Our Editors Tasted 9 Different Brands Of Ketchup To Find The Best One

Whether you're using ketchup as an ingredient in Mama's famous meatloaf, to top a hot dog, or simply for dipping, chances are you may be overwhelmed with what brand to buy. You may just scoop up what's on sale or grab the same brand your Grandma always bought, but what brand actually delivers the best flavor?

To answer that question, we tasked Southern Living editors with participating in a taste test to see which ketchup rose to the top.

How We Tested

For this taste test, we put each of the nine ketchups into tasting cups so editors could taste them without seeing the bottle or any of the packaging. Testers were encouraged to try each ketchup on its own as well as with a french fry to form their opinion on its taste.

Each ketchup was ranked on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. After tasting all of the ketchups, they were then tasked with choosing their overall favorite.

The Contenders

• Burman's Tomato Ketchup
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup
• Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
• Market Pantry Tomato Ketchup
• Good and Gather Organic Ketchup
• Great Value Tomato Ketchup
• Great Value Organic Tomato Ketchup
• Whataburger Fancy Ketchup
• Publix Tomato Ketchup

How Each Brand Ranked

Burman's Tomato Ketchup

Most tasters noted that this ketchup was really sweet, almost too sweet. It didn't score very highly when it came to the ratings scale and was not chosen by any editors as their overall favorite.

Heinz Tomato Ketchup

Chosen by several tasters as their overall favorite, this ketchup was said to be classic with just the right amount of tang. One tester who said they don't particularly care for ketchup even gave Heinz their seal of approval.

Hunt's Tomato Ketchup

Testers were not impressed by this ketchup, and it's another brand that no one chose as their overall favorite. Some noted that it was too sweet while others were just not impressed with the flavor.

Market Pantry Tomato Ketchup

Several testers noted that Market Pantry's Tomato Ketchup from Target had a very tomato-forward taste. One tester summed up its taste by saying, "Kind of reminds me of tomato sauce in a good way because it actually tastes like tomatoes."

Good and Gather Organic Ketchup

Overall, editors liked this ketchup from Target’s store brand Good and Gather and ranked it near the top of the group. However, most did note that it was on the sweeter side but was still a good choice for a classic ketchup. “A smidge sweet but is the traditional flavor and it works,” shared one tester.

Great Value Tomato Ketchup

Walmart's store brand Great Value's tomato ketchup ranked towards the middle of the pack. While some testers thought it was too bland, some liked that it wasn't overly flavored. "I can actually taste the tomato, which I enjoy," said one editor.

Great Value Organic Tomato Ketchup

The organic version of Great Value's ketchup was chosen by a few editors as their overall favorite. Many testers noted that it was very well balanced. "It's a good balance of sweetness and zestiness," wrote one taster. While another said, "This one is a great balance of the tomato, tangy, and sweet."

Whataburger Fancy Ketchup

Whataburger's Fancy Ketchup received rave reviews from testers due to how flavorful it is. Almost every tester noted how flavorful and tangy it was, with many choosing it as the favorite. "This is not my normal ketchup, but I kind of love it," shared one editor. And one tester was even able to pinpoint what brand it was. "It's gotta be Whataburger," they said.

Publix Tomato Ketchup

This store brand ketchup was close to the top of the list based on ranking, and a couple editors even chose Publix's Tomato Ketchup as their favorite overall. "I enjoyed this one on its own as well as on fries," said one tester. Another summed up the flavor saying, "I like the balance between the tomato, tangy, and sweet."

The Results

The Winner

Overall, most editors selected Whataburger's Fancy Ketchup as their favorite ketchup. Tasters noted that it had more flavor than others in the test and won them over because of that. "This isn't my original favorite I bet, but it's the most tangy that balances with some tomato sweetness," said one tester. "It would be good with anything."

The Runner-Up

For those who like a more standard ketchup, Heinz was their choice, and it placed as the runner-up in our taste test. Though Whataburger won over our editors for its unique punch of flavor, many noted that Heinz was their choice for a classic ketchup with a more traditional flavor.