There are offerings that are still zippy without being smoke-coming-out-of-your-ears hot, and many of these are wildly popular.
I tried each hot sauce with scrambled eggs, a classic combination.
The nearly century-old recipe boils down to just peppers, distilled vinegar, and salt.
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
But, despite this simplified recipe, the brand promises it’s anything but basic.
I grabbed a 6-ounce bottle of the brand’s tried and true flavor for $1.69.
This, along with the addition of tomato, makes the sauce a bit of a wildcard.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
I picked up a bottle for $2.79.
There’s also a purple-like hue hiding beneath the muted red.
The taste:Relentless.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Beware, this sauce has one of the sneakiest, come-in-the-backdoor kinds of spices I’ve ever experienced.
It didn’t have much flavor in the beginning as I let it settle on my tongue.
Then, as it began to marinate at the back of my mouth, multiple alarm bells sounded.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
That’s when I realized, the sauce sits at between 7,600 to 9,500 on the Scoville scale.
That’s about twice as hot as Tabasco or about 16 times as hot as Frank’s.
But, if you’re looking for more depth and flavor, I’d keep looking.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
It’s both entertaining and painful to watch at the same time.
The taste:With a very approachable, beginner-level heat, it’s certainly nothing to be scared of.
Then, a taste similar to bell peppers takes over.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Finally, you’re brought back down to earth with unexpected notes of turmeric and garlic.
It does have opacity on its side, however.
The taste:The packaging reveals that Pete’s touches down halfway between mild and hot on the spice-o-meter.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
But, I would knock your expectations down a few pegs, well into the mild region.
The second reason has to do with its elusiveness over the past few years.
The company hasstruggled to keep its products on shelvesdue to climate-related events and supply issues.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The 17-ounce bottle cost me $5.79.
The look:Dark red and gloopy similar to a tomato-based pasta sauce.
And honestly, I think they each play their part splendidly.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The sweetness and garlic swirl together first before the smoky taste of chilis kicks in.
There’s no denying it’s a tasty sauce and one that clearly has a hold on many consumers.
Just speaking the name Tabasco out loud almost leaves you with a sharpness on your tongue.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The small-scale 2-ounce bottle rang up at $2.39.
Today, the bottle has gone through some changes.
Afterwards, its tangy, vinegar-driven flavor is once again unmistakable.
Eggs and Tabasco are the perfect pair.
Bloody Mary’s wouldn’t be the same without a few shots of the sauce.
Need to spice up some oysters?
The list goes on and on.
Jose-Luis Saavedra, Sr. started the company in 1971.
But, the classic Salsa Picante Hot Sauce remains at the center of attention.
I purchased a bottle for just $1.79.
It also looks like it’s dotted with multicolored spices.
The taste:I respect the body and complex flavor palette Tapatio brings to the table.
It has a touch of garlicky sweetness that offsets the earthiness and boldness that radiates from the red peppers.
Like most of the sauces, the spice here isn’t overwhelming.
According to Instacart, the brand stands as the top-purchased hot sauce nationwide in 2023.
Frank’s is an OG spicy sauce that dates back to 1920.
The 5-ounce serving cost $2.19.
It’s certainly not the spiciest bottle on the shelf.
However, it’s not a dud either, still delivering some welcome mouth stings and tingles.
There’s no limit to what you could enliven with Frank’s sauce.
The classic bottle, identified by its signature rounded and wooden cap, cost me $4.49.
The look:A burnt orange shade with hardly any signs of red at all.
Its consistency straddles the fence between thick and thin.
From what I read, this is thanks to the small but mighty pequin peppers.
A swift kick comes at the end but it’s never intolerable unless you really pile it on thick.
It satisfies every time, never steering me wrong no matter what I splash it on.
