We tested paper plates including Target and Walmart - a non-grocery store brand won, youre better
AS you toss your paper plate, you may also be throwing away your money because some plates are much better than others.
And while grocery prices continue to rise, pinching pennies anywhere you can might be helpful.
To help weed out the good ones from the bad, The U.S. Sun has tested five brands of paper plates for the latest installment of our Bang For Your Buck series.
I purchased the plates from three major retailers: Target, Dollar Tree and Walmart.
From there, we found five well-known brands to test including Dixie, Hefty, the Target Up & Up brand, Dollar Tree, and the Walmart Great Value brand.
Judging was determined on just three simple factors, including value for your money, strength, and size.
Read More on Bang For Your Buck
Prices for each of the plates range from $1.25 up to $7.
Just note that prices and products are likely to vary by state and store.
The U.S. Sun reached out to each brand for comment.
To get started, I put each plate to the test by reheating some pasta, with the help of mom's special and messy sauce.
Most read in Money
Below are the rankings starting from best to worst.
1. DIXIE
- Price: $7.19 for 54 plates
- Score: 27 out of 30 points
The winner was the classic Dixie as it was the strongest, came with a reasonable amount of plates and ended up coming with a cute pattern.
Each plate came coated with a soak-proof shield and was cut-resistant - which I put to the test.
Plus, each plate was made from renewable, plant-based materials which is nice to know as these types of plates typically get one use.
While it was the most expensive, coming in at over $7, you're getting a strong, leak-proof plate from a brand you can trust.
2. HEFTY
- Price: $3.48 for 16 plates
- Score: 26 out of 30 points
We all know the slogan, "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty," and these plates are just that.
Also made for strength, the heavy-duty plates come microwavable safe and are another sustainably made product.
The package said it was made without Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFA), chemicals that have recently been found in paper plates and other disposables.
The plates were sturdy and did not bend no matter how hard I tried.
The brand was docked on value as each package came with only 16 plates.
3. TARGET
- Price: $3.59 for 54 plates
- Score: 22 out of 30 points
Coming in third is the Target Up & Up brand.
While these plates had a nice price and sufficient amount, they lacked strength.
I did my classic lift test which is where I loaded the plate up with my spaghetti and tested its strength by lifting it up with just one hand.
The plate was able to hold but not for long.
Each was microwavable but not as "cut-proof" as the packaging leads on.
It's definitely not a bad product, just lacking in some areas making it the perfect middle-of-the-road product.
4. DOLLAR TREE
- Price: $1.25 for 10 plates
- Score: 20 out of 30 points
Since Dollar Tree did not have its own brand to choose from, I grabbed the package that said Ultra.
It's ranking fourth as it only came with 10 plates and did not live up to the strength test.
It did gain points for being priced the lowest, but since you only get 10 and may need to use more than one at a time, it may not be the best deal.
For those looking to grab something quickly, I'd say pay the extra dollar and change and get the Target brand.
5. WALMART
- Price: $6.22 for 100 plates
- Score: 19 out of 30 points
In last place unfortunately goes to the Walmart brand, Great Value.
While it was a great value, 100 plates for just over $6, it lacked in size and strength.
Each plate was only eight and a half inches while the others were larger coming in at around 10 inches.
The plates were a little flimsy and unable to hold as much spaghetti due to their size.
The good news is that each plate was soak-proof and microwavable.
But again, if you're looking for something cheaper, stronger and better quality, I'd look to the plates above.
FINAL THOUGHTS
While some plates were clearly better than others, plates are plates.
Meaning, if you're in a financial bind, by all means, grab the cheaper brand.
Although, if you can afford the extra few bucks, splurge for the Dixie as sometimes name brand actually is better.
Read More on The US Sun
For more on our Bang For Your Buck series, check out our tissue test.
Plus, we also tried store-bought trash bag brands including Walmart and Hefty.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK57zKilnrFfbH95fpRxbGialajBbrzAqZyrZaChrrWx0marnqukYsGivsaeq2avkaG6or7TaA%3D%3D