Cheap VS Steep Spaghetti Meatballs

[@mrbarrylewis]

Wanna see more cheap vs steep recipe attempts? Head here, it's a real eye opener kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5LapZ6CnriLfrs If you'd like to make the recipe, head here with some notes on our personal favourite combo of items barrylewis.net/recipe/spaghetti-meatballs-cheap-vs-steep/

[@Kelly-12344]

Would you be able to dollar conversion for us Americans?

[@Aracore]

If you were really gonna go all in, you should have both made your own pasta as well.. Good meat and good tomatoes ALWAYS.

[@jeanlongsden1696]

@@Kelly-12344 could you not use a converter yourself, seeing as you have access to the internet?

[@jeanlongsden1696]

you cant really just use any old wine in dishes. you need to use wines that you like. as you only boil off the alcohol, while the flavour remains the same. it might be worth you and Mrs B visiting a vinery for a taste test. that way you can note which wines you could use for cooking with.

[@nataliet129]

You said it make difference of about 5 pounds but divide that by 4 in your family then you see it's ok to spend a bit more. If you had to go out to a restaurant then again you would notice the extra 5 pounds is nothing to worry about. As usual great video

[@conorc725]

Could you do a cheap vs steep but from the same supermarket? Most supermarkets having their own value range and more luxurious range? Might be a cool comparison.

[@JustAnotherLondoner]

I really like these videos, they teach me where to save my money & whats worth spending a little more on! Great idea.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Appreciate that, thanks

[@Miluielle]

Thankyou for buying the cheaper free range eggs. Even when I was extremely poor I'd rather go without than buy the cruel eggs. Hens are wonderful creatures and they deserve sunlight and space - not a cage.

[@vickytaylor9155]

Barry, if you add a splash of milk after the wine is absorbed which should be before the tomatoes it takes the harshness out of the tomatoes so you don’t necessarily need the sugar. Also you can buy red and white wine stock cubes in Asda so you don’t need to buy a bottle of wine. It is also de-alcoholised so if someone doesn’t drink alcohol then you can have the taste but no alcohol.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Red and white wine stock cubes?! That's awesome, thanks for the info :)

[@YouennF]

@@mrbarrylewis I make mine by freezing wine in an ice cube tray. Easy, cheap and handy !

[@DaveF.]

I think using good quality tinned tomatoes probably reduces the need to add sugar too - good tinned T's are far sweeter than budget varieties.

[@AHeroAlmost]

Adding the milk at the end is a game changer ..

[@AlmightyAphrodite]

It also helps with the flavour if its a wine you also like drinking. If added before the tomatoes the alcohol should cook off nicely.

[@AnthroFox99]

RIP Amy. You're not only gonna be missed by Mr. B and family. But the rest of us who watch.

[@MastersApprentices]

Best food series on KZbin by far! Also love how your daughter is so pragmatic when she talks about the food, very intelligent!

[@nabnabking]

I can tell you factually that your parsley thought is 100% true. I used to work for one of the packaging companies that pack the veggies for supermarkets. We packed garlic, ginger, shallots, and other jazz, same products went into bags for Asda, Morrison’s, coop and Waitrose.

[@tgcpark]

The difference I've found is that the cheap version gets to the cheap supermarket a lot later in its life than the expensive one so it'll last far less time in your fridge. I wouldn't buy herbs from Lidl/Aldi unless I'm using them that day or the next day but I'd happily buy a week in advance from Waitrose.

[@gothdogs6300]

Same with cakes & buns. Own label (aldi, asda etc) wasn't any different to Mr.Kiplin & M&S. One has jam, others have jelly in battenburg 🤢& so on. I had the cheap minced beef once from aldi & it stunk when frying it & it was horrible to taste. I let it cool & gave it to my dogs & opened a bag of quorn mince instead. After thoroughly washing the pan out. Don't get me wrong tho, i shop at aldi a lot. Just some things are a bit ugh! You don't know till you try 💜🖤💜

[@stevev3664]

@@gothdogs6300 My experience is that generally you get what you pay for. If it’s cheap there is a reason for it. If it’s steep it’s usually better though not always. I’ve learned which steep products that I buy are worth the money. Eggs are worth the extra money because of what the chickens were fed on. The nutrient content is higher.

