The Aldi 'Dupe' That's Actually Nothing Like The Original

I don't consider myself to be an impulse shopper, nor do I consider myself easily influenced by what other people are buying, both in real time and on social media. But there are some occasions when I walk down the aisles of my local Aldi, scanning what other people are putting in their carts, and say, "You know what sounds really good right now?" That was the case for a certain cheesy Aldi dupe.

When I saw a fellow shopper with a bag of Clancy's Cheese Curls to their cart, I felt an urge to add one to mine. They're only $2.09 for an 8.5-ounce bag, a steal compared to name-brand Cheetos, which are priced at my local Walmart at $5.05 for the same size. However, after eating a couple handfuls in my truck on the way home, I realized why people pay almost twice as much for Cheetos. 

While I won't say that the Aldi curls are bad (they're cheese curls, after all), they lack the same flavorful, cheesy, and almost rich flavor of Cheetos. They're lackluster in both flavor and color, and I just couldn't see myself buying them again. I would much rather eat Aldi potato chips — specifically, the Jalapeño Kettle Chips — as their quality and flavor are better overall. 

Some Aldi customers say this dupe is better than the name-brand, but I have to disagree — and it seems like there are some shoppers out there who would side with me on that too. "I got some last week and they were completely tasteless. It was like snacking on cardboard shreds. So disappointing," said one Aldi shopper on Reddit. 

Other Aldi shoppers on the same thread noted that the product used to be good, but the recipe has changed. They just don't taste as cheesy as they used to taste! I bet they are trying to save money by reducing the amount of cheese used," another Reddit user speculated. Considering shrinkflation and other cost-cutting measures are frequent complaints customers make at Aldi, I can't say I'm surprised.

Although I was really underwhelmed by this Aldi dupe, there are some cheese curl loyalists out there that regularly add this item to their cart. "Clancy's are in a league of their own!" one user proudly proclaimed on Reddit after allegedly doing a side-by-side tasting of Cheetos and the Aldi brand. I guess you'll just have to try them for yourself and make your own conclusion.