely agreed. As someone that usually edits music videos - I'm quite often impressed with the way that the sorted team editor/s(?) piece together these videos. It feels very natural.
It’s amazing! Especially how it seems like Ebbers is talking to both of them at the same time but Jamie and Barry are in totally different scenes 🤣❤️
Why aren't they filmed together like in some of the other videos. Surely it would be cheaper production costs.
Honestly some of my favourite videos. Get to find out where not to waste money every week. Especially in a time where gas prices are through the roof and grocery shopping isn’t far behind.
Loved the last round because in Germany, where I'm from, it is a tradition to get Jelly Donuts (Pfannkuchen/Berliner/Krapfen) for New Years Eve and hide a mustard filled one on the tray for a laugh. No one knows when or why this tradition started but it is relatively common in Northern Germany.
We don't do that so much in South Germany, at least not in my family. We simply drink copious amounts of wine, starting with the best bottles and ending with the worst and cheapest bottle at around 3-4 in the morning. With some beers and schnapps to clean the palate in between bottles
@@DizzyBusythis sounds like a normal Friday night for me 🤣🤣
I am very pedestrian...except I might spring for the apple cider vinegar.
My granddad from Saxony does it all year round.
@@DizzyBusy Jesus would approve of your drinking habits
Edit: until at the end he turns the party to 11 of course
Barry: B has more umami and alot more funk to it. It feels like the chillis might have aged. B has more perfume. It's more aromatic. I am confident in my answer.
Ben: A is the premium.
Barry: I really couldn't tell the two apart
Yeah, for this reason I want them to do the same ingredient twice and see if they are picking stuff out just because they expect it to be different.
also barry shit talking the premium mustard being just hot no flavour
He literally says he was looking for nuances to try and make his guess.
As in, overall, there wasn't much difference....
It's literally his next sentence...
@@Kcii-99 he was right tho. Since they put the same amount in the donut but a had twice the mustard, the mustard overpowered everything
@@Kcii-99 There is also a level of hot for some where that sensation shuts off the ability to taste. It's like some folk LOVE and others HATE -- marmite or coriander or pickled fish etc.
When I buy mustard, I often go with the more premium. For spices, I often go to the stores for that region (Mexican stores, indian, etc). Getting a generic looking bag with a specific kind of spice has always worked better for me than a fancier container from a place like Whole foods
I wanna see y’all do a homemade vs store bought series! Like is it worth it to make homemade mayo, salad dressings, pastas, spaghetti sauce, etc. I wanna see if the guys can tell the difference, esp when you compare homemade to a budget and premium option?
that sounds great! And evaluate the time and effort for homemade -is itt worth it?
+
there are so many variables in that!
I can make an okay naan from scratch but the own brand is better. not be miles but better.
but my naan has no extra packaging and no extra fuel cost.
but if I don't have the time to make a yeasted bread where does the "time vs convenience vs earth death vs shut up I just want naan" equation come in?
in summary : it's a balance? or not?
but naan is tasty.
@@kirstena4001 yes!! That is so relevant for so many. It’s helpful to see the pros and cons for yourself so you can decide what’s best for your situation. I could see this addressing three situations:
1. People who have more money than time: is store bought good enough to get the job done? will spending precious time to make it myself be worth it?
2. People who have more time than money: is it even cost effective to make it myself after I buy all the ingredients and equipment to make it? Will the average home cook be able to make something that tastes like it should?
3. Everybody in between / people with not much time or money: are there any other factors that I should consider beyond time, cost, and taste? For example, quality control of ingredients used (both for taste and health/allergy reasons), environmental impact (like foods using excess packaging or contain ingredients like palm oil that have a significant impact on the environment), and access (does it use ingredients that are especially expensive, hard to find, or have short shelf lives that can increase likelihood of food waste).
Obviously I wouldn’t expect sorted to write a thesis on food lol, but it would be great to see some of these things being discussed! Given that the specific products they review in these videos aren’t available to many of their viewers (like me in the US), comparing homemade vs store bought would definitely appeal to a broader group of people bc we can all buy most ingredients wherever we live.
