Hot Dogs
Published April 1, 2007. From Cook's Country.
Americans spend $1.5 billion on store-bought hot dogs. We compiled a
20-person tasting panel to determine where that money should be spent.
products tested (listed alphabetically)
Ball Park Beef Franks
Boar's Head Skinless Beef Frankfurters
Healthy Choice Low Fat Beef Franks
Hebrew National Beef Franks
Johnsonville Stadium Style Beef Franks
Kahn's Bun Size Beef Franks
Kayem Deli Jumbo Beef Hot Dogs
Nathan's Famous Beef Franks
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks
See Product Comparison Chart
Hot dogs inspire passion. Just try handing a mustard-and-sauerkraut dog
to someone who takes ketchup and onions, and you'll see what I mean.
Passion begets consumption, and Americans spend over $1.5 billion on
store-bought hot dogs each year. To determine which all-beef hot dog is
best, we bought nine brands at our local supermarket and headed into the
test kitchen to cook and taste them.
Much to the chagrin of our 20-person tasting panel, condiments and buns
were off-limits--we wanted to taste the hot dogs and nothing but. All
dogs were boiled for exactly 4 minutes in water to cover, then sliced
into rounds and served warm. Tasters scored each sample on appearance,
flavor, texture, and overall quality. Who was the top dog?
Not surprisingly, our panel preferred dogs with rich, beefy flavor and a
good mixture of seasonings. We were surprised to find that sugar level
tracked with our final rankings: Our top three dogs all list 0 grams of
sugar, and all were praised for their meaty flavor. Those with 2 grams
of sugar per dog all finished toward the bottom of our rankings and were
criticized for their sweet, "unnatural" flavor.
Texture was also important. Testers wanted firm dogs that had some snap.
Samples with a soft, "bologna-like" texture were downgraded.
See the Results
Winner
Nathan's Famous Beef Franks
Our tasters heralded Nathan's dogs for their "meaty," "hearty," "robust"
flavor and "firm," "craggy" texture.
Product Tested Quantity Price*
Highly Recommended
Nathan's Famous Beef Franks
Our tasters heralded Nathan's dogs for their "meaty," "hearty," "robust"
flavor and "firm," "craggy" texture-all qualities that separate them
from the overprocessed competition. "Juicy, crunchy, salty, yum," said
one happy taster.
8 dogs $4.99 for 1 pound
Recommended
Johnsonville Stadium Style Beef Franks
Tasters appreciated the girth and richness of these franks, which were
the largest in our tasting. Their flavor was described as "big and meaty
but not hot-doggy," with a "strong spice blend." Texture was deemed
"good and firm."
6 dogs $2.99 for 14 ounces
Recommended
Hebrew National Beef Franks
These franks scored especially well for their "crunchy," "nice and
juicy" texture and "garlicky," "spicy," "beefy," and "smoky" flavor. One
gushing taster called them "almost perfect-well seasoned and juicy."
7 dogs $4.69 for 12 ounces
Recommended with Reservations
Oscar Mayer Beef Franks
While some tasters liked Oscar Mayer's "smoky, strong flavor," these
franks lost points for being "ridiculously salty," "mushy," and tasting
like "a mixed-meat hot dog, not an all-beef one."
10 dogs $3.99 for 1 pound
Recommended with Reservations
Kayem Deli Jumbo Beef Hot Dogs
"Nothing fancy, like a hot dog should be," said one pleased taster. "A
little greasy, but with good flavor," said another. Less glowing
comments included "bland and sour," "rubbery filling," and several
references to a "strange and sweet" aftertaste.
8 dogs $3.99 for 1 pound
Recommended with Reservations
Ball Park Beef Franks
One taster called these dogs "classic but unremarkable." Negative
remarks included "mushy," "strange sweetness," and a mention of
unpleasant "chewy membranes."
8 dogs $3.99 for 1 pound
Not Recommended
Boar's Head Skinless Beef Frankfurters
Tasters found something amiss with these "rubbery," "artificial-looking
(too red)" hot dogs. While the flavor was deemed "beefy," the "chewy"
texture was a big turnoff. "Smells a little like wet socks," complained
one member of our panel.
10 dogs $4.29 for 1 pound
Not Recommended
Kahn's Bun Size Beef Franks
The general consensus was that these dogs "taste like they have a lot of
filler" and have a "very processed" texture. Most tasters complained
about too much salt and "no meat flavor or texture." "Like sour, salty
bologna," said one critic.
8 dogs $3.99 for 1 pound
Not Recommended
Healthy Choice Low Fat Beef Franks
Our tasters didn't think these franks looked ("strange dark color") or
tasted ("livery undertones," "plasticky") like hot dogs. The
"gummy-mushy-grainy" texture drew serious complaints.
8 dogs $3.49 for 14 ounces
*Prices subject to change.
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