"TasteTests" news and stories

Mustard Taste Test

by Kat Kinsman
With hundreds of mustards on the market, we had to set some serious parameters for our search. Brands had to be easy to find on national supermarket shelves, free of any fancy flavoring, and cost less than $3.99.

Even with these restrictions, we sampled more than five dozen varieties, and chose runners-up and winners in the categories of yellow, honey, deli/brown, dijon and hot, with one solitary mustard pot reigning supreme. See if your favorite made the cut.

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Yellow
Gulden's Yellow Mustard

French's was a close contender, but the clear, bright tang of this textbook yellow mustard gave it a slight edge. Said one tester, "This is Hot Dog Mustard 101."
Website: ConAgra Foods

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Yellow
Best Yet Mustard

The creamy, sharp kick of Best Yet led more than one tester to evoke its similarity to their favorite cheddar. We're overcome with a sudden, major craving for a hot, soft pretzel upon which to slather it.
Website: Best Yet Market

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Yellow
Plochman's Mild Yellow Mustard

Though possessed of a slightly lighter body than the previous two contenders, Plochman's proves a milder-flavored workhorse of a yellow mustard. On a sandwich or a ballpark dog, it's perfectly pleasing, but unassertive enough to step back and let the other ingredients shine.
Website: Plochman's Mustard

Rachel Been

Winner: Yellow
Annie's Natural Organic Yellow Mustard

In the end, Annie's took home the gold, winning raves for its sturdy, glossy mouthfeel and exquisite blend of simple spices. Asked one tester, "Is it the cloves? It must be the cloves. Do you think it could be the cloves?" We're pretty sure it's the cloves.
Website: Annie's Naturals

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Honey
Hellman's Honey Mustard

We'll admit we were a tad shocked that this one made it to the finals, given its close resemblance to the much maligned Dijonaise. However, this dark horse contender brought something rare to the table -- an honest to gosh burst of real honey flavor that set our tasters all abuzz.
Website: Hellman's

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Honey
Olde Cape Cod Sweet & Hot Honey Mustard

The luxurious heft of honey gives way to a pleasing, crystalline grit against the tongue, easing into a lazy heat that warms all the way into the nasal passages. Said one taster, "Fire in the hive!"
Website: Cains Foods

Rachel Been

Winner: Honey
Billy Bee Original Honey Mustard

It should come as no great surprise that the queen bee in this category would come from a company that knows a thing or ten about the honey biz. Billy Bee is best known for their pure, natural clover honey, and they've paired it perfectly with a creamy, medium-bodied mustard for a blend that would be as at home on a hot pretzel or panini as it would be drizzled over a salad or a fresh slice of ham.
Website: Billy Bee Honey

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Brown/Deli
Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard

Roll out the barrel! This tart and tangy meld had tasters aching for a pint of stout and a big ol' bratwurst on which to slather this. It polkas right up to the edge of being a li'l bit too sour, but luckily never quite topples over.
Website: Plochman

Rachel Been

Runner-up: Brown/Deli
Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 Mustard

Just a wee dram of whiskey deepens the flavor of this sumptuously thick, zesty blend. Jack Daniels is known for licensing its name for everything from coffee to nuts -- with varying degrees of success, but our tasters gave solid thumbs up to this use of Old No. 7.
Website: T. Marzetti
Website: T. Marzetti

Rachel Been

Lemonade Taste Test

by AOL Food Editors
Our team of food editors shook, stirred, popped the top and puckered their way through 70 cartons, bottles, cans and pouches in search of the most thirst-quenching, soul-satisfying brand of store-bought lemonade. In the end, they selected several runners-up and a winner in each of seven categories: plastic bottle, can, juice box or pouch, powder, glass bottle and paper carton, as well as the best pink lemonade and the absolute best and worst overall. Read on for results and see how store brands can sometimes rule.

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Plastic Bottle
Tropicana Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 100
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "More like lemon soda than lemonade, this was light and refreshing."

Learn more about Tropicana

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Plastic Bottle
Simply Lemonade

Sweetener: Natural Sugar
Calories per serving: 120
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "It was balanced and non-sticky with a smooth, lime-like finish." "I tend to like the 'Simply' series -- orange juice, limeade, etc. -- and this does not disappoint."

Learn more about Simply

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Plastic Bottle:
Citarella Freshly Squeezed Lemonade

Sweetener: Pure Cane Sugar
Calories per serving: N/A
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 5
Lemon strength: Mild
Our panel says: "With notes of (unadvertised) coconut and lime, this was a tropical dream." "It's like a vacation in a bottle."