@@jessicazaytsoff1494 I totally get that! I couldn’t tag you in my other reply for some reason but I mentioned your idea in it! Also agreed that naan is tasty
2,5 per kilo for the cheaper mustard
14 per kilo for the premium mustard
Ebs: "More than 10 times the price"
Have you stolen your calculator from Baz? 😅
was looking for this comment
Me too, I really tripped over that calculation
Thank you! I was watching it drinking first sips of a glass of wine and thought 'damn, that's a strong wine' haha😅
I like that they put a bunch of green stuff on top for aesthetics while the guys are wearing blindfolds 😂
Hahahaha! That's for us
The pile of green stuff next to Jamie's plate was adorable😂
Hi guys, I have been watching for about 7 years now, and I just thought about how much I look forward to watching your videos religiously each week - you have built such an amazing channel with outstanding content and you are all great people who are so enjoyable to watch. Thank you for providing such great content :)
Somehow wednesdays and sundays never come soon enough but when they do, they never disappoint!
Thanks for watching Melody!
I love these videos, but I think it would be really interesting to do one with 3 different price points. So you get the cheapest you can possibly get, a reasonable middle, and the premium item!
very much second this, especially as a student
Or maybe the format is fine as it is.
@@mysisterisafoodie hey don't get me wrong, I do love the current format! I thought about this because one of their non premium products in this was from Waitrose which isn't an affordable place for a lot of people. Also, I wasn't suggesting changing the format forever - just doing the one off episode with 3 products (after all, doing 3 rather than 2 is a lot more work!)
Hope that clears up my reasoning for suggesting this 😁
This, with typical household staples!
@@TallAndMusical Clearly the premium aren't affordable for most anyway.
I suspect this is more about product placement and a source of revenues for the team. (there is no shame in this)
What I’m interested in with the pesto one is how much does it cost per kilo for Ben to make it himself by hand. Obviously fresher ingredients without preservatives and you can make the right amount for the dish you are making. Plus Ben doesn’t need to use cashew nuts, he can use just pine nuts
"What a lovely day!" A double dose of Sorted today as the team up with Tom Scott popped up in my feed earlier.
Good video, I always like seeing the new products & the fun of watching Jamie trying to use cutlery while blindfolded is just the icing on the cake.
Glad you enjoyed both videos 😀
Oh wow, didn't know that - thanks!
How did Jamie get so much of the chicken wing sauce over his face 🤣
Your guess is as good as ours 🤣
He's Jamie...
@@annab6726 You beat me to it.. :D
one of the great mysteries of our age
That's how he went in to work this day
I would LOVE to see a video in this format but it's "regular" Vs "free from" foods.
I would love if in this format you also added the brand leader to see how it compares. I think it would be great to see whether consumers are spending their money in the right area by buying brand leaders
"tracklement (plural tracklements)
(UK, rare) A savoury condiment (for example a mustard, relish or chutney), especially one served with meat. " - Wiktionary
I have also seen it described as a condiment made from ingredients from the surrounding area that goes well with a dish. Terry Pratchett uses the word multiple times in the Discworld novels, so I've looked it up before. I have no idea where Ben got his definition from, because even urbandictionary has a definition similar to the above.
I loved his description but no idea where he got it from….I did some searching and found nothing similar either!
I assume it's a part of the particular company's branding, looking at their logo character.
I'm pretty sure the food team makes the food that would be funniest to see someone with a blindfold eat.
Thank you for brightening my Sunday. The moment I saw your notification I knew I would smile and feel happy.
I, for a long time bought bog standard tomatoes! I begin my day with a tomato and a bit of mature cheddar. I finally copped on to myself and now, I buy the best vine tomatoes I can find. I agree with Barry in respect of choosing a better taste every time!
Sitting down to have dinner whilst watching the boys is honestly one of my favorite parts of the week
I feel like this is the most divided blind tasting episode we've had so far! Even with the apple cider vinegar, I was so convinced that Baz was going to pick A all the way to the end. But love it as usual!!
Would love to see more videos like this/ cost of living increase videos to show us clever ways to stretch food, ingredients you can buy cheap that still work well etc and where not to go cheap.
As Ben says, all down to application.. I see uses for both versions of each of these ingredients, but for some of them, like the cider vinegar, you don't use all that much of it, so the bottle will last you a while, making it worth spending the money. Same with the mustard, the premium one has more kick to it, so you don't have to use as much to get the flavour in whatever you're making, therefore the jar will last longer. (but if you use it to make a marinade or something, go for the cheaper one, since the flavour will dissipate once cooked)
I never use pesto so I probably wouldn't tell the difference between the two, and chili powder isn't something I use very often, but I like the idea of either version since it's made from chilis that have more flavour and less heat than the "regular" chili powder you get everywhere.
