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The other day, when I was perusing the cracker section at Trader Joe’s, I picked up a box of their “Classic Original” water crackers — nearly identical to a box of the iconic Carr’s that I grew up with — and thought to myself for the thousandth time: Wow, Trader Joe’s has really nailed the knockoff. (And much friendlier on the budget to boot!) Then, I wondered, could anyone even tell the difference between the original and the ersatz? Thus began a weeklong experiment, enlisting my friends, coworkers, and family to do side-by-side tastings. Here’s how they fared…
Water Crackers (above)
Let’s begin with the cracker that inspired this whole story. Joanna, who I happened to have dinner with last week, was my tester. She had very strong pre-conceived opinions about the fact that the Trader Joe’s knockoff couldn’t touch the original, and yet, even she conceded, “It was closer than I thought.” Ultimately, though, we both decided the knockoff was too dry. “Water crackers are not supposed to be anything other than a crunch; they’re just meant to showcase cheese. The dryness takes away from that.”
Winner: The Original
Fritos
I didn’t want visual cues to influence taste buds, so most of the tests were conducted blindly. But: “That’s a Frito,” pronounced my husband, Andy, between Zoom meetings, and the conviction with which he said it — before even tasting the knockoff — underscored decades of nostalgia. The Trader Joe’s version has a thicker structure, most likely because it feels designed (and marketed) for scooping and dipping, but it garnered good marks from both of us for authentic corn flavor. Not the case with the original, which nonetheless reigned supreme.
Winner: The Original
Macaroni & Cheese
It had been forever since I’d made mac and cheese from a box, even though it was one of my great pleasures as a young kid. So, I followed the cooking instructions to the letter and was alarmed to find that the original called for four tablespoons of butter in addition to the milk and cheese packet. How do you compete with four tablespoons of butter in anything? Well, the truth is, you can’t beat the mouthfeel on Kraft, but the Trader’s version had a more umami-level sharpness to its flavor that I’d say significantly compensated. I grew up with Kraft, but Trader Joe’s was just better.
The Winner: Trader Joe’s
The Oreo
This just reinforced how iconically perfect the Oreo is. “Almost no chocolate taste,” said Andy about the knockoff. “It’s just sweetness.” For me, it was more about the texture. Oreos have a thinner, crunchier cookie, more like a wafer. They feel built to dissolve in milk while still maintaining their structure.
Winner: The Original
The Pringle
“These taste too much like potatoes,” said my 19-year-old Phoebe of the knockoff. “If I want potato chips, I’ll eat Cape Cods. But if I want Pringles, I want Pringles.” I knew exactly what she meant — some snacks are just not meant to be, you know, natural — but I’ll disagree slightly and say that if you hold them both to the same standard of “vehicle for salt,” they both hold up, and the original’s famously light crispiness is absolutely rivaled by the knockoff.
Winner: Toss-up
Animal Crackers
The original animal cracker has such a distinct taste for me, I thought it would be impossible to replicate. So, it blew my mind that — although there were more ridges on the original — the two were nearly indistinguishable. (And, I might add, you get way more bang for your buck with the Trader Joe’s version.) “It’s really only a texture thing,” Andy said. “The flavor is the same.”
Winner: Trader Joe’s
Peanut Butter Cups
When Joanna texted me that she is a Reeses enthusiast, I couldn’t decide if that made her the best or the worst person to do the testing. In the end, she found Reeses to be superior, no contest. “The Trader Joe’s cups taste waxy with too much chocolate. Reese’s is salty as well as sugary and I love them so much and will eat one every night until the day I die.”
Winner: The Original
Cheerios
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but there was no contest with this duo. “Trader Joe’s just disappears, there’s no taste,” reviewed Joanna. “Cheerios are oatier.” I agree on both points, and add that the texture of a Cheerio is almost elegant when compared with the knockoff, which turns to mush way more quickly in a bowl of milk.
Winner: The Original
Fruit and Nut Crisps
I am a big fan of the Lesley Stowe raincoast crisp, especially when I want to bring it on a cheese plate, but I’ve never gotten past the sticker shock. Seven dollars feels like a lot for a small pack of crackers (and I’ve seen them sold for $8) even though I do love their subtle flavor and chewy feel. My friend Robin described Trader’s version as “almost like a cookie” and they cost only $3.99.
Winner: Toss-up
What are your thoughts on knockoffs? I know you have them! Please share.
P.S. A Trader Joe’s breakfast hack, and our latest TJ’s faves.
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