12 Aldi Products That Will Fill Your Kitchen With Amazing Aromas

Aldi may have a reputation as a low-cost grocery store, but that doesn't mean its products are sub-par. The chain has tons of products under its private label that are just as good as, if not better than, many other big-name brands. In fact, some people say there are certain Aldi brand products that are better than the originals. Some of the most delicious Aldi finds of all time are items that not only taste great, but will also fill your kitchen with amazing aromas.

There's nothing better than waiting for a dish to cook and having heavenly aromas emanate throughout your kitchen. Think herb-infused pasta sauce bubbling away, chocolatey brownies baking in the oven, and zingy barbecue ribs caramelizing to perfection. Aldi also sells great scented products for the home like candles and fresh-smelling cleaners that can eliminate all sorts of unwanted smells.

If you're looking for the best foods to buy at Aldi and great household items that will make your kitchen smell incredible, these products will do the trick. Plus, they won't break the bank. Each product was chosen based on our own experiences and numerous customer reviews, and we'll go into further detail on that at the end of the article. 

Butter chicken is one of those dishes that's perfect for when you're craving something rich, creamy, and infused with Indian spices. While nothing beats homemade butter chicken, Burman's Butter Chicken Curry Sauce is a pretty solid stand-in when you don't have time to make sauce from scratch. The tomato-based sauce gets its lusciousness and flavor from natural ingredients like cream, butter, ginger, paprika, and tamarind. It's mild with just a subtle hint of heat, and a jar will set you back about $4 depending on location.

We can attest that this sauce smells amazing as it's simmering on the stove. You can really smell the spices and tomatoes wafting up from the pan. Many people suggest seasoning your chicken first to amp up the flavor and adding ingredients like onions, ginger, and cream. One Reddit user said, "Season some chicken with some Indian spices, sautée it with some garlic and ginger paste to get some good crust/color then add the sauce with a bit of water to thin it out. Let it simmer with about one tablespoon of butter and finish it with a bit of heavy cream. Tastes like the stuff from restaurants."

While some people may bypass Aldi's seafood aisle altogether because they assume that low cost means low quality, the truth is there are some types of fish worth buying at Aldi. One of those is the Mediterranean Herb Atlantic Salmon. Aldi uses fresh salmon that is Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certified, meaning it is produced safely and sustainably. Customers who have tried Aldi's salmon have great things to say about it. As one Reddit user said, "I'm a salmon snob and it's surprisingly good." At the time of writing, the salmon was selling for $10.99, although prices can vary from store to store.

The Mediterranean Herb Atlantic Salmon is rubbed with a vibrant spice mix that will fill your kitchen with herbaceous aromas as the fish cooks. You can pan-fry the fish on the stove, barbecue it on the grill, or broil it in the oven. The seasoned fish not only smells great but also wins big points for its flavor. Aldi Reviewer said, "No one in my family is a big fan of fish, but they all like this salmon with its rich meaty texture and just the right amount of flavor and seasoning." 

Nothing says comfort like a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup. Just the smell can bring back nostalgic memories of hot meals on cold days or being nursed back to health with that nourishing noodle-laden broth. Aldi has its own line of soups called Chef's Cupboard that are similar to big-name brands like Campbell's, but about half the price. The Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup is one that gets rave reviews for its savory chicken flavors and aromas.

Many people say the Chef's Cupboard Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup is even better than its Campbell's counterpart. Reviewers comment on the decent size of the noodles, the ample chunks of chicken, and the rich flavor of the broth. When Aldi Reviewer did a taste test of both chunky chicken noodle soups, they said, "All four of our testers found the Aldi soup to be more flavorful, although the Campbell's wasn't bad." You can't beat the price either. A can of the Chef's Cupboard Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup will cost you about $1.85 depending on your location.

One Aldi brand that many people (ourselves included) can't get enough of is Mama Cozzi's Pizza Kitchen. Since 2019, Aldi has been conducting annual surveys to find out which products customers love best and the Mama Cozzi pizzas consistently top the list. In fact, it was the first Fan Favorite brand to be inducted into Aldi's Hall of Fame in 2022. One smitten customer said, "I'm a huge fan of Mama Cozzi's. Cheap and delicious, can't beat it for the price and tastes better than 99% of frozen pizza."

Aldi offers a wide range of Mama Cozzi's pizzas including frozen versions and the Take and Bake pizzas, which are fresh but not cooked. You can opt for flavors like Pepperoni, Sausage Deli, Sloppy Joe Inspired, and Cheesy Mac n' Meat. There are also pizzas with thin crust, stuffed crust, rising crust, and cauliflower crust. Pop one in the oven and in no time your kitchen will smell like a pizza parlor. Plus, it can be cheaper than ordering pizza delivery. For example, an Original Thin Meat Lover's pizza cost only $3.49 at one store we checked out.

Aldi shoppers know to keep an eye out for seasonal products that are only available for a limited time. One of the chain's most popular summer products is the Fresh Grill Sweet Chili Lime Chicken Breast Skewers. Each package contains eight skewers with fresh chicken marinated in a zingy sweet chili lime sauce. You can grill them, sauté them, bake them in the oven, or throw them in the air fryer. As the chicken cooks, it releases aromas that bring to mind Latin and Asian flavors.

The skewers get tons of praise from customers, with many saying they love how easy they are to cook and how tasty the marinated meat is with a slight sweetness and tanginess. "They are flying off the shelves here," said one Aldi shopper. Another customer said, "The chili lime flavor wasn't super strong, but the flavor itself was really good." A package of eight skewers sells for about $7.49 depending on location, which is a good deal considering it works out to about $1 a skewer and all the preparation is done for you.

If you're looking for a product that will fill any room in the house with intoxicating aromas, consider a Huntington Home candle. The candles come in a wide range of scents, from Vanilla to Gardenia and Tropical Escape. Aldi often carries special seasonal scents too like Star Spangled Sangria, Pistachio Vanilla Bourbon, and Pink Pineapple Cake Pop. The three-wick, 14-ounce candles typically sell for about $4.49 and can burn for up to 60 hours.

Aldi's candles are so popular that there is even an Instagram account dedicated to them with the handle @aldi.candle.love. It's a great spot to get the low-down on the latest scents, as admins post the newest candles that come out and followers chime in with their reviews. Reddit is also abuzz with Huntington Home fans posting reviews and advice. For example, one user said, "When you find a scent you like, buy as many as you can. I sit here now, weeping that I only have one gardenia candle left." Another said, "For the price, how long-lasting they are, and the poignancy of the scent, it's a dream."

It's pretty hard to beat the smell of fresh garlic bread baking in the oven. So many grocery stores offer frozen garlic bread, but Aldi offers a line of fresh garlic breads that you can just stick in the oven and within five minutes they'll be filling your kitchen with dreamy aromas of buttery bread, roasted garlic, and melted cheese. The L'Oven Fresh Parmesan Romano Garlic Bread is one of the best smelling breads in the L'Oven Fresh line. And at about $3.29 (depending on location), it's a steal.

The 10-ounce loaf is hearth-baked and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese. Most people say that it's amazing on its own, but if you want to upgrade your store-bought garlic bread, you can add toppings like bacon or pesto. You can also grill it to add some extra smokiness and crunch. One customer said, "I am obsessed with the garlic loaf in the bag! I use them to make sandwiches." Aldi also sells garlic knots under the L'Oven Fresh line that people rave about. One customer commented, "I just tried Aldi garlic knots and they're so good that I immediately took the lord's name in vain upon biting into one."

You might think that buying meat at a budget grocery chain would be a bad idea, but many people say they've had good experiences with Aldi meats. The Park Street Deli products get particularly good reviews. The Park Street Deli Sweet & Smoky Baby Back Pork Ribs is a seasonal item that often comes out during grilling season. Slathered in barbecue sauce, the fully-cooked ribs are ready to throw on the grill or pop in the oven. You can also cook them in the microwave if you're strapped for time. They range from about $9 to $15.

The ribs win big points with customers for their delicious taste and aroma and the fact that they don't contain any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Aldi Reviewer said, "These came out of the oven tender, and they smelled great." One reviewer in the Aldi Nerd Community Recipe Group on Facebook said, "Never buy ribs anywhere else they are the best, best, best. Just had some last week and everybody that I tell to buy Aldi ribs agrees with me. Very meaty, not fat, and just plain delicious."

When you wake up to the delicious smell of coffee wafting from your kitchen, it makes it so much easier to get out of bed and take on the day. Coffee can be wildly expensive at some spots, but not if you shop at Aldi. The company's Barissimo brand of coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans that are sourced from suppliers that adhere to fair trade standards. It comes in whole beans, ground coffee, and coffee pods. You can also choose from dark roast, light roast, single-origin, and hazelnut or French vanilla flavors.

You'd be hard pressed to find quality coffee at prices cheaper than Aldi's. For example, at one store, a 12-ounce bag of the French Dark Roast Ground Coffee was priced at just $4.65. Not surprisingly, customers have a lot of good things to say about the coffee. One reviewer said, "Aldi does have some good coffee. It has a full bodied taste and it can be strong, not to mention the price." Another said, "I will not buy anything else! ... We brew it strong and drink it black and it's a huge hit when we have guests too!"

Specially Selected is Aldi's line of premium gourmet items. The collection includes pastas, cheeses, and pantry essentials like brownie mixes. Hardcore brownie fans will tell you that the Specially Selected Double Chocolate Brownie Mix is one of the absolute best Aldi finds. Many say it's indistinguishable from the much-loved and much pricier Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, and a box costs anywhere from $1.85 to $2.15 depending on location.

Bake up a batch of the Specially Selected Double Chocolate Brownie Mix and the first thing you'll notice is the delicious chocolatey aromas wafting out of the oven. Once done, you'll have delicious fudgy chocolate brownies speckled with real chocolate chips for extra texture and flavor. According to many customers, they're one of the best brownie mixes on the market. One reviewer said, "I have tried Betty Crocker, Ghirardelli, Duncan Hines. Well, yesterday I made the Specially Selected Double Chocolate brownie from Aldi and it is the richest and fudgiest out of all of them."

Step into a kitchen where the aromas of roast chicken are emanating out of the oven and you know that you're in for a great home-cooked meal. Sure, you could go to Costco and buy one of its famous rotisserie chickens, but that won't exactly fill your kitchen with those delicious, homey smells. If you want to cook your own whole roasted chicken at home, Aldi's Simply Nature Free-Range Organic Whole Chicken is a great buy. It's USDA-certified organic, non-GMO, free-range, and contains no artificial ingredients.

Many people say the chicken is ultra-tasty and tender, and it's comparable to many other organic chickens you can buy at other more expensive chains. It's the price point that many people love. As one customer said, "These whole chickens were the first things I started buying when I first started shopping there! When on a budget they are very budget-friendly because I can get four meals out of one chicken." The chicken sells for about $2.79 a pound, although prices may vary between locations.

If you love Rao's Homemade pasta sauces, but find that the prices can be a bit steep, we're going to let you in on a little secret: Aldi's Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce tastes almost identical to Rao's and is a fraction of the price. According to customers, there are only a few slight differences between the two. Some say Aldi's sauce has slightly less sodium, no oregano, and has pureed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. Overall though, many agree that this is a stellar sauce that smells and tastes amazing.

A 24-ounce jar of the Specially Selected Premium Marinara Sauce costs about $4.19 depending on your location. That's a great deal considering a jar of Rao's Marinara sauce will set you back about $10. In terms of the flavor, people have nothing but good things to say about Aldi's version. One shopper said, "I thought this one was pretty good ... had a fresh, lightly sweet taste (but not from added sugar) and was not overly salty, which is one of my main gripes about jarred sauces, including Rao's." Another said, "Aldi's Marinara is the only one we buy anymore. It's perfect on the tomato vs sweetness scale."

There are a ton of Aldi products that will fill your kitchen with incredible aromas, so narrowing down the best was no easy task. To start, we drew on our own experiences with great-smelling products that we buy regularly. Then we turned to other shoppers to see what products they love for their fantastic scents. 

We read through countless comments on forums like Reddit, social media platforms, and review sites like Aldi Reviewer. The key factors we were looking for were products that not only smell amazing, but also taste great, are top-quality, and — in the case of household items like candles — are ultra-effective. Value for money was also a critical factor.