Learn more about Citarella Store brand

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Canned
Country Time Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 140
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Solid
Our panel says: "It's wonderfully bold and lemony, neither too tart or too sweet." "The finish is a little bit sticky, but the flavor makes up for it."

Learn more about Country Time

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Canned
Arizona Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 110
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2
Lemon Strength:
Our panel says: "The flavor is just about perfect -- a wonderful balance of sweet and sour. Only drawback is the slightly sticky mouth feel, but just solve that by ditching the can and serving over ice." "Nicely balanced, assertive, no messing around."

Learn more about Arizona

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Canned
San Pellegrino Limonata

Sweetener: Sugar
Calories per serving: 141
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 2
Lemon Strength: Intense
Our panel says: "This is incredible front-porch lemonade -- if your front porch happens to sport marble columns with ivy growing up them. This is grown-up lemonade that's strong, clear, effervescent and utterly addictive."

Learn more about San Pellegrino

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Juice Box
Minute Maid Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 90
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 4
Lemon strength: Medium
Our panel says: "A refreshing small box for when you're on the go" "It wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be -- and that's a good thing."

Learn more about Minute Maid

Rachel Been, AOL

Winner: Juice Box
Hi-C Poppin' Lemonade

Sweetener: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Calories per serving: 100
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Mild
Our panel says: "A crowd shocker, it wasn't as sweet as the majority of juice boxes." "A well balanced drink."

Learn more about Hi-C

Rachel Been, AOL

Runner-up: Powdered
Crystal Light Lemonade

Sweetener: Aspartame
Calories per serving: 5
Tart (1) - Sweet (5): 3
Lemon Strength: Right up front
Our panel says: "This is the rarest of all creatures -- a low-calorie lemonade that doesn't have a nasty aftertaste! The taste that it does have is actually a really nice balance of tart and sweet."

Learn more about Crystal Light

Rachel Been, AOL

Instant Coffee Taste Test

We're not coffee snobs, but we're hard pressed to think of a single instance where we'd pick the stir-in stuff over some java that's hot from a freshly-brewed pot. Still, sometimes we need a caffeine fix on the go or in a jiffy, and there's not a bean to be seen.

We chugged our way through more than two dozen different blends so you'll know which brands are worth sipping -- and skipping. Keep clicking to see our reviews from the deepest dregs to the creme de la cafe.

Rachel Been, AOL

Chock Full O'Nuts

Sip or skip? Skip. Skip very, VERY far away.

Pass for brewed? No

Tasting Notes: Wow, what a tease. We were beckoned in by a yummy smell, but the flavor -- ugh. It's cruelly sour with an undertone of rotting veggies and chock full o' yuck.

Rachel Been, AOL

Nescafe Clasico

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? Never

Tasting Notes: This barely even passes for instant java, and packs a bitter, chemical afterburn that took forever to get off our tongues. No mas, por favor.

Rachel Been, AOL

Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Roast

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? No way

Tasting Notes: It smells okay, but has no flavor whatsover. Sure, the pack's convenient -- if you have an on-the-go hankering for the taste of brown water.

Rachel Been, AOL

Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Decaf

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? No

Tasting Notes: No aroma, no flavor, no caffeine -- not a single reason to bother.

Rachel Been, AOL

Rocket Fuel

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? As the worst gas station coffee you've ever had

Tasting Notes: It smells like dust, and while it's billed as "rich, dark, powerful coffee," all we're getting is a seismic blast of bitterness.

Rachel Been, AOL

Sanka

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? Really bad, burned decaf

Tasting Notes: We're really feeling the burn on this one. The flavor is oddly reminiscent of scorched cheese -- not something we're looking to encounter first thing in the a.m.

Rachel Been, AOL

Brown Gold

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? Perhaps for metallic conference room coffee

Tasting Notes: It's got a strange dusty, papery smell and a tinny taste -- is that the "gold" part? And what the heck is an Excelsio bean?

Rachel Been, AOL

Folgers Classic Roast

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? No

Tasting Notes: If this odor-free, sour, bitter blend is indeed the best part of waking up, we suggest you just stay tucked in bed.

Rachel Been, AOL

White Rose Original Blend

Sip or skip? Skip

Pass for brewed? Maybe at Homer Simpson's nuclear plant.

Tasting Notes: Savor the taste and aroma of cardboard dunked in hot water? Have we got the brew for you!

