Mayo is, for some reason, a very divisive food item. The people who don’t like it really don’t like it and they’re not afraid to be loud about it. They’ll swear it ruins a sandwich, makes them gag, or respond in some other hysterical manner over a condiment that is simply meant to enhance the flavor and texture of a given dish. And while we get that certain people can’t get over the mouthfeel, it’s worth noting that mayo is egg, oil, and vinegar blended together — pretty mundane, at its core.
And yet… the controversy endures. When my editor asked me to blind taste test mayos he wrote in Slack, “I love mayo, ya’ll are weird.” Unprompted, mind you. Who was the “ya’ll” in this conversation? Someone’s hate of mayo hurt this man so deeply that he lashed out in passionate defense of the condiment [spoiler: It was Drew Magary]. Anyway, I wasn’t particularly bothered by the assignment. So I collected all the mayos I could find — in stores and online — and tasted them blind on French fries.
Methodology
So do I personally like mayo? Yeah. It’s an essential ingredient in a lot of sauces and it adds fat and flavor anywhere you need fat and flavor. My most controversial mayo take is that I don’t think it’s the best sauce for a fried chicken sandwich because I almost always think mayo tastes better when it has something else mixed in it. But it’s also best when you (or a chef) are the one doing the mixing (rather than the mayo brand itself) — so I’ve excluded all spicy mayos from this blind taste test.
Here’s our lineup:
- Acid League Maker’s Mayo Tangy
- Best Food’s (Hellman’s) Real Mayonnaise
- Best Food’s (Hellman’s) Organic Mayonnaise
- Chosen Foods Avocado-Based Classic Mayo
- Duke’s Real Mayonnaise
- Kraft Light Mayo
- Kewpie Mayo
- Kroger Real Mayo
- McCormick Mayonnaise with Lime
- MNMLST Mayo
- Miracle Whip
- Plant Perfect Vegan Mayo
- Primal Kitchen Mayo
- Simple Truth Organic Mayonnaise
- Sir Kensington’s Mayonnaise
- Spectrum Culinary Organic Mayonnaise
- Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Mayo Spread & Dressing
- Truff Mayonnaise
- Whole Foods 365 Organic Mayonnaise
Let’s dip!
Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1:
Sharply tangy on the nose, almost unpleasantly so. This sauce is very light, it’s missing some of the more hearty and sumptuous qualities of mayo.
From my notes: “comes across as very sweet with a loudly present lemon tinge.”
Taste 2:
Very fragrant, I don’t normally describe the smell of lemon, eggs, and oil as pleasant, but this smells very good and mouthwatering. The consistency is very wet, it doesn’t look well incorporated but the flavor is great. It’s earthy and round, with a very pleasant buttery mouthfeel.
From my notes: “It has a luxurious and fatty texture and rich flavor.”
Taste 3:
Almost flavorless. With a whipped, airy consistency. It almost doesn’t come across as mayo at all, it’s more mouthfeel than anything. I’m guessing this is one of the vegan brands.
Taste 4:
Very eggy with an unctuous mouthfeel. It has a sort of dirty flatness to it and almost no tang.
Taste 5:
Awful. It’s intensely sweet to the point of being wince-inducing. This is a budget brand for sure, and it tastes like they’re doing the bare minimum.
Taste 6:
Very flavorful with hints of earthy mustard and herbaceous rosemary. Still… it lacks tang and most importantly, creaminess. It’s way too oily.
Taste 7:
The first mayo of our tasting with a bright lemon-forward flavor. After the initial brightness, the flavor is very nicely balanced, it has a luxurious fatty creamy quality to it in texture and flavor. This is what you want out of mayo.
Taste 8:
Very fragrant and spicy on the nose. The consistency on this one is really weird, it’s lumpy in appearance but feels loose as I dredge a fry through it. If taste 3 isn’t the vegan brand, this one is. The flavor confirms it, it’s very vegetal and while it gets in the ballpark of mayo, I don’t see this enhancing and elevating the flavors of a dish, as a good mayo does.
Taste 9:
Very light and citrusy. I can see this brand being someone’s favorite, a hidden gem for sure, but the consistency is just a bit too watery to my liking. It has a runny, alomost-wet mouthfeel. Great simple flavor, though.
Taste 10:
Very interesting. This has a fatty flavor with a slight umami quality to it. There is a bit of fragrant smokiness hovering on the backend and a really well-balanced classic mayo flavor.
From my notes: “This is in the running for the number one spot so far.”
