I bought several boxes of Casbah Cremolina Hot Cereal Apple Cinnamon at Big Lots and this stuff is awful! The health benefits printed on the box sounds great and that is why I bought it. It is a nasty, horrible, ucky, food. Try one box before buying a lot. I am sure glad I tried it before giving it to the kids to eat thinking it would be like flavored Cream of Wheat.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 29, 1999

Answers

carol, what about your other purchases at Big Lots? We have one close by but I'm always a bit concerned about buying food from these types of places.

-- (rcarver@inacom.com), October 29, 1999.

I really hope you all are trying the stuff you buy from these close-out stores. Usually there is a good reason its being sold so cheap. Old food, bad flavor, incorrect labeling, etc. Friends of mine bought some stuff at Costco and hated 8 out of the 10 things they bought.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 29, 1999.

I always buy from Big Lots and the food has been fine. It is just this one brand that really surprised me and it could be in any store. The canned seedless grapes are a big hit in our house and Big Lots is the only store that carries them im my area. I enjoy the variety of products that Big Lots carries that most local grocery stores do not. And I bet there are folks out there that really loves that cereal, but it sure tasted like hot sand to me.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 29, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

The big box stores sell exactly the same merchandise as is available at smaller grocery stores, except that it is either packed in the larger size containers or banded together to force a quantity purchase.

These stores turn inventory even faster than the other stores, so expirations shouldn't be a problem unless they're not rotating properly. I haven't found rotation to be a problem, there. However, you may find very slow turns at restaurant supply houses that do not specialize in food, but in equipment, while carrying food as a sideline.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), October 29, 1999.

Haven't tried that particular item. Most of the stuff we have tried from Big Lots has been decent. The tomatoes (canned) from a Canadian producer have been excellent. Some of the off brand stew has been kinda ho-hum. We usually try something before buying a quantity.

regards,

Gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), October 29, 1999.