Best Buy food and drink: Which? top-rated supermarket picks

Our independent taste tests of supermarket food and drink reveal the best products to buy, and the value options that save you money without compromising on taste.

We've tested a range of everyday essentials, such as frozen fish, baked beans and coffee, as well as more premium products including gin, champagne and wine. Our taste tests are always conducted blind, so tasters don't know which product they're trying.

The results are often surprising, with some cheaper supermarket own labels beating well-known brands, and different supermarkets excelling in different areas. And in some cases, big brands really are best - and not necessarily the priciest option.

Here, we've rounded up the top-rated products by supermarket so you can see what's worth snapping up when you shop. You can also browse the full list of taste tests at the bottom of the page.

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Best Aldi food and drink

Aldi has scooped a few Best Buys for cheap and cheerful food and drink options which combines superior taste and good value. Here are the products to keep an eye out for.

• Aldi Specially Selected Ultimate Burger From spot-on seasoning to a tasty texture, these burgers were impressive all-rounders, and some of the cheapest on test. See the full results from our beef burgers taste test.
  
• Aldi Cucina Pesto Not only was Aldi's pesto rated top for taste, it's also great value for money at less than £1 a jar. See the full results from our pesto taste test.
  
• Aldi Stefanoff Passion Fruit Martini Flavour Cocktail It was rated best on test for flavour, with most tasters finding the passion fruit flavour and sweetness spot on. See the full results from our passion fruit martini cocktail can taste test.

Best Asda food and drink 

Asda's products have come up trumps in several of our taste tests, including coffee, pizza and ice cream – and they tend to be reasonably priced.

• Asda Baked Beans If you're after great-tasting beans on a budget, Asda's 50p tin is one of our top picks. Check out the full results from our baked beans taste test. 
  
• Asda Extra Special Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns Asda had some of the best-rated buns for Easter, with nearly 80% of tasters rating the texture and amount of fruit spot-on. See the full results from our hot cross buns taste test.
  
• Asda Green Pesto This tied in joint first place with Aldi pesto, impressing tasters with its bold basil flavour. Check out the full results from our pesto taste test.
• Asda Italian Style Roast & Ground Coffee Ideal for those shopping on a budget, Asda's ground coffee tied in joint second place alongside big brand Taylors of Harrogate. See the full results from our Italian-style ground coffee taste test.
  
• Asda Really Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream This tasty ice cream offers good value, beating well-known brands Wall's and Carte D'Or. Check out the full results in our vanilla ice cream taste test.  
• Asda Stonebaked Double Pepperoni Pizza At just £1.65, Asda's top-scoring pepperoni pizza is a great choice if you're looking to get your pizza fix for less. Check out the full results from our pepperoni pizza taste test. 

Best Co-op food and drink 

While it may not have as many Best Buys as some supermarkets, there are still a few winners worth picking up if you're near a local Co-op.

• Co-op Irresistible Strawberry Conserve Our tasters gave this jam top marks for its delicious fruity flavour and great consistency. Check out the full results from our strawberry jam taste test. 
• Co-op Rocket Lollies These lollies impressed with their bold colours, smooth texture and strong fruity taste that's sweet but not too sickly. See the full results from our rocket ice lollies taste test.
• Co-op Tomato Ketchup It's less than half the price of Heinz ketchup, but tastes just as good, according to our panel. Check out the full results from our tomato ketchup taste test.

Best Lidl food and drink 

As well as often being the cheapest on test, Lidl's products sometimes impress on taste, too. It's a great place to bag a bargain.

• Lidl Bon Gelati Premium Ice Cream Strawberry and Vanilla Cones These cones hit the sweet spot for creaminess and sweetness, beating big brand Cornetto. Check out the full results from our strawberry ice cream cone taste test.
  

Best M&S food and drink 

M&S tends to be pricier than most supermarkets, but we've found plenty of standout products worth trying. Most M&S products are available in store only. You can click on the links below to buy them online from Ocado.

