8 own-brand Best Buys our experts love – and how they compete with the big names

Which? Best Buys have impressed our experts in our rigorous, independent tests to earn our highest recommendation. But you don't always need to pay a premium price to get the best products.

In fact, we've uncovered several cheaper own-brands that can compete with – and sometimes even outperform – the established favourites, often for a fraction of the price.

Whether you're searching for smart supermarket swaps or affordable household essentials, read on to discover own-brand Best Buys from Aldi, Lidl and more – and find out how they performed.

Your Which? free membership provides exclusive access to these eight own-brand Best Buys our experts love. See what other benefits are unlocked with your Which? free membership. 

1. Baked beans: Aldi and Lidl pip Heinz in our taste test

Baked beans are one of Britain's best-loved comfort foods, with many of us sharing the belief that 'Beanz Meanz Heinz'.

However, our taste-test results prove you can switch to an affordable alternative without compromising on quality.

While Heinz, the priciest option on test, earned our Best Buy recommendation for its tomatoey flavour, two own-brand offerings from Aldi and Lidl scored even higher – and were Great Value to boot.

Aldi Bramwells Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce (Best Buy & Great Value, 77%)

Available from: Aldi (39p per can)

Aldi's baked beans were an excellent all-rounder in our blind taste test, with nearly three quarters of our testers finding the texture of both beans and sauce to be just right. 

At a fraction of the price of leading brands, the budget-friendly supermarket tin also won over our panel with its delicious, delightfully sweet taste.

Lidl Newgate Baked Beans in a Rich Tomato Sauce (Best Buy & Great Value, 77%)

Available from: Lidl (40p per can)

Lidl's own-brand offering matched Aldi's performance in our taste test, securing joint-top position as a Best Buy and Great Value product. 

Most of our panel agreed that Lidl's baked beans were both good-looking and flavourful, with almost two thirds enjoying their sweetness.

Texture was also highly praised, with the beans and sauce complementing each other well.

Our expert says:

'Our blind taste tests mean brand reputation doesn't come into it – it's all about what's on the plate.

'The winning supermarket own-brand beans impressed our testers with their flavour, and the sweetness was judged to be just right.'

Sarah Joan Ross, Which? food and health editor

See how other supermarket own-brands performed in our taste test of the best baked beans

2. Batteries: Sainsbury's and Tesco beat a Duracell Best Buy

Which? Best Buy batteries deliver excellent performance, helping to keep your power-hungry devices running for longer. But you don't need to splash out on a big brand to get great results.

In fact, Tesco's Extra Long Life AAA and Sainsbury's Home Long Life Alkaline AA batteries were named Best Buys in our expert tests.

While neither quite matched our highest-scoring Best Buys from Energizer, both supermarket offerings scored slightly higher than Duracell's Best Buy batteries.

Tesco Extra Long Life AAA Batteries (Best Buy & Great Value, 78%)

Available from: Tesco (£3.50 for a pack of four)

Tesco's AAA batteries performed as well, if not better, than most alkaline branded batteries in our tests. They lasted nearly four hours in high-drain devices – and almost 11 hours in medium-drain ones, such as video-game controllers. 

They're fairly cheap per pack, too, earning our Great Value recommendation. 

Sainsbury's Home Long Life Alkaline AA Batteries (Best Buy, 77%)

Available from: Sainsbury's (£3.70 for a pack of four)

Sainsbury's Home Long Life Alkaline AA batteries impressed our experts across the board, delivering strong results in both high-drain and medium-drain devices.

But they really came into their own in low-drain devices, such as TV remotes and clocks, where they outlasted every other alkaline battery on test.

They're a great choice if you're looking for reliable, long-lasting AA batteries without paying a premium for a big brand.

Our expert says:

'We put each disposable battery on test through its paces, monitoring how long it lasts in high, medium and low-drain devices.

'The best own-brand batteries are versatile, performing consistently well.'

Callum Pears, Which? senior researcher and writer

See our reviews of the best AA and AAA batteries to compare all of the leading names and own-brands we tested

3. Toilet roll: Tesco proves you don't need to pay more for comfort

We've tested more than 25 toilet rolls, including luxury, supermarket and eco-friendly options, to help you find the best.

