Canstar Blue’s white bread review compares Wonder, Tip Top, Woolworths and Coles on taste, freshness, texture, range variety, packaging, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Wonder and Tip Top were rated joint winners of Canstar Blue’s Customer Satisfaction Award for white bread. Both brands scored five stars for taste, texture, range variety, and overall satisfaction. Wonder got extra full marks for packaging, as did Tip Top for freshness.
Aussies don’t loaf around with their bread. Our latest survey revealed that one in five shoppers (21%) buy multiple loaves on their weekly grocery shop. While wholemeal or multigrain are typically considered healthier options, it’s hard to pass up a nice slice of white bread. It can be used for so many meals, whether it’s a simple morning toast with smashed avocado, or a delicious bread and butter pudding. So, out of all the options out there, which white bread do Aussies rate the bread to their butter?
To find out, Canstar Blue surveyed more than 970 Australian consumers for their feedback on the white bread they bought and ate within the last three months. Respondents scored brands on freshness, taste, texture, variety, packaging, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Brands that received at least 30 responses are rated and compared in our latest report.
Our latest ratings saw Tip Top keep its status as a top-rated brand, this time joined by Wonder after both scored five-star reviews for overall satisfaction. The joint winners also scored top marks in most other categories, such as taste, texture, and variety.
Here are the best white bread brands in Australia, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s latest review:
Wonder and Tip Top sliced the competition after both scored five-star reviews for overall satisfaction, as well as for taste, texture and range variety. Wonder got extra full marks for packaging, as did Tip Top for freshness.
Meanwhile, Woolworths got the edge in terms of value for money, receiving five stars, and achieved the same result for freshness and variety.
Wonder produces what it describes as ‘deliciously soft and nutritious’ bread and wraps, with all loaves stated to have a 4.5-star health rating. Its range, including Wonder White, is also claimed to be high in fibre, a good source of protein, and free from added sugars and artificial preservatives. Some products include the White Vitamins & Minerals Sandwich Loaf, White Fibre Sandwich Loaf, and White Active Low GI Loaf. These generally cost around $3.40, with a couple of exceptions available for $2.50.
Donning the slogan ‘Good on ya mum’, Tip Top has been ‘the one’ brand filling Aussie lunchboxes for many years. It offers a variety of products such as sliced bread, English muffins and hot dog rolls. Its ranges include The One, Sunblest, 9 Grain, Café, Fruit Bread, Texas Toast, Sandwich Thins and Burger Thins. A bread loaf from Tip Top usually costs around $3.
Here are a few other brands of white bread available at the supermarket you might want to spend your dough on:
White bread is generally seen as less healthy than wholemeal bread, for example, because it’s said to be lower in fibre and protein, and higher in refined carbohydrates. This can create a surplus of sugar in the bloodstream, that if not utilised as ‘fuel’, can be stored as fat in the body. With white bread, it’s best to stick to the golden rule – everything in moderation.
Homemade bread can be healthier because it usually contains fewer ingredients compared to store-bought bread. This mostly means removing the preservatives and other ingredients designed to extend the shelf life of supermarket bread. Plus, you can customise the bread recipe to have less sugar and salt or make substitutions to suit your dietary requirements. However, buying bread from the supermarket is often more convenient and cheaper.
Some prefer to buy freshly baked bread from the local bakery or in-house bakery at the supermarket because of the apparent quality of ingredients. Buying a loaf made with whole grains is great because each kernel is kept intact throughout the whole bread-making process, ensuring you still get the fibre, vitamins, minerals (i.e. magnesium) and healthy fats that you naturally get from whole grains.
Packaged bread tends to contain refined grains that don’t provide the same level of nutrients as whole grains, due to the way the grains are processed; which removes a large chunk of B vitamins, vitamin E and fibre. Packaged bread may also feature bleached flour rather than unbleached flour. Unlike unbleached flour, which is said to naturally bleach as it ages, bleached flour has had chemical agents added to make the aging process faster.
Tip Top is clearly worth trying, having achieved five-star reviews in most research categories and previously topping our white bread ratings in 2019 and 2021. Aussies also came back for seconds with Wonder which rated number one in 2018. Woolworths’ bread is additionally worth tucking into, particularly if you’re shopping for an affordable option with some variety.
You may have to try a few different options of white bread to find one that satisfies your tastebuds. With that said, our survey found that almost a quarter (22%) of Aussies (who buy white bread) think that premium brands taste better than cheaper ones.
It’s also important to take into account nutritional value. White bread is generally considered the least healthy member of the bread family as it contains a higher number of refined grains and sugars. Look for white bread that has the highest amount of protein, calcium and iron instead.
In a nutshell, you’ll need to shop around to find a brand of white bread that tastes good and offers value for money.
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.
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Picture credits: PosiNote/Shutterstock.com, Tcelischev Vladimir/Shutterstock.com, Nutnarin Khetwong/Shutterstock.com.
Canstar Blue surveyed over 3,000 Australians 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 (from a supermarket or grocer) and eaten white bread in the last three months – in this case, 976 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 satisfactory rating 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 of Canstar Blue’s white bread ratings:
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