11 Kitchen Staples You Should Buy At Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is a grocery store that's known for a ton of things. From its variety of affordably priced goods to its plethora of fun snack options (we personally recommend the Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers), shoppers can knock out a decent chunk of their shopping list at TJ's, sometimes even at a lower price than your average store.
However, we're not here to tell you all about why Trader Joe's is the best, or talk through some of their newest and most exciting desserts. Today, we're actually looking at the retailer's array of kitchen staples and which ones you should snag for your own space.
For TJ's, it's more than just the farmers market vibe or the range of dairy- or meat-free alternatives, many of which cater to plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian eaters. Many of Trader Joe's staple items boast an organic formulation, are made from premium ingredients, and have top-notch reviews from the store's fanbase. (Yes, Trader Joe's has fans.)
Stocking up your pantries or fridge can be an intimidating task. We've all been there, but if you haven't, never fear — as self-proclaimed expert Trader Joe's shoppers, we've compiled a list of the 11 best kitchen necessities everyone should have, all of which you can find at the nautical-themed store.
Check them out ahead, and happy shopping!
1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Regardless of how often you cook on a stovetop, everyone should have olive oil in their kitchen. While it was initially a staple in Mediterranean dishes like dips and dressings, olive oil has since been dubbed a superfood thanks to its high antioxidants and healthy fatty acids. You can use it for a ton of different food prep items, like roasting veggies, cooking proteins, or even drizzling some in a sandwich, with Trader Joe's Extra Virgin Olive Oil being a top pick.
The formulation of olive oil tends to range depending on the brand, but TJ's notes its olive oil qualifies as extra virgin due to the pressing of the olives. According to the website, it has no more than 0.8% acidity and has a great flavor and smell.
In a roundup of the best Trader Joe's olive oils, OliveOil.com found that this option is good for all-purpose use, making it a solid kitchen sample. The website's staff also noted that it has dominant olive, nutty, and buttery flavors — however, we've been using this olive oil in our kitchen for years, and we find that it gets the job done with every protein, veg, and dressing we toss it in.
2. Organic Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
Vanilla extract is another ingredient every baker should have in their collection. From cupcakes to French toast, this stuff really amplifies your average baking recipe with — you guessed it — the most delicious hint of vanilla. Trader Joe's Organic Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract is a great pick due to its organic formulation and concentrated vanilla flavor.
Despite the name, this vanilla extract doesn't contain any alcohol, instead sharing the origin place of bourbon whiskey. That being said, this buy from TJ's is made from vanilla that's been harvested using organic certified practices from islands in the Indian Ocean.
According to Trader Joe's, its bourbon vanilla extract features vanilla aromatics and notes of cream and spice. Reviewers were generally pretty pleased with the taste of this baking must-have, noting that it's a great add-on if you're looking for a hint of something extra.
One shopper wrote that they love adding it to cookies or cupcakes, but also warned others that it is a bit pricey. Currently, it's listed at $9.99 for 4 fluid ounces on the TJ's website.
3. Organic Free Range Chicken Broth
Chicken broth is the base of all delicious meals — well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it does serve as a necessity to basics like sauces, gravies, and soups. And, at $1.99 for a 32-fluid-ounce container, there's no reason not to stock up on TJ's Organic Free Range Chicken Broth.
Made from organically raised chickens and organic celery, onions, and carrots, this gluten-free broth even has a resealable pour spout, making it super easy to pop in your refrigerator for later use. (Yes, you're supposed to put opened chicken broth in the fridge — the more you know.)
Not only is this one of our favorite kitchen staples, but customers love this Trader Joe's pick, too. One shopper described it as an awesome broth for making different kinds of soups, noting that the fact that it's organic and free-range are great added bonuses.
That being said, folks who are gluten-intolerant should purchase with caution — one buyer said that while it's good for people who are sensitive to gluten, they have celiac disease and did get sick from it.
4. Organic Creamy Peanut Butter Salted Valencia
While Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Peanut Butter makes a mean PB&J, it's especially delicious when added to Asian-inspired peanut sauces, chocolatey cookies, or protein smoothies. The store goes above and beyond when it comes to its signature peanut butter formulation: It's made with Valencia peanuts, which, according to Trader Joe's, are grown only in Texas and New York. Valencia peanuts are naturally a bit sweeter and have a more intense peanut flavor in comparison to Runner peanuts, which are usually found in other peanut butters.
More impressively, this peanut butter has only two ingredients: organic Valencia peanuts and sea salt. The product listing explains there are no hydrogenated oils used to solidify the peanut butter, so you may notice that natural oils rise to the top. You can give the jar a quick stir to quickly fix this.
In a ranking of the best store-bought peanut butters, food blogger Minimalist Baker added this option to her list, highlighting the organic formula. She found it to be naturally slightly sweet yet bitter, so folks that are used to Skippy or Jif may want to stick to their faves.
5. Jasmine Rice from Thailand
Listen: Everybody needs rice in their pantry. It's a staple for a myriad of Asian cuisines, plus, it's a great add-on for everything from burrito bowls to classic chicken and veggie meals. Our favorite option from Trader Joe's is the Jasmine Rice from Thailand, a long-grain rice that, according to the website, has a "subtle, jasmine-like fragrance and soft, nutty flavor."
This rice is super-easy to prepare, too. Once you wash it (because, yes, you do need to rinse your rice before cooking it!), it only takes around 20 minutes on a stovetop or in a rice cooker. As a pro tip, TJ's recommends using coconut milk as the liquid instead of water, especially if you're planning to use it in dishes like fried rice or curry.
