Best Pickles: Top 5 Store-Bought Brands, According To Experts 

Pickles are a delicious and nearly ubiquitous side and topping in the United States. With a burger, hot dog, or deli sandwich, a cold, crisp pickle is a must! Some love these pickled delights so much, they eat them straight from the jar. That’s why we turned to our sources to learn more about the best pickles on grocery store shelves. 

For some, pickles are a guiltless craving food, for others they are a snack time obsession. Interestingly, recent research indicates peanut butter and pickle sandwiches stood out as the most divisive choice on the list of unusual snack pairings; 61 percent would be down for it and 21 percent would definitely avoid it, with more men leaning towards the former (65% vs 57%) and more women towards the latter (25% vs 17%). 

Aside from being in bizarre cravings, pickled foods may have health benefits beyond tasting good. New research shows how this food, that usually takes a back seat in most dishes, can actually have a profound effect on your body and mind. Scientists reveal that pickled capers contain a key compound which improves brain and heart health. Capers are the immature flower buds of a wild bush (the caper bush) which grows in the Mediterranean. In the United States, capers are commonly pickled for use as a garnish on dishes like smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels. 

That being said, pickles are a great addition to your diet for creative snack combos and boosting your health. Our list of the top five best pickles narrows down the most delicious and consistent flavor across expert reviews. Let us know your suggestions in the comments below! 

The List: Best Pickles, According to Experts

 

1. Grillo’s Pickles Fresh Pickle Spears

This tasty pickle is available nationwide at retailers like Costco, but also comes with some critical feedback from our sources. “Rise and brine! Garlic-heavy, sour and full of crunch, Grillo’s took home top honors in this contest of the cucumbers with a pickle that excelled in practically every category. But for the love of all things holy, please come up with a different container. The plastic doesn’t close properly and spills everywhere. And while I freakin’ love a pickle, its juice is not something I’d like to become my signature scent,” exclaims Today. 

Despite minor complaints about the bucket, these pickles are still top rated. “Unlike many pickles, Grillo’s manages to retain a lot of that refreshing cucumber taste. Of course, layered on top of the cucumber was the taste of fresh dill—the most dill flavor of any pickle brand our Test Kitchen sampled. Testers also found that Grillo’s perfectly balanced the salty, sour and vinegary tastes that we associate with pickles,” according to Taste of Home. 

“The number one pickle brand in the supermarket is Grillo’s Pickles Dill Spears. What made these instantly rise to the top was the overall look, which resembled a fresh cucumber the most, with bright green skin and pale green flesh. The pickles were very crunchy and had a strong dill and garlic taste. In fact, there’s dill and garlic floating around in the brine the pickles are packed in. Because these pickles are made, shipped, and sold cold they keep a lot of their juiciness without compromising texture. They are also the most natural of the bunch with just cucumbers, brine, garlic, dill, and grape leaves as the ingredients,” details Eat This, Not That!. 

2. Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles

High praise is offered for Claussen’s refrigerated pickles. “To start, let’s dive into the texture. They’re super crunchy, yes, but I also found that the cucumbers they used in these pickles were just really good. They’re firm and fleshy with a thin, snappy skin, so any bite you take of a pickle spear will be a good bite — whether it’s a bite from the ends or right in the middle,” raves BuzzFeed. 

“The juice is a nice light green hue, paired with mustard seed, dried red peppers, and dried garlic in the brine. They’re a nicely colored pickled, without too much neon green coming through, giving off the appearance and feeling of freshness,” writes Mashed. 

“Look for Claussen in your grocery store’s refrigerated section for a pickle with plenty of crunch that’s also loaded with a balanced vinegary kick and a good dose of spice. They’re the perfect snacking pickle—sure, they’d be great on a burger or Chicago dog, but they’re just as good as a side dish (or a movie snack if you’re feeling weird)… Whatever’s happening inside the Claussen jar, we’re here for it. And, more importantly, it’s here for us,” adds Epicurious.

3. Dietz & Watson Kosher Pickle Spears

Dietz & Watson is a brand of fine delicatessen foods that is available in supermarkets nationwide. “The quality and consistency of their products are practically unmatched and these dill pickles are a great example. This gigantic tub features the best dill pickles we tried in our dill pickle taste test. They’re crunchy, flavorful, and juicy. They’re briney without being too salty. They’re a classic dill pickle in the best way possible. I brought these home after our taste test and have been snacking on them all week,” according to Sporked. 

“Sometimes bigger is better with these oversized spears that were heavy on size, garlic, dill, crunch and salt. In fact, they were so neck-and-neck with the winner that I gave myself 24 hours to rethink my decision. Ultimately, it came down to flavor boldness and what left a lasting impression,” writes Yahoo!. 

“This brand branches out from traditional dill with a variety of intriguing flavors to please all palates. Garlic lovers will enjoy the sour garlic variety (which isn’t TOO overpoweringly garlicky), and the sweet horseradish flavor might tempt even bread and butter traditionalists,” opines Daily Meal.  

4. Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears

Mt. Olive pickles are also praised for having a balanced garlicky flavor with subtle sweetness. “This was one of the most well-balanced of the bunch, but there was nothing about the cuke that really stood out. It’s nostalgic — we love a Mt. Olive pickle — but other jars and tubs shined a little bit brighter. That’s all.,” according to Today. 

“These bright green pickles served up major garlic flavor. Our tasters got hints of mustard and dill too, but garlic was the primary seasoning in this jar of pickles… Overall, we’d recommend these pickles served up alongside your favorite sandwich, like a Reuben or turkey club,” adds Taste of Home. 

“The Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Spears is one of my all-time favorites as a pickle enthusiast… Mt. Olive has a rich history as a family-owned pickle company that has been producing high-quality pickles since 1926, using traditional methods and the freshest cucumbers. These Kosher Dill Spears are made with premium cucumbers that are hand-picked and brined with Mt. Olive’s signature blend of spices, vinegar, and salt, resulting in a crisp and flavorful pickle,” writes Restaurant Clicks. 

5. Vlasic Kosher Dill Spears

‘The one with the Stork‘, is how Vlasic is often remembered by shoppers, but the balanced flavor keeps consumers coming back for more. “Vlasic carefully selects their pickles and brines them with their signature blend of spices, vinegar, and salt, resulting in a crunchy and tangy treat. With a perfect balance of sourness and dill flavor, you can’t go wrong with this pickle brand,” writes Restaurant Clicks. 

“The signature crunch of a Vlasic makes this jar a pantry classic. It’s a larger spear that tasted more salty than tangy, which is great to quell any sudden hankerings for sodium. But it’s maybe not the best as a sandwich topper that is already laden with sodium-heavy cold cuts and condiments. Again, this pickle is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but it simply didn’t stack up to its competition,” writes Today. 

“This is the classic dill pickle that I think of when I think of dill pickles. The taste was smooth and refreshing without being overwhelming. The pickle had a nice snap to it when I bit into it, and the interior of the pickle wasn’t completely soggy. Overall, I would keep these in my fridge on a regular basis. These also contain polysorbate 80 and natural flavors but are naturally colored with turmeric,“ explains Eat This, Not That! 

You might also be interested in:

• Best Fast Food Chicken Nuggets
• Best Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches
• Best Burgers in America
• Best Ketchup

Sources

• BuzzFeed 
• Today 
• Taste of Home 
• Eat This, Not That!
• Mashed 
• Epicurious
• Sporked 
• Daily Meal 
• Restaurant Clicks 
• Yahoo! 

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.