How the tastiest patties stacked

We can't dispute their convenience, but do store-bought, frozen burgers taste as good as homemade? To find out, Cottage Life set up a simple blind taste-test: We sampled some popular beef and veggie patties, grilled as the packages instruct, and served without condiments or buns to four hungry judges, myself included. After all that pensive chewing, here’s what we found:

  • Each brand of patty is distinct, so it’s worth trying a few to find the one you like, although none will fool your guests; they just don’t taste the same as homemade.
  • The beef patties fell into three groups: straight-up beefy burgers, seasoned patties, and inexpensive patties that, while made of beef, reminded us of pork sausage. Choose the type that suits your burger style. Beefy ones will appeal to cottagers who like stacking up the fixings, seasoned ones work well dressed simply, and the sausagey ones can be tasty, if least like homemade.
  • Fat wasn't a factor, especially among the beefburgers, with both high- and low-fat ones ranking well.
  • Hefty patties tended to score better than thin ones.
  • The best veggie burgers don’t try to imitate beef, but have their own bold flavour and texture.

Beef

Patty size (g)

Calories per patty

Fat (g) per patty

% Fat by weight

Fat as % of calories

Cost per box*

Patties per box

Cost per patty
1] President's Choice Thick & Juicy Sirloin
Our favourite – looks and smells like what it is: beef. Coarse, loose texture seems most like homemade. Would work well with condiments. Minor complaint: somewhat dry.		 142 340 26 18.3% 68.8% $9.99 8 $1.25
2] Lick's Homeburgers
Sweet, onion smell. Good seasoning, with some heat and a noticeable black-pepper finish. Slight oriental, garlic flavour with some aftertaste.		 153 320 22 14.4% 61.9% $5.99 4 $1.50
3] The Original Weber's Beef Burger
Juicy and soft. Flavour is beefy, but not strong enough. Good mouth feel. Thin, which makes it clear it’s not homemade, although it is the best of the thin burgers.		 102 200 13 12.7% 58.5% $5.99 6 $1.00
4] Q Burgers
Thin but moist, with a very even texture. Greasy appearance. Well-seasoned, with slight chicken-soup and MSG flavour, but not too salty. Best of the “sausagey” burgers.		 113 340 27 23.9% 71.5% $8.99 20 $0.45
5] Master Choice mammoth Sirloin Beef Burgers
Thick, looks like a real burger. Springy, chewy texture. Meaty taste, but rather bland and flat; not enough flavour, needs condiments.		 142 320 23 16.2% 64.7% $9.99 8 $1.25
6] No Name Beef Burgers
Flavour good, tastes like pork sausage. Not very meaty, patties thin, need two in the bun. Would make a decent breakfast patty. A bit salty.		 113 320 26 23.0% 73.1% $4.99 12 $0.42
7] Master Choice 100% Pure Beef Burgers
Quite thin, but does look like beef. Meaty, grainy texture; but very chewy, dry. Unseasoned, needs condiments. Definitely not like homemade.		 76 170 12 15.8% 63.5% $8.97 16 $0.56
8] M&M Sirloin Beef Burgers
Thick, with a uniform, overprocessed texture. Oddly sponge-like mouth feel. Beefy, but disappointing.		 113 300 24 21.2% 72.0% $10.99 12 $0.92
9] Equality 1/4 Pound
Texture too uniform, not authentic. Moist, sausagey, but not tasty. Weird back end to the taste. Too salty.		 113 260 18 15.9% 62.3% $3.97 12 $0.33

Veggie

 Patty size (g) Calories per patty Fat (g) per patty % Fat by weight Fat as % of calories Cost per box* Patties per box Cost per patty
1] President's Choice The World's Best Meatless Burger
Best of the veggie burgers, by a good margin. Visible onion pieces a plus. Great texture, cuts and chews well. Fresh herb flavours, especially sage and marjoram, with buttery overtones.		 142 310 18 12.7% 52.3% $5.99 4 $1.50
2] Lick's Nature Burgers
Looks like beef. Good soft consistency, with a squeaky mouth feel, soy aromas.. Good flavour with mild curry and pepper notes. Somewhat oversalted, though, with a hint of a bitter, metallic aftertaste.		 113 220 11 9.7% 45.0% $6.99 4 $1.75
3] President's Choice Blue Menu Soy Burgers
Poor appearance overall, but visible onions good. Looks dry, like edges have freezer burn. Dense, mealy texture. Bean flavour with hint of tomato, a bit like refried beans, but too bland.		 142 270 11 7.7% 36.7% $5.99 4 $1.50
4] M&M Veggie Burgers
Texture good; dense, feels like meat, seems filling. Assertive flavour that’s not to everyone's taste; smoky with hint of molasses flavour.		 96 140 3 3.1% 19.3% $7.99 8 $1.00
5] Zoglo's Tender Meatless Burgers
Ugly. Colour too pale, and looks very processed, like a paté. Fermented, fishy taste and an unappealing aftertaste. Not recommended.		 75 131 5.5 7.3% 37.8% $4.99 4 $1.25

*Burgers purchased week of March 5, 2007 in Toronto

—Martin Zibauer

Published in the June 2007 issue of Cottage Life magazine.

Copyright © 2007 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden.