Brand Names vs. Off-Brand: Which Wins?

Sept. 4, 2009 -- Everyone knows buying generic foods is easier on the wallet. Last year almost a quarter of all food served in American homes was a store brand.

But how do these store brands taste?

Consumer Reports' senior project editor Mandy Walker helped "Good Morning America" find out if those cheaper store brands taste as good as their big name counterparts.

The results were a surprise. We put popular store brands to the test against big national brands and found that in many cases, the store brands were better and cheaper. A lot cheaper.

The generic store brands cost, on average, 27 percent less. So what are you paying for?

"There's a lot of marketing involved," said Walker. "We're all familiar with them, and they have paid big money for that."

A lot of the store brands are even made by some of the big name brands, she said.

"It's just a matter of personal taste."

PizzaName Brand: $6.20 per pieVersus:Store Brand: $5.02 per pie

A "Good Morning America" audience member named Ron tried both the store brand and the brand name and chose the store brand.

However, Walker said that Consumer Reports found that they were both flavorful and tasted fresh-baked.

The DiGiorno pizza was a bit less spicy and had a bit fresher flavor. The Archer Farms generic from Target had more pepperoni, so meat lovers might like that. And it costs at least $1 less.