[@ddmorgan3939]

Thanks for doing everything y'all do. The kiddos and I cried when we heard about Amy. She's off running around with all of her doggo fans now 😭🖤💞 There isn't a hug emoji so take this fairy as a hug 🧚🏼‍♂️

[@TiggiTheWillful]

Oh no. Did Amy pass away?

[@ddmorgan3939]

@@TiggiTheWillful yes unfortunately 😭

[@dtulip1]

OMG no? what happened? Im binge watching the last couple of weeks and just watched the Apple fritters and she was her cute adoreable self?! :'(

[@ddmorgan3939]

@@dtulip1 I don't know. I saw a post on Facebook about it. I imagine he'll talk about it when he's ready.

[@Dawn_Hannah]

Hug emoji is this one! 🫂

[@mrscoffeebeanqueen]

I appreciate this way of approaching cheap vs steep. It focuses more on the quality of ingredients while many others who do this style video go so wild with the price difference that it's ultimately not the same dish anymore.

[@mrbarrylewis]

I was going to go a bit crazier and if I ordered it online it would be far broader but wanted to keep it simple

[@kristin123a]

To me tinned vegetables, especially tomato is really a thing to splurge a bit on if the tomato flavour is important. You don't necessarily have to buy the most expensive one, but the taste difference between the cheapest and the higher quality ones can be huge.

[@hayleyxyz]

I've started bying canned chopped/plum tomatoes from a local european store (for Greek, Italian, middle eastern etc.), and while they're more expensive, they're far tastier for a sauce.

[@lilithicanna1861]

Something that would be interesting, is going back through the Cheap vs Steep and maybe seeing what parts of the steep could be incorperated to the cheap to make a good average, like the eggs also seem to be better for the meals, but like does the suger matter, does the oil. So it could be a "hey don't cheap out on this part if you want a nicer meal."

[@caroleberreur9585]

Eggs, meat and tomatoes… they make a difference.

[@DaveF.]

The eggs are far, far better - I think they're using Burford Browns there and they're amazing. But - in this dish - I doubt they add much to the flavour - they're just there to bind the mind together. I think the biggie in this one has to be the tomatoes - there's a vast difference between cheap and expensive tinned tomatoes

[@shimshimmash1179]

Mrs. B: "It's not fair, not fair at all." that really hit the nail on the head, a great bit of social commentary from the channel. Thanks for a great video once again!

[@Danny.._]

i gotta say, i really love a good formula. seeing a spreadsheet come together at the end of a long time spent working on it really feels great.

[@TamarLitvot]

And I agree with Barry about Excel. So much you can do with Excel - it’s got tremendous versatility and flexibility.

[@wawi911]

Very good on the eggs, I’ve definitely commented any time I noticed. I understand that it’s not the “cheapest” but for this experiment, it’s just a bit of fun and I respect you listening to us all ranting about it

[@lottekvist2092]

I love Chloes observations

[@liam00]

Thanks Barry! Take your time after the recent passing and only upload when you want. 👍👍

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thanks Liam, these videos were made 2 weeks ago, there probably won't be a break in uploads, but we appreciate the support.

[@liam00]

@@mrbarrylewis Nobody understands us formula guys 😂

[@TamarLitvot]

@@liam00 and gals.

[@catpalmer2093]

Thank you so much for picking free range eggs. Makes me feel so much better about watching these videos. ❤

[@MrJohnMDay]

The cheap wine was probably a big part of the taste, basic rule of thumb is, if you wouldnt drink the wine dont put it in your cooking either, it wont taste any better after its cooked. Also the tomatoes always make a big difference. Atleast thats what i have noticed (if they are the main flavour of a dish), although you do not have to go crazy on really expensive ones, i get the ones from our local big chain, the italian ones, i pay a bit extra but not over the top. Putting a little bit of suger with a tomato dish isnt a bad thing either, it will dilute the acidity and it doesnt have to be a lot just a small amount can make a big difference. Balsamic vinegar is also one of those things that you shouldnt scrimp on, the diffence between a 4 pound bottle and an 8 pound bottle is night and day, i have never tried a bottle thats 50 quid although would love to, as the difference of 4 pound makes a huge difference. And its not so big of a loss as you dont have to use as much anyway. There are certain things that can make or break flavor, its just finding which items do and which items dont. As you state at the end of every one of these cheap v steep videos. Its interesting to know, so that you dont have to buy everything expensive, just spend a bit more on certain things. Thank you for doing these, its a help as always.

