There's nothing like a good old tin of spaghetti hoops on a nice piece of buttery toast for a quick and easy tea but now, it almost costs £1 per tin.
For those who go for brands like Heinz, a 400g tin costs around 85p, which is considerably more expensive than it used to be, like many other staple food items. As part of our cost of living series, we're testing out 'value' products from different supermarkets to see if they're really that different to big branded products.
We've already tried mayonnaise, teabags, coffee, beans and cheese to name a few, and now it's time to try out a tin we've always got in the back of our cupboards. As consumers we are often drawn to 'extra special' branding, spending more money for items that may taste exactly the same as a budget version.
READ MORE: I tried the Revolution x Love Island makeup and a £5 product amazed me
It poses the question - is it really worth it? Are 'value' brands just as tasty as the more expensive brands? This week, we purchased 'value' spaghetti hoops from Sainsbury's, Co-op and Asda to see if there was any difference at all in terms of value and taste.
Sainsbury's Hubbard's Foodstore Spaghetti Rings
I couldn't quite believe the price of this 400g tin - 13p! In comparison, the same size tin of Heinz Spaghetti Hoops is £1 at Sainsbury's, or £3.50 for a four pack, and a tin of Sainsbury's Spaghetti Rings In Tomato Sauce 400g is 40p.
We're not a big consumer of spaghetti hoops in our house, but they're always handy to have in the cupboard if I need something quick to give the kids for tea. At 13p I have to admit I didn't have the highest of hopes for how these tasted, but they certainly weren't bad.
The packaging is pretty plain and there's no handy pull ring, but once opened up and heated through none of that matters. Although the rings were a little on the thin side, the sauce was pretty tomatoey, and I'd expected it to not be very rich considering the price.
They did need a bit of seasoning to bring the flavour our more, but overall these are a pretty good standard for such a budget item. I've been pleasantly surprised by Sainsbury's Hubbards range in recent weeks, having tried tea bags, baked beans and tinned tomatoes. Looks like I've found another supermarket switch with these spaghetti rings.
Price: 13p for a 400g tin
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Sainsbury's online or in store.
Asda Smart Price Spaghetti Loops in Tomato Hoops
Since moving house last year, I've had to switch from shopping at Tesco to shopping at Asda and I've been disappointed on a few occasions by Asda products. Thankfully, this wasn't the case with Asda's Smart Price Spaghetti Loops.
I don't ever buy spaghetti hoops so I wasn't particularly looking forward to this week's 'value' challenge but Asda's 395g tin quickly quashed any reservations. For starters, they're super budget-friendly at just 16p, and for that price, they'd have deserved some praise for tasting like anything mildly tastier than slop but they're actually surprisingly flavoursome.
They're not going to blow anyone away - even high end, pricey spaghetti hoops don't exactly scream Michelin star - but they're enjoyable and satisfying enough to enjoy as part of a cheap and cheerful meal, and who doesn't love that? They're tangy and while not as rich as Heinz, they certainly put up a good fight.
I don't see any reason to keep splurging on pricier alternatives when these are so reasonable and so enjoyable. There is one slight issue, though this may not bother too many shoppers.
I was annoyed to discover Asda have added milk to this product, meaning they're no longer suitable for a lot of allergy sufferers or those who eat a vegan diet. I'm a vegetarian though I do eat a plant-based diet for the majority of the week, and it was irritating to learn that milk had been added to a product that was more than tasty enough without it.
Price: 16p for a 395g tin
Rating: 4/5
Where to buy: Asda stores or online
Co-op Spaghetti Rings
Considering the Sainsbury's tin of spaghetti hoops was 15p, I was pretty surprised that this tin from the Co-op cost me 52p. Although it's 30p cheaper than Heinz, it's not a great deal cheaper, so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of taste.
I'll be honest, I haven't had spaghetti hoops in a while, but I can definitely see the appeal in them, they're great for a quick lunch or dinner and very easy to cook. In terms of aesthetics, the tin looked quite nice when compared to some 'basic' looking ones.
The spaghetti hoops were actually quite thick, but it was the tomato sauce that let it down as it was very thin and runny in consistency. It almost taste watered down, which I know you definitely don't get with a strong, thick Heinz sauce.
I still found the taste enjoyable, especially with some nice buttery toast, but I had to spoon out half of the sauce from the tin because the hoops were absolutely drowning in it. For those who like a lot of sauce with their foods, this might not be an issue, but I didn't want my bread to go too soggy.
Taste wise, the spaghetti hoops didn't blow me away, and they definitely weren't the best swap I've come across in this series. I think on the rare occasion that I eat spaghetti hoops, I'll be sticking to Heinz for its thick sauce for sure.
Price: 52p for a 400g tin
Rating: 3/5
Where to buy: Co-op
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up for one of our free newsletters
