20 Brand-Name Products That Are Worth the Extra Cost, According to Mytour Readers

Dawn: It's not just the most popular baby name of 1971.

“Can you imagine using anything other than Dawn dish soap?” —ncbo“I'd also suggest using dish soap. The cheap ones just don’t cut it.” — Golden Ballfield

“Dawn™️ Dishwashing Liquid... It’s practically magic.” —WorkGorgeousFierce

Sorry Palmolive, but no one’s falling for that “dishpan hands” line.

Some users warned against choosing generic cat litter, but this comment sums it up best: “Cat litter: Go with the cheap stuff if you enjoy the scent of cat poop.” —AngryBob-VA

I’m a bit torn on this one—we typically buy cereal from Aldi unless there's a sale, and most of it works just fine. But maybe that’s just me, since many of you have a different opinion.

“I want nothing to do with ‘Toasted O’s’...” —Sarah Showfety (Mytour staff writer)

“What I’ve found is that the more sugary cereals are easy to replicate, and the generic brands do a decent job (the Malt-o-Meal version of ‘Oreo O’s’ is surprisingly close). But any generic version of Cheerio, Raisin Bran, Wheaties, or the like? Terrible. They can’t hide behind two spoonfuls of sugar.” —closet-meathead

“I’m a cereal addict and will only eat the brand name.” —Moishe Oofnik

As a New Yorker, living in the bagel capital of the U.S., I find the excitement for any store-bought cream cheese a bit questionable. But if you must choose, go with the brand you know and trust.

“Philadelphia cream cheese is the only cream cheese that has ever existed.” —E=MC Hammered

“Fun fact: In Israel, ‘Philadelphia’ is the generic term for any cream cheese.” —tag007

The genius of Oreos' branding lies in how seamlessly the name is forever associated with the product: “O-R-E-O Nabisco (ding!).”

“Hydrox cookies. It’s Oreos or GTFO around here.” —JoshMC

But, do Hydrox cookies truly count as the generic version of Oreos?

“Hydrox aren’t generic. They came out before Oreos. I can never find them where I live, and I’ve heard Nabisco might have something to do with that.” —optimusconvoy1

“Oreos succeeded because ‘Hydrox’ sounds more like a dish detergent.” —diasdiem

You all are loyal to Band-Aid Brand. “Band-Aids. Generic bandages ARE TERRIBLE.” —ChiSwede

“I noticed that generic bandages had much weaker adhesive compared to Band-Aid brand.” —soosheeroll

It’s not just about picking a popular nut butter brand—commenters with discerning tastes choose...well:

“Jif peanut butter. There’s no substitute. Not Peter Pan, not Skippy, not Justin’s, nor any of the organic options, and certainly not the generic. Only the original red-labeled Jif.” —Given2Dream“If it doesn’t say Jif, it’s not peanut butter. Skippy has a strange texture and Peter Pan tastes burnt.” —Marty Funkhouser

Most people agree this iconic ketchup brand is the top choice. (Sorry, catsup.) “Heinz ketchup. No other brand comes even close.” —kimboinatl

“Any ketchup besides Heinz just tastes off. It’s too sweet and bland.” —Kathleen Grimes Ricker

The feedback here wasn’t about always picking a specific brand, but more about avoiding no-name or store brands. So, if you’re not fond of Starbucks beans, don’t blame me. (And no, I don’t think anyone was talking about Folgers as a ‘name brand.’ Sorry, Folgers.)

“I’m often lured by the discount President’s Choice coffee. But every time, I end up mixing it with real coffee so it’s not a complete waste of money.” —V. vulgaris

I've always had a deep dislike for plastic wraps in general, mainly because I find them almost impossible to use. But maybe I’m just a penny-pincher who’s getting exactly what I paid for.

“Cling wrap. It has to be Saran Wrap or you’ll end up wasting time ripping off tape-sized pieces of flimsy plastic that won’t stick to anything.” —TS8

Of course, it is the quicker picker-upper. “I need Bounty or another trusted brand of paper towel. My wife bought some Kirkland paper towels once (and I admit, Kirkland usually does well, their TP is top-notch), but these were horrible and I’ve never let her live it down.” —The_Red_Mage

“Why is it that generic paper towels never tear properly at the perforation? It’s so frustrating.” —wmac8898

I completely agree, that’s definitely a major source of frustration in my kitchen too.

Look, I can’t follow you people everywhere, and I’ll keep buying Walgreens’ store-brand OTC meds. (They’re exactly the same! Check the active ingredients!) I’m just the messenger here: “NyQuil. It took me a long time to figure this out because I probably use it less than once a year, but store-brand NyQuil feels like taking half a dose. No idea why; the active ingredients are the same, but the store brand is just bad.” —Good Ol’ Uncle Meat

“It might just be in my head, but generic Robitussin doesn’t do anything for me. I catch chest colds often, and the generic version doesn’t help at all. I need the name brand, or I’ll just keep coughing.” —ImNotaHeather

It turns out this commercial that has been haunting my memory for decades is more than just clever advertising.

“Aluminum foil. I know people who work for a well-known brand of aluminum foil, and they also produce the generic store versions. The store brands are made at half the thickness of the name-brand ones.” —Josh Bailey

People are really passionate about their soda/pop choices. This was to be expected.

“Store-brand soda. No matter how hard they try to replicate Coke, it never quite hits the mark. And their attempts at a Dr. Pepper knockoff? Ridiculous. If the Coca-Cola company can’t get it right with that sad imitation, Mr. Pibb, what makes grocery chains think they can? At least they taste better than Pepsi, though.” —diasdiem

Harsh, but true.

I once had a job where free vending machine snacks were an employee perk, and Pop-Tarts were always on the list. Honestly, it’s probably for the best that I no longer have unlimited access to those things.

“Pop-Tarts, probably. Everything else I could think of comes with a caveat because a better version exists (even though store brands fall short), but no one has ever made a better pop tart, not even the fancy imitators.” —Lintor

“I have yet to encounter a generic pop tart that wasn’t a huge letdown.” —Hey, Shut The F**k Up

The Q-tip, an unspoken symbol of the COVID-19 era. What do we call the generic versions of Q-tips? (Ah, right, cotton swabs. But when was the last time anyone asked you if you had any “cotton swabs”?)

“Q-Tips: Apply even the slightest pressure, and the knockoffs will crumple like a cheap lawn chair.” —Stinkfist