[@TheCotzi]

Yes the wine you drink is the wine you are cooking with

[@shvat26]

This series is more interesting and informative than a similar series in Epicurious, where a home cook and chef buy ingredients for the same named dish at wildly different price points (sometimes as much as 20x difference). But there, the chef often uses pro techniques to make a completely different version. Entertaining, but usually not a comparison of the same dish. Here, they make and compare the same dish.

[@mandygriffin5241]

Chloe’s is the star of this video. Love her enthusiasm

[@greenhollyknight4846]

So amazing to see the differences in the meals. You are making me so hungry. A suggestion for the next time you do meatballs is try placing them on a rack in the tin to keep them out of the grease. Then discarding the grease and letting them brown after they cook.

[@herbstwerk]

Personally I'll never go back to cheap dried pasta after going a bit crazy when it comes to it over the last couple of years. Although IMHO there's a big difference between somewhat expensive but popular manufactures which are basically a waste of money like Barilla, good but (where I live) hard-ish to find like De Cecco, and basically have to order online like (Monograno) Felicetti.

[@graemewells3716]

Knowing that he has lost a family but keeping to his posting schedule means a lot this man. I know this will be pre recorded but much respect

[@TheNinnyfee]

Thank you for doing this series in a normal home context. :) If you want to colour and flavour up the cheaper sauce add some tomato puree to the onions before you add the tomatoes. And a bit more sugar, the wine was probably rather sour. Or leave the wine out entirely.

[@kellyg6206]

It's so cute that your daughter didn't want to insult the cheap market!

[@LockeTheCole]

When making sauce I replaced my "whatever's cheapest", with San Marazano tomatoes a few years ago and never looked back. It's the one ingredient I can really taste the difference with. Even the cheaper ones are worlds better than any other tomatoes I've used. Although be careful, because some claim to be San Marazano style, which basically is them lying to your face about what is in the can.

[@forteandblues]

This is my favorite series you do, but I also love the three ingredient recipes. The combination of the two series is enabling me to make a lot better food, for cheaper

[@samanthamelton8949]

I love these cheap vs steep episodes it’s so interesting

[@crispyrolls93]

I definitely appreciate keeping the products to be the same type. I think I'd separate golden caster sugar from regular sugar.

[@TamarLitvot]

Could you tell me the difference between the two? I live in the U.S. and don’t know what caster sugar is.

[@valkrath]

@@TamarLitvot caster sugar is another name for granulated sugar.

[@suryaj_]

@@valkrath caster sugar is just smaller granules

[@Hannah-ep9jt]

Love to see cheap vs Steep but with instant dinners/ready meals just to know if its worth the extra for the nights I can't be bothered with cooking 🤣

[@ladydovington]

Love to see you do a regular vs gluten free! On something simple like this meal!

[@vickytaylor9155]

Loving the t-shirt Mrs B. That colour green really looks good on you.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Green is Mrs B's fave colour, she is pesto

[@Squiddyjayjay]

One episode I would love to see you go crazy with the ingredients and price difference. Hopefully there will be more of a difference as some of the videos it was quite similar. I still love the videos. Thank you for the entertainment!

[@maka8572]

These videos are so wholesome. So jealous of your family life it looks amazing

[@MayimHastings]

Your daughter is so sweet and lovely! The way she said that budget store food is still good 🥹 You guys have done an amazing job raising amazing kids. So cool to have followed y’all all these years and see your family grow. Sending love from Atlanta 🙏🤗

[@fedupnow61859]

I love this series

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thankyou Mary

[@bradasstv]

Still wish you would have a couple of the family members do an actual blind taste test, so they don't know which one they are trying. Sometimes just knowing something cost more can change your reactions.

[@bradasstv]

Feel like it could add a fun aspect to the videos, as well... Just an idea...

[@prehistoricpleb]

Sorry to hear about Amy. Hugs to your family x

[@thomraider9193]

Thank you for using different eggs this time, Barry! Stonking video!

