Watch Out, Starbucks: Aldi's Holiday Cup Is Festive And Less Than $5
Starbucks may be best known for coffee and snacks, but its extensive line of reusable cups can also be sought after by collectors. Perhaps none are currently more desired than the Bearista, a limited-edition glass cup shaped like a teddy bear, which ignited a consumerist firestorm upon its November release. For those who missed the Bearista, this week's Aldi Finds include the brand's own cutesy holiday cups.
Rather than duplicating Starbucks' teddy bear design, Aldi's Crofton label just released the Holiday Ornament Glass Sipper, a clear glass cup designed to resemble traditional Christmas ornaments. Unlike Starbucks' $30 Bearista (which are being resold online for hundreds of dollars), Aldi's Glass Sippers are just $4.99.
The plural is important, too. Aldi's festive beverage holders are available in five designs: a gingerbread man with a capacity slightly over 9 ounces, Christmas trees made of either blue or green glass at a little over 12 ounces, or round ornaments in green or pink, which hold just over 13 ounces. No matter the size or shape, it's still more than six times cheaper than Starbucks' version (if you can even find that in stores anymore.)
Aldi's successful history of duplicating expensive products
Aldi shoppers know that these ornament sippers are far from the store's first products inspired by something similar. The same brand, Crofton, is the name on Aldi's incredibly popular duplicates of Le Creuset Dutch ovens. While not as timelessly durable as the real deal, it's an attractive and reliable alternative at a fraction of the Le Creuset cost — similar to the dynamics behind its new ornament sippers versus the viral Bearista.
It's also not Aldi's first time rolling out products obviously inspired by Starbucks. In 2023, Aldi duplicated Starbucks' cold foam with its own canned version. Although it's hard to compete with the freshness of Starbucks' house-made foam, Aldi's version tastes quite similar and is much more convenient than making your own every day.
The following year, Aldi duplicated Starbucks' famous egg bites with a similarly large frozen alternative. Unlike the cold foam, however, reviews on Aldi's breakfast egg bites were more mixed, with some complaints focusing on frozen and reheated spinach. But as far as a cute and festive holiday cup goes, Aldi's ornament cups will probably be much more well-received by fans.