Sporked Awards 2025: Best Trader Joe’s Product

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Gwynedd Stuart | December 22, 2025 | 1 Comment

the best trader joe's items of 2025

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe's

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Shopping at Trader Joe’s is a lot like gambling. You’re gonna plunk down money for products that sound like winners but totally blow. Then, every once in a while, you’ll take your chances on something risky that changes your life forever (or at least until Trader Joe’s unceremoniously disappears your new favorite product from its shelves). Given that we’re not spending our own money on groceries here at Sporked, the stakes are pleasantly low and we’re able to try a lot of the products TJ’s cranks out. Lo and behold, we found a couple of real winners this year.

best trader joe's products of 2025

Runner-Up

Trader Joe’s Vegan Thai Green Curry

Nope, this isn’t a new Trader Joe’s product, but it made its first appearance in one of our taste tests this year, and we firmly believe it deserves a shout-out. There are SO many things that are good about this microwavable meal. The jasmine rice comes in a separate compartment from the saucy curry, so the rice stays firm and fluffy rather than soupy and gummy. The mix of veg in the curry is so unique: When’s the last time (if ever) you saw green baby eggplant in a TV dinner? And it’s totally vegan—we prefer the tofu skins to, like, 99% of the chicken in microwave meals. This is as good as, if not better than, Thai takeout.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

best trader joe's product of 2025

Winner

Trader Joe’s Cashel Blue Cheese Irish Potato Chips

These chips probably aren’t for everyone, but we happen to love the ripe, tangy, and, yeah, moldy flavor of good blue cheese—and these Trader Joe’s potato chips nail it. It’s a wild experience. When you first bite into one of these sturdy, ridged chips you might find yourself being like, “Wait, this is too much flavor.” But just let it wash over you. Accept the powerful funk. Better yet, EMBRACE THE POWERFUL FUNK. Pair these with TJ’s Buffalo Chicken Dip and you’re really in for a treat. Sadly, you won’t find these at Trader Joe’s year-round, but they usually return around the holidays. Now’s the time to grab a bag if you want to embrace the funk like we have.

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

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https://sporked.com/article/best-trader-joes-product-2025/

About the Author

Gwynedd Stuart

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.