We have Helmanns and Kewpie in the house.

I only buy Hellmann’s because ”they” say it’s the best. That said, I buy light mayo which probably doesn’t taste as good, and the thought of using so much mayo that I’d actually notice differences in flavor kind of grosses me out. It’s used sparingly by me.

Spectrum organic mayo is the best tasting, IMO.

I can never make my own that tastes as good.

Miracle Whip isn't technically mayo - it's 'salad dressing'. Can it even be labelled or sold as mayonnaise, according to FDA /USDA rules...?

I strongly dislike Miracle Whip as it is too sweet, but supposedly it can be used as a facial when combined with Phillips Milk of Magnesia.

I only buy Best Foods Mayo, which is the name used for Hellman's in the West. I store most of it in separate container with my chocolate Habanero sauce added to it to improve the flavor. I sometimes make my own mayo, and I use two parts olive oil and one part grape seed oil when making it. If I use all olive oil, the flavor is too strong. I also make aioli sauce using a similar method for making my own mayo.

When I watched the movie Undercover Brother, I found it interesting that they also suggested adding hot sauce to mayonnaise, partly to make it less of a "white person's" food, but also to make it look less white. I don't like unadulterated mayo - it needs garlic or hot sauce IMO.

I quite like Miracle Whip as an ingredient for certain recipes but agree it is NOT mayonnaise, as it has ingredient included not common to any mayo recipe. I DO use it as a replacement for mayo when building a BLT as the sweetness offsets the saltiness of the bacon very nicely :-) Otherwise, I prefer Best Foods and want no flavoring of any kind in my mayo. "Adulterated" mayo is not mayo....it is something else :-)

My #1...

Mayonnaise plus hot sauce is called "spicy mayo" or "chili mayo" but it is still basically mayonnaise. Of course mayo plus garlic is called aioli sauce, but this has been around much longer, and I do not make it by adding garlic to mayo - I make the sauce starting with garlic and then add egg, mustard, lemon juice, and oil, using mostly olive oil. It's not the same if it is made with mayo and no olive oil.

Spin Blend and Miracle Whip aren't even mayonnaise -- they're salad dressings.

In my house, it's Duke's all the way.

Hellmann's or Duke's.

I had never heard of Duke's before someone mentioned it in CF. Now, there are some ads for it around here, but I still haven't seen it. I'll be interested when it does appear.

For folks that do both Helmanns and Dukes, what's the difference between the two? What's the comparison?

Not Dukes, but back to Kewpie. I find Kewpie to me more egg yolk in flavor. It's smoother and a bit less slick than Helmanns.

Helmans. Any others taste weird to me. I haven't made homemade in a really long time. We don't use it enough to justify the fuss.

I don't use much mayo, but I do make my own.

The only time I use Miracle Whip is when I have a fresh tomato sandwich. Then it has to be one of my heirloom tomatoes from the garden, on squishy white bread with salt, pepper and Miracle Whip.

Well, that's not technically true, I also eat an occasional peanut butter and Miracle Whip sandwich, in memory of my Aunt Beatrice.

Everything else gets mayo. If I really don't have time to make my own, I'll buy a jar of Hellman's, because that's what is available here. I always end up throwing away about 3/4 of a jar, though, because it will sit in the refrigerator for months.

Annie

I hate to say this but when things were hard to find, I bought ALDI's generic mayo and also Great Value Mayo, I couldn't tell the difference from Hellman's. I've used Hellman's exclusively for years thinking it couldn't be beat but there isn't much difference anymore, other than the generic is about half the price! My husband loves Miracle Whip though and I've been buying the generic for that too and he didn't even notice...HAHA! Sneaky.....

HAHA!!!!!! Peanut butter and mayo! (must be best foods/hellmans, though) Everyone thinks I'm nuts, but for some reason I got my sister's lunch when I was in kindergarten and had a PB&M sandwich in there!

I'm not a fan of sweet stuff, so jelly is too sweet most of the time, so when I want PB, it's PB&M!

Hellmans and Best Foods are supposed to be exactly the same. We can buy them both in the supermarket here in Colorado and I've tried them both. They're not the same. Even in a blind taste test I could tell the difference. Growing up with Hellmans, I won't even try anything else.

Grew up with Hellman's. I saw a jar called American style mayonnaise in a supermarket yesterday..... don't know what that means. If it's a quick sandwich, then I often use Maille mayonnaise - don't know if you get that make in the U.S, otherwise, I make my own. Thick so that the spoon stands up in it. Can't be doing with sloppy mayo. Has to he homemade with fresh crab and prawns.

Hellman' and Best Foods are the same product from the same company (during my lifetime) and same label. And if store brand really seems the same, it may be made by the same company with a different label. Why lose the ”value” market while preserving your brand, when you can pump out more with their label and get a cut of the competitors' sales?

Islay, will you please share the directions for you spoon stand mayonnaise?

Hellmans, and adding some harissa to it is GREAT on most sandwiches.

Duke's. It has flavor not like many others that are so bland I don't know they are there.

I used Hellman’s for most of my life until my one of my daughters told me she’d changed her brand to Duke’s. I switched about five years ago and Duke’s is now my standard mayo because it seems to have a taste.

beesneeds -- Duke's doesn't have sugar while Hellman's does. That's a difference for us.

Plllog, in a bowl, 1 egg yolk, a teaspoon mustard, salt and pepper. I whisk oil in very slowly until it starts to emulsify, then add oil more quickly. Keep going until it's the consistency you like. Add lemon etc to taste after. Like Lars, I don't use all olive oil as I find it too strong too.

