The bread aisle always gives me pause.
There are certainlybetter ways to judge bread at face value!
And, withsummer cookouts coming up, what better place to start than with hamburger buns?
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Or that it’s really just a vessel for gettingtop-notch beef pattiesand other ingredients into your mouth.
You need a bun that is soft but doesn’t fall apart.
One that is buttery and flavorful but not to the point of completely overtaking the experience.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
These are the characteristics I looked for as I tasted my way through 11 different bags.
The look:Smooth on top, on the small side, and fairly basic.
Its dry appearance doesn’t inspire much confidence, not to mention the creepy clown on the packaging.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
He supposedly came to life in 1932 to serve as an uplifting symbol during the Great Depression.
For me though, he’s more unnerving than uplifting.
It’s not overly yeasty or doughy, just a neutral vessel for a plump burger.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
So, at least Schwebel’s has this firmness and reliability going for it.
Still, it was my least favorite of the bunch.
I decided to give the Nickles Country-Style Honey Buns a whirl among its wide selection of buns.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
An unusually large bag of 12 rather than 8 cost me $3.79.
The look:More yellow than white on the inside.
The exterior is well-browned but not overdone.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Instead, this bun reminded me of an unflavored yeast donut.
I can appreciate its thick and chewy texture.
Without more of a welcoming and satisfying taste, though, it falls behind in the rankings.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
When it comes to bread, Sara is no slouch.
Within this specialty group is where I found a pack of brioche-style burger buns priced at $3.99.
The look:A golden color similar to Nickles.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The taste:I had high hopes for these French-inspired brioche buns.
But, they proved to be more appealing to the eyes than the taste buds.
Like Nickles, they reminded me of flavorless donuts with plenty of dry yeast flavor.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
What struck me the most, though, is the almost musky flavor accompanying each bite.
To make matters worse, the buns are also far from the sturdiest on the shelf.
All you have to do is have yourfavorite condimentshandy.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The look:As expected, the packaging is splattered with American patriotism.
A bit flat and pale, the bun itself is much less snazzy and memorable.
That’s around where the pros end, however.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Aside from these high points, it really just boils down to a no-frills piece of white bread.
I grabbed the Sesame-Topped variety to add a little bit of flair to the taste test.
The bag of 8 cost me $3.39.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The look:Pepperidge Farm keeps its packaging fairly simple and lets the products speak for themselves.
The seeds are a bit skimpy, however, almost as if they were added as an afterthought.
The taste:Not bad, but nothing spectacular either.
The sesame seeds remind me of a fast-food chain burger bun.
It lands squarely in the middle of the pack.
Of course, all of this supposed goodness does come at a price.
The look:Artisanal and wheat-like with a dusting of white flour on top.
These are the least symmetrical and perfectly round buns.
The bag makes it look more like a nutrition-forward and organic product with specific ingredient callouts and certification stamps.
The taste:Solid and chewyin a good way.
It soaks up the burger juice well and doesn’t collapse or crumble.
There’s an obvious whole wheat flavor in each dense bite.
It doesn’t taste overly dry and bland, though.
All in all, I think it’s a good choice if you’re looking for an organic product.
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Brownberry Potato Buns
Brownberry is somewhat of a new brand for me.
I know, I know.
These don’t follow along with the brand’s usual whole-grain focus.
So I did what grandma would do and grabbed them anyway.
The look:Not brown and wheaty like many of Brownberry’s other products.
Instead, it’s drastically yellowed which is standard for a potato bun.
Sizewise it leans a little larger than other offerings.
The taste:The resiliency of this bun is something to brag about.
There’s also no fear of it deteriorating under a pile of toppings and condiments.
The flavor, though, is what brings it back down to earth in terms of rankings.
I bought a bag of her Stadium White Hamburger Buns for $3.29 to pit against other competitors.
I settled on the Stadium variety because it feels like the most basic.
The look:A proper-looking bun, fully white at its core with no trace of a yellow tinge.
The packaging comes in the nation’s colors, like Ball Park’s.
The taste:Light and bouncy.
However, this fragile consistency ultimately became the bun’s Achilles heel.
It’s a shame since Aunt Millie’s started off so well.
Maybe this one is just better suited for lunch meat or something else with a little less bulk.
I found a pack of 8 Classic Hamburger buns for $3.79 at a nearby Kroger.
The look:A bit compact but obviously spongy.
Each bite is incredibly fluffy and airy, with a taste similar to the brand’s famous loaves.
But the product’s softness and obvious freshness make up for this phenomenon tenfold.
It sounds like the company is doing something right.
I picked up an 8-pack of its Brioche-Style Hamburger Buns for $4.49 to find out.
The look:Not as yellow as Brownberry’s potato buns.
Instead, it’s a soft honey color with an artisanal-looking scoring at the top.
Tremendously concentrated and thickset, I knew it would be unyielding.
The taste:Tender despite its dense nature.
With just a hint of butteriness as well, I was hooked.
It’s a near-perfect bun that would pair well with just about anything without eclipsing its flavor.
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King’s Hawaiian
Say Aloha to King’s Hawaiian.
The look:Larger than the King’s Hawaiian rolls but on the small end of hamburger buns.
The taste:Sweet and buttery with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
It is somehow firm yet soft simultaneously and became my favorite before I even swallowed my first bite.
I don’t even think I need condiments or other garnishes to eat a burger on this bun.
I could honestly eat it all by itself, just like I do the rolls.