Rachel Been, AOL

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

Iced Tea Reviews

While we love the idea of always having a freshly-brewed pitcher in the fridge, we're often on the go and have to make a grab from the deli cooler. All summer long, our editors will be sampling bottled, canned and fast-food iced teas to let you know which ones are worth chugging, and which you should leaf behind.
Lipton Pure Leaf Black Tea with Lemon
Grade: B-
Tea purists will blanch at the extreme lemony sweetness, but those weaned on the powdered stuff will happily sip their way down memory lane. The flavor is remarkably strong and tangy with a lingering apple juice finish that's not so much refreshing as it is simply satisfying.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Stewart's Unsweetened Tea Refresher
Grade: F
We're all for utterly unadulterated, unfancy iced tea, but this harsh brew tastes like squeezings from bags left to moulder at the bottom of a pot. We sipped, swished with water, sipped again, spat it out, re-swished and ran off to brush our teeth repeatedly, and still the bitter, metallic tang that had set up camp at the backs of our tongues refused to depart quietly. We're seriously considering mouth-ectomies.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Joe Tea Lemon Half and Half
Grade: A
Call it an Arnold Palmer. Call it a half & half. Just don't forget to call us when Joe's coming over. While other brands attempt to pass off over-lemoned iced tea, Joe knows that the ultimate blend begins with equal parts of high quality, full-flavored iced tea and lightly tart lemonade. The finish is nothing short of sweet 'n sour sunshine in a bottle.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Arizona Iced Tea with Lemon Flavor
Grade: B-
Remember when you were fifteen and you'd hit up the convenience store for a post-practice drink? This is that iced tea, in all its tawdry glory. $.99 affords a tall 23 ounces of super-sweet, lemon-tinged black tea, and though the corn syrup sweetener gums up in the back of the throat, hey, it'll go great with that Twinkie.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Arizona Southern Style Sweet Tea
Grade: B-
Had this just been touted to us as a plain ol' sweetened tea, we'd pleased, even if not especially impressed. Problem is, it's billed as Southern-style sweet tea, which is a different critter entirely. Real sweet tea delivers a smooth, mellow slug of plain white sugary deliciousness to the whole palate, while this brew brings a weirdly artificial, cloying sweetness that sits just on top of the tongue. Hold out for the real deal.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

McDonald's Sweet Tea
Grade: A
We're pretty sure we'll catch heck from our Southern in-laws, but we just have to go ahead and say it -- Mickey D's Sweet Tea is every drop as delicious as the gallons we've slurped down at Lexington BBQ, the High Point Country Club or any given K&W Cafeteria in the North Carolina Triad. That is to say it's an ideal balance of tooth-cracking sweetness, mellow orange pekoe and gentle brain freeze, both smooth enough to sip all day and intensely sugary enough to ensure that it's a physical impossibility to do so.

It's most definitely sweet tea, rather than sweetened iced tea, so folks not familiar with this culinary signature of the South might want to just dip a toe in before they fully commit. At $.99 for a giant jug, it's a worthy experiment.

Also - purists, take note -- it's often served with a slice of lemon already tossed in, so speak up if you wish to avoid that.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Sobe Green Tea
Grade: D
Y'know what this doesn't taste like? Green tea. In fact, it tastes like watered-down white grape juice that someone spiked with mystery herbal infusion. Or a lime Saf-T-Pop that spent too much time on the doctor's desk. The very idea that Sobe markets this as green tea is downright lizardbrained.

Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Arizona Blueberry White Tea
Grade: B
Hello, fruity! This iced tea finds blueberry out in full force with some well-dressed pear on its arm. Though sweet, the tea isn't sugary, instead delivering its nectar au natural. The organic sweetness melds nicely with the earthiness of the tea, resulting in a summery swig that's the perfect antidote for a dog day afternoon.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Teany Green Tea with Ginseng
Grade: C+
While we're big fans of musician Moby's New York City tearoom and plenty of of his other bottled offerings, this one falls a little flat. It's not actively awful, by any means, but for a brew with all natural, health-friendly ingredients, the flavor has odd notes of artificial sweetener and feel slightly medicinal. We're all for reaping the body benefits. We just wish it didn't have to taste that way.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL

Ito En Japanese Green Tea
Grade: B+
This one's got a light, tannic body, with straightforward fresh, unsweetened green tea flavor that the can claims is a result of its having been "Produced with our state-of-the-art T-N (Tea & Natural) Blow technology." Further research reveals it as a technique that removes air from the can just before sealing, so as to prevent oxidation and ensure freshness. It works.

There's no weird or wow factor, but it's definitely more "healthy" feeling than either soda, or some of the other sweetened bottled tea offerings. It pairs well with sushi, sashimi and green salads.
Did we miss your favorite brew? Let us know on our blog at Slashfood.

Rachel Been, AOL