• M&S Battered Chunky Haddock Fillets These tasty fish fillets beat Birds Eye and Young's to take the top spot in our battered haddock taste test. Check out the full results from our frozen battered fish taste test.
• M&S Belgian Hot Chocolate Flakes Luxury brands including Hotel Chocolat were no match for this great-value own-label hot chocolate, which won over tasters with its delicious chocolatey flavour and creamy texture. See the full results from our hot chocolate taste test.
• M&S Fairtrade Italian Coffee If you're after a tasty brew to kick-start your day, M&S is a great choice. It finished in first place, ahead of branded options from the likes of Lavazza and Illy. Check out the full results from our Italian-style ground coffee taste test.
• M&S Luxury Hot Cross Buns Some of the priciest on test, but M&S hot cross buns were one of our top picks for Easter. Check out the full results from our hot cross buns taste test.
• M&S 8 Ready to Bake Pains au Chocolat For a tasty breakfast-time treat, it's worth stocking up on these top-scoring frozen pains au chocolat. See the full results from our pain au chocolat taste test.

Best Morrisons food and drink 

Morrisons has picked up just one Best Buy for its own-label battered haddock.

• Morrisons Chunky Battered Haddock These haddock fillets got high marks for their flavoursome fish and crispy batter, finishing in second place in our taste test. Check out the full results from our frozen battered fish taste test.
  

Best Sainsbury's food and drink 

From tomato soup to strawberry jam, Sainsbury's has nabbed Best Buys in several categories. Here are the best-tasting products to add to your shopping list.

• Sainsbury's Cream of Tomato Soup This own-label tin topped the rankings, offering a good-value alternative to Heinz. Check out the full results from our tomato soup taste test.
• Sainsbury’s Cool Tortilla Chips These matched winning brand Doritos on flavour, crispness and saltiness, despite costing half the price. Check out the full results from our tortilla chips taste test.
• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Strawberry Conserve Sainsbury's jam was a big hit with our tasters, and it's great value for money at £2.40 a jar. Check out the full results from our strawberry jam taste test.

Best Tesco food and drink 

Tesco's strong showing in our taste tests earned it Best Buys for its pasta sauce, tomato soup, beef burgers, pork sausages, and vanilla ice cream. They tend to be on the cheaper side, making them good value for money, too.

• Tesco Finest British Beef Steak Burgers Our panel loved the flavour and texture of these patties, and they had the lowest sat-fat of all burgers on test. Check out the full results from our beef burgers taste test.
• Tesco Finest British Pork Sausages These bangers had an appetising colour, and the majority of our testers found the texture and salt levels spot-on. Check out the full results from our pork sausages taste test.
• Tesco Cream of Tomato Soup Choosing Tesco's own-label soup over Heinz not only saves you money, but also gets you a tastier tin, according to our panel. Check out the full results from our tomato soup taste test.
• Tesco Stonebaked Thin Double Pepperoni Pizza It costs less than £2, but this pepperoni pizza was one of the best-rated supermarket pizzas in our taste test. Check out the full results from our pepperoni pizza taste test. 
• Tesco Tomato & Chilli Pasta Sauce A great-tasting sauce that's lower in salt and fat compared with others, and is reasonably priced. Check out the full results from our tomato & chilli pasta sauce taste test.
  
• Tesco Vanilla Ice Cream Rated one of the tastiest on test, this ice cream got high scores for its great flavour and creamy texture. Check out the full results from our vanilla ice cream taste test.  

Best Waitrose food and drink 

Waitrose has picked up a few Best Buys, although its own-label products can be pricier than those of rivals. If you're a regular shopper, it's good to know when it's worth switching to the own-brand option, and what to stock up on if you happen to be nearby.

• Waitrose English No.1 Vintage Cider If you like your cider on the sweeter side, Waitrose has one that will be perfect for you. Check out the full results from our apple cider taste test.
• Waitrose 8 Frozen Pains au Chocolat Upgrade your weekend breakfast with these pains au chocolat, which were were some of the tastiest on test. Check out the full results from our pain au chocolat taste test.

Best food and drink: when is it worth buying branded?