A recent review from Aisle of Shame absolutely raved about this rice. The reference site said that cooking the rice was a breeze and, once it was cooked, it had a great texture and delicious flavor.
6. Pizza Sprinkle Seasoning Blend
Trader Joe's has a plethora of different types of seasoning blends available, many of which are slightly less pricey than your average grocery store. And, if you're a frequent flyer in the pizza game, we recommend snagging the Pizza Sprinkle Seasoning Blend, a mix of Italian-inspired herbs and spices. It contains tomato powder, granulated garlic, paprika, sea salt, coriander, black pepper, and dried parsley, basil, and oregano, all of which work together for a zesty take on the classic meal.
While you can certainly sprinkle it on pizza dough at home, TJ's recommends putting it on sides like French fries and roasted cauliflower, or snacks like popcorn or pretzels. If you're a big pizza fan, it's one of those add-ons that can amplify any savory dish.
TJ's reviewer Sweet on Trader Joe's tested this seasoning blend out on parmesan crisps and said that it made them taste delicious, noting that the flavors of tomato, garlic, and oregano were super prevalent. She also wrote that it made her house smell like a pizzeria, which seems like a pretty sweet deal to us.
7. Italian Fusilli
Dry pasta is a must-have in any kitchen because it can be used as a grain in a ton of different meals. Trader Joe's sells a wide variety of different types of pasta, and the store's Italian Fusilli is just one of them. However, what we love most about TJ's collection of pastas and grains is how inexpensive they are: This 1-pound bag of fusilli is just $0.99.
Although the taste of pasta will typically depend on the sauce or dressing you put on it, the store has been selling its popular take on Italian fusilli for more than 25 years (!). TJ's recommends cooking these twirly shapes for 10 minutes in salted, boiling water, suggesting you add it to sauces, soups, or pasta salads.
When Become Betty reviewed this pasta shape, they noted it's a relatively basic product, writing that there's nothing super-special about it, but we'd argue that that's what makes it the perfect kitchen staple — it's versatile enough to wiggle its way into a variety of recipes and can be used at any time of year, unlike other more seasonal pasta shapes that are specifically made for certain meals.
8. Organic Diced & Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles
Trader Joe's Organic Diced & Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles are a tried-and-true necessity in our pantry. We absolutely love the store's slightly spicy take on regular diced tomatoes, mainly because it adds a bit of a kick to meals like chili, pasta arrabbiata, and even homemade marinara sauce.
Priced at $1.69 for a 14.5-ounce can, Trader Joe's says that these vine-ripened organic tomatoes are charred over a flame prior to being diced and canned. According to the store, this helps bring out the tomatoes' natural sweetness and hints of smokiness. From there, organic green chiles are diced and added to the tomatoes. However, if you don't have a taste for spicy foods, never fear — the spice level isn't otherworldly and more so offers a smoky flavor instead.
TJ's recommends adding these to salsa or cowboy-style caviar, but we suggest using them in this incredible garlic mushroom queso dip, too.
9. Multi-Floral & Clover Honey
Oh, honey, aren't you glad we included some honey?
Corny jokes aside, Trader Joe's Multi-Floral & Clover Honey is an adorable and delicious take on classic honey. Not to mention, it's only $3.99 for a 12-ounce bottle, a price point we can certainly get behind.
TJ's describes the taste as mildly sweet, explaining that the team used to call it Clover Honey, until they realized that bees were pollinating and foraging any old nectar around. (Respect to the bees.) Since then, the store swapped the same to include a multi-floral moniker.
Aldi Reviewer tried the store's honey in 2022 and noted that it's Grade A, which describes the value and utility of a food product. The tester said it tastes like any other store-bought honey they've purchased, and works well in sandwiches, yogurt, and tea.
So, what does that mean exactly? It's a decent pick, as described by Rachael at Aldi Reviewer, but it doesn't have any interesting flavor hints. It's a versatile formulation that can be used in anything, ranging from marinades to sweeteners, though TJ's does have other options available with stronger taste profiles, too (spicy honey included).
10. Ready Veggies
While Trader Joe's Ready Veggies aren't a pantry item, this bag of pre-chopped, ready-to-cook vegetables is a great buy, especially if you often struggle with adding greens to daily lunches or dinners.
At $2.99 for a 12-ounce bag, this medley of veggies includes broccoli florets, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, kale, carrots, and snow pea pods. TJ's explains you can toss 'em in the skillet, wok, oven, or even steam them in the microwave for a quick side. The store also recommends sautéing them in olive oil, salt, and pepper for an easy add-on, or you can pile on the seasonings for some enhanced flavor. (We personally recommend salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of red pepper flakes.)
Trader Joe's shoppers really love the Ready Veggies. One recent buyer wrote that they're a "lazy cook, and loved having everything chopped up and ready to go into the pot." Meanwhile, another reviewer said that they love to add this mix in with coconut aminos and cauliflower rice. Yum!
11. Butter Quarters, Unsalted
There's a lot to love about the Trader Joe's Unsalted Butter Quarters. And, before you question how there can be anything to love about butter, let me blow your mind: Each 1-pound package ($3.99) has four, 4-ounce quarters of butter. Additionally, the butter is made with Grade AA pasteurized cream that comes from cows who never received rBST hormones, a genetically engineered hormone typically injected into dairy cows to increase milk production.
Beyond its high-quality ingredients and affordable price point, we also love that the sticks of butter are split into quarters. This makes it super easy to use this ingredient for baking and cooking.
A necessity in our dairy collection, the taste is actually pretty top-quality, too. As described by Trader Joe's, these unsalted butter quarters do indeed boast a fresh, sweet, and creamy flavor profile, making them perfect for everything from butter cookies to chocolate banana muffins.