Taste 11:
After the luxurious and creamy texture of Taste 10, this one is a real step down. The consistency of this mayo is very chunky and gelatinous, but I like the flavor. It’s a bit heavy on the oil and slightly plant-y. If this is a vegan brand it’s doing a very good job at emulating the eggy flavor of mayo.
Taste 12:
Very sour, tangy, and oily. It tastes like mayo, but it also tastes like it’s going bad.
Taste 13:
There is a strange green hue to this one… is it vegan? The flavor would suggest otherwise. Nope, it’s definitely the real thing. Eggy, fatty, creamy, slightly lemony, and pleasantly herbaceous on the backend.
Taste 14:
This is excellent. You can taste the oil a bit too much (nothing a good stir/shake couldn’t fix), but it has the perfect balance of lemony tang and sumptuous fatty notes. It’s not in the running for the top spot but this is a top-five mayo, for sure.
Taste 15:
From my notes: “This is fucking great.”
Very bright and tangy with an earthy flavor with subtle umami qualities and a luxurious mouthfeel. It’s buttery, bright, and bursting with flavor. It’s making this lukewarm fry taste elevated, suddenly the salt is jumping out more, the butteriness of the potato is in play — this is an absolute flavor enhancer.
This is the only time I’ve tried plain mayo and didn’t think it could use an ingredient or two to take it next level. As of now, this is without a doubt my number 1.
Taste 16:
Awful. It’s very oil forward, and not well combined. The flavors don’t taste incorporated, all the right ingredients are there but they haven’t come together properly.
Taste 17:
I fucked up. I know this is Truff because I can smell and taste truffles. There is a heavy umami mushroom flavor to this, it tastes more like mushrooms than anything else. If you like truffles you’ll love this. As a mayo, I actually think the truffles hold it back, not elevate it.
Taste 18:
A great classic mayo. Eggy, creamy, fatty, with some nice backend tang. A really nice consistency here, this is a solid jar but doesn’t really stand out.
Taste 19:
Mustard forward and very fatty. A bit oily to the tongue, overall good, not great.
Taste 20:
Yikes, this was clearly from a squeeze bottle and it looks straight up gross. But the consistency is very thick with a luxurious mouthfeel and a great flavor. Very fatty, tangy with some mustard and subtle sweetness.
Part 2: The Ranking
20. Kraft — Light Mayo (Taste 3)
Price: $5.35
The Mayo:
Light mayo, why bother? This barely comes across as tasting like mayo, it doesn’t have the right mouthfeel and the flavor is way too light. Kraft boasts that their mayo is 1/2 the fat and calories and they achieve this by scaling way back on the oil. It’s not a sacrifice that’s worth it — just use less regular mayo!
The Bottom Line:
If you want to taste the mayo, a light variety just isn’t going to cut it. If you’re concerned with cutting calories and you need to opt for a light mayo, you’re sacrificing the flavor for half the calories. The logic doesn’t hold.
19. Miracle Whip (Taste 5)
Price: $4.12
The Mayo:
I didn’t know this about Miracle Whip prior to this ranking but this isn’t technically mayo. The word mayonnaise is nowhere to be found on the jar and while it has all the same ingredients, and shares shelf space with mayo, the consistency and flavors just aren’t quite what you want them to be. It tastes cheap and loaded with sugar, and it is.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is the main driver of flavor here.
The Bottom Line:
Miracle Whip is basically mayo, but can’t call itself mayo, which should give you an idea of its lack of quality. This really only exists to be the punchline of Kanye’s famous line about his mayonnaise-colored Benz.
18. Simple Truth — Organic Mayonnaise (Taste 12)
Price: $3.99
The Mayo:
Simple Truth is Kroger’s Organic label and this mayonnaise is indeed made using organically grown eggs and oil. It’s not worth it, stick to the regular Kroger brand. This one is way too sharp and tangy.
The Bottom Line:
Grossly tangy. If you care enough about organic sourcing, splurge for the higher-priced options if you want something that actually tastes like good mayo and not this sour mess.
17. Plant Perfect –Vegan Mayo
Price: $7.49
The Mayo:
I feel bad about ranking a vegan mayonnaise so low but this just isn’t good. It’s made using canola oil and a whole bunch of gums and yeasts and it just tastes gross and plant-y, with a powdery, and not well-incorporated texture. This one really stands out as obviously vegan, which may be something you want. For me, it comes across as a pale imitation.
The Bottom Line:
A vegan mayo that doesn’t even get in the ballpark of tasting like the real thing.