Pesto in the family we got used to do it on summer in bulk and freeze it for the winter. Local basil, so fresh and relative cheap in the summer, nor pine nuts nor cashew is local so in the country we generally make it with walnut and olive oil is more varied, imported in 5l format.
For the chili powder I was surprised B wasn't it looking so bright but it's probably just a great regional producer.
Vinegar is really something I don't enjoy and won't comment, besides that I would likely like the less sharp one, mustards has a whole variety where a cheap of one you like can be more enjoyable than a premium of one you don't prefer.
I’m so happy that Barry gets to take all the premium ingredients home whether he’s allowed to or not lol
Premium Spices almost(?) always feel like not worth the price, the best food ive had from around the world has been from home cooks using those same bulk spices you find in the "ethnic" aisles in most supermarkets and the value is massively better than McCormick or w/e name brand.
I love when they guess differently, and the justifications they give.
We are HUGE mustard connoisseurs. No, we don’t consume a different one each week, however, we have at least 6 different styles, in two different fridges. LOL We also enjoy trying different sauces on wings, so we have an impressive variety of flavors of those, too.
Just finished the video with Tom Scott, Another great video as always, CHeers!
Glad you enjoyed it 😀
Please do one of the premium taste testing with ketchup and try Dr Will's ketchup a chilli jam and red wine for a Bolognese. Love these videos they're my favourite 😍
My top tip for pesto: buy the Sainsbury's (or other supermarket brand) Fresh Green Pesto. Sainsbury's one is £13.33 per kilo and it's actually quite good. Beats any jarred stuff hands down, regardless of the price.
I totally agree with Jamie on the mustard here, I usually put mustard on my sandwiches for both a bit extra moisture as well as flavor, and if you slathered a sandwich with the Trackleman’s mustard, you wouldn’t be able to eat it. That kind of punchy flavor you want a bit of, not a lot, so on a sandwich you’d want a mustard with less heat to it (you could definitely add some punchy mustard to it tho)
We used to make a pesto that had walnuts and a wee bit of black olive in it. Was really good! Cashews sound even better.
That sounds tasty!
Honestly, the only Indian spice I have that is from a "premium" brand is hing or asafoetida. Basically because my ex roommate who is from Hyderabad convinced me that in this case, the premium is worth its price.
I'm an indian and I agree with your ex roommate.. one more I would personally suggest is premium cardomom.. might seem expensive when you get less product but less goes a long way as the premium one's tend to be more flavourful, so you can use less pods and get more flavour. Especially in desserts it is more noticeable
@@gaurib This is the difference between Indian and most US dishes. Most US dishes are like a 4-piece rock band, while Indian food is more like conducting an orchestra. If you are going to go through the effort to create a dish where you carefully season it with multiple spices at appropriate times to bring out the flavor of each spice to contribute to the overall dish, why would you NOT spend a bit extra to make sure that spices are what was intended. I buy my Indian spices from an Indian store staffed with Indian people and trust them to be the experts on what needs to be "premium" and what can be "average". Basically, I hand them the list and let them educate me.
I remember my dad used to get big bags of spices from the local Chinese supermarket they were so much cheaper and giant bags of rice. Tofu was so much cheaper there as well.
I really enjoy the comparisons been premium and basic ingreduents and would love to see more. I'd also love to see more of ingredients you can add to dishes or use in more applications than we're accustomed to. Great show guys!
I'd like that too but Def with more standard ingredients like meat, cheeses etc cos that would be really interesting
Can you guys do an episode just on vinegars? When to use which ones etc?
One of the best things I learned how to make during lockdown was mustard starting with the seeds 😊 I've not bought mustard since. It keeps for quite a while and you can vary the flavours to suit your own taste or other people's preference if you're gifting it. So I've got one friend who likes cheese and I make him a wholegrain mustard with tarragon and walnuts... and another friend who is celiac and likes meats and I make smooth mustard for her with tumeric and crushed celery seeds
I'm in the US and I'm blown away that your regular grocery store mustard has flour in it!
