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We Tried Every Pickle—Here’s the Best | Food & Wine
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We Tried Every Pickle—Here’s the Best | Food & Wine

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We Tried Every Pickle—Here’s the Best | Food & Wine

What’s the best jarred pickle you can buy? Food & Wine food stylist Julian Hensarling and pickle expert Levon Wallace put 14 of the biggest brands of whole dill pickles to the ultimate blind taste test, tasting and ranking everything from Vlasic, Mt. Olive, Claussen, Grillo’s, Bubbies, and Boar’s Head to store brands from Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and more. As they score each pickle out of 10, they break down what separates a great pickle from an average one—analyzing crunch, flavor, brine, garlic, dill, and texture while trying to guess each brand.

Along the way, they explain what “kosher dill” actually means (and whether the pickles are really kosher), share expert insights into what makes the perfect pickle, and debate which jars are worth buying. With plenty of surprises, strong opinions, and unexpected favorites, they reveal their top three pickles before crowning the ultimate #1 jarred pickle, so be sure to watch to the end to see which brand comes out on top.

Timestamps:
0:00 — Jarred Pickle Taste Test
0:48 — Vlasic Kosher Dill
2:50 — Mt. Olive Kosher Dill
4:22 — Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles
5:38 — Grillo’s Dill Pickles
7:14 — Bubbies Kosher Dill Pickles
8:50 — Wickles Dirty Dill Baby Dills
10:10 — 365 by Whole Foods Organic Kosher Dill
11:18 — Good & Gather Organic Kosher Baby Dills
12:40 — Great Value Kosher Whole Dill
14:18 — Dietz & Watson Kosher Pickles
16:15 — Boar’s Head Kosher Dill
17:44 — Van Holten’s Pickle-in-a-Pouch
20:21 — Majestic Deli Style Kosher Baby Dills
22:22 — Market Pantry Kosher Dill
24:12 — Top 3 Pickles
25:02 — Number One Pickle

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40 Comments

  1. @Arlet11369

    I honestly had some pretty good pickles when I was at the Hopi reservation ❤ hmmmm delicious 🥴

  12. @deborahmartyn97

    Our family does love Bubbies, too. They're regular, and spicy and their sweeter chips all so good. This is a fun and helpful video. Thanks to you, pickle men

  23. @NathanBake

    I wish one of these companies would leave stems on all the pickles. I love having somewhere to grab and hold.

  24. @maxw5900

    Chemically, it is a salt of benzoic acid, but its function is vastly different from the table salt. Sodium benzoate is a powerful, man-made synthetic preservative used to drastically extend shelf life by stopping the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria. It acts as a preservative in sour or acidic environments (like pickles). When combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in beverages, it can form benzene, a known carcinogen. Because of this, health advocates like the Environmental Working Group heavily scrutinize its use and advise consumers to check product labels closely to avoid ultra-processed items.

  25. @statch77

    My grandma and my mom both worked at the Steinfeld's pickle factory in the 60's and 70's. All of us were teethed on pickles and the house always smelled of 'em. I even teethed my kids on pickles. Steinfeld's will always have a place in my heart.

  26. @geewilli2080

    Sounded to me like you didnt want to give the Majestic a score equal to or higher than your pre-determined favorite; Buppies, even though the Majestic was all positive taste test.

  27. @lukelarsson

    Gotta try Britt’s out of Washington State. They ferment their half sours in oak barrels and they’re as good or better than Bubbies IMO.

  28. @mdavis7834

    I used to think Nalley's pickles were everywhere, jut because we could smell the pickling vinegar when we drove past the jarring plant (not bottling – must be jarring).
    Part of favorites is what you grew up with but I do miss Nalley's Kosher Dill Baby Whole Pickles. I suspect it would at least break a 5/10 score – but I did grow up eating Nalley's.

  33. @Se7enout

    Claussen for me and people around me is like the "spend a few more bucks" and have amazing product. I slice them up and put it in a chelada beer let it soak in. Yeah we love claussens around here!!

  35. @Soulkal1979

    I’ve tried to watch this video 10 times and it’s the only one that has the craziest long ads and keeps freezing ..

  37. @Maiasatara

    I know there aren’t as many brands doing it but I really wish you’d review the half sour variety. I really like Grillo’s for half sour and Bubbe’s is ok but you experience the fermentation “fizz” when biting into it, not just in the brine where you see the effervescence rise when you open the jar. There’s one that might surpass Grillo’s but I haven’t seen it in so long I can’t remember whose it is. Dave’s maybe. As for kosher dill the Maille cornichon are almost too sour and I never say that.

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