Peanut Butter: Ratings of Sources
Total of 18 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
Skippy Takes 1st Place in Peanut Butter Tasting
by Erica Marcus and Beth Whitehouse
Our Assessment
In this amusing (and informative) roundup, the Long Island newspaper Newsday assembles eleven grade-school kids and asks them to taste an assortment of 16 peanut butters, rating them on a scale from "yuck!" to "yum!" Brands by Skippy finish on top in both the creamy and chunky categories, followed by Peter Pan and Jif (creamy) and Jif and Whole Foods (chunky).
PBJ: A Serious Eats Special Report
by Ed Levine
Our Assessment
In this quirky taste test, Serious Eats prepares a variety of PB&J sandwiches by combining Smucker's strawberry jam with eight kinds of creamy peanut butter. 365 Organic takes the top spot among processed peanut butters, followed by Jif, while Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted is rated best among natural brands, tasting like "very lightly salted, fresh-roasted peanuts."
3. Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Oct. 2, 2006
Creamy Peanut Butter--Updated
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
Our Assessment
In this report, Cook's Illustrated reviews nine peanut butters from six different brands. Editors base their findings on two taste tests: straight from the jar and baked into peanut butter cookies.
4. The Washington Post
Jan. 3, 2001
A Creamy Peanut Butter Taste Test
by Kathleen Stanley
Our Assessment
In this blind test, the Washington Post presents 19 different creamy peanut butters to an (undescribed) panel of tasters. The top two finishers among processed brands are Simply Jif and Skippy, while… Smucker's Natural is the highest-rated unprocessed brand. Last overall is Whole Foods Organic, which is described as the "worst looking and worst tasting." This article's age keeps it from ranking more highly.
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5. The Washington Post
Jan. 31, 2001
Crunch the Numbers
by Kathleen Stanley
Our Assessment
Following up on its test of smooth peanut butters a few weeks before, the Washington Post feeds 15 crunchy brands to a tasting panel. Skippy Super Chunk (described as "a classic") is tops among processed… brands, while the best unprocessed brand is Arrowhead Mills Certified Organic. As with creamy peanut butters, Whole Foods takes last place, its taste "bitter and bland at the same time." This article's age keeps it from ranking more highly.
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Natural Peanut Butter Brands Put to the Test
by Lori Corbin
Our Assessment
Lori Corbin describes the results of a natural peanut butter taste-test at a farmer's market in Torrance, CA. Maranatha Organic Smooth is the clear winner overall, followed by Laura Scudder's Nutty. It's clear there were at least three taste testers, but it's unclear how many others might have participated.
7. ConsumerReports.org
May 2002
A Better Butter?
by Editors of Consumer Reports
Our Assessment
In its most recent roundup, which is now over five years old, Consumer Reports had a panel taste 33 peanut butters, including smooth, crunchy, natural and reduced-fat brands. This is an excellent comprehensive test, but its age keeps it from ranking more highly.
A Peanut Butter Taste Test
by Editors of Real Simple
Our Assessment
Real Simple's editors conduct a taste test of the three leading commercial peanut butters, as well as one leading organic brand. The top finisher for creamy is Skippy, described as the "smooth, nutty stuff… of childhood" (although the panel doesn't have good things to say about various Skippy spinoffs, like Reduced Fat or Roasted Honey Nut), while Jif Extra Crunchy takes the top spot in that category. Smucker's Natural is the panel's favorite organic brand. We wish editors had included more than just three brands.
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9. Cook's Country
Not Dated
Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
by Editors of Cook's Country
Our Assessment
In this very short article, Cook's Country reports taste testing of three brands of reduced-fat chunky peanut butter -- from Skippy, Jif and Smart Balance -- straight from the jar, spread on white bread, and baked in peanut-butter cookies. We'd rate this article more highly if more brands been included and if we could tell how many testers were involved.
Reese's Wins Peanut Butter Battle
by Kathy Saunders
Our Assessment
In this informal blind taste test, four panelists sample a dozen store-bought peanut butters. The top finisher is Reese's, which has "great texture, sweet flavor and nice color," followed by Albertson's house brand and Skippy. Laura Scudder's and Arrowhead Mills are panned as "bland and watery."
EatingWell Taste Test: Natural Peanut Butters
by Editors of EatingWell.com
Our Assessment
This online food site asks a panel of seven testers to rate natural peanut butters in three categories: taste, appearance and texture. The top finisher in all three is Nut 'N Better Organic Creamy, a Canadian brand sold at Costco, followed by Smucker's Natural Creamy.
Lunchtime Challenge: Peanut Butter and Beyond
by Editors of Epicurious
Our Assessment
With an eye toward kids with peanut allergies -- or those who can't bring PB&J sandwiches to school because of other kids with peanut allergies -- Epicurious has a panel of kids test a variety of apple, almond and cashew spreads. Favored by kid testers is Woodstock Farms Natural Almond Butter, followed by Nature's Promise Organic Almond Butter.
The Best Peanut Butter
by Editors of UrbanHonking.com
Our Assessment
The owner of this blog gets together with his friends (including a few "foodies") to try out four brands of organic peanut butter: Maranatha Organic, Kettle Foods Organic, Adams Organic and Winco Grind-to-Order. The winner is Adams (made by Smucker's), the saltiest of the bunch, but also the best tasting.
Taste Test: Peanut Butter
by "Aaron MC"
Our Assessment
Although it's difficult to judge this blogger's food credentials, he does an impressive job sampling and rating ten different peanut butters. His favorite is Skippy Natural, thanks to its "toned-down sweetness," followed by regular Skippy and Jif. The worst-scoring peanut butter is Wal-Mart Great Value, about which he wonders, "were peanuts actually involved?"
Weekly Weigh-In
by "Hungry Girl"
Our Assessment
In this blog entry, dieting blogger "Hungry Girl" compares Better 'N Peanut Butter to reduced-fat brands by Jif, Smucker's, Skippy and Laura Scudder's. Better 'n Peanut Butter is more healthful (100… calories per two tablespoons, compared to about twice that for reduced-fat brands) and better for cooking, but Hungry Girl says reduced-fat brands taste much better. Overall, she calls the contest a tie.
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PB2: Powdered Peanut Butter
by Contributors to Runner's World
Our Assessment
This discussion thread -- which is representative of many we found on the web -- discusses the pros and cons of PB2, a powdered, low-fat peanut butter. Some runners posting here love it, some hate it, and many are confused about its health benefits compared to processed peanut butter.
Food: Tried & Tested Smooth Peanut Butters
by Rhiannon Vivian
Our Assessment
Rhiannon Vivian includes mostly UK brands in this taste test, but the top-rated peanut butter is the American and "really delicious" Skippy Smooth (probably identical to Skippy Creamy in the States), which she describes as "very sweet with a chocolatey undertone."
Taste Test: Best Supermarket Peanut Butter
by Ratha Tep
Our Assessment
In this very brief piece, Tep recommends three supermarket peanut butters, presumably on the basis of a taste test: Peanut Butter & Co. Smooth Operator, Skippy Natural Creamy and Santa Cruz Organic Dark Roasted Creamy. However, she doesn't say how many peanut butters she tried overall.
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