When it comes to deviled eggs, chicken salad, and even cake, Southerners know their mayo. You may already have your favorite mayo, but perhaps you’ve wondered the others are all about.
To get to the bottom of it, we held a taste test to learn what different mayonnaise brands have to offer. Our Editors came ready to taste with thoughts and opinions, and we were surprised with the variability in textures, flavors, and spreadability of these different brands of mayo.
At the end of the day, two clear winners rose to the top—and tied—for the best choice.
How We Tested
For this taste test, we transferred each of the nine mayonnaises to separate bowls so that we could taste them without seeing the container or the label.
We served fresh, hot french fries and asked tasters to try each mayo on its own and with a fry before sharing their tasting notes.
Testers ranked each may on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, and we tallied the rankings to determine the winning brands.
The Contenders
- Duke’s Real Smooth & Creamy Mayonnaise
- Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
- Blue Plate Real Mayonnaise
- Market Pantry Real Mayonnaise
- Kraft Real Mayo Creamy & Smooth Mayonnaise
- Burman’s Real Mayonnaise (ALDI)
- Great Value
- Bama Rich & Creamy Real Mayonnaise
- Good & Gather Organic Mayonnaise
How Each Brand Ranked
Great Value
“I would put [this] on a turkey sammy,” said one tester, who also called out its creaminess, tang, and thickness that’s good for spreading but also flavorfully prevalent. One taster called it “fresh feeling,” and another called out its consistent texture and “light lemony flavor.”
Hellmann’s
Tasters noted that this mayo was exceptionally vinegary,” “eggy,” and creamy. Another taster called it “sharp, but not so much tangy.” Ultimately, this mayo was rather divisive, with tasters either rating it very high or very low.
Burman’s (ALDI)
Our editors liked that this mayo had a good balance of tang and creaminess. One editor even called it out as their favorite: “flavorful without being overpowering, tangy, and creamy with no aftertaste.” Other tasters found it slightly sweet, and another suggested it would work well as a base for aoili.
Good & Gather
Tasters described this mayo as “loose and spreadable” with noticeable notes of olive oil. Two tasters felt it reminded them of Miracle Whip, with a slightly thinner, liquid texture.
Market Pantry
Our editors called this mayo “neutral,” “nice,” and “light.” One editor was totally convinced it was Duke’s (they were wrong).
Bama
“It’s Burger King-y,” one tester said, while most commented on its noticeable sweetness.
Duke’s
“Very tangy,” one taster said confidently, noting that it “tastes like classic mayo.” Most editors praised this mayo for a nice balance of creaminess and tanginess. One gave it the complement that it already had the balanced salt, fat, and acid of a perfect aoili. “Perfect for chicken salad,” another said.
Blue Plate
“Kinda fluffy,” one taster commented, and another felt it was whipped and light. Most tasters found this mayo to be sweeter tasting than others.
Kraft
Most editors thought this mayo to be sweet, much like Blue Plate. Another editor, however, found it to be savory and tangy, and there was some light disagreement over how pleasurable its whipped texture was—some tasters loved it, while others preferred something more dense.
The Winners
That’s right, folks, we had a tie! If you’re a fan of Duke’s, you may want to check out this other brand of mayo to see how it compares.
Duke’s
“Very creamy and tangy,” one editor said, while another called it out for a “classic mayo taste.” It was no surprise that Duke’s won out—the good people of Duke’s deliver again and again for good reason.
Different mayos can have wildly different qualities, and we appreciate that Duke’s stays consistent. It was comforting that it held strong through our taste test. There’s a reason we love it!
Great Value
“It was nice and light with a little bit of a lemon tang,” said one tester who selected Great Value mayo as their favorite no matter how they’re eating it. Another said it “is the clear winner.”
We didn’t expect that Great Value would compete so well with Duke’s—even tying with it—but we’re pleasantly surprised. Let it be a lesson that you can find Duke’s level mayo in the most unlikely of places!