Best mayonnaise taste test lineup.
Who doesn’t love mayonnaise? A happy marriage of oil and eggs with a kiss of acid, mayo moistens our sandwiches with a lubricious layer that tames the crustiest bread. It serves as a playground monitor when mixed into slaws and salads (and even chocolate cakes!), ensuring the other ingredients are good teammates. And best of all, while homemade is great, even the humblest store brands are pretty good.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t fight about mayonnaise, Duke’s brand in particular. Southerners swear by it. They insist you really can’t make pimento cheese, or potato salad, or (fill in the blanks) without Duke’s. So it was time for a taste test, to see which oleaginous emulsion would reign supreme.
We grew up in Dallas, which is usually considered the south, yet were a Hellman’s family and in fact had not tasted Duke’s until we ordered a twin-pack this week to see what the hubbub was all about. We assumed the winner would be Duke’s. But we had several big jars of Hellman’s in the pantry purchased on sale, and they weren’t going down without a fight. And while we were at it, we threw a ringer into our taste test: Kewpie mayo from Japan.
Mayos for tasting in the same order as above. Duke’s has a slight yellow tinge maybe due to the egg content.
Fresh containers of the three products were duly opened and spoonfuls were prepared for tasting. We started with the Duke’s and felt like we had a mistake because…. it tasted just like Hellman’s. Next came the Kewpie; nobody’s going to mistake this mayo for anything else due to the generous notes of MSG-induced umami plus a pinch of sugar. So good, though it’s not the kind of thing you want to eat everyday. I’d love it on a sushi roll, not so much in cole slaw. Then the Hellman’s and… yup, tastes like Duke’s or is it vice versa?
The tasting order was reversed, and the result was the same. The flavors of Duke’s and Hellman’s are so close we would challenge the most adept super-taster to guess them correctly in a blind comparison. We did notice that Duke’s had a slightly looser consistency and a slightly yellower tint, probably due to more egg yolks, but it doesn’t affect the taste. And it’s made without sugar, which qualifies it as an approved component of the irascible Dr. Ludwig’s Always Hungry diet. But somehow that doesn’t affect the taste.
If you want to do your own taste test and there’s no Publix, Piggly Wiggly or H-E-B in your town, you can get some on Amazon (affiliate link!!) . We ordered two 16-oz jars which seems a good starter amount; after the taste test we don’t see any reason to order more.
Last year I discovered Wal-Mart in Latham, and only that location, carries the vastly superior Duke’s mayo.
That is very good news for local readers who would like to try Duke’s… thanks!
Thank you!!!
It is good to know I am not crazy. As a true Mayo/Hellman’s fan I essentially did the same thing four years ago when on a beach vacation in Virginia. The only difference was that I made two batches of macaroni salad using identical ingredients and amounts. No one, including myself, could taste a difference.
Hah!
I compared the two today, with a similar experience as yours. After a third attempt at trying to discriminate one from the other, my taste buds told me that the Hellman’s has a very slight hint of horseradish in it. But this “reality” is not reflected in the ingredients listing for Hellman’s. Yes, the two mayo brands are nearly identical. But try tasting again to see if you detect the horseradish.
V. King
Springfield, IL
Stop and Shop house brand squeeze bottle FTW. The one I’m thinking of is made in the Carolinas.
Hmm. will have to check it out. Does the ingredient list show anything interesting?
We hear good things about Shop and Stop. What other house brand products do they offer that are winners?
I don’t think so. We’re opening our summer place in the Berkshires next weekend. I’ll let you know.
To me, Hellmann’s is sweeter, & Dike’s has more of a ”traditional” taste; I buy both when BOGO but Duke’s is the better deal. They don’t taste alike at all.
Update: I was right. Hellmann’s has added sugar; Duke’s does not.
Both Hellman’s and Dukes have an oil after taste and I don’t mean a good oil; something like rancid oil. So does the awful Kraft. The winner at our house has been kewpie for years.
Who CARES if the product has sugar in it????????
Mayo is supposed to have tang! Dukes is one of those regressive southern traditions that I just can’t stand. Nasty YELLOW trash it is!
