To find out how much you can save at these stores, Bill and I visited three big discounters—Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe’s—and our nearby supermarket. Here’s what we found.

Aldi and Lidl were the hands-down winners; their house brands often saved us 50 percent or more over national brands and 20 percent or more over supermarket private- label products. For example, the regular price of English muffins at Lidl was $1.49, compared with $5.29 for the supermarket’s Thomas’ Original English Muffins—a 72 percent savings—and $1.99 for its house brand. Although Trader Joe’s beat national brands by about 40 percent on a basket of staples (milk, cream cheese, butter and whole wheat bread), many of the chain’s prices were similar to those of supermarket house brands.

Blind tests of six products had me sampling each store’s house brand, plus a national brand. The takeaway: The cheaper house-brand versions at Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe’s may not taste like the brand names that you’re used to. On the other hand, you might like them better! At a family gathering, we put out five unlabeled bowls of potato chips; four of them got top scores from different relatives. My advice: Do your own taste test. All three discounters let you return what you don’t like.

We saw more brand names at Aldi and Lidl than at Trader Joe’s. Also, we enjoyed their infamous anything-goes aisles: “Aldi Finds,” informally known as Aldi’s “Aisle of Shame,” and the “Lidl Middle.” They feature a chaotic mix of household goods, clothing and seasonal items. At Trader Joe’s, you won’t find a giraffe-shaped pool noodle ($4.99 at Aldi) or a self-stirring coffee mug ($12.99 at Lidl), but you will discover plenty of unique grocery finds, like Ube Tea Cookies: purple yam shortbread cookies, which were yummy.

We shopped during busy weekend hours, and despite big crowds, checkout was fast and friendly at Trader Joe’s, which feels a bit like a health food store. Aldi looked like a mini supermarket with an efficient checkout area. But the Lidl store we visited was a bit disheveled, and we had to wait in a slow-moving line for the lone open register.

Bottom line: If price is your priority, Aldi and Lidl are worth the trip; you can save even more by stocking up on their weekly specials. Trader Joe’s may not be the cheapest, but it’s a good value and carries lots of unique products. At all three chains, the smaller format is a plus—it can save you time—unless, of course, you get sidelined by the Aisle of Shame!