What’s the best mayo? Tasters tried 14 top brands, and the winner was also one of the cheapest.

Mayonnaise can be polarizing. But as an evangelist for the condiment, I would urge its haters to … just get over it?

Folks, it’s nothing but eggs and oil, emulsified to deliver a versatile salty, tangy, creamy element to salads, burgers, dips and french fries. (Sorry, ketchup, but mayo is the elite dunk. Just ask the Belgians.) Truly, this pantry staple has range, and you’ll want it around all summer.

And for mayo’s many fans, my message is different: There are more options out there than you might realize. Sure, blue-capped Hellmann’s is ubiquitous, and the ambitious Southerner Duke’s is making a nationwide charge, but plenty of other jars might tempt you. We decided to test the ever-expanding category to help you figure out which brand you should be inviting to your next cookout.

The lineup: We used data from Chicago-based market research firm Circana (which gets its numbers from grocery, drug, mass-market, convenience, military, and select club and dollar retailers) to identify the top-selling brands. Store brands are popular, so we included the house labels from a handful of national retailers.

We picked the “classic” rather than “light” or flavored versions, where available, and we erred on the side of inclusion by not disqualifying two jars from that list with a slightly different flavor profile: the lime-accented McCormick Mayonesa and the egg-forward Kewpie brand. We also tossed a couple of high-end brands into the virtual salad bowl to see how they would fare.

The judging: We conducted a blind taste test in which eight of our colleagues (most of whom self-identified as mayo fans) tasted all 14 samples without knowing which brands were included. Tasters were asked to taste each sample on its own and were given oven-baked french fries on the side for dipping. Judges awarded each sample a score of 1 to 10, considering texture, flavor and overall appeal. The maximum possible score was 80.

So which was a “yes” and which was a “may-no?” Here’s how they ranked:

14. Chosen Foods Classic Mayo

Score: 27

Tasters were turned off by this brand’s “boring,” “buttery bland” profile. “Could barely taste it,” one said. A few tasters detected an unwelcome off-note, with one calling it “bacon-like” and another suggesting hickory smoke. This was one of the priciest bottles in the lineup. It was also one of three samples we tried that employ avocado seed oil instead of more common soybean oil — two of which wound up as our lowest scorers.

(Price: $16.99/24-ounce jar at Whole Foods; 71 cents/ounce)

13. Primal Kitchen Mayo

Score: 29

Another avocado oil brand, and another dud. This one, according to our tasters, is a mayo that only Timothy Leary could love — that is, it’s an acid trip. “You can feel the acid pinch your palate,” said one. A couple called it “sour,” and one said it was so vinegary that it was “almost metallic.”

(Price: $5.69/12-ounce jar at Whole Foods; 47 cents/ounce)

12. 365 (Whole Foods)

Score: 31

Two tasters caught “fishy” notes in this sample, and two others thought it had a pickle-adjacent vibe. Others were confused: “What is that flavor?” wondered one. “Not my fave,” while another speculated that the sample might be mayo’s more heavily seasoned cousin, Miracle Whip dressing.

(Price: $5.69/32-ounce jar at Whole Foods; 18 cents/ounce)

10. (tie) Graza

Score: 32

We included this brand, from the company whose squeeze-bottle olive oils and stylish graphic design have made it a social media darling, as an experiment. Would a bougie mayo made with olive oil best the more pedestrian big sellers? The answer, it turns out, is mostly no. Several tasters thought it was too sweet. (Graza and several other brands do list sugar as an ingredient.) Its texture didn’t win them over either, with a couple saying it was oily and others saying it was lighter than the other brands — “almost ethereal,” according to one — but not in a good way.

(Price: $10.99/22.1-ounce jar at Whole Foods; 50 cents/ounce)

10. (tie) Trader Joe’s Organic Mayonnaise

Score: 32

This was a divisive one that earned both high and low scores. On one end of the spectrum, its fans thought it pleasantly tasted of olive oil. “Rich and tangy,” one said. But the haters weighed in, too: “Tastes like ranch (bad)” said one. “I can’t even go in for a second taste,” complained another.

(Price: $2.99/16-ounce jar at Trader Joe’s; 19 cents/ounce)

9. Ayoh! Foods Original Mayo Sando Sauce

Score: 37

Food influencer and cookbook author Molly Baz is the creator of this brand (another boutiquey pick that we threw into the mix). But celebrity cachet can’t help in a blind test, and most tasters weren’t fans. They found it thinner than the others. “Doesn’t hold its shape or peaks, and flattens into a rubbery pile,” one complained. But it got a couple of compliments, with one noting that although it was too thin, it had a “decent salt level.”

