Mayonnaise

Test date: July 2010

Tester: Michele

Products for this test purchased at Trader Joe's and Fred Meyer.

MICHELE'S OPINION: This test surprised me because I have always assumed that mayonnaise is mayonnaise. But that is certainly not the case. The Miracle Whip has a great zing to it for sandwiches, and the Best Foods is a good option for a less vinegar-y flavor. But if you like a not-so-sour taste, go for the Kraft Mayo product. The Trader Joe's products didn't wow me at all, but if you must buy there then choose the Real Mayonnaise product, which tastes the best out of all three. Read on for more details on price, nutrition, and taste:

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 15OZ MAYONNAISE (price first, then brand):
$3.99 Fred Meyer Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise
$3.73 Fred Meyer Best Foods Real Mayo
$3.49 Trader Joe's Organic Mayonnaise
$2.99 Fred Meyer Best Foods Light
$2.89 Fred Meyer Kraft Miracle Whip Light
$2.89 Fred Meyer Kraft Miracle Whip Original
$2.00 Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise
$1.50 Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Unsweetened, Low Sodium Eggless

1. Best Foods Light Mayonnaise: This product is thick and creamy, with a nice light sour taste of vinegar.

2. Best Foods Real Mayonnaise: This product is more sour than the light version, and a bit more fatty tasting but not by much.

3. Kraft Miracle Whip Light Dressing: This is not as thick as the Best Foods products and definitely has a strong vinegar zing to it.

4. Kraft Miracle Whip Original Dressing: I can't tell any difference between this product and the Light version.

5. Kraft Mayo Real Mayonnaise: This is one of the least sour products in this test, and is not as thick as the Best Foods products.

6. Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise: This product has a medium thickness and a very original taste: they used apple cider vinegar to flavor the mayo instead of regular vinegar. The apple cider vinegar taste is very easy to pick out.

7. Trader Joe's Organic Mayonnaise: This product is made with soybean oil like the other products, but for some reason you can taste the soybean flavor in this product, while you can't in the others. In my opinion, this makes it taste very odd. It has a very sour taste and not much creaminess to it.

8. Trader Joe's Reduced Fat Unsweetened, Low Sodium, Eggless Mayonnaise: This product looks bad and tastes just as bad. While the other products look white and creamy, this one has a yellow hue and a slight transparency to it, like a rice pudding. It tastes fake as well.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES: In terms of calories, the full fat products range from 90 to 110 calories per serving (tablespoon), while the light products and the Miracle Whip Original range from 20 to 40 calories per serving. The light products also win in terms of fat content, as you would expect, with 1.5 to 3.5 grams per serving (this includes the Miracle Whip Original product). However, the light products pack a higher salt punch though, ranging from 75mg to 130mg per serving. In the full fat products, although the fat content ranges from a whopping 10-12 g per serving, the salt content is lower, ranging from 70 to 90mg per serving.

TASTE WINNER: Best Foods Light or Miracle Whip (regular or light)