Five items to always buy at Lidl – and the ones to avoid

LIDL is well known for its bargains but some items are better value than others.

Saving cash is more important than ever as the cost of living crisis bites.

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Here we share shopping tips for getting the best bargains at Lidl, and what you should avoid.

We’ve already told you about the five items you should always buy at rival discount supermarket Aldi – and those you shouldn’t, like clothes.

And there are six bargain buys you can always pick up in B&M, like bedding and home furnishings.

Here’s what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying at Lidl.

Fruit and veg

Fruit and veg fans can grab a weighty 5kg of food at Lidl for just £1.50.

The supermarket started selling the massive boxes of imperfect fruit and veg in 2019 to help the planet – but its great for shoppers’ pockets too.

The contents of your bargain box will vary, as the items change day-to-day depending on what’s on the shelves – shoppers can’t pick what goes into each bundle.

The boxes aren’t available all day, so you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled.

When in stock, the the boxes are usually up for grabs from opening until midday, though timings can vary from one store to the next.

If your store offers them and where you’ll find them if they do varies from store to store, so it’s worth asking a staff member about them.

Nutella dupe

The German discounter is known for its “dupes” which are its own version of popular (and pricier) branded products.

The Good Housekeeping Institute tested Lidl’s chocolate hazelnut spread against Nutella and it gave it a run for its money.

Lidl’s £1.09 400g Choco Nusse spread was rated higher by the judges than best-selling Nutella, which costs £2.50 for the same size jar at Iceland.

Experts at Which? also rated it a Best Buy in its own taste test.

Magnum dupes

We put some of Lidl’s copycat products to the test ourselves, including ice creams.

And the supermarket’s own brand version of Magnum lollys came top of the (ice) pops.

Its Gelatelli Classic Milk Chocolate Ice Creams priced at £1.59 for a pack of six scored 27 out of 30 based on appearance, taste and value for money.

It beat the real Magnums by just a single point and other supermarket treats.

Bottle of fizz

There are a range of sparkling wines, prosecco and champagne available at Lidl that all give posher and more expensive bottles of fizz a run for their money.

Wine expert Helena Nicklin highly rates Lidl’s Comte de Senneval highly.

It’s a proper champagne costing just £13.99 that offers a taste of luxury at an accessible price point. 

Helena said: “This is a really good one. “It has a wine-like weight and a hint of sweetness.

“A bit quirky and of-a-style, but try it with some classic canapes like smoked salmon and it should make a happy match.”

And you can get a bottle of prosecco for as little as £5.

Airfryer

Lidl has been selling a bargain airfryer for just £29.99 in stores.

One shopper called it “the best £30 I ever spent” and its among the cheapest we’ve sen the gadgets on sale for.

It’s just one of the supermarket’s “Middle of Lidl” deals on select items they get in stock.

And the airfryer is not the only bargain you’ll find there, as it also sells everything from DIY items to hot tubs.

You’ll only find these deals in store as you can’t buy form Lidl online.

You can get a look at what is coming to the Middle of Lidl by checking its leaflet online, though stock can vary from store to store.

But don’t forget to compare prices as you might find a better deal elsewhere.

While Middle of Lidl prices are generally low you might still find the same or similar items elsewhere.

If you find the item cheaper, avoid buying it in Lidl so you’re not spending more than you need to.

Also to avoid according to shoppers are the branded goods, which Lidl also stocks alongside its own name goods.

Fans say that Lidl’s own ranges are so good, you son’t need to pay more for well known brands.

For instance you can currently get Bloo toliet cleaner for 99p, but Lidl’s own W5 lemon toilet cleaner is far cheaper at 41p.

Martin Lewis has said that “downshifting” from cheaper versions can cut your grocery bills by as much as 30%.

Whatever you buy in Lidl, you can get extra savings by using its loyalty scheme.

Plus you can save cash by getting yellow sticker bargains – here’s the best time to get them.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk