Friday, October 17, 2008

GF Product Reviews and Locator

Here's a new feature at GFR which I envision will become a living post.

Please leave a comment here about your favorite Gluten Free product whether it be Rice Macaroni and Cheese, cookies or beer. Write a little blurb about it and why you like it or don't like it. Provide your own little GF Food review if you will. As much information as you want to include to help others more easily navigate the GF maze.

Please also comment here (can be in the same comment as a GF Food Review) as to where you currently buy the GF product and how much it cost the last time you purchased it (if you can remember).

This is designed to be a one stop post for readers to quickly find information about Gluten Free products that others have tried as well as the reviewers feedback on the product (like vs. disliked). Please post if you tried something and did not like it so that others of us don't waste $6 on a loaf of cardboard bread!

I have added this post to the Hot Links section which will allow you to easily find it as it moves off the first page.

55 comments:

Unknown said...

I'll start.
My favorite GF Beer is RedBridge made by Anheuser-Busch. I currently buy it at Lowe's Foods, Kroger, Whole Foods and Taz's Downtown Market. The price is usually $7.50 - $10 per 6 pack.

Unknown said...

My favorite Mac & Cheese is Annie's Rice paste and Cheddar (blue box) which currently only find at Whole Foods. Tip - you can also steal the cheese mix out of craft and use it with rice noodles!

Unknown said...

I am partial to Blue Diamond Nut Thins (multiple flavors) which I can find at Kroger and Whole Foods. Cheddar is best and leaves your fingers cheetos orange.

Unknown said...

While I am at it, I have tried all the flavors of Perky O's and the all are horrible. Don't waste your money. If you still want to go there, they can be found at Kroger and Whole Foods.

Unknown said...

Speaking of good cereal and cereal bars, I love anything EnviroKids. I have tried the Amazon Frosted Flakes, Gorilla Munch, Koala Crisp and Panda Puffs where were all yummy. They also have Crispy Rice Bars (chocolate, peanut butter, fruit burst and berry) which are awesome. Their new flavor (peanut cocoa drizzle is my favorite). I usually find these treats at Kroger and Whole Foods.

Unknown said...

Glutino makes all kinds of yummy GF snacks like crackers and pretzels. Their pretzels (sticks and bow ties) are both really good and come in family size bags (I think they cost around $6). I can only find these at Whole Foods. Their crackers (kinda like Ritz) are also pretty good and now come in Cheddar.

Sarah said...

2 GF staples I cannot ever be without:
Bob's Red Mill GF Oats - found in Kroger and Whole Foods and online. Around $5 per bag. Great if you're addicted to oatmeal.

Yoplait yogurt! - found practically anywhere for about $.50 per container

Ok 3 & 4:
Bob's Red Mill almond meal and blue corn meal - great for high protein, high fiber baking! - found at Whole Foods; not sure of price.

Sarah said...

Do Glutino pretzels make anyone else sick? I haven't determined any other allergens to which I'm sensitive, but this is the only GF food that I absolutely cannot ever eat without getting sick.

Unknown said...

I made chicken parm the other day with Gillian's Foods Bread crumbs. they are pretty good (mixed with a little parm cheese). Found at Whole Foods.

Unknown said...

Sarah - Bob's Red Mill is great all around. I tried their Homemade Wonderful Bread mix and it turned out great! I found it at Whole Foods.

Unknown said...

Kinnikinnick makes some cookies that look and taste just like Oreo. My nutritionist gave them to me but I have not seen them anywhere in stores around here. I know I can get them online. I wish I had some of these!

Unknown said...

For lunch meats - I usually get Boar's Head (Lowe's Foods) or a newer product from Hormel called Natural Choice. It is labelled GF on the back. I usually find this at Lowe's Foods also.

Unknown said...

Oh - I cannot leave out the Bell & Evans Gluten Free Chicken Breast Nuggets and Gluten Free Chicken Breast Tenders, both breaded with Rice and Corn Flour. They are excellent and can be found in the frozen food section at Whole Foods.

Anonymous said...

I bought GF Kinnikinnick oreos from Whole Foods in Raleigh. Mi-Del makes a new cookie button -- chocolate caramel--that's really yummy. Bob's Red Mill brownie mix is really good too.

Pam Markley said...

I have been on the search for Gluten Free Pizza Crust and finally found one that is AWESOME! I made it when family was in town and they agreed, they didn't realize it was gluten free until I told them...

It's a staple in my pantry.

Gluten Free Pantry french bread and pizza crust mix.

I have only been able to find it online at glutenfree.com or gluten free mall. I heard they used to carry it at Whole Foods but I haven't seen it there.

Pam Markley said...

Gluten Free Bars:

Lara bars and KIND bars are my favorite.

Pam Markley said...

BBQ Sauce...a North Carolina Favorite...

Bone Suckin Sauce...all varieties.

Pam Markley said...

Brownies...

Trader Joes brand gluten free brownie mix.

Cookies:
Bob's red mill chocolate chip cookies.

Anonymous said...

Gluten Free Pantry Brownie mix is delish!! So is the Trader Joe's as someone else said...Trader Joe's also has a frozen peanut butter cookie product that is a bake'n'eat--it is convenient and very good--can't tell it's GF...I like to press M&M's in them (I say it's for the kids, hahahaha!!).

Anonymous said...

For bread mixes of an Italian variety (pizza crust, bread sticks, etc), Chebe (online only as far as I can tell)are really good. It makes a dough that your can expetiment with. I made Foccahia rolls out of the pizza dough mix. They have a variety pack that you can buy from the website. Don't get your hopes up on the cinnimon rolls though

Anonymous said...

Kinnikinnick makes a really great sandwich bread. The closest thing to real bread I have found. I get it at Whole foods in the frozen foods section and I have seen it at some Krogers. I think it is around 5 or 6 dollars.

Jen said...

I really like Mary's Gone Crackers. I buy them at Kroger.

Unknown said...

Here is some more information about Bob's Red Mill.

Gluten Free Products - http://www.bobsredmill.com/home.php?cat=109

Where to find Bob's Red Mill - http://www.bobsredmill.com/storefinder.php

Unknown said...

Another favorite of mine is Thai Kitchen. Here is their allergy info page - http://www.thaikitchen.com/allergyinfo.html.

Here is where you can find their products (scroll down for NC) - http://www.thaikitchen.com/storelocations.html.

Unknown said...

As for Pamela's products - I have not been disappointed with anything they offer... Here is more information about their products - http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Products_frames.html.

Here is their allergy page (everything they make is GF and made in a dedicated facility) - http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Allergy.html.

Here is information on how to purchase their products (they do not have a specific grocery store listing but they can be found easily in Raleigh stores) - http://www.pamelasproducts.com/Purchasing.html.

Unknown said...

Mary's Gone Crackers was mentioned earlier - here is their products page - http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/ns/products.php.

Along with their store locator - http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/ns/store-locator.php.

Unknown said...

Glutino is another big GF company with many great products. I have tried their frozen mac-n-cheese and it was pretty good.

Here is their product page - http://www.glutino.com/content/view/53/62/.

Here is their page for where to buy - http://www.glutino.com/content/view/40/53/.

Unknown said...

Conte's Pasta has a whole new line of Gluten Free items - see the products page here - http://www.contespasta.com/specialty.htm. I'm excited to try the Pierogies!

Here is their where to buy page - http://www.contespasta.com/GF_stores.htm.

It looks like you can also order their food if you are a restaurant also! We might want to mention this to our local places...

Unknown said...

Here is another yummy company called Cinderella Sweets (Shabtai-Gourmet) which has all kinds of delicious GF dessert items.

See their product listing here - http://shabtai-gourmet.com/?page=products&pagenum=1&m=72.

Here is the store locator - http://shabtai-gourmet.com/index.cfm?page=locator. I couldnt find anything near zip code 27601 but will be emailing them to find out if any retail stores in Raleigh are carrying their products. Looks like online only for now.

Unknown said...

Pam mentioned KIND bars - here is more information about them...

Products page - http://www.kindsnacks.com/catalog/index.php.

Where to buy - http://kindsnacks.com/store_locator/store_locator.php. Looks like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's is where to get these yummy treats!

Unknown said...

If you are like me and love Pot Pie, here is a GF version made by Twin Hens....

Product page - http://www.twinhens.com/products.html.

Where to buy - http://www.twinhens.com/retaillocations.html - looks like no NC locations. I will be contacting them also requesting an NC presence. Until then, its online ordering.

Unknown said...

Another company I've heard great things about is Gluten Free and Fabulous.

Check out their products listing here - http://www.glutenfreefabulous.com/products.html.

Here is where to buy - http://www.glutenfreefabulous.com/locations.html. Only 1 location in NC (Forest City wherever that is). But you can buy them online at Amazon.com.

Unknown said...

Kinnikinnick is hard to say and spell but they have yummy products also. They have been previously mentioned. I will add that I have tried their 7" frozen pizza crust and was not as let down as I normally am when trying frozen GF pizza crusts. This company has been making GF products in a dedicated facility since 1991!

Here is their website (a little slow by the way) - http://www.kinnikinnick.com.

Unknown said...

The Kinnikinnick oreos are called KinniTOOS Chocolate Sandwich Creme Cookies.

Looks like their products are definately carried at Harmony Farms in Raleigh.

Anonymous said...

For a healthy chip/cracker, I really like Mr. Crispers sea salt and pepper rice crisps. I know there are other flavors too like white cheddar and herb that also sound really good.

Also, for snack bars, I really like Zone Perfect bars and would never have guessed they were gluten free until my nutritionist verified it for me!

Unknown said...

Visited WF last night and found a bunch of new (new since I was last there) Kinnikinnick frozen products. They had bagels, hot dog buns, hamburger buns and english muffins. Anyone tried these?

Anonymous said...

My son likes all of the frozen Kinnikinnick bread products. They're pretty crumbly though. Best to toast.

lindan said...

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Harmony Farms. They have a great selection of GF products - corner of Millbrook and Creedmoor. If they don't have what you are looking for, ask Steve. He has ordered many things for me.

BJ's deli meats are GF and much cheaper than Boars Head. The ham is almost as good and the turkey is better.

I love the Glutino Spinach and Feta pizza. They also make a cheese which is not bad but I prefer the spinach and feta.

Anonymous said...

Foods by George Plain English Muffins are amazing!
$5.49 at Whole Foods for a package of only 4, but so worth it. I love them toasted with peanut butter and even use them to make English Muffin pizzas. Check out my favorite food list on my new blog.
http://www.glutenfreeoptimist.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

ThinkThin bars (with 20g protein in a 60g bar!) are fabulous, especially the white chocolate crisp one, the chocolate mudslide one, the chocolate brownie one and the chocolate fudge one. (I would really check carefully about those Zone bars because when I last looked at the ingredients of one or two, they definitely contained gluten.)

I agree that for white bread, the Kinni... bread is the best. For toasting, I like Prairie bread or sundried tomato bread from the local GF bakery (in the freezer section at WholeFoods).

The best pancake and waffle mix is the one in the white plastic bag. I think that is also the unpronounceable, unspellable company beginning with "Kinni..." Fabulous!

My favorite pasta is the GF rice pasta in the blue box available very cheaply in Walmart (much cheaper than the same product in WholeFoods).

For cottage cheese I prefer the tangy "Nancy's" from WholeFoods. Also the GF fat free "Great Value" Walmart cottage cheese, and the Great Value Walmart fat-free cream cheese. (Their other cream cheese is also GF. Check the label.)

Since oats, according to my gastroenterologist, contain gluten, even if they say they don't, I avoid oats and instead love the Bob's Red Mill Creamy Rice hot cereal, whose only ingredient is organic whole grain brown rice. (I dislike the other similar hot cereal by Bob's Red Mill.)

Best cookies: Pamela's coffee chocolate chip cookies -- fabulous!

Ice cream: Ben and Jerry's and Hagen Dazs -- look carefully at the ingredients and avoid any that have obvious gluten. Both companies have confirmed to me that their "natural flavors" do not contain gluten. Karamel Sutra or Coffee Heath Bar Crunch - yum! For Cookie Dough, their is a different brand whose ice creams are generally dairy free and some gluten-free too. Available in Kroger in the section with frozen health foods.

Best restaurants in the area for GF dining, in my limited experience: Fins, Second Empire, Angus Barn, Vivace, the Cary Ruth's Chris,and The Twisted Fork at Triangle Town Center mall - but ALWAYS call ahead and talk to the chef before you dine anywhere, then when you get there, again, ask to speak to the chef, and watch out for blue cheese (often contains gluten) and sorbet (which contains pectin, which is often not pure pectin but often contains gluten). Even at the best places you have to know what you are doing and check everything carefully with the chef. I hear Lilly's Pizza is good but have not yet been there. I personally am sick sick sick of Outback because the GF dessert menu never seems to change.

I generally no longer bother using those expensive mixes (like for cake, bread, etc) except my favorite pancake and waffle mix as above. They are soooo expensive. I have experimented and have discovered that you can substitute with a mixture of different GF flours plus Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum for bread and cakes. I use approx 2 parts whole grain rice flour, 2 parts sorghum flour, 1 part starch such as tapioca starch, and a bit of one of the gums. I don't bother measuring, but look on the packet for their recommendations. Much cheaper than buying mixes. I tend to avoid garbanzo bean and other bean flours because unless they are cooked for a long time at high heat, they make the finished product taste unpleasant (so I dislike some of Bob's Red Mill mixes because they include bean flours).