(Price: $10.99/12-ounce bottle at the Fresh Market; 92 cents/ounce)

7. (tie) Blue Plate Real Mayonnaise

Score: 39

There were a lot of middling scores for this no-frills brand. A few tasters detected citrus or lemon notes. (The ingredients don’t include lemon, but “natural flavors” can cover a lot of ground.) “A smooth citrus that’s not too sharp,” as one described it. But several others thought the flavors were too faint, and the texture wasn’t a universal hit, with one calling it “heavy” and another “rubbery.”

(Price: $5.49/30-ounce jar on Amazon; 18 cents/ounce)

7. (tie) Kewpie

Score: 39

This Japanese brand was a visual standout, with a far yellower hue than the rest of the pack. The company attributes the product’s sunny color to a recipe that includes only egg yolks, not whole eggs — but several other brands we tried were yolk-only. And, contrary to some online descriptions, the Kewpie we tested does not contain MSG but rather yeast extract, which is also meant to impart an umami flavor. Our blind tasters picked up on the egg-heavy vibe. “Tastes like a deviled egg,” one thought. “Yolky,” said another. One Kewpie fan identified their favorite brand. But others were put off by the savory bomb. “Way too eggy,” said one. “Kind of upsetting.” “Why does it taste like chicken nuggets?” another wanted to know.

(Price: $5.26/15.72-ounce bottle at Walmart; 33 cents/ounce)

5. (tie) Duke’s Real Mayonnaise

Score: 41

This Southern brand has what might kindly be called an enthusiastic cadre of devotees (though the fan art and tattoos of its label might push these folks into cult territory). Its claim to fame is its “twang,” and many of our blind tasters did pick up on a pronounced hit of zing. “Tangy and salty with a slight burn at your throat,” as one put it. A couple liked the light, creamy texture that one described as “whipped.”

But that acidic note was a little too much to make it versatile, several thought. “It could overpower,” one suggested.

(Price: $4.98/30-ounce jar at Walmart; 17 cents/ounce)

5. (tie) Kraft Real Mayo

Score: 41

Tasters agreed that this was the palest of the samples, and the lack of color echoed its lack of oomph. Two members of the panel used the word “flat” to describe this dull guy. “Doesn’t quite register as a full-fledged mayo,” one opined. “Mayo that would be in fast food packets,” suggested another. Still, across-the-board “meh” scores and no objectors nudged it toward the top of our list. “Would pair well with others but does not stand out on its own,” summed up one ambivalent panelist.

(Price: $4.99/30-ounce jar at Target; 17 cents/ounce)

4. McCormick’s Mayonesa Mayonnaise

Score: 44

We debated whether to include this brand because it is a bit of an outlier, thanks to its unusual addition of lime juice and unspecified spices. But it is among the top 10 brands sold, so we threw it into the ring. Tasters detected that there was a lot going on in this jar. “Doing so much,” said one. “All at once.” But was it a cacophony or a symphony? Folks were divided. “Doing the most, from the color to the explosion of flavors, but none of them quite right,” said one. But another liked “the smoky, barbecuey taste.” This might be a good pick for shoppers looking for a flavored option (though it’s easy enough to make your own seasoned mayo), and it is often recommended for elote.

(Price: $4.68/14-ounce jar at Walmart; 33 cents/ounce)

2. (tie) Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise

Score: 54

America’s top-selling brand (by a wide margin) proved popular with tasters, too, with its smooth and creamy — and familiar — presence. Two judges definitively called it by name, and its ubiquity is apparently standard setting. “If someone offers me mayo,” one said, “this is what I’m expecting.” A thicker texture than many others was considered a plus by most tasters, though one thought it too heavy. The flavor was more neutral than the others. “Can’t go wrong with this one but nothing special,” one said.

(Price: $4.97/30-ounce jar at Walmart; 17 cents/ounce)

2. (tie) Great Value Mayo (Walmart)

Score: 54

Tasters had similar remarks for this sample as they did for Hellmann’s, and one taster even thought they had clocked it as the famous name brand. “I’m reminded of childhood,” said one, and two more called it a “classic.” “Agreeable and smooth,” said another. Another tasteful entrant that isn’t rocking the boat in terms of flavor overkill. Much like a little black dress, one said: “Would pair well with a lot.”

(Price: $2.87/30-ounce jar at Walmart; 10 cents/ounce)

1. Burman’s Real Mayonnaise (Aldi)

Score: 57

This unexpected hit of a jar must have spent some time on a yoga mat, because five tasters used the same word to describe it: “balanced.” The panel thought the brand struck the correct, Goldilocksian levels of tartness, sweetness and saltiness. “This one isn’t trying too hard to impress,” said one, and others appreciated its “clean” and “neutral” profile. The tasters also liked its “rich, creamy” texture. “A great classic mayo,” one called it. The brand, which is discount grocer Aldi’s house label, was the second-cheapest we tried, making it an especially good value, however you use it.

(Price: $3.19/30-ounce jar at Aldi; 11 cents/ounce)