16. Acid League — Maker’s Mayo Tangy (Taste 16)
Price: $7.99
The Mayo:
I almost never like products from this brand so I’m not surprised to see their take on mayo near the bottom of this list. Acid League’s Maker’s Mayo is made using apple cider vinegar, sunflower oil, egg yolk, and distilled vinegar with some added yuzu flavor and living ACV. That’s great for gut health and all but I’m just looking for a good mayo, not a gut biome refresh.
The Bottom Line:
Too oily and bland to justify its price.
15. Kroger — Real Mayo (Taste 1)
Price: $2.99
The Mayo:
Okay, we’re finally in decent mayo territory. This meets the bare minimum flavor requirements, it’s tangy and hearty but a bit too sweet. It tastes cheap and ,at $2.99, it is!.
The Bottom Line:
Cheap but it gets the job done. If you don’t like your mayo coming across as sweet, move on to our next choice.
14. McCormick — Mayonnaise with Lime (Taste 9)
Price: $3.98
The Mayo:
McCormick has dubbed itself the #1 brand of Mexico and as someone who is Mexican (and Guatemalan), I could… not confirm this brand’s popularity. I’ve honestly never even seen McCormick mayo in anybody’s house before, Mexican or otherwise. The brand advertises its use of lime and for the most part that doesn’t really translate to the flavor. It’s a bit more citrus-forward but doesn’t taste particularly different than what you’d expect.
The Bottom Line:
A bit brighter than your typical basic mayo, but still pretty bland. It’s good, far from great.
13. Trader Joe’s — Vegan Mayo Spread & Dressing (Taste 11)
Price: $16.99
The Mayo:
Admittedly this vegan mayo has a very weird texture that looks very obviously not like mayo, but the flavor is a pretty good match. While it isn’t quite as luxurious and elevated as what will be ranked ahead of it, it’s easily better than a lot of the basic budget mayos. It is made using avocado oil and chickpea broth (aquafaba), as well as white vinegar and some guns, which explains its weird consistency.
The Bottom Line:
A great vegan mayonnaise that approximates what mayo can provide pretty well.
12. Truffle — Mayonnaise Black Truffle Infused (Taste 17)
Price: $10.99
The Mayo:
This brand snuck its way into the ranking but I should’ve suspected that a band called “Truff” might, you know, put truffles in their mayo. It feels wrong to not rank this mayo when I have thoughts on it, so I’m placing it here in the middle of the ranking. Truff makes its mayo with cafe-free eggs infused with black truffle oil in a sunflower oil base. The truffles flavor absolutely dominates everything.
The Bottom Line:
Good if you like truffles. If you don’t or are merely curious, you’re going to find this way overwhelmingly truffle forward.
11. Best Foods — Organic Mayo (Taste 20)
Price: $4.98
The Mayo:
I’m really surprised at how different Best Foods (Hellman’s) Organic Mayo tastes compared to the OG, and even more surprised at how much worse it is. Not that it tastes bad, it doesn’t, but there is absolutely no reason to pick up the organic version over this in flavor is what you’re after. Best Foods uses soybean oil, and organic whole eggs, and sports a darker almost olive-toned color than your typical mayo. It’s fine, but a bit too oily.
The Bottom Line:
Not better than the non-organic version, and different enough that you might actually dislike this compared to the OG.
10. Chosen Foods — Classic Mayo Avocado Based (Taste 6)
Price: $11.99
The Mayo:
Chosen Foods makes a point of mentioning that this is an avocado-based mayo but… that just doesn’t matter that much. Sure, avocado oil is marginally more healthy and nutrient-dense than sunflower or soybean oil but it has no effect on the flavor, it’s purely marketing. The flavor is fine enough, but you’re paying a higher price for a more expensive ingredient that doesn’t improve the flavor in any way.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t give in to the marketing. It’s a good mayo, but the use of avocado oil isn’t doing a whole lot to justify the price.
9. Trader Joe’s — Organic Mayonnaise (Taste 18)
Price: $9.99
The Mayo:
Trader Joe’s makes its mayo using organic expeller pressed soybean oil, and adds mustard seed and other spices to the formula to give it a slightly more elevated taste. It works! This is a great-tasting mayo with organic ingredients that actually feels like it justifies the price. There are better mayos out there though.
The Bottom Line:
If Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise is the most convenient choice, pick it up. It’s not the best but it more than gets the job done.
8. Whole Foods 365– Organic Mayonnaise (Taste 19)
Price: $3.79
The Mayo:
Whole Foods makes their Organic Mayonnaise with canola oil and whole organic cage-free eggs. The flavor is very simple and straightforward but for the price, it can’t really be beaten. The use of canola oil does have us giving a little side-eye to this particular jar, but the flavor is right where you want it to be.
