Hot Dog Ratings

Hot DogsFMM: Not all hot dogs taste the same. I've always looked for the cheapest hot dogs to buy, but after eating a hot dog that got me thinking about hot dogs a month later, I discovered that this is not the case. Too bad I don't remember what kind they were - but I think they may have been Ball Park (this is what we have been buying and like them a lot). So I looked on the Internet to see what others had to say about hot dogs. Two brands that showed up in many of the reviews are Nathan’s and Hebrew National.

Consumer Reports - I couldn't get into their full report without subscribing, but from what I could read, tasters were not fond of fat-free or low fat and they preferred beef franks. "All seven of our “very good” dogs were beef and three models stood out from the others:

  1. Hebrew National Kosher Franks,
  2. Nathan’s Famous Skinless Franks, and
  3. Boar’s Head Skinless Franks."

From SeriousEats.com - "The good folks at Consumer Reports may know cars and appliances, but apparently their tasters don't know much about hot dogs. The magazine just released its hot dog taste test results. Hebrew National came out on top. Hebrew National is a fine-tasting dog, don't get me wrong, but ever since the kosher police ruled that natural casings were not kosher, Hebrew National's dogs no longer rule. They don't have that great snap that's required of a truly great hot dog.

Serious eaters know from my New York Times hot dog roundup that Papaya King hot dogs, made by Sabrett's parent company Marathon, now reign supreme, along with Chicago's favorite Vienna Beef. Make sure that when you're buying Vienna Beef hot dogs, you buy the ones with the natural casing.

There is one other hot dog to look out for in your local supermarket. Boar's Head does make a fine all-beef hot dog with a natural casing. But read the fine print on the package before you buy to make sure that's what you're getting."

From Epicurious.com - "The ideal frank should be juicy, not mushy. It needs to be firm and have some snap when bitten into. It should have a robust flavor with a good balance of smoke and spice. Most importantly, it should be able to stand on its own, with or without condiments and buns."

  1. Best Overall Epi Top Pick: Nathan's Beef Franks
  2. First Runner-Up: Thumann's Beef Frankfurters
  3. Second Runner-Up: Oscar Meyer Premium Beef Franks

From Slashfood.com - "Our intrepid pack of testers chomped their way through 50 different franks, hot dogs and wieners in hot pursuit of the top tube steak in all the land. Not a single chicken, turkey or tofu dog made the final cut, while beef and pork reigned supreme."

  1. Hewbrew National
  2. Nathan's
  3. Ball Park Angus