In my never-ending quest to find you the best products at the best prices, I’ve shared a couple of product comparison posts this year that ended up surprising me, both in terms of the results and the enthusiastic responses they got from readers! (If you missed them, check out my Toilet Paper Showdown and my Paper Towel Showdown.)
I’ve been looking forward to doing more comparisons, but I wasn’t sure which one to do next. Then a couple of weeks ago, I had a stroke of inspiration: I should compare condiments.
Just like with my two previous head-to-head product evaluations, I started out with my own opinions and expectations based on the condiments I usually buy. The results of the side-by-side taste tests I performed (with the aid of the OGT Team to gather additional input) proved equally surprising this time around!
The OGT Condiment Showdown
For each category of condiments, we performed a blind side-by-side taste test of all the contenders. We used French fries and mini corn dogs as our food medium in each test.
Category #1 – Mayonnaise
The Contenders:
- Best Foods
- Kraft
- Duke’s
- Miracle Whip
The Winner: Kraft Mayonnaise
I know — I’m as surprised as you are! I went into this category expecting my old mainstay (Best Foods) to emerge victorious, but I ultimately thought that the Kraft brand mayo had a better balance of creaminess and flavor. (Of course, nothing beats homemade mayonnaise for flavor!)
I’d heard so many great things about Duke’s that I expected to like it more, and while it was very creamy, it didn’t have much to offer flavor-wise. And I gamely gave Miracle Whip a chance since Dave loves the stuff, but I just don’t love the flavor or tanginess (though I know a lot of people do!)
Category #2 – Ketchup
The Contenders:
- Heinz
- Hunt’s
- Kroger
The Winner: Kroger Ketchup
My preference has always been Heinz, but I ended up preferring the Kroger brand ketchup to my own surprise. It’s just a tiny bit sweeter than the Heinz brand, which I found very enjoyable.
The Hunt’s ketchup was much more acidic than either Heinz or Kroger, which I did not like.
Category #3 – Mustard
The Contenders:
- French’s
- Heinz
- Kroger
The Winner: Kroger Mustard
I’ve always bought French’s in the past, but the texture of the Kroger brand mustard ended up being the deciding factor in this matchup. The Kroger mustard was acidic without being abrasive, and had the smoothest texture of the three — both French’s and Heinz were almost gritty by comparison.
Which Condiments Emerged Victorious?
Best Mayonnaise: Kraft Mayonnaise
Best Ketchup: Kroger Ketchup
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Best Mustard: Kroger Mustard
Kroger came to play in these matchups, and that’s music to my ears given that store brand products tend to be less expensive than their name brand counterparts. I bought my Kroger brand products at the Smith’s in town, but you can also find Kroger products at Fry’s, City Market, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, and King Soopers. (Learn more at the Kroger website.)
Related: 17 Store Brand Products That People Actually Swear By
The Takeaway
We all have unique tastes and preferences, so your mileage with these results may vary. If anything, I hope reading about our condiment showdown inspires you to do an evaluation of your own!
These taste tests really showed me the value in comparing things side by side and being open to new possibilities. After all, you never know what you’ll like until you actually try it!
If you do your own taste tests, be sure to let me know which condiments you liked best!
What are your favorite condiment brands?
Hi, I can’t believe you didn’t have Hellmann’s Mayonnaise in your taste test.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Had to buy my wife name brand mustard as she complained about the Kroger brand. Personally, I don’t see a difference. For the Mayo, I’ll stick with Dukes. But my wife is a Miracle Whip fan too. As for ketchup (catsup?), to me they’re mostly all the same, as I prefer hot sauce anyway.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Interesting post, however, we all should be checking the ingredients. Too many of these products are made with soybean oil, which is not healthy. I prefer either an organic product or I make my own.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We can all agree that taste tests are a matter of preference. For sandwiches I like Kewpie mayonnaise. It doesn’t work as well for all mayo uses but it has an extra richness that goes well on a sandwich and some salads. In some stores it can be expensive, but a good Asian market should sell it at a reasonable cost.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You realize that Kroger doesn’t make their own condiments, right? They buy other brands and put their label on it. I learned this when my dad worked at Domino Sugar and I went into the packaging area of the factory and saw that they were packing their sugar for a well known store chain. And also, Blue Plate should have been a contender in the mayo contest.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is true, but most of the time the store brands, despite being made in possibly the same plant as a name brand, are altered to meet a price point so they can be sold at a lower price.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have always used Bast Foods Mayo also, but with rising prices I decided to try the local store brand “Food Club”. It is every bit as good and the same goes for most or their products that I have tried. As for Miracle Whip…It is not considered mayonaise, but just another kind of sandwich spread and should not be compared with mayo. I really don’t like the stuff, but when my Aunt Ann convinced me to try her potato salad made with it, I have to admit it was quite good. Worth going back for seconds, but not worth making my potato salad with it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t think Miracle Whip is mayo. I use it for certain things and mayo in other things. I agree with Mary Wickett that Miracle Whip is best in Potato Salad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sonya, I have no idea why it’s better in Potato Salad but if I use something else the family only picks at it. I’m not exactly sure where it should be classified either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s salad dressing, not mayo at all.I tell my wife it’s fake mayo.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How did Hellmans Mayo not make it into the final four let alone not win.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Helman’s and Best Foods are the same brand, just depends on where you live.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You’re right everyone has their preference and for the most part Kroger brand items come first for me with flavor and cost. That being said as for mayonnaise my favorite is Hellmans which is Best Foods out here in the west. I use this for everything except my potato salad and Miracle Whip is my choice there. Ketchup hands down is Rose Gold. If you have never had it you should try it if it’s available to you. As for mustard, I can’t stand the stuff and usually buy the cheap store or off brand. It is only every used mixed in with something else. Please keep these coming as they are so informative and always nice to hear what someone else from around the country likes. We were military for 26 years so what I grew up with was not always available.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All solid contenders, however we don’t have Kroger’s in Florida. Have used Kraft mayo for YEARS! Another delicious ketchup is Red Gold out of Indiana.. This is what I grew up on and had completely forgotten about it until a fellow Hoosier made a trip home and brought bottles back for all of us Floridians. It has the sweetness that Jillee is talking about in the Kroger brand. A huge plus is that Winn Dixie sells it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Actually, Kroger is in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Crestview. They are somewhat new to Florida, so my guess is they will be opening more in the future.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This makes me happy. I’ve been using the Kroger brand mustard and ketchup for quite some time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It’s a shame you don’t have access to an East Coast grocery. I would pit the Wegman’s branded items against brand name ones any time
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