While Andrex, Velvet and Cushelle all secured Best Buys and the highest scores in our independent reviews, Tesco's Luxury Soft Quilted toilet paper also impressed.

Tesco Luxury Soft Quilted Toilet Roll (Best Buy & Great Value, 86%)

You don't have to pay a premium price for a big brand to get a good-quality toilet roll. Tesco's own-brand offering was one of the strongest loo rolls we tested. It also impressed our experts with its softness, although it wasn't quite as cushiony as Andrex.

It performed well in our absorbency tests, although it wasn't among the best at breaking down in water.

But with a price per sheet that beats most competitors, it's a Best Buy that delivers Great Value on an everyday essential.

Our expert says:

'You don't have to stick to big brands when buying toilet roll. Our tests show supermarket own-brand alternatives can also perform well, often at a fraction of the price.

‘However, quality can vary considerably, so it's worth checking our reviews to find out which toilet rolls offer the best combination of performance and value.’

Hardeep Channa, Which? researcher and writer

Compare the full results and prices of the best toilet roll we've tested

4. Pork sausages: Lidl beat the big brands in our taste test

A pan of sizzling sausages with a side of creamy mashed potatoes makes a delicious, comforting meal. But you don't need to fork out for branded bangers. 

Supermarket own-brand labels dominated our blind taste test, with Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons all impressing our panel.

Lidl Deluxe Pork Sausages (Best Buy & Great Value, 73%)

Available from: Lidl (£2.49 for 400g)

Lidl's Deluxe Pork Sausages were our highest scorer, as well as the joint cheapest on test, being named both a Best Buy and Great Value product.

Our panel enjoyed the pork flavour and texture – and many felt the consistency, and herb and spice seasoning, was spot-on.

Lidl also saw off competition from brand names like the Jolly Hog Proper Porkers and Porky Whites, which fell short due to their weak and bland flavour.

Our expert says:

'Our rigorous testing meant our panel of 60 people ate their way through 180 sausages, without knowing which brand they were eating.

'The supermarket own-brands topped our tests, showing you don't need to spend more for a great-tasting banger.'

Sarah Joan Ross, Which? food and health editor

Discover all of the brilliant bangers from our best pork sausages taste test

5. Washing-up liquids: Aldi gives Fairy a run for its money

Cleaning dirty dishes doesn't need to feel like a chore, thanks to our Best Buy washing-up liquids. However, you don't need to buy the most expensive option to shift stubborn food stains. 

Aldi Magnum Original Washing Up Liquid (Best Buy & Great Value, 78%)

Available from: Aldi (62p)

Aldi's Magnum Original Washing Up Liquid almost kept pace with the two Fairy Max Power Best Buys in our tests, despite costing a fraction of the price.

The budget-friendly option impressed our experts with its ability to remove fat and baked-on grease, scoring slightly higher than Fairy's popular Original Washing Up Liquid.

With strong cleaning performance at such a low price, it's been named both a Best Buy and Great Value product.

Our expert says:

'The savings you can make if you choose Aldi washing-up liquid over either of the Best Buy Fairy Max liquids aren't to be sniffed at.

'Making the switch will save you around £21 per year and, while you won't get the very best liquid we've tested, you'll still get a really good one that's every inch a Best Buy.'

Matt Stevens, Which? principal researcher and writer

Read the full results in our guide to the best and worst washing-up liquids

6. Kitchen roll: Costco and Marks & Spencer clean up against Plenty and Regina

To help you find the best kitchen roll, we pitted popular names including Plenty and Regina against supermarket options from Aldi, Asda, Tesco and more.

We found the own-brand options from Costco and Marks & Spencer wiped the floor with the competition in our rigorous tests. Both Best Buys had tough sheets, were fantastic at absorbing liquid and reliably cleaned up sticky food.

Costco Kirkland Signature Kitchen Roll Towel (Best Buy, 100%)

Costco stood out as the perfect kitchen roll, scoring 100% and outperforming every other brand in our tests for liquid absorption.

The Kirkland Signature kitchen towels make cleaning up spills and sticky food effortless. They also work just as effectively with a cleaning spray – and the generously sized sheets can often be reused for multiple stains. 

Whether they're wet or dry, the sheets are impressively durable, too.

