Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTrader Joe’s 17th annual Customer Choice Awards, announced in January 2026, named ten category favorites and one overall winner. Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings took the overall award. The results reflect shoppers’ votes, not an independent product test; despite the headline wording, the award coverage reviewed here does not give a vote total.
How to read the 2026 winners
The awards are organized by category, so this is not a ranking from first to eleventh. The Kitchn’s January 26, 2026, report describes the award announcement and explains that write-in votes for apple cider were grouped across several styles. Southern Living’s coverage, syndicated by AOL on January 28, calls the beverage winner Spiced Cider; The Kitchn’s account supports the broader description “apple cider.” The sources do not provide a detailed survey method or sample description, so the results are best understood as reported customer favorites rather than a measure of what every shopper prefers. The Kitchn’s awards coverage · Southern Living coverage syndicated by AOL
The 11 award winners
| Category | 2026 winner |
|---|---|
| Overall product | Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings |
| New product | Protein Pancakes |
| Breakfast and brunch | Hashbrowns |
| Lunch and dinner | Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice |
| Beverage | Apple cider, with votes grouped across cider styles |
| Produce | Teeny Tiny Avocados |
| Snack | Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips |
| Appetizer | Spinach & Artichoke Dip |
| Cheese | Goat Cheese |
| Bath, body, and home | Brazil Nut Body Butter |
| Sweet treat | Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches |
What stands out about the winners
Overall favorite: Steamed Pork & Ginger Soup Dumplings
The overall winner is a frozen dumpling product. In The Kitchn’s report, Inside Trader Joe’s co-host Tara Miller says preparation takes less than a minute in the microwave: “You don’t have to do much. You cut off a corner of the outer package, pop them in the microwave for less than a minute, and they’re done — and they’re perfect,” The quote describes the retailer’s podcast announcement; it is not an independent cooking test.
Favorite new product: Protein Pancakes
The Kitchn reports that Trader Joe’s Protein Pancakes are made with cottage cheese, egg whites, and oat flour, and are described as gluten-free. The reported package detail is 20 grams of protein per four-pack. These are product details as reported in the coverage, not an independent nutrition assessment.
#1 Best Overall
Other category picks
- For breakfast or brunch: Hashbrowns.
- For lunch or dinner: Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice.
- For a drink: Apple cider. The award groups several cider styles rather than identifying just one type.
- For produce: Teeny Tiny Avocados.
- For a snack: Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips.
- For an appetizer: Spinach & Artichoke Dip.
- For cheese: Goat Cheese, a broad category label rather than a single named style.
- For bath, body, and home: Brazil Nut Body Butter.
- For dessert: Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Availability and what the awards don’t tell you
Some winners may be seasonal, and the award reports do not establish whether each product is currently stocked at every store. Check with your local Trader Joe’s before making a special trip. The coverage also does not supply prices, a numeric vote count, or head-to-head testing results, so the list can’t tell you which item is best value or universally best.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- It can be a gift option
- Comes with secure packaging
- Helpful in various ways
Rank #4
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Compact for travelling
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
