Ryan F.
Ketchup – probably one of the most popular and commonly-bought foods that you can currently get on the market. You’d be hard pushed to find a house that doesn’t have some ketchup in the cupboards. This stuff lasts forever and will be just as fresh as the day you bought it as it will be months later.
But it might be tempting to overlook the subtle differences between the various brands of ketchup. Not only are there vast differences in quality and flavor, but you can also get your ketchup a lot cheaper. It all depends on whether you value budgeting or the quality of flavor.
If you have ever done a taste test with ketchup, then you’ll know what we’re talking about. Some ketchups are thick and brimming with flavor, whereas others are very viscous and are much harder to get out of the bottle. There are also very subtle differences between the various flavors in each ketchup bottle.
So what exactly are the best ketchup brands? Which are better for fries and which are great for your recipes? How much will you have to pay for top-quality ketchup and will it be worth it? How many different brands of ketchup are there and what do they offer in terms of flavor? What ketchup will be good to get for a dinner party?
Well, if you want answers to all these ketchup-related questions and a whole lot more, then we would suggest that you keep reading. Not only will we give you the pros and cons of all of your ketchup needs, but we’ll have a look at exactly what makes good ketchup and what you should use it in.
French’s Tomato Ketchup
Our first ketchup is one that you might have to do a little hunting for in the supermarket, however, once you find it you might be pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture. This ketchup has been certified to be free of gluten and is kosher.
This is one to whip out when you want to impress your friends at a luxury barbeque – introducing French’s Tomato Ketchup.
This is a great sauce for burgers and other meat products. It has a much more zesty flavor than a lot of other ketchups, along with a thicker and creamier texture.
This is made from fresh and ripe tomatoes, which probably accounts for its delicious flavor. We would certainly recommend this one for salty halloumi cheese.
Pros:
- This one is great for fries and onion rings, giving you everything that you need for a delicious dip that will send shivers down your spine.
- This has a rich tradition, manufacturing quality ketchup for over 100 years. This is perfect if you want that reliability and consistency.
- This has a signature taste that really marks it out as French’s. Slightly sweeter and less tangy than a lot of other tomato ketchup, you should have this only for special occasions.
- This is gluten-free, so if you are allergic to wheat and gluten, then we would certainly recommend that you try French’s.
Cons:
- Some users have claimed that this one deviates too far from the traditional ketchup taste.
Heinz Ketchup
Now we move onto the behemoth of ketchup, known the world over, this has yet to be toppled in terms of sales by any other rival ketchup. This has a very distinctive flavor, hitting all parts of our taste buds.
The consistency is amazing, although we’re going to be reappraising this ketchup and wondering if it really is worth all the hype – introducing Heinz Ketchup.
The key to this ketchup’s success is probably the balance between sweet, spicy and sour. This hits all of our taste buds, also owing to its popularity, this is very reasonable in price.
This has a glossy consistency that you cannot find in a lot of other ketchup, although some people find this too artificial in terms of flavor and coloring.
Pros:
- This is made from only the very best tomatoes, which is probably why the flavor is so popular.
- This ketchup is one of the most popular for a reason, not only does it hit all the sweet and savory notes, but it has just the right consistency that won’t overwhelm the meal you are dipping it into.
- You can use this in multiple recipes, it contains that rich tomato flavor that you can be sure will help restore the pep and zest in even the drabbets of meals.
- This is very reasonably priced – this is probably one of the main reasons that these bottles of ketchup fly off the shelves daily.
Cons:
- This ketchup contains a lot of preservatives, especially sweeteners. If you are conscious about calories, then we would suggest that you avoid this food in favor of something more organic.
Hunt’s Ketchup
Next up is one for someone who likes a thicker consistency to their ketchup. This is a great one for slathering on your pork chop before putting it on the grill. Not only is this made from fresh tomatoes, but it will give you everything you need for a rounded flavor palette – introducing Hunt’s Ketchup.
If you are looking for the hidden ‘umami’ in your ketchup, then you can’t go wrong with this one. This has a similar sweet to sour ratio as Heinz, although we would say that it leans more into the sour end of the spectrum. This doesn’t have too many sweeteners, so if you are looking for a low-calorie option, we would suggest this sauce.
Pros:
- This sauce is very thick, making it ideal cooking ketchup. If you slather this on your meat before cooking, you can expect it to be completely infused after 30 mins of roasting.
- This is also great as a regular dipping sauce – we love swiping our onion rings through it. We would also recommend it for a burger.
- This is one to rival Heinz, for sure. It has a very similar flavor and is much cheaper than the more well-known brand.
- This is a very cheap sauce – if you are a family that is looking to really cut the costs on their weekly shop, then we would recommend that you switch out your usual Heinz for this brand.
Cons:
- Some sauce enthusiasts have claimed that the taste of this one is too overpowering with a consistency that makes it hard to dip fries into.
Del Monte Bottled Tomato Ketchup
Finally, we have a sauce that comes highly recommended for kids. This is great for dipping chicken nuggets, fries, chicken wings, onion rings and even for slathering your hot dog with. Not only does this have all the flavor of one of the more popular ketchup brands, but it is made from fresh ingredients – introducing Del Monte Bottled Tomato Ketchup.
This is great for kids who want to prepare their own meals, coming in an easy-to-use squeezy bottle.