Although supermarket own labels often impress in our taste tests, our results show that, in certain cases, you might be better off sticking with a well-known brand. Below are some examples of brands that have topped our tests, from tortilla chips to tomato ketchup. 

While branded versions are typically pricier than supermarket equivalents, it's worth keeping an eye out for offers, which tend to cycle on and off, and avoid paying full price as much as possible.

• Beyond Meat Beyond Burger - Our top-scoring plant-based patty. Available from Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Tesco.
• Doritos Cool Original Tortilla Chips – available from Amazon Fresh, Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results from our tortilla chips taste test.
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup – available from Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results from our tomato ketchup taste test.
• Douwe Egberts Pure Decaf Instant Coffee – available from Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Check out the full results from our decaf coffee taste test.
• Albert Bartlett Deep Crinkle Cut Chips – available from Asda and Waitrose. Check out the full results from our oven chips taste test.
• I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Original Spread – available from Asda, Iceland, Tesco and Waitrose. Check out the full results from our dairy-free spread taste test.

Even if a brand bags the top spot, it's worth checking our full results for each test, as we often uncover good-value supermarket own labels that aren't far behind.

Full list of Which? taste tests by product

We've blind-tasted more than 30 everyday food and drink products, covering everything from essentials to luxury items such as champagne and extra virgin olive oil. 

Whether you're looking to find the best-tasting options, or just want to know which supermarket own labels are worth buying, our unique research-led insights can help you make the best choice.

We go the extra mile to ensure our food and drink reviews are based on robust testing so you can be confident in our recommendations. All the food and drink we test is assessed by either an independent panel of experts or a large sample of consumers (at least 60 people) and the tests are conducted blind, so the panellists never know which brand they're trying.

Check out our full list of taste test results using the links below:

Food

• Baked beans taste test
• Beef burgers taste test
• Brie taste test [member only]*
• Chocolate hazelnut spread taste test
• Christmas pudding taste test [member only]*
• Dairy free spread taste test
  
• Extra virgin olive oil taste test [member only]*
• Frozen fish taste test
• Jam taste test
• Hot cross buns taste test
• Mince pies taste test [member only]*
• Oven chips taste test
• Pain au chocolat taste test
• Pepperoni pizza taste test
• Pesto taste test
• Pork sausages taste test
• Rocket ice lollies taste test
• Strawberry ice cream cones taste test
• Tomato & chilli pasta sauce taste test
• Tomato ketchup taste test
• Tomato soup taste test 
• Tortilla chips taste test
• Vanilla ice cream taste test
  
• Vegan southern-fried chicken substitutes taste test
• Vegan burgers taste test

Drink

• Cider taste test
• Beer taste test [member only]*
• Champagne taste test [member only]*
• Decaf coffee taste test
• English wine taste test [member only]*
• Gin taste test [member only]*
• Hot chocolate taste test
• Irish cream liqueur taste test
• Italian-style ground coffee taste test
• Passion fruit martini cocktail taste test
• Red wine taste test [member only]*
• Rosé wine taste test [member only]*
• Sparkling wine taste test [member only]*

*Our premium taste tests are judged by a panel of leading experts. Full results, including more detailed tasting notes, are only available to Which? members. To access these and thousands of other expert product reviews, sign up to Which? today.

Head-to-head taste tests

These smaller-scale taste tests pit up to three products against each other to see how cheaper options compare with a pricier version or leading brand, often focusing on newer/smaller categories or budget versus premium ranges. From mochi ice cream to own-brand aperitifs, we've uncovered several good-value alternatives worth trying if you're on the lookout for money-saving swaps. 

• Mochi ice cream taste test – find out how Aldi's own-brand mochi ice cream stood up to big brand Little Moons in our head-to-head taste test.
• Aperol taste test – we tested Aperol against cheaper supermarket own-brand aperitifs from Aldi and M&S to see how they measure up against the big brand.
• Pimm's taste test – our results reveal whether gin-based summer fruit cups from Asda and Sainsbury's are any match for Pimm's.

Prices and availability information correct as of 10 May 2023.