Our intrepid pack of testers chomped their way through 50 different franks, hot dogs and wieners in hot pursuit of the top tube steak in all the land. Not a single chicken, turkey or tofu dog made the final cut, while beef and pork reigned supreme.
Did your favorite frank lead the pack? Read on.
Best Hot Dogs
Our intrepid pack of testers chomped their way through 50 different franks, hot dogs and wieners in hot pursuit of the top tube steak in all the land. Not a single chicken, turkey or tofu dog made the final cut, while beef and pork reigned supreme.
Did your favorite frank lead the pack? Read on.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
20. DIETZ & WATSON NEW YORK BRAND BEEF FRANKS
(All Beef, Natural Casing)
The strong casing caused our panel to snap to attention, and the solid, beefy interior makes this a dandy, workaday dog.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
19. SABRETT SKINLESS BEEF FRANKFURTERS
(All Beef)
Our panelists were split on the subtly peppery aftertaste, but all sang the praises of the juicy, gently salted initial flavor experience.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
18. COLEMAN NATURAL UNCURED BEEF HOT DOGS
(Uncured, All Beef)
All tasters sang the praises of the smoky, bratwurst-like flavor or this firm, un-fancy frank.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
17. HILLSHIRE FARMS LIT'L BEEF FRANKS
(All Beef)
These wee wieners pack a lot of meaty, salty flavor into a bitty bite. The size allows for lots of skin crisping, and our panel deemed 'em a 'perfectly respectable cocktail frank.'
Nathan Ellis Perkel
16. WOLFE'S NECK UNCURED HOT DOGS
(Pork, Beef, Natural Lamb Casing)
Our tasters were in agreement that a pinch more salt would really make this pup pop, but still, the snappy, crunchy skin and juicy inside more than made up for it.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
15. OSCAR MEYER PREMIUM BEEF FRANKS
(All Beef)
On the other hand, this one got a teensy bit too silly with the salt shaker, but still nosed ahead with a distinctive smoky sweetness, and a snappy skin that crisps up beautifully over an open flame.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
14. OSCAR MAYER WIENERS
(Turkey, Chicken, Pork)
This childhood classic holds its own against the fancier franks, earning raves for its spicy, smoky flavor combo and sturdy casing. Oh, Oscar, we are still in love with you.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
13. BALL PARK BEEF FRANKS
(All Beef)
Every single tester waxed wacky over the satisfying juice jolt of this beefy stadium staple. The flavor may not be a grand slam, but it's a solid base hit.
Nathan Ellis Perkel
12. OSCAR MAYER MINI HOT DOGS
(All Beef)
This tiny dog has the heart of a champion, fetching maximum intense flavor per square centimeter. As one panelist suggests, 'Wrap some Pillsbury around these, and you've got a party!'
Nathan Ellis Perkel
I like my hamburger and hot dog buns to be lightly toasted when possible. Usually, I will simply open them up and toss them onto the grill while the dogs cook. If I'm not grilling, I just eat the buns plain. I have never put a hot dog bun into the microwave to attempt to achieve a "bakery-fresh" texture and, even if I did so, I would certainly not put the hot dog in the bun before microwaving it. In my experience, microwaving does nothing to improve the texture of bread and having an unheated hot dog in it would help even less. 
Some people like to boil their hot dogs. I never saw the point of that. A hot dog that comes out of a pot of
simmering water will never have the crisp snap of a grilled hot dog, nor will it have any of the toasty grill marks.
For me, the only ways to cook a hot dog are under the broiler or over a hot barbecue. After seeing this 
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