I tried out frozen roast potatoes – the 95p winner tastes better than Aunt Bessies and is HALF the price
Today at 03:28 AM
GETTING roast potatoes perfectly crispy on the outside with soft, fluffy middles is not always easy.
Especially when you are trying to pull together everything else for your Sunday roast.
The winner of the test cost just 95p[/caption]But you can ditch this task on your to-do list as, after lots of testing, we’ve found the best ready-made potatoes to serve with your meal.
And whilst your homemade attempt is no doubt delicious, these golden roasties are just as appetising but without all the time-consuming prep.
Here LYNSEY HOPE shares her verdict on the supermarket best-sellers:
Lidl Harvest Basket Potatoes (1kg)
- £1.19
- £1.19 per kg
- Cook: 39 mins in oven from frozen
Lynsey says: “Made with sunflower oil which makes them a good option for non meat-eaters but they do contain palm oil and had a slightly odd taste.
“They smelt nice as they came out of the oven and crisped up well on the outside, but the potato inside was hard and not nice to eat.
“Not too bad when smothered with gravy, but not my favourite, which is a shame given the amazing price.”
- Taste: 3/5
- Price: 5/5
- Overall score: 3/5
Aunt Bessies Crisy and Fluffy Roasties (720g)
- £2.80
- £3.89 per kg
- Cook: Air fry from frozen in 22 minutes or oven cook in 30 minutes
Lynsey says: “Loved the appetising colour of these spuds, which came out of the oven with a lovely golden hue.
“They had a nice crunchy outside but they weren’t as fluffy in the middle as I would have liked.
“In fact, they were a little dry, and overall a little lacking in flavour.
“Less potato in the ingredients than many at only 90 per cent and they do contain palm oil.
“The bag is smaller than most own brands and more expensive.”
- Overall score: 3/5
Iceland Perfect Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes (1kg)
- £2.75
- £2.75 per kg
- Cook: Air fry from frozen in 25 minutes or in the oven in 35 minutes
Lynsey says: “Good size roasties which were really nice and fluffy on the inside.
“The beef dripping really elevated these to the next level and gave them the perfect golden colour.
“They had a nice consistency and a nice bite.
“They are a great price for a big family-sized bag and everyone cleared their plates of these – would definitely stock up the freezer with more.”
- Overall score: 5/5
Aldi Four Seasons Roast Potatoes (1kg)
- 95p
- 95p per kg
- Cook: 39 minutes from frozen or follow manufacturer guidelines to air fry
Lynsey says: “Impressive spuds for less than a quid.
“They were quite small but crisped up really well in the oven, coming out a lovely golden colour with nice fluffy insides.
“The ingredients were very simple with no nasties, 97 per cent potato and no palm oil.
“They did take a good 39 minutes to cook, needing a little longer in the oven than most.”
- Overall score: 4/5
Asda Golden Crispy Potatoes (900g)
- £2.20
- £2.44 per kg
- Cook: 35 minutes in oven or 20 minutes air fry from frozen
Lynsey says: “Fairly small, and these came out of the oven with quite a solid texture.
“There was no fluffiness to them. If you really try you might get a slight hit of the added turmeric but otherwise they are quite forgettable when it comes to flavour.
“A cheap option and whilst not the best of the bunch, not the worst either. No palm oil and a good price.”
- Overall score: 2/5
Tesco Roast Potatoes (800g)
- £1
- £1.25 per kg
Lynsey says: “Very small and still hard even after cooking them for the recommended 30 to 35 minutes in the oven.
“Quite a few looked bruised or had a greenish tinge.
“My three children usually clean their plates of roasties, but they didn’t want to finish these.
“Overly salty, too. Shame as they are a great price but this recipe needs improving.”
- Overall score: 1/5
Morrisons The Best Roast Potatoes with Beef Dripping (800g)
- £2.75
- £3.44 per kg
- Cook: Oven cook in 35 minutes from frozen
Lynsey says: “Delicious potatoes which were plump and a good size with a lovely texture.
“The ingredients list is simple with 91 per cent potato and five per cent beef dripping, which gave them a lovely colour.
“They are made with Maris Pipers which were soft on the inside and the beef dripping gave them a lovely golden crunch.
“A tasty option if a little on the pricey side. Pipped to the top with a more affordable option.”
- Overall score: 4/5
Sainsbury’s Roast Potatoes (900g)
- £1.50
- £1.67 per kg
Lynsey says: “Despite being odd shapes and sizes, these cooked pretty evenly.
“Perfectly crispy on the outside with soft and fluffy centres.
“The ingredients are simple though they do contain palm oil, which is a shame.
“Great price, beaten only by Aldi and Lidl on the price per 100g and it’s a generous family-sized bag.”
- Overall score: 4/5
How to save money on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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