Penzy's is not great....IMO any beef stock base is never as good as that brand's chicken stock base.
I keep Wyler's granules....but often toss a jar as it gets old and clumped before it's used up.
I had some that was pretty good once, it came from a rtestraunt supply house, but I forget the brand and have never found the jar again.
I'll watch this thread.....
Linda C

bob, I've tried the Wyler's and didn't like it at all, and I got Tone's at Sam's Club, it was a paste and a better consistency, but not any better in flavor. It's all just too salty for my taste.

I have tried the Penzey's and it's better than either of the others I tried but it also costs something like $8 a jar, that's too much for me to pay for something that's better than the rest but still not, in my opinion, exceptional.

Of course, you never know until you try it!

Annie

I meant to add in my post that Campbell's canned beef broth is about the best beef flavoring I've used (even though it has its own unique, off taste).

I used to get Minors at Costco in a large container, around 1 1/2 pints. It was a paste. I believe it is aimed at the restaurant market.

Swanson's beef broth is watery and without much flavor in my opinion.

On the subject of bases, I have tried and like (relatively speaking) Trader Joe's chicken broth base which comes in little plastic packets, twelve to a container. Each packet makes a cup of stock. Another reasonably good chicken base in my opinion is Campbell chicken broth, although I can buy Swansons for 1/2 the price at Costco.

RB

Bob:
Started using Chicken Soup Base back in the late 50's.

It was only available from Restaurant Supplies then.

I use Tallarico's Chicken Flavor Soup Base, now.
It is very good. One ounce makes a quart.

I only use it to add more flavor.
Buy it retail from my local market. $2.79 for a 14 oz.jar

May have a Beef base you can try.

They have a web site that you can order from. They are located in Bethlehem , Pa.
www.TALLARICOFOODS.com

Or you can Google " Fantes of Phila. " and try them.
Lou

Bob, also, if you have a Gordon Food Service in you area, you can get both Minors and the GFS brand, made by Minors.

I really like the Tone's brand. And it is one I can find that doesn't contain garlic, to which I am allergic. I can find it at Sam's club.

Tami

Bob, there is Trader Joe beef broth concentrate in those little packets too, like the chicken. (Although today at TJ's I only saw the chicken.) The flavor is pretty good, much better than most canned beef broth, which is pretty awful. But it does have some kind of thickener in it.

markb,
Thanks for the good tip. The web site lists three types of beef concentrate. I can't remember the one I got at Costco. Which one do you use?

cloudy christine,
I have never seen Trader Joe's beef packets, but will keep an eye open for them. Yes, the chicken packets do have some kind of thickener, but at least the flavor is somewhat "chickeny". Thanks

RB

Bob, I've used Minros for years, both at work and at home.
Not sure which one Costco carried, but chances are Dave at Soupbase will know. They have a 800#.

Last time I bought the all-natural (trying to avoid as many hormones as possible). It's pretty good, and I plan to stick with it. I did not like the low-sodium beef base at all. It had a too-sweet tasste, probably because of the corn and wheat sugars.

Trader Joe's beef packets - I use 'em - not cheap, I think $3-$4 for 12 'packets'.

Ingredients: Beef stock, maltodextrin (corn), natural flavor, sugar, beef fat, salt, yeast extract, xanthan gum. 360mg sodium, gluten free

I really like the Trader Joes' packets too. They're pre-measured, do not need refrigeration, and taste pretty good. Although I really like the Minor's low sodium chicken base, I don't care much for the corresponding beef base. It doesn't have much of a beefy flavor. I've successfully used the Herb-Ox no sodium beef broth dry granules. They come in individual packets and have a pleasant beefy/oniony flavor.

Sysco beef base and their chicken base is a pasty substance and is EXCELLENT. The problem is Sysco will not sell it to the public. A friend who once owned a restaurant, would get it for me in case lots of 6, but I can't keep going that route.

The reason soups at restaurants taste so good, is because of the base and that is what led me to it in the first place

The local grocery stores are utterly useless with what they put our there. Don't even waste your time!