For comparison, French's mustard (our most classic brand) contains: Distilled Vinegar, Water, 1 Grade Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Spice, Natural Flavors and Garlic Powder.
One thing I'd like to see in this type of series is it really beneficial to fresh grind your own spices or is it OK to buy preground blends.
That was so interesting - thank you guys.
Offering of a very budget friendly meal - our little family calls 'baked beano' - it's tin baked beans in the bottom of a small dish, covered with mash potato. Now; depending on finance the mash could have cheese through or cheaper, just a cheese topping. Either one is gorgeous. Another hack - I'm disabled so need very convenient and easy options. Supermarket frozen mash does the job very well.
Loving your channel guys and subscribed.
I think something that could be interesting here is having one of these videos where the normal not involved in testing is the one to cook the dish. It would really add to understanding the divide between the ingredients by showing (1) if most people using the ingredient understand enough about it to get the most of the premium and (2) if there is anything about the premium version that is easier/harder/different to use.
I always learn so much with these. I am amazed at what’s out there. 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♀️
I regularly by mustard. For general application it´s the more basic version. For some occasions it´s the premium. I by the premium outside of the supermarket. We have a nearby specialized mustard shop. They have an estimated 100 varieties.
With chilli I got usually go for hot chilli from TRS. Some hotter variants are only available as medium to premium, so I go for that.
I do not buy pesto. It is so easy to make it at home. I use good ingredients and fresh herbs though. The food waste aspect kicks in as well. I make as much as I need and use it. Store bought pesto might sit too long an spoil.
Do another London’s best or other cities it’s been ages!
We really need to. Some many new awesome places have opened up!
Both Jamie and Barrys reactions to the Cider Vinegar made me think "I should give that a go" and their enthusiasm definitely helped.
Two things
1 - Does it bother anyone that the 3 symbol was off center?
2 - 14 is not more than 10 times 2.5, Barry may need some math tutoring.
I buy 4 kinds, brands and price range of mustards. Very particular on certain things but usually have different olive oils for different purposes, etc.
I'm a firm believer in the difference really good spices make in a dish, so I choose to go for the best I can afford and buy directly from spice companies. Worth.every.penny.
Love how confidently Jamie says NUMBER B 😀
Englishmen taste testing mustard and there was no Colman's involved? Last time I was in the UK I bought like a dozen jars which got me quite a funny look from the lady at the cashdesk ("You do love your mustard, honey?"). It's so hard and ridiculously expensive to get Colman's in Germany - but it's the best mustard I know.
If you have access to an actual spice shop, you can usually buy spices and herbs in whatever increments you want, so you could get a tablespoon for the one recipe you're making with it. Makes it a little more cost effective.
That wouldn't make it more cost effective. Just more efficient with the usage. You still would have to add in the price of transportation.
My normal grocery store has bulk spices and it’s one of the main reasons I shop there. It’s so much cheaper to by them in bulk. And I always get more than I need for a recipe just to have around.
@@vagabondwastrel2361 you also need to factor in wastage. The larger the package, the more likely that the spice will have lost part of its flavor before you get around to using it all. Your best bet is to buy in small quantities from a store with a high sales volume, and then store any leftover spices properly. Hard to go wrong with cool, dark, and air-tight.
I love seeing you guys experience new flavors! I also love that by using blindfolds you can "see" past marketing ploys. Bravo!!
Greetings from the US! I love your channel. You are teaching and making me laugh!
Could you introduce your behind the camera team. I loved seeing them recently at the feed the team lunch challenge. But it would be awesome to know who they are and what they do!
So glad Tom showed me this channel
I wish there was more of them trying to find and eat the food blindfolded! It's so entertaining
One of the things I learned very early on is that some (SOME) premium brands re-label themselves as off-brand/bargain brand/store brand. French's yellow mustard is the Walmart Great Value or the store name stuff. Mr. Noodles is the exact same as the generic ramen bricks on the shelf in the dollar/pound stores. Seriously, it's all about what's on the labels and where it's manufactured, not about the company name. Del Monte tinned fruit is sold under store brands most of the time I just found out. This may be something more prevelent in North America; I can't speak for Europe as manufacturing laws are different.
