The Best Store-Bought Hamburger Buns Come From This 100-Year-Old Brand

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A dry hamburger bun can ruin even the juiciest beef patty. There's no doubt that the fixings and sauces are important, but it's the quality of the bread that allows the flavor and texture of the patty to shine. The bottom line? A killer hamburger is greater than the sum of its parts, and every element has to make a valued contribution to hit that succulent sweet spot. In our opinion, the best store-bought hamburger buns come from the 100-year-old brand Maier's.

Taking the number one spot in our ranking of 8 store-bought hamburger buns, Maier's Premium Italian Kaiser Rolls had everything we were looking for. Sold in packs of eight, they were the perfect thickness and held together well under pressure. Plus, the texture inside was fluffy and squishy, complementing the firm bite of the burger patty. The rolls had a very mild sweetness and buttery flavor but were light and soft, making them suitable for sandwiches as well as burgers. While the rolls weren't topped with the classic sesame seeds that typically feature on hamburger buns, they were still our winner. (If you're after more of a traditional appearance, Pepperidge Farm's hearty white hamburger buns were runner up in our taste test and come topped with a scattering of sesame seeds.)

Maier's Bakery was founded by German-born Andrew Maier in 1908, who started operations in the cellar of his own home with a portable coal oven. According to a 1983 newspaper article celebrating the 75th anniversary of the bakery, "... Andrew began his business using 100 pounds of flour a day. He toiled late into the night making bread, pies and cakes which he delivered himself the following day." The business soon outgrew its headquarters, despite adding a 30-foot annex to the building, and Maier eventually constructed a modern all-electric bakery, which featured a machine that could wrap a loaf of bread in a second. After his death in 1957, Maier's son William took over, but today, the brand is owned by Bimbo Bakeries. It produces sliced loaves of premium Italian bread, steak rolls, and kaiser rolls. Billed as the largest baking company in the world, Bimbo Bakeries also owns Entenmann's, Sara Lee, and Lender's Bagels.

Maier's kaiser rolls have over 400 positive 5-star reviews on the Walmart website. One customer said, "These never disappoint. Whether toasted or straight from the package they are always fresh and last long too. Great for awesome [BLTs], cold cuts sub sandwich or meatball sub ... They have a good crumb and nice chew." Meanwhile, the worst store-bought hamburger bun in our ranking came from Bowl & Basket, and it had a stale flavor, got soggy quickly, and fell apart.