The Hands-Down Best Store-Bought Beef Stock Isn't From Aldi Or Kroger

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If you want affordable beef stock, you don't need to sacrifice quality. You also don't necessarily have to shop at a traditional grocery store. When Tasting Table ranked nine store-bought beef stock brands from worst to best, the winner wasn't from Aldi or Kroger — it was from Target. Target's Good & Gather Beef Stock is just $2.19 for a 32-ounce carton, depending on location. Yet it's free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives — and it packs a powerful punch. 

The Good & Gather Beef Stock offers a rich taste that isn't too sweet or acidic. According to our taste tester, its profile was the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and umami essences, with hints of caramel and vegetables. The complexity of the flavors could pass for a much more expensive brand. As a bonus, in addition to being the most savory option they tried, it was also one of the least expensive. That means it's an easy and affordable alternative to making your own stock at home.

Target customers think its Good & Gather brand makes a five-star beef stock, too, giving it a close-to-perfect rating on the retail chain's website. With over 750 reviews, it's currently sitting at 4.6 stars, with 75% of customers recommending it. In these reviews, many shoppers shared that they were impressed with the quality of the ingredients in the Good & Gather broth. In one, a customer said, "The stock is amazing and has no questionable ingredients or yeast extract. So glad I found this!" One customer also wrote, "Where's the 6th star when you need it?" 

More than one person also pointed out the fact that the product isn't as expensive as other brands, with one reviewer calling the broth the "best bang for your buck." In another five-star review, a Target shopper claimed the broth was "just as high quality as similar products costing a lot more." They went on to say, "I used it both in soup & making gravy...end result was wonderful." Other customers offered some of the best ways to use the beef stock, including for cooking ramen and braised beef, making soup or gravy, and even feeding it to their cat.