Marks & Spencer Ultra Absorbent Kitchen Towels Big Roll (Best Buy, 95%)

Available from: Ocado (£2.10 for a one-pack) and Ocado (£3.20 for a two-pack)

Marks & Spencer's kitchen roll is the strongest we tested, holding up under a significant amount of force before the sheets gave way.

It also impressed in our absorbency tests, with 10 sheets soaking up nearly half a litre of water – more than most competitors.

It couldn't quite match Costco when it came to cleaning up jam, but still wiped away most of it in a single swipe and performed even better when used with a cleaning spray.

Our expert says:

'The best kitchen roll needs to cope with different types of mess without you having to reach for sheet after sheet. That means soaking up spills quickly, staying intact when wet and lifting sticky food from a surface rather than spreading it around.

'There can be a surprisingly big difference between products once we put them through these tests.'

Hardeep Channa, Which? researcher and writer

See our guide to the best kitchen roll to compare all of our top picks for absorbency, cleaning ability and more

7. Rechargeable batteries: Ikea beat Panasonic, Philips and Energizer in our tests

Rechargeable batteries are kinder to the environment than disposable ones – and the best will last for hundreds of hours of use, helping cut costs in the long run.

Our independent tests of big-name and own-brand rechargeable batteries have uncovered some surprising results. Ikea's batteries, for example, outscored several models from well-known brands including Panasonic, Philips and Energizer.

Ikea Ladda HR06 AA 1.2V 2,450mAh Rechargeable Batteries (Best Buy, 84%)

Available from: Ikea (£8 for a pack of four)

Ikea's Ladda HR06 AA 1.2V 2,450mAh rechargeable batteries are our highest-scoring Best Buys because they last so long on a single charge.

While this capacity dwindles over time, losing around a third after 200 cycles, we've found this is a fairly small drop compared with other batteries on the market.

We were also impressed with Ikea's lower-capacity HR06 AA 1.2V 1,900mAh batteries (Eco Buy, 76%). We found these to have a shorter runtime, but they are slower to degrade over multiple cycles of use.

Our expert says:

'The best rechargeable batteries are an investment that can endure multiple cycles of use and provide hundreds of hours of battery life.

'Ikea's superb AA Best Buy can go the distance, providing a whopping 479 hours of energy before it notably begins to degrade – that's a number few rechargeable batteries can rival.' 

Callum Pears, Which? researcher and writer

Discover all of the best rechargeable batteries from our independent tests

8. Kitchen cleaning sprays: Sainsbury's and Tesco see off Cif

You don't need to spend extra on a big-name brand to achieve spotless and sparkling kitchen surfaces. Our expert tests found two Best Buys from Sainsbury's and Tesco that outperformed Cif's Cleanboost Kitchen Degreaser.

Both supermarket kitchen cleaners impressed at tackling everyday kitchen stains, while Cif did a solid – but not spectacular – job of shifting grime.

Sainsbury's Kitchen Cleaner With Bleach (Best Buy & Great Value, 84%)

Available from: Sainsbury's (79p)

Sainsbury's Kitchen Cleaner With Bleach proved outstanding at cleaning baked-on grease and dried-on stains in our rigorous tests. 

We were also impressed by its ability to tackle burned-on hob stains – the kind you'll be left with if a rice pan boils over. 

At just 79p, this affordable cleaning spray is both a Best Buy and Great Value option. 

Tesco Anti Bacterial Kitchen Foaming Cleaner With Bleach (Best Buy & Great Value, 79%)

Available from: Tesco (79p)

Tesco's Anti Bacterial Kitchen Foaming Cleaner With Bleach is another Best Buy and Great Value product, effectively tackling all the tough stains and grease in our cleaning spray tests. 

It impressively cleaned up the mess after we'd let a rice pan boil over and burn the hob. We also like how well it can tackle curry spillage stains on a kitchen surface.

Our expert says:

'We bake grease, spill rice water and dash curry sauce onto test tiles, leave them to set for 24 hours, and then let our automated scrubbing machines get to work.

'By testing every spray in exactly the same way, we can definitively prove you don't need to pay a premium for a spotless kitchen.'

Jonny Martin, Which? senior researcher and writer

See our guide to the best cleaning sprays to compare all of the bathroom, kitchen and all-purpose cleaners we've tested