My husband and I live in Canada where we have the Loblaws chain of stores; they have two in-store brands called President's Choice(PC) and No Name, and yes I'm serious, it's called that. When the No Name tinned plain diced tomatoes are $1 a tin (sometimes $0.85 on offer/sale), while the PC version is roughly $3, and the Hunts brand are nearly $6, guess which one I'm going for? It's possible that the No Name brand is the Hunts, so why pay so much more?
I don't care much for premium in foods, since a lot of it is either far too expensive or *can* be a scam, as in mostly marketing BS, unless it's vegan "cheese" slices; it's a $7 per 250g every few months treat, so taste becomes everything and so many of those expensive psudo-cheeses taste like plastic. There is also no compromise on toilet paper: never get the cheap sandpaper-like store brand stuff, get the middle-tier for your comfort. Alcohol falls into this category, as it depends on taste, brand and preference (or lack thereof); we're particular with beer and whiskey.
Otherwise, to Hell with paying a higher price for groceries in this poor, recession-if-not-depression-bound economic climate. Give me bulk spices stored properly, the generic/store brand goods, and the cheapest cuts of meat and we can make excellent meals with it, especially if you use the baking soda on meat trick to tenderise it to buttery softness.
More than likely, I'm just being too careful, maybe paranoid, about spending too much money on food; we just spent $200 to get one recycled cardboard strawberry flat of necessary groceries, which is disconcerting for me. We used to be able to get about four of those for that amount just a few years ago. That and the cost of meat has skyrocketed; a "club pack" of about 12-14 chicken breasts used to be $20 three-ish years ago, and now they want $40 or more for the same amount.
Do I want to get premium things? Eeeh, it depends on quite a few factors, but in the end, not really, as I'm not one predisposed to pretensiousness. It's more trouble and cost for what it's worth, and I want to be able to feel good about using it on a daily/weekly basis rather than "should I sacrifice XXml of this insanely expensive [mustard/spice/mayo] for my potato salad or save it for when we have guests?", as if it's some kind of holy relic for people to ooh and ahh over, but not taste any difference.
When Ben asked whether they could see the color difference of the chili powder, did he mean in the plates? Because the bowls side-by-side were shockingly different hues
18:02 where they are talking about the mustard pricing the 10x the cost doesn't make sense, with the cheaper being 2.50 per kg, the more expensive being 14 per kg, which would add up to being closer to 5.5x the cost
You guys should do one of these and have the exact same ingredients. With a badge up for grabs if they can confidently say that the two dishes are exactly the same.
Never really thought about the fillers used in mustard. Plus, I don't think I ever realized that mustard was supposed to have more than just a tang.
I go TRS for pretty much any "Indian" type spice, they're the ones the asian food stores stock so are generally pretty reliable
good little tip for food waste, you can sub the basil in pesto for the green carrot tops if you have any laying around pretty tasty too!
Late to this one, but apple cider vinegar... I have 3. One (cheap, bulk...) for pickling...about $1CAD/L. Two is about twice that for marinades, sauces/dips and cooking (aside from frying eggs, where I use the cheap stuff for a bit of steam...). And three is a premium for anything where it is just as is, like a salad dressing... All three have their place.
Same for the mustard...only I also have about 3 - 4 of my own 'concoctions'...which, coincidentally, the seeds are soaked in the expensive apple cider vinegar! ;)
Love this series, great work as always! Useful info, and fun to watch. I know it's not the usual format, but what if you compared something like truffle oil to freshly grated truffles in the same dish? One is much cheaper, but I would really be curious to see what a blind taste test would reveal.
I love TRS ground spices. Definitely worth buying.
I enjoy a tiny bit of mustard in my cooking. Not so much for the heat, but for the flavor. So I'd get the cheaper one for much of my cooking.
I don’t know if it’s been done already, but I feel like chilli pastes would be a good one to try!?- I find many different pastes (for thai curries in my case) have different levels of heat AND flavour which make it important to chose “the right one”
Premium often, especially when considering the 'original' ingreadients. But the cool thing is you can find a mustard that has more mustard flour in it cheap picking the right source like buying a Polish mustard or the chilli.
Our local ethnic food shop carries the TRS brand spices and some of their ready to heat and eat packets. Never had a bad one, yet.
I don't buy premium spices but do buy good quality. It's worth it. Agree with Baz - you really want mustard to scream mustard. Good job Baz!
Always interesting. Premium ingredients sometimes have a place, if your palate requires it.
