Choosing the best mustard

Mustard is one of America's favorite condiments, and it comes it literally dozens of varieties: yellow, Dijon, honey, deli-style, hot and more. With so many choices, choosing the best mustard is a challenge to say the least, but we found several good mustard reviews online, making our task easier. Read on for our take on the best mustard out there.

So much mustard, so little time

By far, foodie website SlashFood.com casts the widest net, sampling more than 60 kinds of mustard in a taste test. They set some parameters: Notably, the mustards had to be widely available in stores and sell for less than $4. Editors then chose runners-up and winners in five categories. They don't discuss how they tested the mustards, so we're not sure whether they were sampled straight from the container or with food. SlashFood's slideshow review is well-illustrated and easy to read. Favorites include Annie's Naturals Organic Yellow Mustard, Billy Bee Original Honey Mustard, Boar's Head Delicatessen Style Mustard, Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard and Tabasco Coarse Ground/Tabasco Spicy Brown Mustard. For good measure, they also pick an overall favorite, Sweet Hot Mister Mustard, described as "a full-bodied combo of sweet and heat, suitable for sandwiches, hot dogs, salad dressings, pretzels, or just eating straight from the jar with a spoon."

Another culinary site, SeriousEats.com, conducts a mustard taste test that's nearly as comprehensive. Editors  sample 39 brands, choosing favorites in six categories. Like SlashFood.com, there's no discussion of how the mustards were tested or whittled down. Winners include two yellow mustards, including Annie's Naturals Organic Yellow Mustard; three Dijon varieties, including Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard; and three honey mustards, including Gulden's Zesty Honey Mustard. Other picks include best brown and deli-style mustards, as well as more whimsical picks like "most sinus-clearing" (Mister Mustard), "biggest cult following" (Oregon's Beaver Brand Deli Mustard) and "most disappointing" (Whole Foods 365 Dijon and yellow mustards).

But wait, there's more...

The ever-reliable Cook's Illustrated also conducts a mustard taste test, although they limit themselves to choosing the best Dijon-style mustard. Being the serious foodies that they are, editors of Cook's taste the eight varieties two ways, straight from the jar and mixed in a mustard vinaigrette dressing. They also measure the acidity of each brand (less acid, they say, makes for a hotter mustard). Three mustards earn their "highly rated" designation, including two recommended by SeriousEats and SlashFood, while only one earns the slightly lower "recommended" label. You'll need to be a subscriber to read the results of this taste test, however.

We found less comprehensive mustard reviews at Food & Wine magazine and the Canadian shopping guide AnnaAndKristina.com. Editors at Food & Wine sample 21 kinds of mustard, paring down the list to four favorites, although there's no discussion of testing criteria and descriptions are terse. Maille Dijon Originalle and Grey Poupon make the cut, as do Nathan's Famous Deli Style Mustard and Inglehoffer Stone Ground Mustard. Canadian shopping experts Kristina Matisic and Anna Wallner limit themselves to choosing the best Dijon mustard, but what their sample pool lacks in depth (they only taste four mustards), they more than make up for with a detailed list of helpful buying and serving tips. Once again,Grey Poupon comes out on top, with Maille close behind.

Lastly, no self-respecting mustard review would be complete without checking the discussion threads at Chowhound.com (you can read them here and here). As we've come to expect, opinion is all over the map, but there's strong support for Maille. We also found a few shout-outs for Trader Joe's mustard, Inglehoffer, Gulden's and a gourmet French mustard, Moutarde de Meaux, that sells for about $20 for a 17-ounce jar.

Our opinion on the best mustard

Serious foodies seem to prefer Dijon mustard to classic yellow, although hot dog aficionados would probably beg to differ. Both Grey Poupon and Maille Originalle earn consistent praise from reviewers as the best Dijon mustard, with Grey Pouon being slightly hotter and Maille slightly more complex in flavor, particularly the Whole Grain version. You can't go wrong with either one. 

If plain old yellow mustard is what you seek, Plochman's earns praise from several sources. If you prefer to go the organic route, Annie's Naturals yellow mustard is a clear favorite. Both would go well on a hot dog or hamburger.

No clear consensus emerged on the best specialty mustard varieties like brown, spicy and honey, so we're not recommending any particular brands.