Wirecutter Writer Taste Tested 31 Hot Dogs. Sabrett Won.

Kathleen Squires from Wirecutter at the New York Times describes a comprehensive hot dog tasting evaluation involving eight taste testers from across the United States (Indiana, California, Texas, New York). The tasting process employed blind tastings to eliminate bias, beginning with hot dogs in their purest form—boiled and cut into pieces without buns or condiments—before narrowing down to 11 finalists that were then evaluated in buns with consistent toppings. The evaluation criteria included texture (particularly the "snap" when biting into the hot dog), flavor, spice balance, and appearance including how the hot dog sits in the bun and mingles with condiments. Sabrett emerged as the top choice, a New York classic recognizable by its blue and yellow umbrellas on food carts throughout the city. Squires notes that Sabrett offers the best snap and flavor balance and has a distinctive taste reminiscent of pastrami, with mid-range pricing that is reasonable in New York but becomes more expensive on the West Coast due to shipping costs. Beyond the main hot dog ranking, the team also conducted a regional toppings bracket featuring eight styles, with Seattle-style dogs winning by a 2-to-1 vote. Seattle dogs are characterized by butterflied hot dogs with cream cheese spread on the bun, jalapeños for crunch, and onions—a combination that allows toppings to soak into the butterflied meat. The discussion contextualizes hot dogs as inherently American food, explaining that while hot dogs arrived via 19th-century immigrants, Americans individualized them across regions with distinct topping preferences, making them a cultural blank slate. Squires personally prefers grilled hot dogs with mustard only and no ketchup, and notes that while the study focused on all-beef varieties, infinite hot dog variations exist including turkey, pork, pork-chicken blends, and vegan tofu options, which she personally finds tasty.