Tag: #TasteTests

Posted in Taste Tests

I Asked 4 Chefs What Their Favorite Fast Food Cheeseburger Was and Their Pick Was Unanimous

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Options abound in the wide world of hamburgers. Whether you like them beefy or vegan, restaurant-style or backyard barbecue-approved, we’ve got plenty of burger recipes for you to try. We’ve even stretched the boundaries of what qualifies as a burger, taking inspiration from beef Wellington, chicken Parmesan, and even Thanksgiving leftovers.

But when it comes to one category of burger—fast food cheeseburgers—many of us are usually looking for the same thing.

Qualities of a Good Fast Food Cheeseburger

Priority number one? The meat. According to Jim Perillo, executive chef at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, New York, the beef should always be fresh, not frozen, since “frozen patties tend to be dryer. They lose moisture through the thawing process. Pre-cooked frozen patties that have been sitting also leave much to be desired. Nothing beats a fresh burger,” he says.

The best burgers are well-seasoned and rocking a satisfying “crust,” adds Dominic Iannarelli, chef-owner of Prime & Providence in West Des Moines, Iowa. This usually comes from being grilled, smashed, or seared.

Caroline Chambers, the Carmel Valley, California-based author of the Substack and the cookbook “What To Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking” chimes in with a vote for a thin patty, which allows for “a perfect balance. I basically want equal parts cheese to patty to bun.”

As for that bun, it better not distract from the real star of the show, says Dan Pelosi (aka @grossypelosi), a New York-based recipe writer and New York Times bestselling author of “Let’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Home.” It should be soft so it’s able to “hug the burger,” Pelosi says, but toasted to stand up to any sauces.

When it comes to the toppings, less is more. Every topping should have a reason for being invited to the party, Iannarelli says.

Overall, a good clue that a burger is high-quality is the fact that it’s one of few sandwiches on the menu, Pelosi continues. “The sign of a confident burger is when she is not afraid to be one of the very few options available.”

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Posted in Taste Tests

Costco’s $11 Kirkland Butter Is Even Better Than the $17 Kerrygold Version

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

There’s no doubt that Kerrygold butter is a top-notch butter product. If you aren’t familiar, the Irish butter is made with milk from grass-fed cows giving it a deeper golden hue than traditional American butter and an arguably creamier mouthfeel. But this premium product also comes with a premium up-charge.

I’ve personally found that everything I bake (especially cookies!) turns out so much better when I use Kerrygold rather than generic grocery store butter. So to save a buck, I’ve been stocking up on it at Costco where I can get four gold bars (the equivalent of eight sticks of American butter) for just $16.95—saving a few dollars compared to my local grocery store in the process.

But that all changed when I found an alternate on the shelf next to the Kerrygold at Costco: Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Butter. It even comes in a shiny box similar to that of the Kerrygold packaging, signaling to me that this is Costco’s house brand version of the popular butter.

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

I Tried 5 Honey Mustards, and the Winner Was So Good I Ate It Straight off the Spoon

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I’ve been a mustard fan my whole life. Even at a young age when everyone I knew was smitten with ketchup, I was reaching for a bottle of the tangy yellow stuff. I know it’s not a condiment for every occasion, but it’s the condiment I find myself using most often.

While Dijon and stone-ground mustards are my favorites, I have a soft spot in my heart (and belly) for a good honey mustard. It’s the unsung hero in the mustard world, and I wanted to determine which brand made the best. To find the winner, I tested five store-bought honey mustard brands to see which one had the best flavor and texture and ranked my findings.

How I Chose the Honey Mustard Brands 


Because I wanted to make sure that the honey mustard brands I tested were widely available, I put on my coat, got in my car, and went to several local grocery stores. I hit the condiment aisles and scooped every honey mustard they had. It turns out, there were only five brands total, which you’ll see tested below. 

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

We Tried 11 Types of Hot Dogs—These Were Our Favorite

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Let’s be frank, not all hot dogs are created equal.

By 

Tadhg Hylier Stevens

Published on June 30, 2024

Frankly, there’s never a bad time for a hot dog. And that means that you should keep a few packs in stock that can be thrown on the grates or roasted around a campfire at a moment’s notice. Even if you don’t have a way to cook up a few franks outdoors, you can still enjoy a charred brat by using your oven’s broiler or air fryer, as long as you monitor the hot dog’s progress carefully.

Before you start cooking up a dog or two, you’ll want to decide which brand to reach for. To help you figure out which brand most deserves your buck, we tested 11 varieties of hot dogs, all of which are available online or in stores. Here are our rankings from best to worst.

What We Looked for When Ranking Hot Dogs 

Taste: Flavor is top priority in our search for the perfect frank. For this test, we considered how much actual meat flavor was in each dog compared to just salt taste; we also made sure to point out different varieties of hot dogs so that those who prefer beef to pork (or turkey to either) can find their best bites.

Price: Hot dogs aren’t just a summer staple; they’re a year-round grocery list favorite. On top of that, they’re famously made from inexpensive meat cuts, so they shouldn’t cost more than a few dollars. Most of the hot dogs we tested cost $4 or less, and one brand cost less than $0.50 for a pack of eight.

Texture: For this test, we were looking for which franks would have the best texture when either grilled or broiled. By and large, most of the brands we tested plumped up well and didn’t split while cooking. Most also achieved a pleasantly crisp exterior; we’ll point out the few that didn’t.

