BuzzFeed names 55-cent hot dog winner

BuzzFeed published a July 7 article ranking nine hot dog brands after a blind taste test aimed at summer barbecue shoppers. The roundup was written by Luke Field, a Tasty contributor based in Philadelphia, and evaluated the dogs plain — no bun and no toppings — so taste and texture would stand on their own. (buzzfeed.com) BuzzFeed said the test focused on all-beef hot dogs and compared both flavor and cost. The article said the winning brand came in at 55 cents per dog. ### Which hot dogs did BuzzFeed test? Luke Field said he chose nine brands for the comparison, mixing national supermarket names, regional options and higher-priced labels. (buzzfeed.com) BuzzFeed’s list included Oscar Mayer, Ball Park, Dietz & Watson, Kunzler, Hatfield, Nathan’s, Hebrew National and Costco’s Kirkland brand, while the search summary for the article described the roundup as a nine-brand blind taste test. BuzzFeed said the tasting was limited to all-beef dogs. Field wrote that pork, turkey and flavored variations “deserve to be tested on their own,” and said the hot dogs were eaten unadorned so nothing would distract from the taste of the dog itself. (buzzfeed.com) ### How did BuzzFeed run the test? The article said price mattered, but it was not the only factor. Field wrote that shoppers feeding a large group may focus first on the lowest cost per dog, but said flavor and texture also shape the eating experience. BuzzFeed’s search summary described the package as a blind test that ranked the brands after they were sampled plain. (buzzfeed.com) Field also framed the lineup around market position. He described Oscar Mayer, Ball Park and Dietz & Watson as ubiquitous choices, identified Kunzler and Hatfield as regional brands, and said Nathan’s and Hebrew National were the most expensive in the group at $7.49 for six dogs. (buzzfeed.com) He added that Kirkland had to be included because of Costco’s long-running $1.50 hot dog-and-soda deal. ### What does the 55-cent winner tell shoppers? The clearest data point in BuzzFeed’s article was the price of the winner: 55 cents per dog. BuzzFeed’s search snippet said that top pick beat out more expensive brands, including Nathan’s and Hebrew National, suggesting the article did not simply reward the highest-priced option. (buzzfeed.com) The article also positioned the ranking as a practical shopping guide rather than a novelty test. Field opened the piece by noting that backyard parties and barbecues make store-bought hot dogs a routine summer purchase, and he wrote that the goal was to find “the best of the best” among major brands. (buzzfeed.com) ### Why were some brands treated as benchmarks? Costco’s Kirkland brand got special attention in the setup because of the company’s food-court reputation. Field wrote that “no business honors the hot dog more than Kirkland” and noted Costco’s refusal to raise the $1.50 combo price. He said that, for the test, he bought the retail package instead of using a prepared food-court hot dog. (buzzfeed.com) Nathan’s and Hebrew National served as the premium-price comparison. BuzzFeed said both were the most expensive brands in the field at $7.49 and that each package contained six dogs, making them notably pricier than the lower-cost supermarket options. (buzzfeed.com) ### Where can readers see the full ranking? BuzzFeed’s July 7 article contains the full nine-brand ranking and the per-dog prices for each entry. The piece appears on BuzzFeed under Luke Field’s byline and was published in the site’s Tasty section. July cookout shoppers looking for the next step can find the complete order of finish, including the 55-cent winner and the higher-priced national brands, in that BuzzFeed ranking. (buzzfeed.com)