I tried to pick brands that would be available almost anywhere, and
that were what I considered to be affordable. As you can see in the
picture, the three brands compared were Great Value, Claussen, and
Vlasic. I've broken down the results into three categories:
Cost
- MOST EXPENSIVE: Claussen: $2.98 at ($ 0.149 per oz)
- SECOND MOST EXPENSIVE: Vlasic at $2.56 or ($0.107 per oz)
- LEAST EXPENSIVE: Great Value at $2.24 or ($0.093 per oz)
Flavor
- BEST: Claussen
- SECOND BEST: Tie between Vlasic and Great Value
- BEST: Claussen
- SECOND BEST: Vlasic
- WORST: Great Value (there WAS a difference- these tasted mushier
than the others, but it wasn't gross, just a little less crunch!)
OVERALL WINNER: Tie between Claussen and Great Value-- keep reading to see why.
We
really liked how crunchy, garlic-y, and flavorful the Claussen pickles
were. They also looked a little more natural, unlike the Great Value and
Vlasic that had that weird neon greenish look to them. The only
problem? The cost.
There
was a difference in the crunchiness between the Vlasic and Great Value,
but when compared to the cost difference and the fact that they tasted
the same, I think Great Value is the better option. And, unlike
Claussen, these are actually affordable.
Now, I should
note that Claussen pickles are 'fresh', meaning they must be
refrigerated all the time, and are never cooked. That is why they are
crispier. We definitely liked the Claussen pickles the best. But,
judging from the other article I read (see beginning of post), they
rated Claussen last, quite a bit lower than Vlasic! Make your own
conclusions...but they must have liked the 'standard' Vlasic flavor
better. And, I think their classification scheme may have been a little
more sophisticated than mine.
In doing this test, I've
opened my own can of worms...or in this case 'jar of pickles'...my
husband ate the entire jar of Claussens in less than a few days, and
asked for more. I don't know if my budget will be able to keep up with
his newfound pickle appetite!
