{"slug": "i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day", "title": "I ranked 4 store-bought hot dog brands. The winner was perfect for a Memorial Day cookout.", "summary": "The article summarizes a taste test of four beef hot dog brands—Applegate, Sabrett, Nathan's, and Ball Park—conducted ahead of Memorial Day. The reviewer ranked Applegate's organic uncured-beef hot dogs as the winner, praising their flavor and texture, while Sabrett was the least favorite due to bland taste and high price. The test noted that Americans consume 7 billion hot dogs between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with 65% of the country planning to barbecue.", "body_md": "Nothing says summer quite like a crispy, cooked hot dog with just the right amount of snap.\nThe sausage industry recognizes the months between Memorial Day and Labor Day as hot dog season, the time of year when the most hot dogs are consumed.\nWalletHub reported that Americans are expected to consume 818 hot dogs per second between Memorial Day and Labor Day, totaling 7 billion hot dogs, with 65% of the country planning to barbecue over the weekend.\nAhead of this year's celebrations, I decided to try four different kinds of hot dogs to see which one I would choose for my own cookout.\nI opted for beef hot dogs from Applegate, Sabrett, Nathan's, and Ball Park. The Sabrett, Nathan's, and Ball Park packages each included eight beef franks, while the Applegate package included six.\nI cooked each type of hot dog the same way. Then I tried each one on a Martin's long potato roll, topped with Heinz ketchup and French's classic yellow mustard.\nHere's how all four hot-dog brands ranked, from worst to best.\nMy least favorite brand that I tried was the Sabrett skinless beef frankfurters.\nThis was the second-most expensive brand I tried. A pack of eight hot dogs costs $8.99, excluding taxes and fees, but they were on sale for $6.99.\nSince it's a New York brand — and I live in the city — I half-expected to pay a little less for a local product.\nThe hot dog was about the same thickness as the Nathan's hot dog, which I ultimately ranked higher.\nThe Sabrett hot dog fit perfectly inside the potato roll bun without hanging too much off either end.\nI felt like the flavor in the Sabrett hot dog was lacking.\nThe only flavors that came through were the ketchup and mustard, which is a distinct no-no in my book for hot dogs.\nWhile the texture wasn't overly chewy, I thought it didn't have the distinct snap I often look for in a hot dog.\nWhile it wasn't bad by any means, I didn't think this brand was worth the higher price tag.\nI also tried a New York staple: Nathan's skinless beef franks.\nNathan's is a New York institution famous for its annual Coney Island hot-dog-eating contest on July Fourth.\nI managed to snag an eight-pack of these hot dogs on sale at my local Food Bazaar.\nThe original price was $7.39, but I managed to get them for just $3.99, excluding tax.\nI thought the Nathan's hot dogs were a perfect size.\nIt looked like a really classic hot dog you would eat on the pier in summertime: crispy on the outside, while still retaining that classic red hot-dog color.\nThe hot dog from Nathan's tasted slightly saltier than the other varieties.\nAfter just a few bites, I was already reaching for water — it was hard to imagine eating dozens of these in a competition setting.\nThe hot dog had a decent flavor and a satisfying snap, but the overwhelming saltiness made it far from memorable.\nMy second-favorite brand was Ball Park's beef hot dogs.\nThe Ball Park pack of eight hot dogs cost me $8.99, excluding taxes and fees.\nThe Ball Park hot dogs were the thickest and shortest ones on my list.\nI also noticed they cooked a lot faster than the other brands. While the other brands retained their red, crispy consistency in the pan, the Ball Park dogs quickly began to char and crisp up after only a minute or two of cooking.\nI personally like really well-done, almost charred hot dogs, but it's something to keep in mind if you have different preferences.\nThe Ball Park dog was well done on the outside, but the inside was still slightly chewy.\nI thought the hot dog had a nice smoky flavor that paired well with the bun and toppings, though the texture was a bit too rubbery for my taste.\nMy favorite hot-dog brand was Applegate's organic uncured-beef hot dogs.\nThe pack of six franks cost me $8.99 at my local Food Bazaar grocery store, excluding taxes and fees.\nThe pack came with six hot dogs, two fewer than the other packs.\nThe smaller package size is definitely worth keeping in mind if you're shopping for a large cookout or feeding a crowd, since you may need to buy multiple packs to have enough on hand.\nWhen the Applegate hot dog was done cooking, I noticed it was skinnier than the other brands.\nI wondered whether it would be less filling, or how the slightly thinner shape would affect the eating experience.\nRight away, I noticed that the hot dog had a lot of flavor, and the frank had a satisfying snap.\nThe ketchup and mustard added plenty of flavor without overpowering the hot dog's savory, beefy taste.\nEven though it was the thinnest hot dog I tried, the bun-to-dog ratio still felt balanced, with each ingredient complementing the others well.\nIn the end, I had to give the win to Applegate.\nI was surprised that this brand won. Even though I call New York City home, neither of the local brands, Nathan's or Sabrett, deserved the win in my book.\nI thought Applegate's hot dog, though thinner than the others, had the best flavor and texture. It was also a great value, despite the pack being two dogs short. If I had to choose which hot dog brand to eat at my cookout, it would be Applegate hot dogs all the way.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day", "canonical_source": "https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hot-dog-brand-store-bought", "published_at": "2026-05-23 13:37:02+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-23 14:08:15.568667+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": [], "entities": ["Applegate", "Sabrett", "Nathan's", "Ball Park", "Heinz", "French's", "Martin's", "WalletHub"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/i-ranked-4-store-bought-hot-dog-brands-the-winner-was-perfect-for-a-memorial-day.jsonld"}}