Mayonnaise is one of the most popular condiments around. It’s a key ingredient in classic dishes like deviled eggs, tuna salad, grilled cheese, coleslaw, burgers, and BTs, among others. This creamy flavoring is made with household ingredients like egg, oil, salt, mustard, and an acidic component like lemon juice or vinegar (as per Masterclass).
These foods create savory magic when mixed to create an emulsified sauce. Although the recipe for making mayonnaise is simple, mayonnaise sales show that people prefer to buy pre-made containers of this condiment. That’s why it’s essential to figure out the best and worst mayonnaise brands that are out there.
We choose our recommended products based on a few factors. Most importantly, the brand had to have a reputation for an amazingly creamy, rich, and classic mayonnaise flavor. We also looked for brands that used wholesome ingredients.
Organic ingredients are a bonus. Ideal varieties of mayonnaises are not only great tasting but great looking. This last attribute ensures that your sauce is versatile enough to be used in different dishes and presentations.
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The best mayonnaise brands make products that consistently receive lacking reviews regarding the flavor and appearance of these sauces. Avoidable varieties of mayonnaise are often crafted from untraditional recipes or cheaper ingredients: In our view, eating them just doesn’t satisfy our mayonnaise cravings. It’s so important to know which brands of mayonnaise you should pick and which ones you should avoid.
Buy: Sir Kensington’s
Sir Kensington’s is a mayonnaise brand that you may recognize from the shelves of grocery stores like Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and others. The company produces several different sauces, including various types of mayonnaise. Non-mayonnaise condiments made by Sir Kensington’s include ketchup, mustard, and “everything” sauces. But Sir Kensington’s stands out with its line of mayonnaises.
This company sells classic mayonnaise, organic mayonnaise, and avocado oil mayonnaise. We admire this brand’s mayonnaise for its variety of health certifications. These items are all non-GMO project verified, kosher, and certified humane. This last term is especially important to distinguishing mayonnaise brands because it refers to the method in which the company’s eggs are harvested.
Sir Kensington’s eggs are organic and free-range, meaning its egg supplier doesn’t use cages but instead allows its chickens to graze outdoors. These eggs may be more expensive, but many believe that free-range chickens produce better-tasting eggs. According to the Whole Foods website, Sir Kensington’s organic mayonnaise is also made with fair trade and USDA organic-certified ingredients.
This mayonnaise has also received outstanding reviews. Shoppers praised this mayonnaise’s excellent texture, flavor, packaging, and versatility in different recipes on the Walmart website. Customers on Amazon are also appreciative of this product. One customer notes that this mayonnaise has the exact right amount of seasoning, making it ideal for sandwiches and salads.
Avoid: Follow Your Heart
One of the most popular vegan mayonnaises out there is Vegenaise, which is made by the Follow Your Heart brand. This product offers something uniquely satisfying people who follow a plant-based diet. The recipe for this Vegenaise is also shockingly similar to that of regular mayonnaise; however, some people still have issues with it.
Some customers complain of false advertising with this product. They were upset that a condiment advertised as “healthy” would contain seed oils like canola oil. One customer ruthlessly wrote on Amazon and noted the disastrous health effects of canola oil.
Many mainstream brands of mayonnaise indeed use canola oil, but those companies are not always targeting health-minded individuals like the average Follow Your Heart customer. We think alternative brands like this one could win over people like this by eliminating the use of seed oils in the future. Other people simply don’t like the taste of Follow Your Heart’s Vegenaise. One person on Reddit wrote they’d rather eat their arms and legs than eat this condiment.
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Many people recognize that it doesn’t taste exactly like real mayonnaise, but they still like it. Another customer on Reddit wrote that while it certainly didn’t taste like mayonnaise, they enjoyed the taste. If you’re looking for that classic mayonnaise flavor, don’t go with Follow Your Heart.
If you’re a fan of mayonnaise, you’ve probably come across the brand Kewpie. The Japanese product’s flavor and golden color come from its iconic use of egg yolks instead of whole eggs. According to Kewpie Mayonnaise, there are four egg yolks used in every 500-gram bottle. When this sauce was introduced to the market in 1925, it contained twice as many egg yolks as its competitors. But this aspect of Kewpie mayonnaise is not the only reason we recommend it.
