Trader Joe’s does a lot of things well. I eat more of their Half Moon Cookies than I should. Their frozen Vegetable Biryani is a dietary staple of mine. The crumpets they sell are moist and spongy, and I dig their ice cream, Irish Breakfast tea, bagels and frozen pizzas too.
I’m on a bit of an English muffin kick these days. Bays is the brand I prefer from the grocery store, but how do they compare to the muffins from Trader Joe’s?
An American invention by an English immigrant in the late 1800s (so says Wikipedia), English muffins were designed as a two-sided toaster crumpet. That immigrant’s name was Samuel Bath Thomas, and his product is still sold in grocery stores today under the Thomas’ brand name with the famous Nooks & Crannies® slogan on the package.
Thomas may be credited with inventing it, but a Chicago man named George W. Bay perfected it. Found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, Bays English Muffins come out of the toaster both softer and springier than Thomas’. The addition of real butter and jam makes for a heavenly treat.
So how do Trader Joe’s muffins compare? Not even close I’m sorry to say. TJ’s version is just too dense to be considered a proper English muffin. Grab a package of TJ’s crumpets instead. You won’t regret it.
