Tested $1 instant ramen against $4 fancy ramen and the cheap one won somehow

So I had this idea last week to see if spending more on ramen actually mattered. I got the cheap stuff for $1 at Aldi and a fancy kit from a specialty store for $4. I cooked them both the exact same way with an egg and some scallions on top. The cheap one had a way better broth flavor and the noodles didn't turn to mush after 3 minutes. Has anyone else found that the expensive version of something is actually worse?

2 comments

2 Comments

averysullivan1mo ago

actually, you said "the cheap one won somehow" but i think you were lucky with the $1 aldi one because not all cheap ramen is created equal. i've had the $0.50 maruchan stuff and the noodles turn into paste way faster than the $1 stuff. the $4 ramen kits are usually trying to be fancy but they overthink it with weird flavors or that thick broth that tastes like bouillon cubes. the real trick is that ramen is all about how fresh it is and how you cook it. the expensive packets sit on shelves forever because nobody buys them regularly, so the noodles get stale or the seasoning clumps up. the cheap stuff sells fast at aldi so it's always fresh. i've made this same mistake with pasta sauce, the $8 jar at whole foods tasted like watery tomatoes while the $2 ragu actually had flavor. so yeah, you're not wrong that expensive can be worse but it's more about the specific brand and turnover than price. some fancy ramen is legit good, you just gotta find the ones that actually sell fast enough to stay fresh.

clairer791mo ago

Wait wait wait, Ragu actually having flavor over an $8 Whole Foods one? That's wild lmao. I literally thought Ragu was just sugar and tomato water at this point, but now I gotta try it again. I normally stick to Rao's when it's on sale and that's like $7, but if Ragu is actually decent I'm gonna be mad at myself for all the money I wasted lol.