We Tried 11 Dill Pickle Brands — And One Jar Was the Clear Winner

You know what beats pickled-flavored … anything, though? A crunchy, cold dill pickle straight from the fridge. As serious pickle-eaters, we wanted to know which brands are worth buying. So we gathered up a team of tasters to try (and judge) 11 different jars of dill pickles. 

For this test, we focused on classic dill pickle spears widely found nationwide in stores today. We narrowed the brands down based on availability, popularity, and affordability. They ranged in price from $3 all the way up to $15 (we got a few gourmet pickles!), although most were around $5 at the time of this tasting. 

From there, we gathered seven (very) enthusiastic pickle-eaters in the office to taste the near-dozen options — and the winner was crisp, crunchy, and delightfully salty. 

We tapped seven of the biggest pickle fans at our office to taste test 11 different dill pickle brands. Our team of experts ranked the pickles across four criteria: looks (we eat with our eyes first), smell, flavor, and texture. To keep things fair, no one knew which brands were included until after the scores were tallied.

The indisputable winner of our pickle taste test — really, it was nearly unanimous — was the Grillo’s Pickles Classic Dill Pickle Spears. Quinn, our senior lifestyle editor (and self-proclaimed pickle superfan), was among the testers who ranked Grillo’s as her top pick. She praised its “sweet, fresh flavor and crispy crunch,” and noted that she could easily eat “20 more spears.” 

The love continued. Other testers like Mara, our director of groceries and shopping, couldn’t get enough of its “nice, bright flavor with a hint of dill.” (She also wrote that it was VERY crunchy; so much so that she underlined it). Ali, our associate groceries editor, and Alex, our assistant editor, both appreciated the “garlic flavor,” and tripled down on its crunch factor. 

What’s So Great

• Crunchy with a capital-C
• Great garlic flavor

Good to Know

• Comes in a plastic jar
• Has grape leaves!

Claussen Dill Pickle Spears earned solid marks for flavor, with Alex calling out its distinctly “dill-y” taste right away. Lizzy, a senior lifestyle editor at Apartment Therapy (our sister brand), appreciated its familiarity, describing it as “pretty classic,” while Mara noted that there are “layers of flavor” that give it a bit more depth than your average spear.

Where it fell slightly short for some tasters was texture. Mara wanted more crispness to really bring it to the next level. Still, its balanced flavor profile makes it a reliable, crowd-pleasing option — even if it doesn’t quite deliver that perfect crunch.

What’s So Great

• Strong dill flavor

Good to Know

• Could be a bit crunchier, for some

365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Dill Pickles stood out immediately for its texture, delivering what Lizzy called “great crunch.” Mara went even further, calling it “eye-popping good” with a “crisp texture throughout.” (She even gave it a “10/10 on crunch factor.”)

Flavor-wise, there was a bit more debate from our group. Alex noticed “some sweetness” in the mix, which Quinn felt went a little too far for a classic dill. Some of us actually enjoyed the touch of sweetness, but you might want to skip these if you’re a total pickle purist.

What’s So Great

• “Great crunch” 
• Slightly sweet

Good to Know

• A bit too sweet, for some

This was another case of pickle with a bit of sweetness in it that brought our group of testers to a standstill. Ali is a big fan of bread and butter pickles, and “adored” the flavor and crunch Mt. Olive’s pickles brought to the table. She only wished she had a “big sandwich” to eat alongside it. 

Alexa, an Apartment Therapy shopping writer, was also into its “salty, mild flavor,” that she’d personally like to see on a plate next to a big ol’ burger. However, Quinn, a salty pickle loyalist, found its sweetness to be a bit “too much.” Despite that, she and many others found it pleasantly crisp. 

What’s So Great

• Great side pickle for burgers and sandwiches
• Budget buy!

Good to Know

• A bit too sweet, for some

Vlasic Kosher Dill Spears is so iconic, Alex correctly guessed the brand during the taste test. It earned high marks for the “very crunchy” spears, as Lizzy called them. (Texture was an extremely important quality to our testers.) 

Vlasic would have been higher on the list if its bold flavor hadn’t divided our panel of testers. Mara, for instance, found the vinegar “too severe.” Alex picked up on that same sharpness, although for her it tasted like a wave of nostalgia.

What’s So Great

• Bold crunch and bite
• Nostalgic

Good to Know

• A bit too vinegary, for some 

We recruited seven pickle-loving volunteers who work in our office to randomly taste 11 different store-bought dill pickle brands. Ahead of the tasting, Maya, our studio associate, sliced up the chilled spears and portioned them into small unmarked paper cups. She assigned each brand a letter — A through K — to conceal their identities ahead of the taste test. We also had water on hand as a palate cleanser between tasting. 

Tasters were encouraged to sample the brands in random order (to avoid giving any particular brand an advantage) before writing down their thoughts. Our team then rated each one on a scale of one to five (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this pickle?

It was only after all evaluations were completed that we tallied the scores to determine the winners.

Did your favorite pickle brand make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.