How to Store Bulk Bin Essentials So You’re Ready for Any Recipe

Welcome to Storage Wars, a new series about the best ways to store, well, everything. From how to keep produce orderly in the fridge (or not), to ways to get your oddball nooks and crannies shipshape; and, yes, how to organize all those unwieldy contai…

Welcome to Storage Wars, a new series about the best ways to store, well, everything. From how to keep produce orderly in the fridge (or not), to ways to get your oddball nooks and crannies shipshape; and, yes, how to organize all those unwieldy containers once and for all—we've got you covered.


If we’ve gone grocery shopping together (or really, just spent any time together at all), chances are high you’ve heard me talk about how much I love the bulk bin. Nuts, grains, dry legumes, flours, pasta, dried fruit, snack mixes, granola: all so much more affordable than their packaged counterparts, and right there for the scooping up—please, stop me now. While early pandemic safety precautions paused some stores’ bulk bin operations, most have returned to their former glory—though I’ve had to bid farewell to the feeling of sheer joy that was snacking on a few chocolate-covered almonds or pieces of dried mango from my bulk haul while continuing to shop.

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15 New Trader Joe’s Products to Grab ASAP

Joe may be one of the most average male names in the English language (no bias here), but when you put “Trader’s” before it, you get the beloved national grocery chain that boasts not-so-average products. High in quality and low in price, Trader Joe’s …

Joe may be one of the most average male names in the English language (no bias here), but when you put “Trader’s” before it, you get the beloved national grocery chain that boasts not-so-average products. High in quality and low in price, Trader Joe’s has become so embedded in American food culture and vernacular that we wait with bated breath for the weekly arrival of new items like they’re the latest new game console or Beyoncé album.

2021 has already proven to be no exception, with products that are already making waves and, for lack of a better term, flying off shelves. We’ve rounded up 15 of our favorites—check them out below and be sure to scoop them up before your fellow TJ’s shoppers catch wind and beat you to the register.

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How to Turn One Box of Groceries Into a Week’s Worth of Meals

Our friends at Imperfect Foods are reimagining grocery delivery. Their mission: to eliminate food waste and build a kinder, less wasteful world. So we’re sharing smart recipes and meal-planning tips that make the most of their grocery delivery offering…

Our friends at Imperfect Foods are reimagining grocery delivery. Their mission: to eliminate food waste and build a kinder, less wasteful world. So we're sharing smart recipes and meal-planning tips that make the most of their grocery delivery offerings—from the wide variety of produce to their budget-friendly pantry goods, like pasta, grains, and coffee (pro tip: Don't toss those used grounds!).


It’s become more and more common for all of us to ship everything straight to our doorsteps, especially during these times. There are definitely some silver linings to this shift: It’s convenient, safe, and has created a new daily highlight of checking for deliveries.

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32 Aldi Groceries We’re Loading Into Our Shopping Carts

Photo by ALDI

Here at Food52, grocery stores play an invaluable role in all of our lives. We can’t seem to stop talking about them, whether it be the biggest Indian gro…

Photo by ALDI

Here at Food52, grocery stores play an invaluable role in all of our lives. We can't seem to stop talking about them, whether it be the biggest Indian grocery store in America, Trader Joe's snacks we could polish off in one sitting, or Costco products we're mildly—OK, strongly—obsessed with. The comments sections on those stories go on for pages and pages—which is why this time we wanted to include you, the community.

I've collected the things we love to get at ALDI, the German discount supermarket chain that just seems to have it all. Especially affordable prices, the main reason we can't stop raving about the grocery store (which has multiple locations scattered across the United States and the world).

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The Chillest-Ever Holiday Dinner (No Oven Required)

We’ve partnered with Sprouts to share ideas for the most laid-back, utensil-free holiday meal you can imagine. And since you can buy all the elements in just one shopping trip—even for feasts that are gluten-free, organic, or plant-based—the prep work …

We've partnered with Sprouts to share ideas for the most laid-back, utensil-free holiday meal you can imagine. And since you can buy all the elements in just one shopping trip—even for feasts that are gluten-free, organic, or plant-based—the prep work is zero fuss.


While a happy, raucous holiday dinner—full of aunts and uncles, grandparents, and toddlers in seasonal onesies, with everyone sprawled across the house sipping eggnog—is my favorite part about the season, it’s just not in the cards this year.