The Bottom Line:
The best flavor-to-price ratio.
7. Primal Kitchen — Mayo with Avocado Oil (Taste 13)
Price: $10.99
The Mayo:
With Primal Kitchen, less is more. Than mayo features just a handful of necessary ingredients and is made using avocado oil, organic eggs, organic eggs yolks, organic vinegar, sea salt, and organic rosemary extract. The result is delicious, simple, and slightly herbaceous.
The Bottom Line:
One of the better-tasting pricier mayos on the market.
6. MNMLST Mayo (Taste 18)
Price: $4.99
The Mayo:
MNMLST is the only brand in this ranking to use grapeseed oil in their recipe, as well as coconut vinegar and coconut sugar in addition to eggs, lemon juice concentrate, and sea salt. Does the oil make a difference? Not sure, but that coconut vinegar and sugar definitely do lend a sweet nuttiness to this.
The Bottom Line:
An interesting take on sweet mayo that doesn’t come across as too sugary.
5. Spectrum Culinary — Organic Mayonnaise (Taste 20)
Price: $10.80
The Mayo:
Spectrum Culinary’s Organic Mayonnaise is made with expeller pressed oil, cage-free organic eggs, and a bit of honey. Like MNMLST, this mayo attempts to add in the sweetness of cheaper brands but does it right. The honey adds an earthy and floral sweetness to it that pairs well with the tangy mustard-dominant aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Floral, fatty, tangy, and mouthwatering.
4. Sir Kensington’s — Classic Mayo (Taste 7)
Price: $11.78
The Mayo:
Sir Kensington’s Mayo has probably the most hipster-pandering label and name of any mayo brand. But you know what? The hipsters know how to make their mayo. This stuff is simple and great. The brand uses humane-certified free-range eggs, sunflower oil, cane sugar, and organic lemon juice and everything tastes well incorporated.
The Bottom Line:
Our favorite hipster brand.
3. Best Foods — Real Mayonnaise (Taste 14)
Price:. $4.79
The Mayo:
I think it’s kind of corny when people say things like “Heinz is the only brand that matters” when it comes to ketchup, or “McDonald’s fries are the best in fast food,” when really all you’re doing is taking a purely subjective view of flavor and confusing taste with nostalgia. Hellman’s, or Best Foods as it’s known to folks west of the Rockies, is that brand for mayo.
People swear by this stuff and that definitely has a lot to do with the fact that this is probably the first brand most people have had so this is just what mayo should taste like to people. You know what… they’re kind of right. Best Foods delivers — they don’t do anything special but the balance between egg, oil, and acid is perfect.
It’s sweet, creamy, fatty, flavorful, and flexible. You can do a lot with this sauce, on its own and as a base.
The Bottom Line:
It’s just what mayonnaise should taste like. It’s been the most prominent and visible brand for a reason. The Pepsi of mayonnaise.
2. Duke’s — Real Mayonnaise (Taste 10)
Price:. $6.12
The Mayo:
If Best Foods is the Pepsi of mayonnaise, Duke’s is the Coca-Cola. This mayo has bite, or as the bottle exclaims, “it’s got tang!” But it’s not just tangy, that’s to be expected, it’s smokey, spicy, and earthy — no doubt a consequence of the paprika and cider vinegar. It has a really present flavor that jumps out at you.
Standing side-by-side with Best Food’s, it smokes the rival brand.
The Bottom Line:
Better than Best Foods and a toss-up for first place.
1. Kewpie — Japanese Style Mayo (Taste 15)
Price: $9.99
The Mayo:
As I said in the tasting, this is the only mayo that doesn’t taste like it needs any additional ingredients to make it good (Duke’s comes close) so I have to give it the top spot. It is the best mayonnaise I’ve ever tasted that wasn’t homemade. This Japanese-style mayo is thicker and more luxurious than American mayo, with a brighter and altogether more complex flavor. It is made using egg yolks, soybean oil, rice, and balsamic vinegar.
The flavor not only cuts through on a french fry, but it actually managed to elevate the flavors of the fry, allowing me to taste the salt and potato even more, which is what a great mayo should do. Mayonnaise is a flavor enhancer, it should elevate, compliment, and enhance the flavors of whatever you put it on and this brand truly lives up to that task.
The Bottom Line:
Creamy, sweet, luxurious, bright, sumptuous, umami-packed. This mayo explodes with flavor while improving whatever you put it on. This is, as far as we’re concerned, a kitchen staple whether you’re looking for straight mayo or need to make a more complex sauce. Put it on everything.