Taste Tests

The best ingredients make the best recipes, and our testers and tasters rate hundreds of products every year so you can spend your money wisely. We evaluate products you use on a daily basis—from supermarket orange juices, to cheddar cheeses, potato chips, hot dogs, and much more. We collect all the information and update our reviews regularly on this website as well as CooksCountry.com. We hope they help you when you shop.

Current Season
Season 1

Maple and Pancake Syrup

Does it pay to buy the priciest syrup in the aisle—and does it even need to be real maple?

Boxed Brownie Mixes

Do any store-bought mixes come close to homemade?

Frozen Dinner Rolls

Even if you had the time to bake a yeast roll from scratch, with so many freezer-aisle choices, do you really need to?

Microwave Popcorn

Is there a brand of microwave popcorn that can come close to homemade?

Whole Wheat Bread

Our tasters wanted wheat, not sweetness.

Coarse-Grain Mustard

Coarse-grain mustard is considered a must for grilled sausage or ham sandwiches. Which one should you buy?

Fresh Lemon Substitutes

We found two emergency substitutions.

Tartar Sauce

The best tartar sauce should be creamy and balanced—and definitely not gloppy.

Iced Tea

Do specialty packages blended specifically for iced tea really make a better pitcher than a chilled-down version of the old-fashioned stuff?

Milk Chocolate

Many milk chocolates taste mostly of milk and sugar, not chocolate. Others are gritty when they should be perfectly smooth. Join Jack Bishop as he challenges Christopher Kimball to a tasting of milk chocolate in front of a live studio audience. Which brand is really the best?

Jarred Pasta Sauce

Jarred spaghetti sauces all contain tomato puree and tomatoes, but they vary greatly when it comes to texture and added herbs. Christopher Kimball taste tests these sauces in front of a live audience while Jack Bishop reveals what tasters liked and disliked in jarred spaghetti sauce.

Hot Dogs

Jack Bishop has host Christopher Kimball taste boiled hot dogs in front of a live audience and reveals which brands have the best "snap" and meatiest flavor.

Potato Chips

Host Christopher Kimball taste tests potato chips in front of a live audience while Jack Bishop explains how the right combination of three basic ingredients—potatoes, oil, and salt—really does make a difference.

Pie Crusts

Christopher Kimball taste tests store-bought pie crusts with Jack Bishop in front of a live audience to find out if convenience brands can stack up against a flaky, buttery homemade pie crust. Can Chris detect which crust is homemade?

Barbecue Sauce

Jack Bishop challenges host Christopher Kimball to taste test bottled barbecue sauces in front of a live audience and reveals that you don’t have to make your own sauce from scratch.

Cheddar Cheese

Jack Bishop has host Christopher Kimball taste test cheddar cheese in front of a live audience to find out if supermarket brands can compete with the pricier farmhouse brands. Can Chris detect which cheddar is from Vermont?

Salsas

Jack Bishop has host Christopher Kimball taste supermarket salsas, jarred and fresh, in front of a live audience to determine if store-bought brands can compete with homemade salsa.

Orange Juice

Christopher Kimball tastes orange juice in front of a live studio audience while Jack Bishop reveals if super-premium OJ is really worth the super-premium price.