Bread, in nearly every form, is delicious. But, what is bread without a tasty topping?
I slather my crusty artisan bread in butter, dip my rosemary focaccia bread in olive oil, and James covers his pancakes in peanut butter. But, how do these toppings compare in price?
To complete my analysis, I selected three major brands for each category (that are sold at Walmart). Also, I selected similar size packaging (approximately 16 ounces).
The cost analysis results are as follows:
Butter
| Brand | Cost | Tablespoons | Cost per Tablespoon |
| Great Value | $2.98 | 32 | $0.09 |
| Land O Lakes | $3.97 | 32 | $0.12 |
| Challenge | $3.47 | 32 | $0.11 |
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
| Brand | Cost | Tablespoons | Cost per Tablespoon |
| Great Value | $3.94 | 34 | $0.12 |
| Pompeian | $4.98 | 32 | $0.16 |
| Bertolli | $5.98 | 34 | $0.18 |
Side Note: I buy Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil (at $0.23 per tablespoon!) because I like the taste and bottle. (Perhaps a non-frugal habit that I should consider changing…)
Margarine
| Brand | Cost | Tablespoons | Cost per Tablespoon |
| Country Crock | $2.18 | 30 | $0.07 |
| Land O Lakes | $1.57 | 32 | $0.05 |
| Imperial | $0.84 | 32 | $0.03 |
Peanut Butter
| Brand | Cost | Tablespoons | Cost per Tablespoon |
| Jif | $2.22 | 28 | $0.08 |
| Great Value | $1.58 | 32 | $0.05 |
| Skippy | $2.48 | 28 | $0.09 |
Jam
| Brand | Cost | Tablespoons | Cost per Tablespoon |
| Smucker | $2.84 | 26 | $0.11 |
| Welch’s | 1.98 | 28 | $0.07 |
| Great Value | $2.98 | 26 | $0.11 |
OVERALL RECAP:
The MOST EXPENSIVE topping by tablespoon is extra virgin olive oil. The LEAST EXPENSIVE topping by tablespoon is margarine. (Results summarized below)
| Item | Average Cost per Tablespoon |
| Margarine | $0.05 |
| Peanut Butter | $0.07 |
| Jam | $0.10 |
| Butter | $0.11 |
| Olive Oil | $0.15 |
Unfortunately, my two favorite toppings (butter and extra virgin olive oil) are the most expensive per tablespoon! For me, it is worth using what I like, but perhaps the price is something to keep in mind when I am spreading it a little too thickly (never mind the calories!)
Question: What is your favorite topping, and does price impact what you choose?
-Kristin
Spread the word!
Categories: Thoughts
This is so silly but growing up I was always given the supermarket own brand version of marmite with breakfast… as a result I dont actually like the real marmite and prefer the cheaper “fake” one 😂 still saves me a few pennies though!!
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🙂 That’s great! I have never tried marmite. Do you use it on anything besides bread?
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I’ve seen it used to make gravy richer… tastes pretty good. Otherwise mostly bread / bakery items or crackers. It’s quite strong as a flavour!
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