Best Mayonnaise: Our Ranking of the Best Mayo

This list of the best mayonnaise will certainly be divisive; mayonnaise always is. Folks down South swear Duke’s makes the best mayo, while people in the Northeast love Hellmann’s. Meanwhile, the West Coast goes to bat for Best Foods (which ise allegedly the same product as Hellmann’s, but we’re not so sure about that). The point is this: Not all mayonnaise is the same. This fatty, gloppy, tangy condiment varies from state to state and country to country, and some people think it’s gross. (They’re wrong.)

For this update of our best mayonnaise ranking, we returned to the tasting table and once again ate mayonnaise from a spoon to determine which mayonnaise is worthy of your sandwiches. What do  we look for in the best mayo? We’re glad you asked. It turns out, the main thing we wanted was a nice, custardy texture. Additionally, a good mayonnaise shouldn’t seem too oily (yes, we’re fully aware that mayonnaise is an emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and acid). The texture of a mayonnaise is paramount. It should be viscous but not gelatinous. Moreover, mayonnaise should have great flavor. We looked for salt, acidity, and  a little umami. Lastly, mayonnaise shouldn’t be too sweet. And before you ask, yeah, we tasted Miracle Whip.

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Best Splurge

This is one to savor. The intense, earthy truffle flavor vaults this mayonnaise into fancy territory, but it’s subtle enough to warrant using it for just about anything. Put it in potato or chicken salad, slather it on a sandwich, or, hell, use it as a dip for chips. People love to hate on truffle oil, but you know what? The flavor just works. Truffle and mayonnaise is a wonderful combination.his mayonnaise is pungent and rich with truffle flavor. Plus, this splurge isn’t too splurge-y. It’s nice without totally breaking the budget. Needless to say, we’re fans. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best for Everything

I recently got turned on to Blue Plate, and it absolutely rules. It’s got a sharp, tart bite like Duke’s and it’s a bit more eggy. To us,  this is a happy marriage of Hellmann’s and Duke’s. It’s not the best mayonnaise, but it’s definitely up there! Blue Plate is a stellar mayo that’s great to keep around. I like to combine it with ketchup to make a tangy and savory special sauce for burgers or fries. Man, the South just does mayo right.  —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Light

If you’d asked me a few days ago what I thought about Kraft mayo, I would’ve had literally nothing to say. I forgot Kraft even made mayonnaise. And while their regular mayo is good, their light mayo is one of the best mayos on the market. It has the exact same texture as regular, full-fat mayo, and I don’t know how they do it. The flavor is rich and super tangy. We were all huge fans of this mayo in the Sporked office, and I will be purchasing this again in the future. —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Vegan

Follow Your Heart never misses. Most of the products we’ve tried from this vegan brand, from cheeses to mayos, have been sensational. When it comes to the very best Follow Your Heart products, their Original Vegenaise is at the top of that list. It’s creamy, rich, and has a slight twang. This plant-based mayo is nearly indistinguishable from egg-based mayo. If you follow a plant-based diet or have an egg allergy, this is the best mayonnaise you can buy. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Chipotle Mayo

This McCormick Chipotle Mayonnaise tastes homemade. There’s not a weird chemical or citric acid taste. The flavor is pure mayonnaise, garlic, and smoky chipotle peppers in adobo. If you made tuna, chicken, or egg salad with this, your head would explode. It would taste so good. This would also be delicious on a turkey avocado sandwich. I brought this home from work because I plan to put it on everything. I absolutely adore this chipotle mayo. —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Umami

The taste of Kewpie is certainly striking. This classic Japanese mayonnaise tastes like cold hollandaise sauce  because of the strong egg flavor. There’s also a hint of sweetness and a slight tang. Kewpie is like a smooth, spreadable egg salad. We would eat it all by itself on some white bread—how many condiments can you do that with? As far as I know, it’s the only mayonnaise to add MSG. I applaud that. Kewpie is great with sandwiches, french fries, sushi, salads, and so much more. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Flavor

I freaking love Duke’s.. Duke’s is what homemade mayo should taste like. It’s just got such a lovely, sharp, citrusy bite. Duke’s actually tastes like citrus was used to make it, much like a homemade mayonnaise. Plus, it’s got a touch of paprika. It tastes like a fresh aioli. The only downside is that the texture is a bit too slick. It feels kind of oily, whereas Hellmann’s (our number one pick, spoiler) has that nice eggy consistency. The way I see it: Hellmann’s has better texture, whereas Duke’s has better flavor. Still, it’s among the best mayo on the market. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

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Best Sriracha Mayo

I would normally never buy something like this and I certainly didn’t expect for it to rank so high on our list of the best mayonnaise. The name is corny, and why do I need a company to premix mayo and sriracha for me? Realistically, I don’t. However, this tastes awesome. It’s great quality mayo mixed with the most delicious sriracha to give you a product that is creamy, spicy, garlicky, and just plain wonderful. I’d never bought this before, but I will buy this in the future to put on sandwiches, sushi, rice bowls, and more. I love it! —Jordan Myrick

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of The Best

This was tough, but I stick by the choice. Hellmann’s (not Best Foods) is the best mayonnaise. It is triumphantly decadent—eggy, rich, and flavorful. Mythical Chef and town madman Josh Scherer described it as “eggy pudding.” That’s because it’s the mayonnaise that most resembles a custard, and it’s jam-packed with flavorful fat. This savory mayo has less acidic bite than say, Duke’s, but the texture is indisputably excellent. Hellmann’s is less citrusy than some other mayos, but it’s still perfectly tart, with an accessible flavor to please the masses. That means you can use it for just about everything (see: cupcakes). Most of all, it feels like a human being made this mayonnaise in a kitchen with a whisk, as opposed to a robot in a factory. To us, that’s incredible. Hellmann’s reigns supreme. —Danny Palumbo

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Products We Tried: Best Foods Real Mayonnaise, Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayonnaise, Great Value Mayo, Kraft Real Mayo, Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, First Street Real Mayonnaise, Sir Kensington’s Avocado Oil Mayonnaise, Sprouts Organic Mayonnaise, Boar’s Head Real Mayonnaise, Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise, Stokes Real Mayonnaise, Nando’s Perinaise, Light Great Value, Best Foods Light, Sir Kensington Chipotle, Hellman’s Spicy, Sir Kensington Sriracha Mayo, Kikoman Sriracha Mayo, Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Mayo, Hellman’s Light

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