Our Aldi Wish List for 2022

Last Updated on April 19, 2022

Aldi is constantly introducing new products either as limited-time specials or as everyday Regular Buys. Often, a product that starts as a special might eventually end up with a permanent spot on store shelves, if it’s popular enough. Still, because Aldi is a limited-inventory store without as much shelf space as traditional grocery stores, there are always going to be some gaps in what’s available. There are always a few things we wish Aldi sold, or that we wish Aldi sold on a more frequent basis.

Every so often, we ask our writers what items they’d like to see at Aldi in the coming year. These might be products Aldi has never sold before, or they might be products we haven’t seen in a while at Aldi. They might be products we wish Aldi would sell every day or products we wish Aldi would sell once a year or seasonally. Here are our thoughts. Feel free to chime in with your own Aldi wish list in the comments.

Rachael’s Wish List:

A tea Advent calendar. Aldi sells Advent calendars for almost everything else under the sun, including a coffee Advent calendar. So why not a calendar that gives a nod to that other popular hot drink? It could have a mix of different-flavored herbal teas, fruity teas, green teas, black teas, and more.

Clotted cream. This British favorite is good for spooning on top of scones, and Aldi sells scones several times a year, so it seems like this would make good business sense for Aldi. I usually only find clotted cream at international grocery stores, but Aldi is uniquely suited to sell a product like clotted cream because of its German/European origins and because it routinely sells other international products including German fare, Greek food, Indian-inspired food, ice cream from Eastern Europe, Italian food, and more. Aldi is like a miniature global grocery store. Plus, if Aldi can sell other British treats such as jarred lemon curd, surely they could sell jars of clotted cream once a year.

Single lemons and limes. These have been on my Aldi wish list for years. I often only need a single lemon or lime for a recipe, not an entire bag. I don’t want to always be making sugary drinks or desserts just to use up the bag. So I often make an extra stop at a traditional grocery store to buy a single fruit.

Potato salad and pasta salad. Aldi sells these only during the warmer months when cookouts and barbecuing are on the agenda, but if comments from our Aldi Reviewer readers are any indication, people don’t eat potato salad and macaroni salad only during the summer. It’d be nice to see basic versions of these sold all year.

Canned root beer. Aldi used to sell canned root beer under its Summit private label for soda. It was called Sudz Root Beer, and it was an excellent root beer comparable to Barq’s or A&W. Now Aldi only sells pricier bottled craft root beer, which is good, too, but I’d love to see Aldi bring the canned stuff back for a perfect accompaniment to family pizza night.

Fruity sodas. As far as I know, Aldi has never sold its own brand of fruity sodas such as orange, grape, or strawberry. I’d try them if Aldi offered them, especially because I’ve always preferred fruit-flavored soda over traditional colas like Coke or Pepsi.

Orchid flower pots. Aldi sells orchid plants several times a year. Orchids don’t like “wet feet” and grow well in pots specifically designed with drainage holes in the sides, but orchids aren’t usually sold in those specialized orchid planters. Considering how many orchids Aldi sells, it’d be good to see Aldi sell some of these orchid planters once in a while as a limited-time Aldi Find.

Swing sets and more big outdoor toys. Aldi in the U.S. does a pretty good job of offering outdoor recreation products as limited-time specials, ranging from swimming pools to giant inflatable sprinklers to nest swings. However, over the last few years, Aldi in the United Kingdom has sold some incredibly cool things I’m envious of, including a whole swing set, a smaller set with one swing, and a neat “pirate swing.” Aldi Australia has sold a swing set and even a teeter totter. It’s been a while since Aldi in the United States has sold a swing set. In addition, Aldi in the U.K. has sold some even more unique big play items such as a wooden treehouse with slide and even a wooden pirate ship. I’m jealous. Come on, Aldi U.S.

A chicken coop? I thought I’d share this as a joke, since I’ve researched backyard chicken keeping for years but have been hesitant to take the plunge. It turns out, Aldi in Australia actually did sell a chicken coop in 2019. It just goes to show that you never know what you might find in the Aisle of Shame.

