14 Store-Bought Mustard Brands Ranked Worst To Best

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Mustard is a versatile condiment that goes on a wide range of foods, from cheese-stuffed hot dogs to hamburgers and beyond. As an ingredient, mustard is included in favorite dishes like potato salad, mustard chicken, and classic deviled eggs, to name a few. But, if you're like most people, you don't think much about the mustard you grab off the shelf, and instead snag whatever is cheapest or most convenient. However, there are an astonishing amount of store-bought mustard brands, and not all are created equal. Knowing which brands are most worth your hard-earned money can help elevate any dish you use mustard in.

During my time in the food industry, I made regular use of varying types of mustard, including yellow, spicy brown, Dijon, and whole grain — a trend I've continued in the decades before and after at home. I've since discovered the difference that the best store-bought mustard brands can make in whatever dishes I use them in. As for which of those brands are truly the best? That's a question I endeavored to answer through a combination of taste testing and external customer reviews, reporting my findings here by ranking each brand from worst to best. You can find more about my methodology at the end of this article. Now, let's get into it.

I tried the Price Rite Yellow Mustard myself, and during my research, I found that this is the only mustard product from the brand. So, for the purposes of this specific store-bought mustard brand review, it's based solely on my taste test of the one product.

The Price Rite Yellow Mustard could have been great. But, instead of the bold flavor profile of better brands (like French's), it tasted watered down. In fact, this recipe tasted exactly like they took half a bottle of French's yellow mustard and filled the other half with water.

There was a muted vinegar zing, and the faintest mustard kick. Thankfully, the texture wasn't quite so runny, but overall, I just wasn't impressed. I couldn't be convinced to purchase or use this again, and can't recommend it to you in any good faith. Due to this being the brand's only mustard product, I felt confident placing Price Rite in last place.

Colman's of Norwich Original English Mustard is the only product I was able to try from this brand. The lack of Coleman's products in my local ShopRite made sense when I discovered that it only creates varieties of this same product, including one in a squeezy bottle and a dried mustard powder. Due to these being the same product (but in different formats), I based my judgements of the brand solely on my experience with this jar.

This "yellow" mustard is definitely different from the American variety, and it may be a personal bias, but I wasn't a huge fan. This is a very strong mustard with an intense heat that overpowers any natural flavor profile — and while I am a big fan of spicy foods, I don't like when they veer into pure heat with no other discernible taste. I didn't really pick up more than "burning" here. I wouldn't eat this again if offered to me, and because of this, I felt confident placing this near the bottom of our ranking.

For Black Bear, I was able to personally sample just its Spicy Brown Mustard. The brand also makes a Traditional Yellow Mustard, Sweet Hot Mustard, Jalapeño Mustard, and Stone Ground Mustard. I wanted to use other customer reviews to assess these additional product's quality, but was unable to find any.

During my research, I discovered that Black Bear is a premium deli private label for ShopRite, and I assume this is why it was so hard to find online discourse. However, I did discover that ShopRite was ranked 11th in the top 12 grocery store private label brands, which isn't great. I also found mixed reviews about both ShopRite and its deli department on Reddit.

The Black Bear Spicy Brown Mustard offered a sharp kick of heat that was balanced by warmth and surprisingly strong earthy tones. Overall, it's not a bad option, but it was a bit mediocre — I probably wouldn't eat it again or seek it out. Due to this and largely negative reviews online, I felt confident placing Black Bear near the bottom of this ranking.

For this brand, I was able to personally taste the Maille Dijon Original. Maille also makes Old Style Mustard, Rich Country Dijon Mustard, and Whole Grain Old Style Mustard.

Personally, I wasn't a big fan of the Maille Dijon Original. The texture was a bit runny, and it may have felt that way because the taste seemed watered down. All of the zesty, creamy notes typical of Dijon mustard were there, but it felt very weak. I probably wouldn't use or buy this again.

In a ranking of the best whole-grain mustards, Maille came in last place, receiving a rating of 8.5 out 10. However, some Redditors praised the brand's Dijon offerings, citing it as one of their favorite deli mustards, though they didn't specify which Maille Dijon they were highlighting. Another Redditor tried several Maille mustard varieties, saying that the Dijon Original was gross, the Rich Country Dijon was bland, and the Old Style was mediocre. Due to mixed feedback leaning predominantly towards negative, I felt confident placing Maille near the end of our store-bought mustard brand list.

I was able to try two options from Steve and Ed's, including the Spicy Brown Mustard and Dijon Mustard. Based on what I could find online, these are the only mustards the brand makes, although it makes a wide range of other products — like the best store-bought chili for hot dogs. Due to this, my judgement of the brand was based solely on my own taste test.

