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I was just getting on here to write to Betty Crocker about how nasty the new and improved Potato Buds are. I seen your post and wanted to add to it.The only reason I eat instant potatoes because they are easy to make for myself and they dont taste like instant. The old Potato Buds were much better.They are now like the rest and they taste like dry milk or baby food!!!!! Please Please bring back the original!!!!  This is the only instant potato I will buy but not for long!!!!

Hi Everyone:
We’ve shared your comments with the team and we had asked a few more questions to get a better understanding about the change. Here was their response: 


"Potato Buds have been reformulated to use potato buds instead of potato flakes as the main ingredient.  This change was made in an effort to align with industry standards to ensure continued supply and move toward an ingredient that was less processed.  We understand there is a significant change in texture and did rigorous consumer research that showed that the new Potato Buds are in fact liked more than the older version and taste more like homemade mashed potatoes.  The team feels that the new product is of superior quality in both flavor and texture to the old formula, but we are continuously striving to improve our products and will incorporate your feedback and concerns in our future developments.  

Another thing to note to consumers is that the prep instructions of the new formula have changed.  Previously, the directions called for milk, water, and butter to be added before boiling and now they indicate that milk should be added after the water and butter are brought to a boil.  If the old prep instructions are followed with the new product, the result will be a mashed potato with a gummier texture.  And adding all ingredients together could also cause tolerance issues in boil over. 



We appreciate the candid feedback and our carefully listening to all comments to ensure that we can best respond to concerns as we look to improve the product going forward.
"

Also, pertaining to the gluten free issue mention in other threads
:

"It is important to note that while the new Buds are labeled Gluten Free, the formulation has always been Gluten Free, we just validated that the supplier and production process met the required guidelines.  The new callout is to help the growing population of gluten free consumers find suitable products more easily."



Sincerely, Cate

While I appreciate the response by the folks at Betty Crocker, but the response was  self- stroking!!! In other words, "we know best for all you folks who buy our products...so there".

Did they even understand what these ladies were saying?  If the product tastes bad...it taste bad!!!!  I had the same experience, but I didn't bother to contact Betty Crocker...I'll bet there are many more people like me, than who contacted the company. 

 If you changed the formulation, and if you changed how to prepare the product...guess what, it is "probably going to change how the prouct taste!!!! All those folks that tested the new product, could not possibly have told BC that the new product was as good tasting as the old product!!! I'll bet the wording for the response was something that said, "the new taste was favorably compared to the old product." If so, it wasn't the truth!

I for one, have chosen not to buy the Potatoe Buds product again...the old familiar "real potatoe" taste is gone, so...so am I.

*******************

GOOD GRIEF!! tHE OLD POTOATE BUDS WERE SO MUCH BETTER!!! THESE NEW ONES DO NOT EVEN COME CLOSE, THATS IT WE ARE THE CONSUMERS TELLING THEM WE HATE THEM!!! WHAT THE HECK? WHO WERE THEY ASKING TO TASTE TEST THESE??? I LOVE MANY BETTY CROCKER PRODUCTS AND USE THEM BUT NOW..I DON'T LIKE THE ATTITUDE...I WOULDN'T FEED POTATOE BUDS NEW AND IMPROVED TO MY DOG...IN FACT SHE SNUBBED THEM, MY ADVICE REDO YOU SO CALLED TASTE TEST...WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CUSTOMER FIRST???WOW BETTY!!!!

  I too have said goodby to Potatoe Buds. I just threw away a large and small box of Potato Buds. I bought the second box thinking the first box was a mistake. I cooked it twice, once frome each box and following the instructions on the box. The taste was terrible. It made me think I was eating Elmers Glue.

  Sorry General Mills. I was a big fan. Now I am saving money buying generic brands that taste like your old Potato Buds.

Charlie

I agree. I grew up eating my "mom's" mashed potatoes and loved them. I later came to realize they were BC's Potato Buds. When I statred cooking for myself & others I continued with using them as they were the best alternative to using real potatoes. And plus when you're feeding a family of 9 it's so much easier, lol.

