Canstar Blue’s margarine & table spread review compares Nuttelex, ALDI Sunnyvale, Olive Grove, Meadow Lea, Flora, Bertolli, Tablelands, Woolworths and Coles on taste, texture & consistency, ease of spreading, packaging, range variety, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Aussies rated Nuttelex best in Canstar Blue’s latest margarine & table spread review, scoring the brand five stars for taste, texture and consistency, ease of spreading, packaging, range variety, and overall satisfaction.
No matter what you spread on your morning toast, whether it’s vegemite or jam, margarine is likely to be the first layer. But the wrong margarine or table spread can leave you with a sour taste, and that’s no way to start the day. So, which margarine or table spread brand do Aussies love most?
To find out which brands offer the perfect blend of quality and price, we surveyed more than 1,600 Australian consumers for their feedback on the margarine products they’ve purchased and consumed within the last three months. Respondents rated brands on taste, texture, ease of spreading, packaging, range variety, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Brands that received the minimum sample size (30 responses) are featured in our report.
Our latest survey showed Nuttelex as the cream of the crop, rating best for overall satisfaction and receiving additional five-star reviews in most other research categories!
Here are the best brands for margarine & table spreads in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Nuttelex was rated best for margarine with five stars for taste, texture and consistency, ease of spreading, packaging, range variety, and overall satisfaction. Meanwhile, ALDI Sunnyvale got the edge in terms of value for money, achieving full marks, as did Olive Grove for taste. Olive Grove also snapped up full marks for ease of spreading, along with Meadow Lea, Flora, and Tablelands. Meadow Lea and Flora additionally earned top marks for range variety, with Bertolli getting the same result for texture and consistency.
Nuttelex offers several options for people looking for a dairy-free, palm oil-free or kosher margarine. It has also created products that apparently lower cholesterol absorption, plus a variety of products targeting different health concerns, food allergies and intolerances, and preferences. Some Nuttelex spreads include:
Nuttelex usually costs around $4.60 for a 500g tub.
A ‘true’ margarine, according to food standard regulators, contains a minimum of 80% fat (80g of fat per 100g of margarine). This being the case, there are very few ‘true’ kinds of margarine available in Australia today – most will fall under the category of oil-based, reduced-fat, or another type of ‘spread’. Therefore, our customer ratings refer to margarine and table spreads. Ultimately, we’re talking about ‘that stuff’ you put on your toast and sandwiches, which isn’t butter.
No ─ margarine is not the same as butter. Margarine is a non-dairy alternative (made from vegetable oils) to butter (which is made from heavy cream separated from milk). In fact, different types of plant-based butter are collectively considered margarine, but if you’re looking for a vegan option, keep in mind that the general term for margarine still includes a mix of plant-based and non-plant-based products. In short, the only commonalities that margarine and butter share is that they’re both yellow, available as sticks or spreads, and used for cooking and baking.
Whether you’re baking, cooking, or just spreading it on toast, our latest survey reveals one in three Aussie shoppers (30%) opt for the ‘healthier’ option (i.e. light or reduced salt). Two in five (44%) even choose margarine based on specific health benefits, such as reduced salt or low fat. Meanwhile, 20% of shoppers just buy whichever margarine is cheapest.
Nuttelex seems to be the go-to pick for margarine, impressing consumers on most fronts. Although ALDI Sunnyvale appears to be the standout buy if you’re craving something cheaper and better bang for buck.
If you’re like one of the 20% of consumers who buy the cheapest or whichever brand is on special, supermarket labels like Woolworths Essentials, Coles, and ALDI Sunnyvale are among the most affordable. Many of the options are also typically priced around the $3 mark and come in 500g tubs.
Thinking of making the switch to margarine but worried it won’t live up to the same tastiness as butter? Then you might want to check out Olive Grove, which got top marks for taste. Whatever you choose, we hope you find our ratings to be a useful side dish during your next grocery shop.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Online Grocery Shopping Reviews
Picture credits: Olesya Kuznetsova / Shutterstock.com.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased and consumed margarine from a supermarket or grocer within the last three months – in this case, 1,615 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here are the past winners for margarine and table spread:
Best-Rated Block Cheese - April 9th
Supermarket giant Coles has recalled a brand of frozen pomegranate pieces amid reports that several people have been diagnosed with hepatitis A after consuming the product.
NSW Health and the NSW Food Authority are said to …
– Read more
Best-Rated Butter - February 18th
Statistics show that lactose intolerance is on the rise in Australia. What is lactose intolerance and how should people deal with food intolerances?
– Read more
Best-Rated Butter - January 19th
There is a fair bit of confusion about margarine. To set the record straight, we examine how it’s actually made.
– Read more