[@fedupnow61859]

I find deCecco spaghetti tastes for me the best, I have tried so many. Bariila makes a great penne and penne. All decent price. But tomatoes are the key. San Mariano whole tomatoes (you break them apart yourself). Cento and cocci are great every time. Love your show Barry and co.

[@sashap5238]

Such a great series. Love when Mrs. B joins the video - you two are great

[@natashaflanagan2857]

Brilliant. Welcome back Barry and Mrs Barry.

[@webster695]

I recently started buying much better quality pasta, and the difference in taste and texture is really stark! I was shocked. I wasn’t buying super cheap pasta before, it was always mid-range supermarket name brand. But I tried a higher quality small batch brand that uses different flour and bronze extruders, and holy cow! I am hooked.

[@bradasstv]

We need a shirt for Mrs. B that just reads "That's Amazin'" 😜

[@Yamp44]

I would have been very curious to see you or Mrs B. try to toast some of that cheap and that steep bread, just buttered them and tasted them as is. I'm sure as bread crumbs in a meatball, it don't make that much difference, but just like a buttered toast, I bet the steep bread would be lovely and could be a real treat for a celebratory breakfast, or a meal where the bread is the star. ;)

[@jackrussell19a]

So sorry to have heard your sad news over the weekend.. Hope you're all doing as well as you can be

[@zaynamoore]

Just love how cheeky you both are, though Mrs.B is much more subtle. Love watching you work together. :D

[@jessicaneal8553]

I would love to see a follow-up series where you try a couple different substitutions for a happy middle for the best result

[@drbillwotb8324]

Hi Barry, you probably don’t realise this…but some eggs yolks are more orange because of species, however, a large proportion of eggs yolks are influenced by colouring agents in the animal feed. On a programme they showed that the feed suppliers had like DIY store “paint swatches” for choosing the feed for the colour of yolk. Still buy good quality, free range eggs, they are better and more ethical but don’t assume yolk colour is important 👍 plenty of good eggs with yellow yolk. Equally, Mrs B is a legend for pulling you back from the crazy choices 😊. It made the video a fair test and the least frustrating video in this playlist 👍

[@Tala_Masca]

6.04 yes!!! I'm so glad you actually did it!!!! Thank you! Thank you in name of the 🐔🐔 💋♥️

[@BigJo3]

Bless Mrs B for holding up proper rules

[@soupsgord]

Out here on the west coast of Canada organic foods are quite a bit more pricier but also considered healthier for you. It would be interesting to see an organic vs regular rather than cheap vs steep because if you buy seasonal veggies the price difference isn’t that huge but the quality can be hugely varied.

[@slowtraditions]

The color of the yolk depends almost entirely on pigments in the food chickens eat. So often corn fed chickens produce more orange egg yolks. Free Range eggs however, are much healthier for both you and the chickens, so I would still opt for the free range.

[@tomshea13]

Excel and a good formula, about as satisfying as a good Barry Lewis video :)

[@ChristianJull]

Absolutely definitely a difference between cheap and expensive dried pasta. Family got me a gift pack from an Italian company (in Italy only) and the spag was the best I have ever had. By a very wide margin. I'd be inclined to test the middle-ground for all ingredients and see if that is acceptably close enough to the expensive.

[@garychamley3095]

The meatballs we're bland because you didn't cook them in the sauce 🤔 even Kay's cooking knows that trick. ☺

[@AlmightyAphrodite]

I do absolutly love your video's Barry 🤗 Dont mind my ramblings below, Just skip them and I would really advise people passionate about italian food to watch the yt channel Vincenzos plate. The lighter colored pasta is actually healthier for you. The darker the color means the drying process was much higher in temperature and as fast as possible, meaning a lot of nutritional value was lost. Thats why I will always go for the lightest one I can find, usually that is a by a brand called De Cecco. For canned tomatoes... nothing beats the whole peeled san marzano, they use the best quality for the whole ones. As for the cheese, always try to find an actual block of real parmigiano reggiano (you can tell by the markings on the rind) and grate it yourself. Pre grated cheese always has stuff in it so it doesnt stick together and that can really affect the overall taste, also there is no way to verify if its the real deal. Try and add the wine, and cook off the alcohol, before adding your tomatoes. And most importantly, dont let your pasta sit after cooking, add directly into your sauce, preferable a minute or so before done and finish the last minute cooking it in your sauce, so the pasta can absorb all those flavours 🤤 and if you wanted to be 'extra' buy the meat whole, and mince it yourself. (And some butchers will do it for you) That way you can for sure you got the best cut of meat.

