When you’re on the hunt for a dozen, where do you set your sights?
Some sweet tooths prefer mom-and-pop shops, while others head to the bakery section of their nearest market.
Others choose the convenience and dependability of an established chain.
Photo: Krispy Kreme. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Which one will prevail when it comes down to the ultimate equalizer: the glazed doughnut?
I grabbed an icing-covered ring from five chains around my Columbus, Ohio, area to find out.
Grab your coffee and buckle up.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
There’s no sugarcoating these results.
Tim Hortons
It’s been noted thatCanada eats more doughnuts per capita than any other country.
Of course, there’s the classic glazed doughnut, which the chain calls the Honey Dip.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
One doughnut costs $1.49.
I decided to double-dip for good measure.
The look:A bit dry.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
The icing looks like it’s applied in a razor-thin and insufficient layer.
These doughnuts are plump, thoughthe largest of my taste-testing bunchand come in a yellow-tinted shade of tan.
Maybe they do doughnuts differently in Canada, but this roll-like recipe isn’t for me.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Don’t forget about the poppable, almost-too-cute-to-eat Munchkins doughnut holes.
There’s a flavor for every person and every mood at the world-renowned doughnut shop.
One is $1.69.
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
It lands between soft and dense, with a demeanor similar to that of a generic store-bought doughnut.
It has more icing than Tim Hortons' ring-shaped treatwhich isn’t saying much.
However, it leaves you with an unusual sour or even biting taste at the back of your throat.
From the outside, it looks like your average everyday doughnut joint.
In reality, it’s so much more.
Because here, you get to take over as the pastry chef, building your custom doughnut.
But I will certainly be back.
The look:Flatter and darker than other glazed loops in the test.
I immediately guessed it was a cake doughnut, and I was correct.
The icing was so plentiful that globs spilled into my small box.
The taste:All it’s quacked up to be.
It’s not your typical doughnut.
It’s sweet all by itself.
If cake doughnuts are your end-all, be-all, then these glazed doughnuts will likely top your list.
And I certainly think they should be viewed as a feather in the chain’s cap.
But, there were a few offerings that dazzled me even more.
This was partly because the visit always ended with a one-way ticket to deep-fried flavor town.
There’s nothing else quite like ita mesmerizing phenomenon.
Pulling them out proved challenging, and sadly, each looked rather squished with an imperfect icing crust.
Despite these blemishes, they still managed to look delicious.
The taste:Airy and pillowy to the point that they almost melt in your mouth on impact.
Each bite is accompanied by the soft crackling of the glace finish and is beautifully buttery.
I learned this the hard way.
I limited myself to two raised glazed doughnuts for $1.79 each.
The icing looks like it’s in good shape.
The taste:I didn’t think anything could top Krispy Kreme.
I really didn’t.
But, holy heaven, these Daylight rounds sure give the multinational chain a run for its money.
Its two glazed offerings are similar.
The only area where Daylight’s glazed pulls ahead is when it comes to texture.
For these reasons, the shop won my heart and the title of glazed doughnut gold medalist.
