Originally Posted by
dwinks
I had a pair of panniers very similar to those from Basil (probably a bit higher quality than the Axiom brand ones) and I ended up returning them after just one use as they were not suitable (imo) for groceries. I suppose if you only buy a few boxes of cereal and a loaf of bread or something, they'd be fine, but anything with weight causes them to sag and dive toward the spokes. The softer, cheaper grocery panniers also tend to flop around a lot, which makes handling iffy. The "Dutch" style bags that are attached in the middle also require (should have, at least) a Dutch style pannier rack, which is wider than the ones most commonly found in USA. You can put it on a narrower rack, but it doesn't hang right. I strongly recommend against any connected pannier bags unless you know the space between the bags will match the width of your rack.
I have packed them with 8 2 liter bottles with no problems. Each one will hold a full paper grocery bag. You have to have a well designed rack to use these so they don't tip into the spokes, though I'd assume that's the same for any bag. My dutch bike has no problems with these bags, both because of the rack and the coat guard, but my junk mountain bike (that I no longer use) with mostly junk parts common to american bikes is just not that good.
As for baskets, I just can't recommend them. They offer what your carrying no protection and will rust unless you get a real good pair. The Basil's in particular have a tendency to fall off from the reviews I have read.
No matter how you go I do suggest bungee cords to hold them to your bike. I have carried everything from new office furniture to full computer setups that way by bicycle. They are the answer to about any need and can still look nice if you get high quality ones.