Another thing that we like about Kewpie is the brand’s famous packaging. Each bottle comes in a long, transparent shape. This blank container then comes wrapped in a plastic bag decorated with a red cross-hatching pattern and Kewpie’s logo of an adorable baby. Not only is this mascot cute to look at, but the packaging is designed with convenience in mind. Once you discard the outer wrapper, you’re left with a sleek tube of mayonnaise that’s made to easily squeeze out every last drop.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Kewpie’s recipe even contains a little monosodium glutamate (MSG) for an added boost of umami flavor. We aren’t the only fans of this brand out there. According to one of many rave reviewers on the Target website, this mayo has an incredible flavor and is ideal for egg salads and tuna salads: It’s also ideal for an egg wash in chicken schnitzel dishes.
Avoid: Plant Perfect
While Plant Perfect’s vegan mayonnaise is useful for people looking to lower their cholesterol or avoid egg-based mayonnaises due to allergies, we have a few issues with it. The first is its appearance. At an initial glance, you can tell something is up with this product. The color is strangely off-white, giving it a somewhat gray color (via Whole Foods). It can also have a slight sheen and strange-looking texture (that you can see in this Instagram photo). Overall, we don’t love the look of this mayonnaise.
This makes sense, given the fact that this product does not have your typical mayonnaise recipe. It is made with food additives that work to replace the flavor and texture that is lost with the removal of eggs. Ingredients like xanthan gum (a common additive used to help emulsify) and modified corn starch (a similar thickening agent) are included.
While these are common food additives, they are not usually found in regular mayonnaise. We prefer more simple recipes to this one. Plus, Plant Perfect’s mayonnaise contains soy, a common allergen. This means that even though it’s made for people with egg allergies, it introduces a new element of concern for people with soy allergies.
There were several notes criticizing this product’s sub-par texture and flavor on Amazon. One person noted that the mayonnaise is thinner than regular mayonnaise, while another shopper noted that the flavor leaves much to be desired.
Buy: Spectrum
Spectrum is a food company that makes cooking oils, vinegar, chia seeds, and mayonnaise. Its mayonnaise is available in vegan and regular varieties and differently shaped bottles. Spectrum even sells a sriracha mayonnaise for those who like a spicier condiment. We appreciate not only the variety of options that Spectrum has available but also the fact that the brand has carefully curated these options for individuals with health concerns.
We recommend this brand for its mindful selection of organic, wholesome ingredients. Spectrum’s Organic Mayonnaise with Olive Oil checks many of our boxes. This mayonnaise is certified gluten-free and USDA organic. It’s made with cage-free eggs. It’s free from artificial preservatives. Plus, like the name states, it even contains olive oil, which makes its flavor great for dishes like lobster salad or grilled artichokes.
Some of the people who bought this product recognize that it costs more than other mayonnaise brands. However, many thought the pricier, organic ingredients contributed to an excellent taste that earned Spectrum its price tag. As one fan of Spectrum’s mayonnaise notes on Amazon, it may be costly, but it is worth the high price, especially when compared to other varieties.
Avoid: Mr. Organic
Mr. Organic is another supposedly health-minded brand that sells egg-free mayo. This company sells only one type of egg-free mayonnaise (at the time of writing). Even though this brand is trying to appeal to vegans, people with egg allergies, and other health-minded folks, we can’t recommend that those people buy this product. Unfortunately, it contains food additives (like guar gum and acidity regulator e330) that are not found in regular mayonnaise (via Mr. Organic). These are not the worst food additives out there. However, they don’t seem to be helping much with the taste.
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Some Amazon shoppers were unhappy with the flavor of Mr. Organic’s mayonnaise. One person wrote that while they bought it specifically because it was organic, the mayonnaise was high in fat and far too salty. Other individuals found that the product costs too much money. Another shopper noted that this product if far too expensive, especially when considering the quantity. We’d prefer not to purchase a mayonnaise with food additives, a sub-par taste, and a pricing problem. For these reasons, we don’t suggest going out of your way to purchase it.
Buy: Hellmann’s
If you’ve bought mayonnaise before, then you’ve probably purchased Hellmann’s mayonnaise. If you live on the West Coast, then you may have purchased the same recipe unknowingly because Hellmann’s products go under the name “Best Foods” there, according to Business Insider.
But wherever you go, longtime mayonnaise lovers have good things to say about Hellmann’s. The flavor is so iconic that people use Hellmann’s as the standard for what mayonnaise is supposed to taste like, explains Slate.
