6 Aldi Breads Ranked Worst To Best

Did you know that the greatest thing since sliced bread has to be something that happened after July 7, 1928? That date marks the official invention of what has now become an American staple. Sliced bread plays crucial roles in everything from the ultimate grilled cheese to the best open-faced tuna melt and beyond. It even takes a reliable role in breakfast as the toast we love to eat with our eggs.

But, bread (along with most groceries) continues to increase in price and many Americans are turning to discount grocery chains to get more bang for their buck. Enter Aldi, which prides itself on offering quality products at the most affordable price. But are their store brand breads really up to par? Thankfully, you don't have to investigate that question yourself because I had the opportunity to take six Aldi brand breads for a test drive.



Here, I'll be reporting on my experience so you can skip straight to adding the best bread options to your Aldi shopping list. I'm uniquely qualified for this task, thanks to more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry, during which I spent many years and countless hours crafting breads in bakeries. When creating this ranking, I considered the taste, texture, smell, and appearance of each bread — you can find a full explanation of my methodology at the end of this article.

Let's get into it. 6. Simply Nature Thin-Sliced Seedtastic Bread This "seedtastic" bread from Simply Nature is a healthy, organic option that comes thinly sliced and, per the package, "jam-packed with seeds" — which I think is accurate, because there were so many various seeds that it gave the bread a slight crunch.

There's fiber, omega-3s, whole grains, and protein with only 70 calories per slice, so it's an excellent choice for those who are health conscious. Straight out of the bag, this bread had a fresh, mildly sweet smell. The soft bread carried that mild sweetness, but the overarching taste profile was a little bland.

Toasting my slices produced a perfectly crunchy layer sandwiching a soft, warm interior, which I adored. Adding a little butter helped elevate the taste profile, but it was still just very beige and boring, which was disappointing. My biggest complaint is about the crust.

There was a slightly off taste that was almost artificial, but not quite — and the texture was also a little strange. While noticeable, the issue wasn't bad enough that I stopped eating. Although this is the lowest ranked bread, I would eat it again if it were served to me.

However, I wouldn't seek this one out to purposefully purchase again and will opt for the higher ranked Aldi bread brands on my next shopping trip. 5. Specially Selected Sliced Brioche Loaf This brioche loaf from Specially Selected was as sweet as I expected, with a smell reminiscent of Hawaiian rolls (which make great sweet and spicy sliders , by the way).

Its appearance was darkly yellow from the higher egg and butter inclusion, which also gave it a light, airy texture. The smell and aesthetics were exactly what I was looking for, but the taste was as unexpectedly bad as Aldi's Hawaiian rolls , unfortunately. My taste issue with the bread wasn't from the initial bite, which was fine.

It was the heavily artificial aftertaste that was problematic because it was challenging to get out of my mouth. Toasting the bread did mild the aftertaste a little, but it was still there, much to my disappointment. Adding butter to the toast didn't help eradicate it fully, either.

It's possible that creating an easy brioche French toast with this bread would be enough to mask the artificial aftertaste — and I definitely think the buttery sweetness is perfect for it. However, I'll be skipping this bread on my next Aldi shopping trip because I prefer other options on this list. 4.

Simply Nature Knock Your Sprouts Off Sprouted 7 Grain Bread I've never been a huge fan of sprouted grain breads, but this one looked promising — the packaging told me it was an overall healthier option, with reduced sodium and sweetened with honey instead of other sugar alternatives. Although I don't have an allergy to eggs or dairy, I also thought it was nice that this bread was free of them, which is a boon to people with those food allergies or intolerances. Also, there was a nice, mildly sweet smell to the bread that I found refreshing.

Like most other sprouted grain breads, this one by Simply Nature had a grainy flavor and texture. It toasted nicely, providing a satisfying crunch with a balanced mouthfeel. This was really nice because some similar breads have a heavy mouthfeel I'm not fond of.

Also, the butter I added after my initial taste test really enhanced the natural sweetness of the bread without making it overbearing. I think this would be excellent with traditional tuna salad . Overall, I was pleased and although I prefer other brands on this list, I wouldn't be opposed to purchasing this one again.

3. liveGfree Gluten Free White Wide Pan Bread I've eaten a ton of gluten free breads and they're always hit or miss — honestly, I wasn't expecting this one to be as good as it was, considering it's a store brand option. I'm glad I was able to put my bias away, however, because this turned out to be excellent and is definitely in my own personal ranking of the top ten gluten free white breads.

When I pulled out two slices, I was greeted with a fresh starchy smell with light notes of butter, which I found enticing. That first bite offered a slightly eggy taste I found super enjoyable, with a mild grainy mouthfeel like other gluten free foods. However, unlike many other gluten free foods, this bread was incredibly soft and light.

Once toasted, the bread had a nice crisp outer layer with a soft, warm inside that was very similar to the standard options on this list. The taste remained largely the same, although the mouthfeel was more complex and textured, which is my preference (and why I usually eat my bread toasted). I highly recommend this liveGfree gluten free bread to anyone, but especially those who have Celiac or gluten intolerance.

2. Simply Nature Thin-Sliced Graintastic Bread Thin-sliced bread is a great option for standard toast, in my opinion, but it isn't the best choice for sandwiches. The thinner bread doesn't stay together or hold everything inside the same way as standard or king sizes.

That being said, this thin-sliced "graintastic" bread by Simply Nature may be my new favorite option for my morning toast. It's soft and crunchy right out of the package, filled with sesame seeds and various grains that create an earthy flavor profile. There's a nice balanced mouthfeel and a fresh, earthy smell that I enjoy.

Once toasted, this bread develops a nice crunchy outer layer that envelops a warm, soft inner layer. Butter added notes of cream and salt that enhanced the bread's natural taste profile. Overall, I was highly pleased and will definitely be purchasing this again.

I recommend pairing this bread with the dense eggy and umami profile of breakfast casserole with sausage or the slightly more complex flavors of mini morning egg bites . 1. Specially Selected Italian Bread Loaf If you only try one Aldi bread, it needs to be the Specially Selected Italian Bread Loaf.

Italian bread is a family favorite — one I specialized in creating for a while during my baking career, so I tend to be picky about what we purchase. And this is the closest to homemade, authentic Italian bread that I've ever had the pleasure to encounter in a store-bought variety. In fact, I prefer this over the standard grocery brands my family usually buys, and (when offered a taste test of their own), my whole family agreed.

The fact that every member of my household agreed on something food-related is a recommendation on its own. There's a fresh, starchy smell that intensifies when you toast the bread. When eaten as-is, it's soft and savory, with mild nutty tones throughout.

Toasted, the flavor remains largely the same, just with the added satisfaction of a crispy texture and a bit of pleasant warmth. This will be my new go-to for Italian bread, and I plan to pair it with a range of dishes in the future — including baked spaghetti and various soup recipes. I highly recommend you add this to your next grocery list so you can experience for yourself why it was ranked as the best Aldi bread.

How I chose the best Aldi breads I chose Aldi breads for this ranking based upon local availability in my New Jersey hometown. Options were limited to Aldi store brands and traditional sliced breads — of those that met this criteria, a range of unique options made the test taste. I relied on my more than fifteen years of food industry experience to make my assessments, leaning heavily into my bakery background — I spent years and countless hours creating specialty and traditional loafed breads.

I considered the taste, texture, appearance, and smell of each bread as-is and after being toasted when deciding which were the worst or best options. During the toasted portion of the taste test, butter was added only after an initial bite or two was taken. Whenever possible, I considered the taste of similar homemade bread and name brand options when making my assessments, to ensure the highest level of fairness and limit personal bias.

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