But when BC changed they product we all noticed, and hated it. We bought them twice. Once because it was what we knew. Twice to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Sadly it was. They do taste terrible. Gummy, stale, and just artificial!

Now, if we do instant potatoes, we buy Idaho's. Not the same as the old buds, but the best alternative to whats out there.

HA! Thats so cute..."Good one!! Don't touch my coffee"!! I'm with you! But too I don't care for the new buds....I tried the instrucs on the box and still taste like cardboard!!!

love the coffee deal that is me to a t.  I HOPE THAT BETTY WILL UNDERSTAND AND MAYBE JUST USE BOTH RECIPES FOR THE BUDS THAT WAY THE OTHER 1 PERSON CAN STILL BUY THOSE NEW THINGS.  WELL TILL THEN

THANKS FOR THE COMMENT

The hell with aligning with "industry standards!"  That's just a load of crap!  Do you want to be like everybody else or do you want to offer something unique?  You had an excellent product and now you're trying to make us believe this crud is better than the original.  Well, it's not. 

Your research team BLEW IT BIG TIME!  Here's my five cents worth of research that will cost you absolutely nothing:  TO ENSURE CONTINUED SUCCESS WITH POTATO BUDS, GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FORMULA. 

No amount of b.s. is going to convince me that what you're selling now is better than the original.  So, until you go back to the original formula, I am sticking with Hungry Jack.  Take that to your stockholders and see what they have to say about it.

"Aligning to industry standards" = It's cheaper and everyone else does it.  Personally, I peel and boil potatoes.

   I too will be boiling and mashing my potatoes again, can't stand "new Potate Buds".You  took a really good product and ruined it, the taste and texture is bad. Please bring the "old" product back.

Hey Buddy, can you send me a link.  lol......I don't even have Hungry Jack here, stuck with Potato Buds or a store brand.  Oh well, there's always rice.

They still taste terrible, and the texture isn't even close. Please look again in your research. Did you compare the new buds to the old buds, or were the focus groups tasting new buds against other brands' flakes? No more Buds for me. Or my family. No one likes them anymore.

I have been buying Potato Buds forever. The "New and Improved" buds are horrible.  My family noticed it the first time I made them.  They do not taste like real potatoes anymore.  I've fooled many people with the old formula.  And I followed the new directions and that didn't make any difference.  They are dry and crumbly unless you add more liquid and then they are gummy.  I guess it's time for a change.  I will definitely try some other brands now.

I've also been a long time user of Potato Buds - more than 35 years and the new version is AWFUL!!  Get these things off the shelf and bring back the old ones.  I will start making mashed potatoes with REAL poataoes now.  It will take longer but the "new and improved" taste is NOT an option. Betty Crocker - You lost another customer!

CateC_BettyCrocker_MOD:

The team feels that the new product is of superior quality in both flavor and texture to the old formula,

Let's see how the team feels when sales fall off a cliff. Camino said the same thing about people supposedly preferring the 'new and improved' burritos, but sales dropped so much they switched back after a few months. The 'new and improved' Potato Buds are horrible, and taste just like the generic store brand flakes now.

If the product now conforms to some crummy industry standard, why would you expect people to pay twice as much for the Potato Buds brand? I, for one, will not.

Dear Cate,

A rose by any other name.....

You can put pretty words on the packages and and make nice boxes, but the new "improved" potato buds are just awful.

A W F U L!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will not buy them any more and am buying new products til I find one as good as the old ones.

Hey everyone,

Here's a new twist to all this:  Betty Crocker had sent me coupons because I complained about the Potato Buds.  To make a statement, I sent the coupons back to Betty Crocker, at the address that was on the envlope, saying I don't want the coupons.  I just want the original Potato Buds back.  The envelope was sent back to me, marked "Return to Sender"!!

Unbelievable!