Not going to argue with either criticism.
Here’s a real world check-in. Needed a fresh jar for cole slaw just now. I knew a jar of Hellman’s was just at the bottom of the basement stairs (we have an extra pantry down there) and the Duke’s left over from my Amazon order a dozen feet further in. Went for the Hellman’s.
The contingency of best foods is it’s best feature. It is not runny like other Mayo.
Yes, that is true of Hellman’s. The Duke’s was not runny though, just slightly less thick than Hellman’s. Thanks for adding that metric.
Here’s a curve. I once was a part of a restaurant chain that had a famous potato salad. We used Hellman’s, but it was a little expensive. At a conference of our franchisees (we’re talking early aughts), we did a blind tasting of our potato salad using Hellman’s, Duke’s, and the (much cheaper) Sauer’s. The differences were negligible, with Sauer’s being a slight favorite. Saved us a ton of money. The mayo wars are like the pizza wars or the barbecue wars … very polarizing. But I think the Duke’s/Hellman’s thing is mostly in people’s heads!
Totally agree that the Duke’s/Hellman’s difference is not that great, per the finding in our taste test. Have also learned since then that both have an “Extra Heavy” version for food service and that may be what has made some fans of one or the other. And will check out Sauers which I see is sold at Walmart… nothing wrong with a good product at a lower price.
I think I saw on the Duke’s jar that it is manufactured by Sauer. So perhaps the Sauer brand is more like a generic brand.
At the risk of alienating every single person reading or writing a comment, I would just like to say that I have always preferred Kraft Real Mayonnaise over Hellmans and/or Dukes. Kraft is less runny and lacks the oily aftertaste of the other two.
As you can see, Susanne, we are quite judgy here but we do respect each others’ opinions. I am well stocked with Hellman’s and Duke’s but will find a way to try Kraft. I believe they make the packets you find at deli counters, am I right? Maybe that’s a way to try Kraft.
Dukes is more orange, probably due to the inclusion of paprika to the formula
I respect everyone has a different taste. Some prefer vanilla, some prefer chocolate. I have tried hellman’s, craft, dukes, several other store brands, versions made with different oils, and a few other Nationals I cannot remember. I found several store brands that I thought tasted the best, and they were always discontinued in a few years when the contract ran out. I must check out Kewpie and Sauers
I am an old lady, 92 years old age. As a child growing up in Northern New Jersey, my mother liked a brand called Vogeler mayo. Do you know anything about it?
Did a web search for “Vogeler mayonnaise” and did not find a product but did find that the /vogeler company trademarked the name in 1965. So it’s a real thing.They also trademarked Salatrim which looks to have been a creamy salad dressing, and Cheese Whips which is “food dressing of a cheese nature”. https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/vogeler-inc-87723/
Um, hello… CAINS! 😂 Just kidding. If I can afford it, I do prefer Cains. I think it is a tiny bit tangier than Hellman’s. Typically though, I’m buying the store brand.
Not True.. I have a very distinct palate for taste. I tried this before ever finding this article. I’m a Hellmans user
Who wanted to see what the hype was about Dukes.
First finger tip full I thought it was soured and checked the date. Also very thin. So I mixed it from bottom up in jar gently.
Nope. Still same.
So I made my slaw dressing and there was
An obvious difference in taste and texture.
Sorry folks Hellmans won my test.
After hearing all the raves about Dukes, I bought a jar. I wish I hadn’t, because I find it stodgy and bland compared to Hellman’s. While others have said that Helman’s is thicker, the jar of Duke’s I have seems thicker, and less tangy. I tried, but Hellmans wil remain my favorite.
Kewpie is far better than either and it’s not close.
Mexican made McCormick mayonnaise with real lemon juice is my only brand that I eat. I highly recommend this mayonnaise you can get it at Walmart in the Mexican food section
Found it online here: https://www.walmart.com/ip/McCormick-Mayonesa-Mayonnaise-With-Lime-Juice-28-fl-oz/10308991?athbdg=L1200 . The product at my local Wally World is made with lime juice, even better,
Been eating Duke’s for 65 years. The best! And the only mayo allowed in the house!