It really depends on what you like. I prefer the long thin orientals like Ichiban, Have not really found a good white that suits my taste buds. The big round teardrop shapes are not as sweet as the slim orientals and usually require peeling. the slim green types are ok, but some tend to be bitter. The Cornell site rates by reviews.

Here is a link that might be useful: Eggplant ratings

Oh, thank you for the link! I was looking for something like this to compare different varieties!

I LOVE eggplants, so far I have not found any that I did not like (though my choice until now was limited to grocery stores selection)

Orient Express is a prolific (early) producer here in the PNW. I usually plant mine in June & have my first eggplants by the end of July/beginning of August. It's one of my favorites.

Orient Express is a tasty slim oriental type that produces early. It quits too early for my growing season but may be perfect for the north.
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Very happy with "Ichiban" here in northern Florida. It far out-produced the conventional "Black Beauty" and white (variety unknown) eggplants, kept going right through our brutal summer heat and humidity, and provided the best tasting fruits of the three eggplant varieties.

I vote for "Millionaire", but I live in a maritime climate where growing tomatoes is considered a miracle and eggplants or peppers are considered impossible.

This year I picked over 150 eggplants from 4 plants. I started the plants from seed in my little greenhouse and then planted them out, surrounding with a PVC framework covered with floating row cover. I removed the cover when the plants simply became too large--I did do some hand pollinating while the cover was still on.

I was giving eggplants away all summer :-)

Thank you for your input, guys! Adding "Millionaire" and "Orient Express" to the list of candidates.

Machiaw hybrid is my favorite. It is also an oriental type eggplant that is very pretty and has a mild taste, never bitter. It is not an early producer, but is worth waiting for. Heavy yields on incredibly vigorous plants go until frost. Resists the annual flea beetle attack well. All my other varieties succumb to various diseases or pests by mid-August, but Machiaw only gets larger and fuller.

Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale!!!

This is the best variety I have grown from just about every perspective - excellent flavor and texture, vigorous yields, and early yields. In my climate, the last two are particularly critical.

Its only downside, if you think of it as a downside, is that it cannot, practically, be hollowed out and stuffed like a large globe eggplant.

My second favorite is Rosa Bianca. Its downside is that yields are somewhat low. Taste and texture are excellent, size is good for stuffing, making it far, far better than any other Italian-type eggplant, IMO.

I don't like oriental types like Millionaire precisely because of what farmerdill said - they are sweet. I don't care for distinctly sweet eggplants. If you like them, that's different :) Rosa Bianca and FairyTale are also sweet but it's much more subtle, and they don't release as much juice as as the large Oriental types.

I have also grown the long green Raveena eggplant which is firm and flavourful if grown in moderate temperatures. Too much heat, cold or drought makes it bitter.

I have grown the white Gretel and like it too, but it is somewhat on the bland side.