[@samheathcote2990]

Would love a cheap vs steep Sunday roast.

[@Livealohahawaii]

I’m Italian and make lots of pasta, as you can imagine. I always buy the best tomatoes, cheese, meat and imported pasta. The other ingredients are every day priced items. As you noticed, It does make a huge difference. My suggestion if you can’t afford everything steep, at least use imported San Marzano tomatoes.

[@thorstenwolters9025]

I am german, but my italian friends told me: if meatballs are italian, they will be greek from now on..... But I agree with you: only good ingredients make a good meal.

[@TheVerosyv]

I try to make a better world so I only by locally grown in season. Aint shipping other countries veg and meat all over the place

[@LovelyRolytheoneandonly]

It would be interesting to see the costliest from the cheap store and the lowest cost from the high cost store. Love the series

[@jamiegreenham4140]

I saddening you didnt use the oil from the meatballs to flavour the sauce, im also further saddened you didnt at least let the meatballs cooks in the sauce for a bit.

[@webster695]

I agree, BUT at least they did both the same.

[@Thomashorsman]

Just to let you know that all hens in the U.K. are currently kept in barns due to the avian flu spread. So even though the eggs are advertised as free range, they are not. There would have been a notice on the shelf you got the eggs from to say that, but of course no one reads signs.

[@mjvn8870]

This serie is the best.🤩

[@ASMRaphael]

It is my absolutely favorite meal :) I just know I will simply LOVE the video :)

[@TrekyD]

There are other benefits to buying the steep beyond flavour. Until recently I worked in a food testing microbiology lab and the stuff we did for M&S was held to a higher standard than the budget supermarket products. They required more tests and they audited us regularly rather than relying on government accreditation. Their samples got priority and extra attention. 99 percent of food you buy from anywhere is going to be fine but you are less likely to get food poisoning from the steep stores. I don't think it's worth the extra money but it is a hidden difference.

[@Indie-A-tom]

I need to try this one. Love spaghetti meatballs. Normally I buy the meatballs done, but I really really need to try this one. I'm hungry just thinking about it.

[@leewat3742]

Great job guys, one good trick to making really good meatballs is to get stewing/braising steak instead of shop mince and grinding it yourself, this way you can get rid of the gristle and connective tissues and the grinder tenderises the meat, then put the pork through the grinder and mix together. I am only using an attachment to my wife's kenwood food processor to do this not a fancy one use only meat grinder.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

One big difference with pasta is what it goes through to get shaped. Expensive pasta goes through bronze which gives it a rougher surface that can hold onto the sauce better. The cheap goes through teflon, which makes the pasta smoother and less grippy.

[@chrisb9360]

Great vid guys. One of the most obvious visual differences, which seems to mirror the actual taste.

[@honeypinkbetta184]

We will just watch more of your videos new and old on repeat so you can have the good spaghetti

[@kennethyoung141]

Yes been waiting for this! Amazing Mrs.B!

[@akantiia]

The steep bread looked so good! Oh the steep in general looked stunning 😍 Thank you for going for non caged hen eggs

[@mariapaulastepanian9930]

I’m obsessed with this video!

[@littleviatrix]

As an Italian, I can tell you that cheap pasta is terrible (especially some of the brands sold abroad). I can absolutely taste the difference, and especially the texture makes a big big difference. Of course, that becomes more apparent when you cook pasta al dente and serve it by mixing it well with the sauce before plating it, the way we do it in Italy. Still, it's always fun to see a new cheap vs steep!! Love this series

[@Refract3d]

Every time I see these kinds of videos I'm reminded how expensive food is in Canada. A small pack of fresh herbs at the store here similar to what i see in this video is easily 4$.. which is why i tend to grow my own. The meat is also at least twice that price. So my "cheap" costs probably ends up costing similar to your expensive version sadly. I don't even want to think what the steep version would cost if i went all organic for example.

