For a few meals in a holiday rental, stock cubes or tablets let you make stock without opening a whole carton. Liquid stock is a good choice if you plan to use it quickly and have a fridge; a bottle of seasoning is more for adding a few drops to a dish and won’t necessarily work as a cooking stock. So don’t choose a bottle just because of its shape: check what it’s intended for, how to store it, and its salt and allergen information.
If you’re not sure how much stock you’ll use, cubes or tablets let you make one portion at a time. The MAGGI vegetable and chicken liquid stocks listed by Auchan need to be refrigerated once opened and used within three days.
For soup, risotto, a pan-fried dish or a tray bake, ready-made liquid stock saves you having to dissolve a cube. This option means you’ll need to keep the remainder chilled and use it after opening, following the product instructions.
The format alone won’t tell you what’s in a product. Before choosing a cube or bottled seasoning, compare the ‘salt’ line in the nutrition information and check the ingredients and highlighted allergens.
First, decide whether you need stock for cooking or a seasoning to add in small amounts. For stock, the number of meals you’re planning and whether you can store an opened carton will help you choose the right format.
Choose these: if you’re making only a few meals or aren’t sure how many you’ll need.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to dissolve them or add them during cooking.
Choose this: for quick cooking with stock that’s already liquid.
Bear in mind: the MAGGI vegetable and chicken cartons listed by Auchan need to be refrigerated and used within three days of opening.
Choose this: to add a few drops to a dish, as Knorr recommends for Viandox.
Bear in mind: it isn’t a ready-to-use quantity of stock for cooking soup or risotto.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and storage | How many meals you’re planning; storage instructions after opening and whether there’s a fridge if you choose a carton. | For a short stay, I’d rather make just the amount I need than leave an opened carton. Around 40% of consumers prioritise limiting leftovers. |
| Quick preparation | Intended use: ready-to-use liquid stock for cooking, or a bottle for seasoning in small amounts. | If I’m cooking as soon as I arrive, I want stock I can use without dissolving a cube. Around 30% of consumers put convenience ahead of other criteria. |
| Salt and allergens | Ingredients, highlighted allergens and salt per 100 g or 100 mL, depending on the product. | When the ingredients guide my choice, I read the label before picking a format or flavour. Around 30% of consumers prioritise salt and allergens. |
Knorr recommends adding a few drops of Viandox to season a dish. That’s not the same as pouring liquid stock from a carton into a recipe.
If your recipe needs stock for cooking, check that the product is intended for this use. Keep the bottle for seasoning if its label says to use it in small amounts.
According to Auchan’s listings for MAGGI vegetable and chicken liquid stock, the contents must be refrigerated and used within three days of opening.
If you’re only making a small meal, consider using cubes or plan another recipe for the remainder within that time.
An opened carton that you can’t use in time may end up in the bin.
A bottle that’s easy to measure doesn’t tell you what’s in it or how much salt it contains. Stock cubes and liquid stocks also have ingredients you should check for each product.
Check highlighted allergens and compare salt on a like-for-like basis, per 100 g or per 100 mL, before making your choice.
The range on offer can vary by store or collection method, particularly for products listed by retailers Carrefour and Auchan.
Choose the store near your holiday rental and check the exact product before planning a recipe around it.
The brand offers stock cubes and liquid stock, as well as a bottled flavouring. Check the product category before swapping one for another.
Knorr offers stock, a range billed as salt-free, and Viandox liquid seasoning.
The retailer stocks dehydrated stock and liquid stock, among other options.
The retailer stocks stock tablets and MAGGI liquid stock.
Under its Marque Repère brand, the retailer offers dehydrated stock and sauce bases, including tablets.
These products are mainly for making stock with cubes, tablets or individual pieces, alongside stock powder that you measure out separately. When choosing for a holiday rental, check the format and packaging instructions for each product rather than assuming it comes with a squeeze top.
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The cube format is a good choice if you’d rather make stock for a few meals than open a carton. The pack is listed as 120 g; check the packaging for ingredients and salt information before choosing this variety.
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The 15 tablets let you make meals one at a time without opening liquid stock. Check the dosage and allergen list on the packaging if these matter to you.
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This beef stock preparation in individual pieces may suit you if you want portions you can use separately. It isn’t a standard stock cube, so check the preparation instructions and ingredients for the recipe you have in mind.
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This vegetable stock powder is a good choice if you’d rather measure out each batch than use a tablet. The 250 g pack isn’t a single portion, so check the dosage and storage instructions before buying.
Not just because it’s easy to measure: the seasoning bottles mentioned here are for adding flavour to a dish in small amounts, while stock cubes are used to make stock. If a recipe calls for a quantity of stock, check the product’s intended use and instructions before substituting it.
Auchan’s listings for MAGGI vegetable and chicken liquid stock say to refrigerate the product and use it within three days of opening. For any other product, follow the instructions on its packaging.
First, check the product name and instructions to tell stock and seasoning apart. Then check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and nutrition information. The DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be emphasised on food labels.
Compare the ‘salt’ line in the nutrition information, taking account of the unit shown—per 100 g or 100 mL—and then the amount you’ll use. The DGCCRF states that nutrition information is given per 100 g or 100 mL. Don’t compare a cube and a liquid on different bases.
Knorr offers a range of salt-free stock, including vegetable and chicken varieties. Check the product name, ingredients and format of the option available at your store: other Knorr stock products may not have the same feature.