I tried Quaker porridge pot dupes – the winner beat Aldi and will shave two thirds off your grocery bill
PORRIDGE pots are a quick and easy option for busy families on the go.
Single-serve pots have oats, milk powder, and sometimes sugar too, and you simply pour boiling water to the line and give it a mix.
While healthy and filling, the cost can quickly add up when buying the best-known brand.
Quaker's Oat So Simple will set you back £1.30 at Tesco and Sainsbury's - though you may find it cheaper on deal or with a loyalty card.
Several supermarkets offer their own versions though, and all are cheaper.
But how would they taste? I put Quaker dupes to the test to find out.
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I gave each pot a score out of 10 for taste and price to give a total score out of 20 .
Quaker Oat So Simple Original Porridge Pot
- £1.30
- £2.89/100g
- 45g
I was greeted by big clumps of dried milk, when I opened the Quaker pot
I tried to break up the clumps before adding water but couldn't get them all, meaning t it didn't mix well and was lumpy and gritty.
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It could have been sweeter too, though you can add your own extras.
- Taste: 4/10
- Price 2/10
- Overall: 6/20
Tesco Instant Oats Original Porridge
- 45p
- 82p/100g
- 55g
Tesco's pot was the biggest at 55g, along with Morrisons.
The contents definitely needed more water than the line suggested, as it quickly became stodgy and firm.
I felt it was quite boring to eat due to the lack of flavour.
- Taste: 6/10
- Price 8/10
- Overall: 14/20
Sainsbury's Porridge Pot Original
- 65p
- £1.30/100g
- 50g
Sainsbury's was the most expensive dupe I tried, though still half the price of Quakers, so I was expecting the taste would live up to the price tag.
It was quite gloopy and congealed by the time it had stood for the suggested two minutes.
Granted the tub does say it is no added sugar but I really hadn't expected it to be quite so bland - it almost resembled mushy cardboard, which didn't add to the appeal.
- Taste: 3/10
- Price: 4/10
- Overall: 7/20
Asda Original Porridge Pot
- 50p
- £1/100g
- 50g
Asda's pot was too watery despite adding the recommended amount of liquid - it didn't seem to absorb well at all.
It had a sloshy consistency that wasn't pleasant.
The taste was better but too sickly for me, and there was no room for adding any of your own toppings like with some of the others.
- Taste: 5/10
- Price: 5/10
- Overall: 10/20
Morrisons Original Porridge Pot
- 45p
- 82p/100g
- 55g
Morrisons' pots are also a decent size, the only other dupe with a 55g tub, as well as Tesco.
The flavour was sweet enough, not too much or too little, you wouldn't need to add any sweetener.
I did find the consistency was a bit too gloopy for my liking, in future I would probably use less water than recommended.
It was filling though and would be a hearty breakfast.
- Taste: 8/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall: 16/20
Lidl Crownfield Original Oh So Easy Porridge Oats Pot
- 41p
- 82p/100g
- 50g
Lidl's porridge pots were the cheapest, along with Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi.
I found they had a good consistency, squidgy but still relatively solid.
I was also impressed by the balance between plain and sweet, they did have added sugar but not too much.
I really could have eaten the entire thing and was certainly top of the pots.
- Taste: 9/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall: 17/20
Aldi Harvest Morn Original Instant Oats
- 41p
- 82p/100g
- 50g
I spotted clumps of milk powder in Aldi's dupe, just like Quaker's pot.
As with the branded version, these were tricky to break up, leaving it on the gritty side.
I found the porridge was also too runny, despite adding the suggested amount of liquid.
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This pot also had no added sugar and would find it a bit of chore to eat the whole tub without adding some sweetener.
- Taste: 5/10
- Price: 8/10
- Overall: 12/20
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