Pasta price comparison Australia: which pack is really cheaper?

Pasta price comparison: read per kilo, not the pack sticker

The quick answer: skip the pack sticker and read the unit price. Then compare pasta with pasta of the same shape, and check whether the special is a real low before it goes on your list.

Pasta packs look similar on the shelf, but sizes and shapes differ a lot. The price on the front tells you what the pack costs. It does not tell you what the pasta costs, and that is the number to compare.

We make Discount Trolley, so the bias is obvious. The app shows the unit price on each product page and in search, right under the shelf price. On a pasta pack that line often reads per 100g or per kilo, so packs of different sizes can be lined up on the same number.

• Unit price beats price per pack.
• Compare the same shape of pasta.
• Check the special before you stock up.

Why the pack sticker is not enough

A loud tag on a big pack can still work out dearer per kilo than a quieter pack at its normal price. Pack size is a packaging choice. The unit price is the fair test.

There is a second catch. A huge pack only wins if your house finishes it while it still cooks the way you like. If you waste half a pack, the cheap pack was not cheap.

So line the packs up on unit price first. Then be honest about how much pasta your house really cooks before you reach for the biggest bag.

• Pack size is a packaging choice.
• A special can flip a big pack versus a small pack.
• Buy a size you will finish while it tastes good.

Spaghetti, penne and specialty packs: compare like with like

Unit price only helps when you compare the same kind of pasta. Spaghetti, penne, spirals, specialty and filled pasta often sit near each other, but they are different products. Keep this check to like with like.

On the same shape, pack size still changes the sum. A 500g pack and a 750g pack can look close on the shelf tag and far apart per 100g. Pasta made without gluten is another product again, so do not line it against ordinary durum wheat unless that is really what you want to cook.

Pick the shape you like first, then let the unit price decide between the packs that fit.

1. Same shape first, then unit price.
2. Pasta made without gluten is a different product.
3. Do not mix spaghetti with penne for the fair test.

House brand vs name brand pasta

Supermarket house brand pasta sits next to the big pantry names. House brands can be good value, but do not assume it. Put one house brand pack and one name brand pack you would happily cook side by side, in the same shape, and let the unit price decide.

Name brand pasta moves on and off special, so the gap between the two can change from week to week. On a good week a name brand pack can beat the house brand. On another week it might not. The only way to know is to check the number on the day you shop.

When you find a pack you like, save it as a favourite so you can reopen it fast next time instead of hunting through the aisle again.

• Test one house brand and one name brand in the same shape.
• Check the gap on the day you shop.
• Favourite the pack you like.

Pasta specials and stocking up without overpaying

Pasta specials come and go, and a big tag makes it easy to buy on the badge instead of the price. A loud special on a big pack can still work out dearer per kilo than a smaller pack at its normal price.

Before you load up, open the product in Discount Trolley and look at the price history. Dete, our koala, reads that history and holds up one sign: Good time, Wait if you can or About usual. When there is not enough history yet, the sign says Not sure yet. Tap the sign to see the chart.

Today's deals is the other quick check before you leave home. It shows what is on special now with the was-price next to it. A real low is a fair time to buy a pack ahead, as long as you will cook it before it sits too long. For more on judging a deal, read how to spot a fake supermarket special and when a bulk buy grocery deal is worth it.

• Buy on a real low, not on a loud tag.
• Check price history before you stock up.
• Read the was-price, not only the badge.

Compare pasta across stores on one list

Most of us grab pasta in the same trip as everything else, so it belongs on the same list. Add the pack you want to My List in Discount Trolley next to the milk and bread, and the list shows a count for each store so you can see where your lines sit before you leave.

To check the same pack at other stores, open the product page and scroll to Compare Stores. It shows the same product at other stores where data is available, and it tells you plainly when a product is not stocked somewhere, so you do not make a wasted trip.

For an example of how unit price reads on a pasta pack, open the Woolworths penne pasta product page on Discount Trolley and look at the unit price line under the price. For the habit on any staple, read how to use unit prices to find the cheapest groceries. To weigh a second stop, read should you split your grocery shop across two stores.

• One list for pasta and the rest of the shop.
• Compare Stores for the same pack at other stores.
• Check while you have signal, then shop the list.

What Discount Trolley does (and does not) claim about pasta

Discount Trolley helps you check the grocery price information that is available for the pasta on your list. It does not promise savings, crown one brand or store as the cheapest forever, or carry the full range at all stores. Prices and specials change, so check again on the day you shop.

Woolworths, Coles, ALDI, IGA, Harris Farm, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse where data is available. Not affiliated with those stores. The shelf can differ from the screen. Live prices need a connection.

For more staple comparisons, see rice price comparison Australia, compare bread prices Australia, coffee beans price comparison Australia, toilet paper price comparison Australia, cheese price comparison Australia and compare milk prices on one list.

• No invented savings or rankings.
• No forever cheapest brand or store.
• No affiliation with the supermarket chains.

Questions shoppers still ask