The spicy brown option featured a decent kick of zest, although it was a bit weaker than a lot of the other ones I tried on this list. There was a notable warmth and mildly coarse texture. As for the Dijon, it had the hallmark pungency and moderate heat level that I expected, but the flavor profile felt a little less complex than other options.

To me, these were okay options that I would eat again. But, there wasn't anything noteworthy to make me purposefully seek them out again. Due to this, I had no doubts about placing the brand in the 10th spot.

I was able to personally test the Spicy Brown and Original Deli Mustard from Nathan's Famous. The brand also makes a Hot Honey Deli Mustard.

Although I'm a huge fan of Nathan's Famous hot dogs, I thought the brand's mustard offerings fell a little short. The Spicy Brown Mustard wasn't nearly as zesty as I was expecting, and the warm tones and earthy notes were also muted. The Original Deli Mustard tasted nearly identical to the other option, except that it was even less zesty. These weren't disgusting, but they weren't anything special, either. I would eat them again, but can't recommend you seek them out.

The brand's Hot Honey Deli Mustard came highly rated on Walmart, with one enthusiastic reviewer saying, "This is the most used condiment in the house now... soooo perfectly spicy and sweet, even the kids like it." Between positive reviews and my somewhat negative experience, Nathan's Famous definitely belonged in ninth place.

I tried two offerings from Bowl and Basket, including its Spicy Brown Mustard and its Yellow Mustard. Shoprite's private label also makes a Stone Ground Mustard, Dijon Mustard, and Sweet and Spicy Mustard.

While there are numerous Bowl and Basket products that I strongly recommend against (like its store-bought hamburger buns), I actually really enjoyed both mustards I tried. The Yellow Mustard was moderately thick, appropriately spicy, and a bit more sour than my favorite option — this almost verged on too much, but not quite. The Spicy Brown Mustard had a significant kick of spice, paired with a sharp pungency, and a mild earthiness.

I struggled to find reviews of the other Bowl and Basket mustard options. However, Reddit users firmly stated that Bowl and Basket's products are generally awful. On the other hand, other reviews of the Bowl and Basket Yellow Mustard were available, with one ranking listing it as the top choice against 14 other options. With some conflicting brand feedback, but great results on one specific mustard, I felt that Bowl and Basket fell solidly in the lower middle of this brand ranking. I didn't feel confident placing it higher due to having such limited feedback on the other products. 

I was only able to try Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard. But, the brand also makes a Bold Yellow Mustard, and Stone Ground Dijon Mustard.

Gulden's is my go-to brand when it comes to Spicy Brown Mustard, so I already knew I quite enjoyed it. It had a beautifully thick texture that spread well, paired with a flavor profile that was equal parts heat, warmth, and tang. The included bits of whole mustard seed added a nice layer of textural complexity. I highly recommend trying this with a pastrami sandwich on rye bread.

An original mustard ranking from The Takeout placed Gulden's Bold Yellow Mustard in eighth place out of 10, stating it was a little too bitter for the reviewer's liking. But, on Amazon, the brand's Dijon option was highly rated, with one reviewer stating, "It is such a great price! And so much better than others we have tried." With two out of three options coming highly praised, I felt confident placing Gulden's in seventh place.

I was able to taste test the Grey Poupon Dijon and the Grey Poupon Country Dijon. Based on my research, these are the only two offerings from Grey Poupon. So this brand review was based solely on my experience.

Grey Poupon has always felt like a luxury brand to me, and I think its marketing has a lot to do with that. But, the taste test holds up to that line of thought, with the standard Dijon offering a higher level of acidity than most options on this list, paired with an intense tang and mild heat level — a little definitely goes a long way here. As for the country-style option, the sharpness was reminiscent of horseradish, and the heat level was a bit higher than the standard option. The unground seeds created an appealing chunky texture that was a nice switch up from the many smooth options I tried for this ranking.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Grey Poupon mustards, although I prefer my mustard with less acidity. I ended up placing this store-bought mustard brand in sixth place.

Kosciusko The Original Spicy Brown Mustard is the only product I was able to try from this brand. It also makes a Country Style Coarse Grain Mustard, and a Spicy Brown Lager Beer Mustard.

To me, the Kosciusko Spicy Brown Mustard was a little better than mediocre. Would I eat it again? Absolutely. Could I see myself purposefully seeking this out? No. There is a nice zesty kick, which is balanced with a hint of earthiness. Texturally, it's quite creamy, but overall, the flavor profile just isn't as layered as other options.

Kosciusko's Spicy Brown Lager Beer Mustard was highly rated on Amazon, as was the Country Style Coarse Grain Mustard. One reviewer said of the latter: "I love this mustard. It's robust and slightly spicy." People praised the former for having just the right amount of bite for hot dogs. With predominantly positive praise and a personally mediocre experience, I felt confident placing this brand in fifth place.

I was only able to try the Mister Mustard Original Hot. The brand also makes a Sweet Hot Mustard, and a Mister Mustard with Honey.

Mister Mustard Original Hot turned out to be a solid option that packs a lot of heat without veering so far into spicy territory that it loses its flavor. Beneath this layer of heat is an intense earthiness, light vinegar notes, and a faint sweetness. Texturally, this is primarily smooth, but it does have some small unground mustard seeds for interest. I wouldn't buy this again, but I would definitely happily use it again if offered to me by someone else. This comes down to personal preference, as I prefer more of a zesty kick than a straight heat to my mustard.

On Amazon, the Sweet Hot Mister Mustard is highly ranked, with people praising its perfect balance of sweet and hot. While the Mister Mustard with Honey wasn't available on Amazon, it did have limited reviews on the Mister Mustard company website. Here, people praise this option as being a perfect dipping sauce. Significant online praise paired with a mostly positive experience of my own landed this brand in fourth place.

For Mike's Amazing, I tried the Stoneground Yellow Mustard and Stoneground Deli Mustard. The company also makes a Stoneground Spicy Brown Mustard, Stoneground Creole Mustard, and Stoneground Dijon Mustard. Since I didn't try these myself, I used online customer reviews to understand how good they were.

The two versions I tried were solid mustards in their own categories, both with the textural complexity created by small bits of mustard seed. I would have placed the Stoneground Yellow Mustard in my own top three options, as it had a very vinegar-forward flavor profile with a mild mustardy tang. The Stoneground Deli Mustard was okay, but it wasn't awe-inspiring — it had a bit of zest paired with a moderate earthiness, but there wasn't a whole lot of warmth to it.

Mike's Amazing Stoneground Spicy Brown Mustard came highly rated on Amazon, with reviews primarily praising the great taste, with one noting the texture is thinner than other brands. The brand's Dijon Mustard has an average rating on Amazon. I couldn't find reliable reviews about the Creole mustard, so considering feedback was largely positive, as was my own experience, I placed Mike's Amazing confidently in third place.

For this brand review, I was able to try Gold's Traditional Delicatessen Style Mustard and Gold's Gourmet Dijon Mustard. It also makes a Lively Mustard with Horseradish, and a Low Sodium New York Deli Mustard.

I really enjoyed both varieties from Gold's, and if this were based solely on my own reviews, I'd have placed the Traditional Delicatessen Style Mustard in my top three. It had a robust zestiness that was perfectly balanced by moderate pure heat, medium but deep overtones, and a warm finish. The Gourmet Dijon Mustard was also good. The flavor was a bit sharp, with a wine-like acidity, and it carried the complexity of the best options.

The brand's Low Sodium New York Deli Mustard was highly rated on Amazon, with reviews primarily praising the lower salt content and great flavor. I couldn't find any reviews or online discourse about the horseradish version. But, since my experience and online reviews for Gold's were both very positive, I felt confident placing it in second place.

From French's, I was able to try both the Classic Yellow Mustard and the Dijon Mustard. Other than these (and special-edition products), the company makes a Dill Pickle Mustard Spread, Mild Yellow Mustard, Maple Mustard, Spicy Brown, Hot Honey and regular Honey Mustard, and Stoneground Dijon.

French's has always been my go-to yellow mustard, and for that product specifically, it continues to reign supreme after this taste test. It has a medium thickness, with a flavor profile featuring a slightly sharp tang and sourness I look for in yellow mustard. French's Dijon Mustard was new to me, but this product also had a medium thickness — the flavor profile predominantly featured a medium-high kick of spice, salty notes, and creamy undertones.

One blog review gave the French's Dill Pickle Mustard a 10/10 rating, saying that the only downside was the coloring, which they found a bit off-putting. They praised the product's balanced flavor and light texture. The Spicy Brown Mustard was highly rated on the Walmart website, while the Maple Mustard had an equally high rating on Amazon Canada. Between overwhelming praise online and my own positive experience, I feel comfortable calling French's the best store-bought mustard brand.

I chose as many store-bought mustard brands for this ranking as I could easily get my hands on, ensuring I personally tried at least one option myself. Customer reviews found on reliable websites were used in consideration of any product I didn't try. Taste and texture were the primary things I considered. I tried each mustard plain — without adding it to anything or mixing in any other ingredients — so I could best assess its true flavor profile.

To make my judgments, I mostly relied on more than 15 years of food-industry experience, and roughly three decades of cooking at home, during which times I extensively used mustard as my favorite condiment. Prior work for Daily Meal also contributed to my ability to confidently rank each store-bought mustard brand — this includes similar articles like my ranking of eight canned baked bean brands and my ranking of nine store-bought queso dips. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased about product quality as possible.