Joshua’s Wish List:

Shelled peanuts. Aldi dry roasted shelled peanuts have come and gone as Aldi Finds and Seasonal Favorites. I’d love to see them as an everyday Regular Buy. They’re an amazing snack, even if they do make for a mess.

Licensed graphic tees. I’ve seen plenty of licensed toys over the years, and I’ve seen Aldi sell the occasional t-shirt. But it would be awesome to see the supermarket sell a few of those cult-following graphic tees you see at department stores. I’m sure a few Marvel or retro tees would make a stir as a summertime Aldi Find.

Whole chocolate milk. The chocolate milk in my area is usually 2%. That’s passable, but the whole stuff is the best, without question. Aldi does sometimes sell name-brand whole chocolate milk as an Aldi Find; I’d be a fan of seeing it under the grocer’s own private label, maybe even as a summer Seasonal Favorite.

Standing rib roast. This is the meat used to make a prime rib. I’ve read stories online about it being sold at certain stores in certain places in the past, but we’ve never spotted it in our stores or in our weekly ad. We’ve had a lot of success in recent years with Aldi meats and I’d very much like to try my hand at a prime rib.

Stovetop popcorn maker. Aldi has sold a couple of varieties of popcorn makers, including a carnival-like machine and a smaller mini-maker. One nifty device is a stovetop popcorn maker, which cooks the popcorn right on the range. I don’t think Aldi has ever sold one of those, and it would be a lot of fun to be able to get one.

An alarm clock worth owning. We’ve written about a number of different Aldi alarm clocks, and the one thing they have in common is that they generally are bad. Some of them have ridiculous button layouts, others are unintuitive, and still others are glitchy or lack simple features, like a display that isn’t overly bright. Just once it would be nice to get a clock that doesn’t require a college degree and a prayer to get it working right. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

Journey to India Tikka Masala. I miss you.

Elizabeth’s Wish List:

More organic potatoes. We love potatoes (who doesn’t?), so I buy them frequently. I like to avoid pesticides as much as possible, so I prefer organic varieties. Aldi sells a small bag of mini organic Yukon gold potatoes, but I’d love to see more organic varieties: russet, red, and sweet potatoes for a start. I’m craving homemade fries just writing this …

Fresh cod. I buy Aldi’s fresh trout or salmon nearly every week, and we enjoy both. They’re good quality and a better price than any other grocer in my area. Cod is another family favorite, and while Aldi occasionally sells large bags of frozen cod, they don’t offer it all the time or sell it fresh. If they did, I’d be first in line to buy it.

Fresh herbs (that aren’t parsley or cilantro). Have you heard of the cilantro gene? Apparently some people are genetically inclined to think that cilantro tastes metallic or soapy. That gene seems to run through my family, because they reject anything with even a hint of it. They’re not crazy about parsley either. I’d love to buy other herbs at Aldi: basil, chives, sage, etc. They’ve been expanding their produce section in recent years, so I hope they consider adding more fresh herbs, too.

More individual frozen entrées. Weekday lunches can be a struggle. I don’t mind making a healthy meal first thing in the morning or after work, but the middle of the day is a busy time for me, and I need convenience. I keep a supply of individual entrees in the freezer that I can quickly heat and eat between meetings and projects. Aldi has a few offerings, but there’s not much variety. I’d like to see them catch up with their Trader Joe’s cousins in the frozen food business.

Megan’s Wish List:

More Halloween costumes. Aldi sometimes sells onesie-style costumes like dragons or unicorns. I’d like to see them sell more types of costumes during the Halloween season, including princesses, superheroes, or different characters for both adults and kids.

More ice cream flavors. Aldi sells a decent variety of ice cream flavors as everyday Regular Buys, and they rotate some different flavors in seasonally. It might be nice to see a few more flavors occasionally like birthday cake or strawberry cheesecake.

What’s on your Aldi wish list? Let us know in the comments.