Additional Features: As mentioned above, some hot dogs can suffer from an abundance of salt flavor. That’s because some contain more than just a bit of salt. In addition to noting the protein-heavy hitters on this list, we also pointed out which brands contained a notable amount of sodium. Some brands we tested contained less than 300 milligrams of sodium per hot dog, but a few packed in nearly half a day’s recommended serving in just one frank.

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

I Asked 5 Chefs for the Best Salt, and This Brand Won by a Big Pinch

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Salt might seem like the most standard of pantry staples. Whether it’s in individual packets, added to a shaker and placed alongside black pepper, or sold in a 3-pound bucket, it’s all just the same ol’ crystals of sodium chloride, right?

Not so fast. The style and brand of salt you use can make all the difference between a dish that falls flat, one that sings and is full of flavor, or one that is so salty, it’s inedible. (Also, when you add salt during cooking also matters!)

To help us smartly stock up and season like the pros, we asked chefs from coast to coast to reveal their favorite salt brand as well as the ways (both classic and unexpected) they like to use it.

Our Panel of Salt-Savvy Chefs 

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Posted in Taste Tests

I Tried 11 Tortillas Chip Brands—This One Was So Much Better Than All the Others

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Whether you’re dipping tortilla chips into spicy corn salsa, creamy artichoke dip, or using them as the base for cheesy, beefy nachos, these corn-based crisps add a satisfying crunch and a hint of saltiness to so many classic comfort foods. But when you head to the grocery store, you’ll find a vast array of options lining the shelves, and it can get pretty overwhelming to know which one to buy.

I’ll admit, I usually don’t put much thought into choosing tortilla chips when grocery shopping and often just grab whatever bag is on sale. Though there have definitely been times when I’ve picked up a chip that seems appealing, only to find it lacks flavor. Or worse, a crisp that’s so flimsy it practically disintegrates as soon as I dip it into a creamy dip or load it up with cheese and toppings. To help you avoid that fate, I tested 11 different types. Below, you’ll discover my subjective ranking of the ones I think truly deserve a spot in your cart.

Allrecipes

Posted in Kitchen Tips

Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Cottage cheese is a soft, fresh cheese known for its high protein and calcium content. It is also a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed as a snack and an ingredient for a variety of savory and sweet dishes.

 Cottage cheese has a shelf life of one week in the fridge when opened and two weeks if unopened. Since it is a perishable product, you might wonder whether it is worthwhile to stock up on it at grocery store sales and what to do with the leftovers when you have too much.

Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?  

You’ve probably have heard mixed messages aboutfreezing cottage cheese. While USDA guidelines don’t recommend freezing cottage cheese, some home cooks and culinary chefs disagree.

Generally speaking, cottage cheese comes in two main types: dry-curd options and varieties with milk or cream. Dry-curd cottage cheese is basically the curds without lactose, which are removed using a higher-heat cooking process. (Note: It’s similar to but not the same thing as farmers cheese.) Because dry-curd products are, well, dry, they freeze better than cottage cheese swimming in milk or cream—which is the most common variety sold in tubs at grocery stores.

Cottage cheese with milk or cream is a high-water-content dairy product regardless of how much fat it has (for example, full-fat versus low-fat products). If frozen, the liquid turns into ice crystals. And when the cottage cheese is thawed, the ice crystals transform into liquid, causing the curds to become a grainy texture. However, full-fat cottage cheese tends to freeze better than the fat-free variety due to its higher fat content, retaining a creamier texture when thawed. 

So if you don’t mind the grainy texture of thawed cottage cheese, then it is perfectly fine to freeze it to enjoy later. Defrosted cottage cheese is best used for cooked dishes such as lasagna, casserole, and breads.

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

This Is How to Tell When Your Olive Oil Is Bad

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Olive oil is one of cooking’s most versatile ingredients. From using it to make salad dressings, to fry veggies, or even just to accompany bread, it has a multitude of uses.

It also has a range of qualities and varieties. Picking the right olive oil can be a bigger decision than one might think. So when you get your hands on the right bottle of olive oil, it can be tempting to save it. For instance, maybe you found the perfect, bulk-sized jug of olive oil and plan to use it for a while. Or maybe you grabbed a nice bottle on a trip and want to set it aside for a rainy day.

But, just like most good things, olive oil doesn’t last forever. So, before you store it, make sure you know how to keep it from going to waste.

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

The Actual Reason McDonald’s Diet Coke Tastes the Best

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Every McDonald’s fan knows that whether you’re going to the fast food chain for a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Filet-O-Fish, McNuggets, or even a simple order of fries, you can’t leave without a fountain drink. Mickey D’s has always been highly regarded for its sodas—and for good reason. 

There’s just something about a McDonald’s Diet Coke or Sprite that hits different. And actually there is something that makes the fountain sodas stand out—and, according to our taste test, better—than any other fast food restaurant. 

So, how does McDonald’s do Diet Coke so well?

Allrecipes

Posted in Taste Tests

I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Chicken Casseroles and This Is the One I’ll Feed My Family Again and Again

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

In search of a superior chicken casserole recipe, I opened no less than 14 cans of soup while trying the five most popular recipes from Allrecipes—and it was so worth it.

Chicken casserole is one of the most ubiquitous dishes found in family cookbooks across the country. Show me a grandma who doesn’t have a go-to chicken casserole recipe. I’ll wait. See what I mean?

Most of us grew up eating some variation of chicken casserole and most of us have an opinion about what makes the best one. It’s the dish that you throw together when a neighbor needs comforting, when a loved one is under duress, or if you simply need to feel a sense of home. Ideally, you should already have most ingredients on hand in your pantry for such emergencies (be them physical, spiritual, or emotional). 

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