Consumer Reports recently looked at the up side and down sides of Target's Up & Up and other store brands, giving thumbs up or thumbs down. (OK--enough with the UPpity language.) Why consider store brands? The 30 percent savings over name brands, according to Consumer Reports. You can save even more at Target using a Redcard, the occasional Up & Up coupon in the Sunday flier, and Cartwheel mobile coupons.
Winners:
Coffeemaker: Black & Decker coffeemaker model CM4000S--a 12 cup drip coffeemaker that is exclusive to Target ($40) combines solid brew performance and intuitive operation, the magazine reported. A Black & Decker Single Serve CM620B model ($35) was judged the best of the single serve bunch.
Condiments: Market Pantry ketchup was judged as good as Heinz, Market Pantry mayonnaise as good as Hellman's, and Archer Farms 100% pure maple syrup was judged as having a thick, full, bold flavor.
Frozen veggies: Market Pantry frozen mixed veggies were as crisp and fresh-tasting as Birds Eye.
Paper products: Up & Up full-sheet puddle buster paper towels were good for absorbency but not scrubbing. The Up & Up Aloe and Vitamin E Lotion facial tissues were "exceptionally soft," according to CR. Alternates: Good Housekeeping likes Costco's Kirkland Signature paper towels but my beef is that they don't come in choose-a-size yet. GH also likes Walgreen's Nice! facial tissues with lotion at 2 cents per tissue.
Snacks: Market Pantry Peanut Sweet & Salty Granola Bars, Archer Farms Jumbo cashews, Archer Farms Trail Mix and Market Pantry vanilla ice-cream were all highly rated.
Pain relievers: Up & Up Ibuprofen (generic Advil), Up & Up Naproxen (generic Aleve), and generic Allegra were all significantly cheaper than store versions at Walgreens and Rite Aid. CR did not compare prices with Wal-Mart (Equate brand), which is usually slightly cheaper than Target.
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