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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Kyle O'Sullivan

'I compared McDonald's burger to Aldi, Tesco and Iceland - and it's time to bin one'

If you're not a meat-eater then time to look way now - as this article is packed full of beef burgers.

There's nothing better than sinking your teeth into a juicy patty which has been lavished in sauce and delicately placed into a toasted bun.

Usually we associate burgers closely with fast food chains, but I was keen to find out whether the humble supermarket can match up to the supposed experts.

I filled my shopping basket with burgers from three of the nation's favourite stores - Aldi, Tesco and Iceland - to see how they stack up against the powerhouse that is McDonald's.

And to say I was shocked by the results would be severely downplaying how I felt after chomping my way through them.

Here is what I made of the four different burgers - and the results certainly left me in a pickle.

Iceland

Product: Double Cheese Beef Burgers

Price: £2.75 for 4

There's a surprise hiding inside Iceland's frozen burger (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)
The cheese starts oozing out once it goes in the oven (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)

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I must confess I bought this burger purely for the novelty factor but was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.

The key feature here is the melting cheese centre, which isn't even visible before you put the burger in the oven.

In the middle of the two patties is a layer of cheese that starts to ooze out while it cooks away for 20 minutes.

The only frozen burger on the list, it's definitely the most convenient as you just pop it out of the freezer and leave it in the oven to do its business.

The individual patties are the thinnest we have here, but together they are bigger than one from McDonald's and considering they were frozen were very soft and full of flavour.

The only negative I have is that it could actually have done with more cheese because it was such a delicious addition.

RATING: 7/10

Aldi

Product: Ashfields 4 Beef Quarter Pounders

Price: £2.25 for 4

Aldi was the surprise package (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)
It didn't look the prettiest (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)

The cheapest burger on the list came from budget supermarket Aldi - and I was blown away.

It's not going to be winning any beauty prizes and lost its shape while it was being cooked in the frying pan.

However, none of that mattered when I sunk my teeth into this juicy burger.

The succulent meat was dreamlike and you could definitely taste the seasoning as well as that distinctive beefy flavour.

Aldi have pulled it out the bag in terms of taste and price - so I would definitely recommend.

RATING: 8/10

Tesco

Product: Tesco Finest 4 British Beef St eak Burger

Price: £3.50 for 4

Tesco definitely had the chunkiest burger (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)
The Tesco burger retained its shape (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)

The most luxurious brand on offer here was the Tesco Finest 'Classic One', which definitely wins is the award for most appealing raw burger.

To my surprise, the hefty, well-rounded patty managed to keep its shape while cooking and was definitely the prettiest looking burger.

It appeared promising but ultimately was a bit of a let down considering the price.

The succulent burger did have a nice smoky flavour and was less greasy than the other supermarket options.

It was also incredibly thick and there was lots to sink your teeth into, but this was also a bit of an issue as there were a fair few gristly bits in the burger that got stuck in my mouth.

RATING: 6/10

McDonald's

Product: Quarter Pounder with Cheese

Price: £3.39 for one

McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese is a classic (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)
I was in burger heaven (Kyle Osullivan/MirrorOnline)

You never see the Hamburglar at McDonald's anymore - and it's probably because he's run off to the supermarket.

As a self-confessed Maccies super fan, I was convinced that the classic Quarter Pounder would easily come out on top but this was by far the most disappointing burger of the lot.

I always thought it was the fast food chain's best offering, but now I'm starting to question everything I know and love.

It may not be as thin as a Big Mac patty, but it's still pretty thin and easy to demolish within seconds so doesn't leave you feeling anywhere near full.

The burger had the least amount of flavour of any of the candidates here and the worst texture as it felt a bit like munching through cardboard.

You know things are bad when the best part of the burger is the pickles, cheese and sauce - with the only other positive being that it was the least greasy of all the options.

Oh, and there was no washing up.

RATING: 4/10

Final Verdict

After chomping my way through four burgers in quick succession, I can reveal my final verdict.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this but McDonald's comes in a disappointing last place - and I would only recommend if you need something on the go or can't be bothered to cook.

In third place is Tesco's Finest, which I had high hopes for but flattered to deceive considering its price.

The runner-up is Iceland's burger, which was massively helped by the delightful melting cheese centre.

But the real surprise package was definitely Aldi's beef burger - the juiciest, tastiest and the cheapest of the bunch.

Now I'm off to eat a lot of vegetables.

Do you agree with my assessment? Give them a try and let us know in the comments or email webfeatures@trinitymirror.com

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