More refined palates identify that the flavor of Hellmann’s is slightly sweeter and less oily-tasting than other brands. Other shoppers, including several reviewers on the Walmart website, remarked that Hellmann’s superiority comes from the perfect balance of vinegar taste. Others say the condiment excels due to its texture.
A Walmart shopper complimented Hellmann’s dependability over time and noted that the flavor has not changed. Since Hellmann’s has remained popular since its founding in 1913, we can assume this customer isn’t the only one to think this way.
You can also purchase several varieties of Hellmann’s mayonnaise. The company sells products like light mayonnaise, organic mayonnaise, chipotle mayonnaise, olive oil mayonnaise, cholesterol-free mayonnaise, spicy mayonnaise, avocado oil mayonnaise, and even vegan mayonnaise. This variation in ingredients means there is something for every Hellmann’s fan out there. Hellman’s Organic Mayonnaise is available at Whole Foods, which ought to further reassure you regarding its quality.
Avoid: BetterBody Foods
BetterBody Foods is a health foods company that produces just two types of mayonnaise. One kind is simply a mayonnaise that is made with avocado oil instead of potentially harmful seed oils such as canola oil. The other product is similar but with an added chipotle flavor. This company is being thoughtful, not just by avoiding seed oils, but by making a product that is non-GMO project verified and gluten-free.
But by taking all of these things into account and then marketing itself as an “alternative” brand, it invites more scrutiny into itself. That’s why we dislike that BetterBody Foods’ mayonnaises are made with the artificial preservative EDTA.
We also recommend avoiding this brand due to several complaints about its strange flavor. On the Walmart website, many people said it tasted fake, which is not something you want to hear about your supposedly healthy mayonnaise brand. According to one verified purchaser, this mayonnaise has an artificial, off-putting flavor.
Another shopper noted that this does not taste like traditional mayonnaise at all. Due to its unpleasant taste and use of artificial preservatives, we can’t recommend that you spend money on this brand.
Buy: Duke’s
Duke’s is another mayonnaise brand that inspires fierce company loyalty. It’s been around since 1917, so you know it had to be doing something right to stay in business for so long. It is known for tasting somewhat sharper than other big-name mayo brands.
According to America’s Test Kitchen, there is a distinct lack of sugar used in the recipe for this. Since the sweetness isn’t there to balance out the sourness of this mayonnaise vinegar element, the sourness stands out. Paprika is also used in seasoning. While this flavor isn’t for everyone, Duke’s Mayo is great for those looking for a little extra “twang,” as the company says.
This brand sells products like regular mayonnaise, light mayonnaise, mayonnaise with olive oil, a hint of lime mayonnaise, habanero garlic mayonnaise, bacon and tomato mayonnaise, and even more flavors. Variety in mayonnaise flavors provides fun opportunities for experimentation among fans of Duke’s mayonnaise, as well as new flavor pairing opportunities for different recipes.
Fans of Duke’s Mayo praised the iconically acidic taste (and other qualities) of this mayonnaise brand on Amazon. One shopper wrote that this mayonnaise is delicious and that the egg is rich and that the taste of the vinegar is noticeable and quite enjoyable. Another person wrote that this mayonnaise has a wonderful vinegar kick that sets it apart from other varieties.
Avoid: Miracle Whip
It shouldn’t be hard to convince you not to purchase the Miracle Whip brand of mayonnaise. Oddly, it’s similar to other untraditional mayonnaise products (like egg-free mayonnaise) because its recipe is so different from that of brands like Hellman’s. But the hatred that follows Miracle Whip around for decades is unlike that of many of the other mayonnaise brands. There is something about the flavor of this mayonnaise that drives people nuts.
One Reddit user wrote that it tastes like mayo that has gone bad. Another person asserts that it tastes like someone has made mayonnaise from a garbage bag, while a more level-headed reviewer wrote that it feels as though a large amount of sugar has been poured into the mayonnaise.
Even if you prefer this mayonnaise brand, there is no denying that its recipe is different from regular mayonnaise. High fructose corn syrup is one of the main ingredients in it (via Walmart). While it’s not uncommon to find sweeteners in your mayonnaise, you don’t usually find high fructose corn syrup at the top of the ingredients list. This helps account for the sweetness of this mayonnaise, which we could also do without. We don’t recommend you put this into your shopping cart the next time you’re at the grocery store.