Best cake recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/Cordon-Bleu-Chocolate-Roulade-287164 - follow the recipe exactly and use a LARGE bowl to mix the ggs and sugar, and don't worry if it seems to go too hard when adding the chocolate -- just add a bit of egg white, then a bit more, until it is easier to fold. Light and ultra rich and chocolaty. Use chocolate with a high proportion of cocoa solids and look at the ingredients carefully to check it is GF. I make it in tiny silicon muffin pans and cook for a short time. Do not overcook. Undercook!

Do check out Walmart for LOADS of explicitly labeled gluten free products all over the grocery store. Look for the label usually on the botten back left in tiny letters.

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for a sandwich bread, basically all have been terrible. For the ones that you like, since they are all frozen that I have seen, how do you guys prepare them. I am a newly diagnosee and am having trouble getting this stuff right.

Sarah said...

I love Sami's Bakery Millet and Flax Bread. You can find it at EarthFare near Brier Creek (Raleigh) in the refrigerated - not frozen - section of the baked goods department (left side of the store). I keep it in the fridge, otherwise it grows mold faster than I can eat the loaf. Then simply toast it or you can eat it untoasted - it's not gummy and dense like most GF breads I've tried. Good luck with your new diagnosis, Anon. It takes practice, but this blog is full of helpful stuff.

Jen said...

I love Sami's bread, too! I've actually started ordering my bread directly from Sami's Bakery...it's cheaper that way IF you order quite a bit of product at a time. I have friends who order with me, so it cuts down on the shipping costs. Sami's has lots of delicious millet & flax prodcuts. I like their Plain Flax bread and chips the best!!

www.samisbakery.com

Anonymous said...

Locator tool for restaurants serving and stores selling Red Bridge beer;

http://www.redbridgebeer.com/

Anonymous said...

I was in Whole Foods in Cary yesterday and found Gluten Real frozen cookie dough. I bought the chocolate chip and sugar cookies. The choc chip cookies were pretty good - especially right out of the oven! I'll let you know about the sugar cookies. There were some other flavors as well. Cost was between $5 and $6 - makes 12 cookies.

Anonymous said...

My absolutely favorite place to buy baked goods is from the Grainless Baker. They are located in PA and ship to our area. I've had their cookies, pies, brownies, and just about everything else. Never disappointed!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the ideas! We have a 2 yr old w/ Celiac so we're always looking for good toddler food.

Dr. Praeger's sweet potato cakes are tasty. Can be purchased at Harris Teeter or Target http://www.drpraegers.com/
Looks like they have other gf options but have to see them in stores.

Zach said...

I'm trying Glutino frozen meals for the 1st time today for lunch. I'm having Chicken Penne Alfredo which is pretty good. They also make Chicken Pomodoro, Chicken Pad Thai and Chicken Ranchero which I have not tried yet. All of these can be found at Harmony Farms - I've never seen them anywhere else - for about $6.

Zach said...

I had my first ice cream cone in almost a year - found these GF cones at Harmony Farms for $4 per box. I have not seen GF ice cream cones anywhere else. They are called Let's Do... Gluten Free Ice Cream Cones... Check out http://www.edwardandsons.com/ldo_shop_cones.itml for more info. They tasted like a normal cone!

Anonymous said...

I just noticed that the Trader Joe's brand GF macaroni and cheese is actually repackaged Annie's - the cheese sauce packet in the box is stamped "Annie's GF!" This is our favorite, and TJ's brand is slightly cheaper.

Zach said...

The GF version of Honey Nut Chex is now at the Cary Harris Teeter next to ZPizza!

Jen said...

And I just bought two boxes at the McKrimmon/Davis HT in Cary (Morrisville, maybe)? lol.

I got the last two boxes, and there were 3 boxes of the 'old' kind...but at least we know they are carrying them now! yippee!

Anonymous said...

Also found them at the Harris Teeter in Cameron Village (Raleigh).

Anonymous said...

Does anybody know where I can buy gluten free corn tortillas? What brands? I know FoorforLife and Mission make them, but I can't find them. I have bought some flour tortillas at Whole Foods, but they had only flour and only one size.
Many thanks!
Kathy

Sarah said...

Wal-Mart's Great Value corn tortillas are gluten free. They are on the bread aisle. Wal-Mart also carries the GF corn chex in Brier Creek now!

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