[@Refract3d]

I'm also amazed at how many ingredients you can get for less than a pound! Nothing is that cheap in our supermarket, Nothing. The "cheap" spaghetti is probably MINIMUM 2.99$, that's still close to 2 pounds.. but then the "expensive" stuff from a bronze die is maybe 3.99$, so the difference isn't as great, but the minimum cost is much higher. I can see why inflation was 6% in march..

[@simplylydia]

Love the Cheap vs Steap videos. I like all of your videos really lol

[@Bring-Me-Tea]

Never been here this early before. Absolutely love these videos. :) I'll admit the steep sauce looks incredible, it made me want spaghetti for dinner, lol.

[@DanielLDE]

Thanks for keeping the ingredients comparable! 😊

[@darlouthia5153]

Interesting results. I wonder if you could also do a mid-price version. Idea for another cheap vs. steep : Lemon Meringue Pie - Eaton Mess - Pavlova - Christmas Pudding

[@meadhbhstack6716]

My mum is a great home cook and swears by splashing out a little on certain food items! Getting the better quality option; meat, eggs and ALWAYS tinned tomatoes!! They make such a difference

[@darrennelson8329]

Nothing better than a good spreadsheet 👌

[@Aledharris]

I’m glad you went for the nicer eggs this time.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Deffo and still good value, egg yolk comparison was still a bit bonkers though!

[@Aledharris]

@@mrbarrylewis yeah, that orange from the nicer ones is mad.

[@MaisyKeetch]

Rest in peace Amy 💕🐶

[@sharonhill2602]

Thank you so much for getting the free range eggs, all living beings deserve a nice life.

[@tgcpark]

Bucatini is not spaghetti! And it really benefits from mixing the sauce with the pasta at the end - the entire point of it is that it has an increased surface area (due to the whole through the middle) which more sauce can cling to.

[@beacht]

You should do a all own supermarket branded products. Like happy shopper vs Waitrose own products.

[@Grymourn]

I'd still love to see this done with Aldis specially selected or more upmarket ranges just to compare the quality and price against the really expensive stuff.

[@gerardacronin334]

Great series! I would love to see you compare cheap vs. steep vs. home made pasta!

[@rachelgwin7946]

If you want an expensive and time-consuming project, you should try cheap vs steep vs from scratch/ fresh. Like make the tomato sauce, make the pasta, if you have anything usable growing in the garden use that.

[@libbyparrett8278]

My son (4) and I love your videos. He said you guys are funny.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Tell him we say hi

[@libbyparrett8278]

I will. 🎈

[@gigteevee6118]

Great comparison test, great teamwork! Sorry to hear about Amy 😪 and the pepper shaker 😪

[@antonjeyaseelan2365]

Barry you crack me up. You are an amazing presenter. I love the Borat reference at the beginning.

[@Ouranorable]

I completely agree re:Excel xD! Was cuddling with my man and he started talking about spreadsheets... until he wasn't :3

[@Reptiliomorph]

Honestly it makes sense that an Italian dish would have a huge difference. Italian cooking's foundation is having few, high quality ingredients. Other dishes and cuisines often layer many flavours which can sometimes cover up bad flavours, but since Italian cooking tends to rely on only a handful of really good ingredients, even if one thing is off it is more noticeable. It can be a curse if you want to save money, but also a blessing if you like simplicity.

[@parpar3]

Italian dish? Spaghetti with meatballs is not an Italian dish but rather an American invention.

[@Da6Omen]

Yo but are they cooking spaghetti by dunking them in cold water first? Cause that's what it looked like

[@jilletdelphine]

@@parpar3 spaghetti is italian & meatballs are italian. do you think an italian has never put the two together before?

[@KatIsAWeiner]

Thankyou for getting the free range eggs, love your videos

[@nikkieatwell1929]

Thanks for making the switch to free range 🍝🥚🥚

[@EssentialParadox]

Can you do a fresh vs frozen video? You can get all sorts frozen… onions, garlic, mince, veg, etc.

[@theartsypixie2771]

Had to make this after watching it and splurged on the meat and tomatoes, and it did come out better than usual.

[@Dawn_Hannah]

Love the series, Barry! I’d be interested to see some Cheap VS. Steep meals in categories like gluten free, dairy-free, etc. I have found that skimping on ingredients with dietary/health restrictions is usually gonna end up sad and disappointing, especially when we’re talking substitute items like GF bread or dairy-free cheese!