Say what you like about me, but Coleman mustard on a roast beef sandwich can't be beaten.😍
I have to say, I always buy a pesto made with olive oil if its available, just like I would buy peanut butter that has peanut oil in. Gonna have a hunt for the Kashmiri chilly now too!
Oh yeah, totally want way more of these
Thanks to this episode, we ordered some Tracklements mustard in the USA (we absolutely love good, strong mustard). The price worked out to about £73 per kilo, and it was totally worth it. Not going to spend that much for everyday use, but totally would pay that for the occasional indulgence.
I've taken to quite regularly buying mustard, though mine is honey mustard. I do go a bit premium on mine - buying from Boar's Head (a rather nice deli company in my area). It has a very nice, smooth flavor profile, and I've recently discovered a caramelized onion jam that my grocery store carries, and just a bit of the mustard with some of the onion jam on a bit of toasted lovely, crusty bread... especially with some nice just-firm yolk spread over the top of it with some aged cheddar to go with it? Amazing. Helps that I've learned how to make medium-boiled eggs in my instant pot XD
if you want mustard for that mustard, get some flat dijon that starts fading from a yellowish-green into a bit more greenish-grey dim shade, it looks a bit pauperish because of not being so bright in terms of color exposure, but trust me , inside that greyish green stuff, that's where the real mustardy mustard is at
those will clean out your sinuses proper :)
I do buy pesto occasionally, but is always cheaper stuff, because if I have an occasion appropriate for good quality pesto I'll make it myself, and this applies to a bunch of things that are premade ingredients, like salad dressings and sauces. If is worth the money, it's also worth the time and personal attention to get exactly what I want.
I love these product vs Product videos the most i hope you keep doing them!
I want all the guys together again. Feels a bit lonely without the dynamics of the whole group
Perhaps they have to separate the group sometimes just to keep things under control. I mean, you saw what happened at the end there even with Mike absent. 😆
I enjoy that when the B comes up in the corner it makes "BS" with the sorted logo
I would like to see them do a few episodes where they make dishes where one dish is made with all premium and one is all budget. I think sometimes you can't pick out a single premium ingredient in a dish, but the cumulative impact of all premium ingredients makes an impact.
I would have liked to see homemade pesto added to the running.
The guys are getting so sophisticated with their tastebuds.
Why thank you 💁♂️
I know you are reticent in doing plugs or focusing on a single brand but I've been buying Tracklements for a long time and even have their cookbook for making their condiments. I'd love to see the normals each choosing and making a condiment of their choice, whether a mustard, a ketchup or something to show how it can be done and what kind of things you can do
I love this series! It is my favorite, mind you I like them all
A video comparing UK vs US items to see if they're that different and if the guys can tell they're the same products. I bought organic, more premium vinegar one time because the sale price was cheaper. I'll never go back to regular apple cider, balsamic, and especially red wine vinegars.
When it comes to spices, it highly depends on the spice itself if I'm getting the premium or not. Also would love to see Ebbers in the hot seat for one of these
13:51 Romans used to call wine vinegar sour wine.... I wonder if Glaswegians call cider vinegar "a waste of good cider".
I'd love more discussion on how to cook with small budgets. Food prices are so high right now I can't even think premium.
Gotta agree, must do Chef's Blind budget vs premium!
Love these episodes, more please.. also you should think about having 5 items instead of 4 because odd numbers seem a bit more satisfying.
One of the best series
So glad you like it Simon :)
Chili - tend to get from the Indian grocery store so I'm not sure.
Mustard - make my own so not relevant
Apple cider vinegar - both, depending on application
Pesto - best I can find.
Making your own mustard & pesto is so much better than buying premium. Good mustard is so easy to make toast seeds before dropping them into mortar with a bit of salt, oil, & vinegar pound until smooth. 8 parts mustard seeds to 1 part grape seed oil & 1 part rice vinegar plus salt.
You should do a version where you compare cheap, premium and homemade. They have to guess which is homemade and which is premium and how much homemade cost to make. Then give advice on how to store homemade. I love homemade pesto but find it goes off so much quicker than shop bought. During the current climate it would be good to know whether its cheaper/healthier to make at home and how to store for best use.
As somebody who has been using Rajah, East End, Map and TRS since the early nineties, I concur