Bulk food buying | Imamother

chanainisrael

Sun, Aug 05 2012, 5:38 pm

Does anyone know if a customer service representative at Poliva.co.il speaks English?

Also, know of any other sources to buy bulk foods (staples like grains, beans, legumes, etc.)

I'm trying to cut our food budget..

thanks!

mandksima

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 3:30 am

Do you want to know prices there? Because I go now and then and so do a few others. Their whole wheat flour is cheaper, baking soda is very cheap, not that much else though. I find supermarket sales to be better for oil. Sugar is probably a drop cheaper but not by much. Some things are more expensive than the grocery stores. Would you drive there? How much will you spend on gas, etc. factor it all in because it may not be worth it. I hate sifting the whole wheat flour there so I buy the pre-sifted. At my local store it is under 7 shekels a kilo. I don't use so much though, I don't bake daily bread, if you do, it will be worth it to go there.

Whenever I've been there, no one's English was very good. Can you go with a friend who speaks well and wants some good prices too?

chanainisrael

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 4:02 pm

Thanks for your response. Since I don't have a car it definitely doesn't sound like I'd save much. Where are they located? Do you buy there coconut or palm oils? Are those coat effective?

If anyone goes there from rbsa and have room for me and a baby, pls let me know.
'

Liba

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 4:09 pm

you can get their prices in English on the website and place the order on line as well. I suspect they only Hebrew would be giving your credit card information. http://www.poliva.co.il/

shalhevet

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 4:24 pm

I looked at the prices and it really doesn't seem so cheap. Bar Kol sells their own brand Eida pre-sifted ww flour for under 8 shekels, and if you buy in bulk from one of the sales, you can get it cheaper. White flour is 4 shekels a kilo, with a 25 kilo bag - you can often get it for less on sale.

The best way is just buy in bulk as things come up on sale. Eg tomorrow and Wed in Bar Kol, red lentils are 7.88 for 2 x 500g. Sesame is 6.88 for 400g. So I'll be stocking up.

Liba

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 4:50 pm

For dehydrated onion, baking soda, baking powder, frozen blueberries (though they don't deliver them, they are pick up only) and sunflower seeds Poliva's prices are very good. I wouldn't buy flour or some of their grains either. You have to compare prices.

shalhevet

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 4:57 pm

I don't buy dehydrated onion - isn't it a problem with onion left out overnight, or do they add something? The only things I use from that list are baking powder and soda - but not in great amounts.

Last edited by shalhevet on Mon, Aug 06 2012, 5:17 pm; edited 1 time in total

Liba

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 5:06 pm

Do you not use onion powder either? It is just pulverized dehydrated onions. My understanding is that once they are dried there was no issue of ruach rah.

I grew up with dehydrated onions and granulated onions and love them. When I am not feeling well they an excellent time and energy saver in the kitchen. They were wonderful in cholent and used in place of fresh onions in tomato and onion dip they make a nice thick spread. They are great in salads too.

And they have Eida hashgacha here and mehadrin hashgacha in the US too.

mandksima

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 5:11 pm

I have almost finished up my 25 kilo bag of baking soda and need to get more soon but shipping 25 kilos cost 47 shekels. Probably cheaper than gas back and forth (Ramle is about 40 min away from me) and it still comes out cheaper than anywhere else. There were a few things that came out cheaper but it is a lot of money to invest in one food item.

For instance, we use apricot preserves with no added sugar a lot and I just bought 500 g for 15 in a store sale. There, they have 13 kilo for 181 shekels which comes out to 6 something a kilo but do I want to pay out 181 NIS now or do I have room in the fridge for 13 kilo? No. We also go through a lot of yellow raisins but I don't want to spend more than 100 shekels on things. I think we'd tend to consume more of an item when there is so much of it. A kilo of flour won't be used up more than necessary but a sweet item might.

I also agree supermarket sales would be cheaper for most of these items. I'm going to Bnei Brak tomorrow and I think there is a Bar Kol right where I'm going. Their prices are much better there than around me.

chanainisrael

Wed, Aug 15 2012, 3:51 pm

How do you know what bar kol has for sale every week? when do they put out their weekly sales? we are new to the area, so any tips on this would be appreciated!

also with baking soda and powder...where is it cheapest outside of Poliva? we live in rbsa.

shalhevet

Wed, Aug 15 2012, 4:02 pm

Someone here posted this site for flyers: http://webflyer.co.il/

Bar Kol has one (bigger) set of specials Tue-Wed every week, and one set Thur-Fri. Here's this week's http://webflyer.co.il/index.files/barkol.htm

They usually advertise in Monday ad sheets if you have those in your area.