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11 Handy Sugar Substitutes to Keep in the Pantry (and the Fridge!)

Last weekend, I broke the number one rule I share with everyone who asks me for baking advice: to make sure you have all your ingredients before starting the recipe. But there I was, halfway through cracking an egg, when I looked over to the shelf wher…

Last weekend, I broke the number one rule I share with everyone who asks me for baking advice: to make sure you have all your ingredients before starting the recipe. But there I was, halfway through cracking an egg, when I looked over to the shelf where I keep dry ingredients to see my sugar jar woefully near-empty. I wasn’t about to sprint to the grocery store just for sugar (I’m also still keeping grocery trips as minimal as possible these days); I needed a sugar substitute, stat.

Luckily, because I keep a fairly stocked pantry, I had several options. There are actually a number of ingredients that mimic granulated sugar’s flavor and texture in both cooking and baking; you just need to think a bit about what you’re making and what each substitute brings to the table. For example, a ripe banana can swap in just fine when you’re baking a cake, but it wouldn’t work in, say, a caramel sauce. Not every one of these substitutions will replace sugar perfectly in every recipe you try, but they will help you achieve a similar goal in a pinch.

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How to Store Mushrooms So They Stay Fresh & Slime-Free

Time and time again, I’ve found myself in the same situation: reaching into the back of my fridge to find a forgotten package of mushrooms, slimy to the touch and absolutely not appetizing. Tossing them in the compost, background fading to the black-an…

Time and time again, I’ve found myself in the same situation: reaching into the back of my fridge to find a forgotten package of mushrooms, slimy to the touch and absolutely not appetizing. Tossing them in the compost, background fading to the black-and-white of an infomercial, I shout: But I bought them less than a week ago! How! Why! There’s got to be a better way to store mushrooms.

And there absolutely is. Just as there’s a recommended way for storing greens and potatoes and tomatoes, there is a method for mushrooms.

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17 New Trader Joe’s Products to Stock Up on ASAP

Every time I go to the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood, there’s a line out the door (even pre-pandemic!). That’s got to mean everyone waiting is onto something. The grocery store, of course, is known for its indefatigable ability to launch crowd-favor…

Every time I go to the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood, there’s a line out the door (even pre-pandemic!). That’s got to mean everyone waiting is onto something. The grocery store, of course, is known for its indefatigable ability to launch crowd-favorite products seemingly all the time, and this year has proved no difference. When it comes to the best Trader Joe’s products of 2020, there’s plenty to choose from—and I’m not just talking about this year’s hottest purchases, toilet paper and yeast. If you’re looking for something new to pop in your cart the next time you find yourself at Trader Joe’s, these are some of the best.

Note: While every product on this list has been spotted at a Trader Joe’s location in 2020, we can’t guarantee that they’ll be at your local store.

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27 Trader Joe’s Frozen Food Products That Are Always in Our Freezers

Between the packed inventory and endless lines of shoppers, the aisles in any Trader Joe’s are—how do I put this?—absolute chaos. The freezer section, perhaps the most of all. From peeled-and-chopped produce to microwave-and-eat meals, there’s no short…

Between the packed inventory and endless lines of shoppers, the aisles in any Trader Joe's are—how do I put this?—absolute chaos. The freezer section, perhaps the most of all. From peeled-and-chopped produce to microwave-and-eat meals, there’s no shortage of time-saving gems in there, but when making your way through the crowds, it's helpful to know exactly what to look for.

Which is why I asked our staff: What Trader Joe's frozen food products do you always keep stocked in your freezer?

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19 Best Costco Snacks for When You Need a Bite, Stat

While there is nothing ordinary about these times, as a mom to two boys, I’m continuously trying to create any semblance of normalcy for them. And of course, kids or no kids, we all need to find ways to make our own worlds feel the slightest bit regula…

While there is nothing ordinary about these times, as a mom to two boys, I’m continuously trying to create any semblance of normalcy for them. And of course, kids or no kids, we all need to find ways to make our own worlds feel the slightest bit regular as well.

The big things might be out of reach (far-away vacations! big parties with friends!) but there are lots of little things within our grasp. The back-to-school season always gets me thinking about snacks—whether they’re paired up with lunch, munched in between virtual learning sessions, or tucked in a bag to tote along on a socially distanced walk.

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