Raisins

Test date: October 2011

Testers: Michele

All products for this test purchased at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Winco, Albertsons, and Fred Meyer.

Michele's Opinion: My hunch about this test, that there would not be much difference since the only ingredient is raisins, was correct. However, there were differences in the moistness level of each product, and I prefer the medium moist over the dry or "wet" feeling options. The primary choice you'll want to make with this product is the size and/or packaging that you want at the best price. Read on for the details.....

Price comparison for 9oz of raisins (store, then brand listed)

$2.99   Whole Foods 365 

$2.99   Whole Foods Newman's Own

$2.99   Whole Foods Made in Nature Organic

$2.29   Albertsons private label

$2.00   QFC Kroger

$1.65   Winco Sunmaid

$1.51   Winco Hy-Top

$1.51   Trader Joe's organic

$1.29   Trader Joe's non-organic

Taste test results

Whole Foods 365 Thompson Seedless Raisins: These raisins feel and taste a little dry.  They are medium sized.

Newman's Own Organics Raisins: These are more moist than the above, but are the same medium size.

Organic Made in Nature Raisins: These raisins are all random sizes. However, they have a good medium moistness, with the first taste slightly more tart than the other products.

Albertsons Natural California Raisins: These are large sized raisins with a moist taste and texture.

Kroger Seedless Raisins: These raisins are overly moist, with even a slightly wet feel in the mouth.  They are a medium size and have a slight sourness to their taste.  These are not very good.

Sun-Maid Natural California Raisins: Note that this product has the smallest box out of all boxed options (about 1/2 the size of the other options). These are very sweet raisins with a medium moistness.

Hy-Top 100% Natural Raisins: These raisins are very sweet.  Oddly though, some of the raisins in same box are moist and some are drier. It is an inconsistent product.

Trader Joe's Organic Thompson Seedless Raisins: This product is moist to the point of being wet and is less sweet than the other options. It also tastes a bit more stale than the non-organic option.

Trader Joe's Thompson Seedless Raisins: These are very moist (but not wet) raisins.  They are nice and plump and are very sweet.

Taste winner: There is not a huge difference in taste, except for the Trader Joe's Organic (which I would not recommend) and the "wet" Kroger option, which I also would not recommend.  Other than those, just go with the cheapest option.

Nutritional Notes: All of these products have the same calorie level (130 per 42grams), fat content (Og), potassium (310mg) and protein (1g).  The only differences can be seen in sodium and carb levels, with Sun-Maid and Albertsons containing no sodium, while the rest have 10mg per serving. For carbohydrates, all products range from 31 to 33 g per serving.