We compared 5 Wegmans-brand products with their name-brand counterparts and saw why the regional grocer's brand is worth the hype

We started the comparison by picking up items from the Wegmans store in Brooklyn, New York. We bought all the Wegmans-brand products there and even picked up a few of the name-brand products as well.

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Then we picked up the rest at a local Target in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood.

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We tried to find products there that were comparable to the Wegmans products.

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All in all, we picked up five products from each brand group. Now that everything was bought, we started tasting.

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1. PEANUT AND ALMOND BUTTER CUPS — We couldn't find any peanut butter cups under the Wegmans brand, so we settled on some almond butter cups that cost a whopping $9.99.

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We compared those to Reese's miniature cups, a beloved fan favorite that we also picked up Wegmans for $3.99.

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For this comparison, we had Business Insider's Irene Jiang do the tasting. She said that the Wegmans-brand cup was incredibly rich and the chocolate was incomparable, though the cup shape fell apart the moment she bit into it.

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In contrast, she said that the chocolate in the Reese's cup was flimsy and the peanut butter was clearly of lower quality.

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WINNER: Wegmans — Though the Wegmans brand was more expensive and was not a true peanut butter cup, the snack beat out the name-brand favorite for its decadent, high-quality chocolate.

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2. CEREAL — It's hard to beat out a classic like General Mills' Honey Nut Cheerios, but we still decided to put the Wegmans brand to the test.

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The Wegmans cereal was made in an "O" shape, but it was vanilla-flavored as opposed to honey.

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The Honey Nut Cheerios had a higher calorie count than the Wegmans-brand but cost slightly less.

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The pieces in the name-brand cereal were smaller and tasted more densely packed. The Wegmans-brand cereal was airier and a bit sweeter.

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While we liked the way the Cheerios were toasted, something about the Wegmans cereal made us hungry for more.

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WINNER: Wegmans — Here, the underdog took the cake. We couldn't get enough of the understated, airy Wegmans alternative to a classic breakfast.

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3. PITA CHIPS — In a head-to-head with this snack from Trader Joe's, Wegmans won, though by a subtle margin. For this comparison, we picked up the classic Stacy's-brand chips.

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Read more: We compared products from Wegmans' brand with the same items from Trader Joe's to see which beloved private label is better

Admittedly, we were nervous we wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two brands when we initially opened the bags.

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As we expected, there was basically no discernible difference between the two chips. When it came to taste, the story was practically the same.

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Upon closer inspection, we saw that the Stacy's chips looked a bit more toasted than the Wegmans ones and also had a slightly lower calorie count.

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WINNER: Tie — The difference in taste between the two, if any, was so subtle, that we decided to call it a tie between the two pita chips brands.

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4. HUMMUS — We opted for the smaller version of Sabra's classic hummus to pit against the Wegmans brand.

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The Sabra hummus definitely had that classic hummus taste. It also had more movement and seemed like it could spread easily.

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The Wegmans hummus was stiffer and creamier in texture, but the taste was completely unique and unlike any hummus we had ever tasted.

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WINNER: Wegmans — The compact Wegmans hummus won us over with its lemon-infused taste and creamy texture.

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5. GRANOLA — For this comparison, we went with Nature Valley's classic honey and oats granola versus Wegmans coconut and baobab granola.

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Both bags looked about the same size and had similar design elements. The calorie count for the Nature Valley granola was only slightly higher than the Wegmans-brand granola.

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The name-brand granola came in slightly larger chunks overall and the sweetness of the honey taste was immediately overwhelming from the first bite.

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In terms of texture, both brands packed a powerful crunch.

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WINNER: Wegmans — The name-brand granola could not compete with the Wegmans coconut and baobab-flavored granola, which had the perfect blend of sweet and savory.

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