It was Best Foods only until we started making our own and now we'll never go back. Husband uses a stick blender and wide mouth jar....easy.

Nothing like homemade with a stick blender...the vortex method. Takes seconds.

That said, we have had many brand mayonnaise varieties than ever the past year and a half. I grew up a Hellmans baby. Usually have a tiny 8oz one in the pantry where nothing else will do for a quick BTL or tomatoe sandwich, crab cake. Early lockdown was bizarre. No eggs, extra eggs, then no eggs. Local farm share forgot eggs twice. Wholeseler only had one gallon containers of hellmans...but had Kewpie. Then had SirKensington. Both fine. Favorite by far is Chosen foods avocado. Good oil and clean organic. Way epensive but Misfits has it for 3.99...less than half what WholeFoods charges. I stocked up the pantry. 12 ounces is my limit since we don't use it much.

Honestly do not know why MiracleWhip gets such a redneck bum rap. My only personal experience was a friend from Alabama would bring to pot lucks macaroni, potato, slaw, and egg salads with so much MW and extra Bread and Butter pickles it was a sweet gag overload...no one would touch it. Any mayo overload i don't care for.

We are back into a good fresh egg supply so it is homemade for now.

"...so when I want PB, it's PB&M!"

Nancyjane, my mom used to love them. :-)

"Hellman' and Best Foods are the same product from the same company (during my lifetime) and same label."

Right...I think the label says "Hellmann's is known as Best Foods west of the Rockies."

I always use Hellman’s. we can’t get Dukes here in Ontario but i found some in the Turks and Caicos. it’s not bad but i still prefer Hellman’s. i never use Miracle Whip.

Thank-you, Islay, but that just sounds like mayonnaise to me. :D I've never achieved a spoon stand or anything near it, which is why I'm devoted to the jar unless I'm making something fancier. Maybe I just need more practice. :) I've never had mayonnaise fail (tell the fairies I respect them and save their mischief), but it's always softer than I'd like. I seem to do the things other people deem hard easily, like pâte à choux, mayonnaise, or poached eggs, but can seem to make the 100% hydration "artisan" bread everybody thinks is foolproof. :) But I can't seem to make mayo the thickness I'd like, let alone with the almost crystalline eggy texture.

Plllog, just keep whisking and adding the oil. Most people use too much egg to oil ratio and it's sloppy. You asked for a mayo recipe LOL

I know! i was being silly, but I also wanted the answer. Thanks for the tip! I think that's my problem, thinking too much oil was the issue, but of course there's water in eggs, not fat.

I’ll see you your PB&M and raise you a PBM&B. My husbands fav is peanut butter, mayonnaise, and banana. He smooshes it all together on a plate before spreading it on store-bought white bread. It’s really gross looking. But if it makes him happy, who am I to interfere?

It's true that Best Foods and Hellmanns are from the same company, but many people do claim they can taste a difference. Others cannot - go figure...

Hellmann's ingredients and the reason why I can't eat it is the first ingredient.

Soybean oil, water, whole eggs and egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, calcium disodium edta (used to protect quality), natural flavors.

Best food ingredients are exactly the same.

Maybe the source of the ingredients plays a part and whether the flavors the same. I was curious to see if there were any difference ingredients wise but no.

My go to mayonnaise is Primal Kitchen. It is almost too expensive! It is made with avocado oil so I can eat it. I've tried making my own mayo but no spoon has ever stood in it. My homemade Mayo is always mayo plus.

I'd like to see if people can tell the difference in a blind taste test. It doesn't make sense that there would be a difference when for decades they company has said it's the same, I think it's psychological. :D

Here is the vortex method explained...(i use avocado oil) room temp egg.

link...,HERE

After decanting, i add salad dressing ingredients, like vinegar, more lemon, fresh herbs to the container that cleans the remaing mayo from the stick blender.

It occurs to me, having looked at S's link where it says the most important thing is that the jar be big enough for the head of the stick blender in the bottom but not much bigger, that when I make mayonnaise by hand, I also use a close fitting bowl for the whisk. Perhaps that's part of what just makes mayonnaise work? I wonder if it was in the original instructions I used back when?

If I'm making enough to make it practical, the Vita-Mix will emulsify anything. Food scientists say that one egg yolk is enough to emulsify a whole swimming pool of oil, but that, I'm sure, depends on the right blender. :) (DDD did show a cook-owner making a spice blend with a small cement mixer...) I've made some sauces that put the ingredients way out of proportion to get the texture I wanted, and they never break once Vita-Mixed.

You can make it in any shaped bowl with anything from a whisk to a stick blender to a full blender. I've got to get to work but if I can later, I'll show you. Sleeve's right in that stick blenders are so fast. Just keep adding oil and your spoon will stand up :) My stick blender came with tall, narrow beaker.

Growing up I have no idea what we used.

once I could get Dukes locally thatbecame my go to (a roommate from the south introduced it to me in college)

I like Dukes, and can buy it at Aldi now. I dont understand the great debate on mayo vs salad dressing, guess i am not that picky. I would go buy Miracle Whip if I were going to make pea salad

Room temp ingredients and really fresh eggs....that's what DH says makes the spoon stand up.

It wasn't very long ago that I learned why there's a tiny hole in food processor pushers. We've never tried using the fp...stick blender is easier to clean up.

For those of you who are concerned with the actual ingredients in mayo products, please watch this video. The mayo part starts at about 6:30 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXCtAj2O__o

And 60 Minutes did a segment on "natural flavors." Worth watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Wh3uq1yTc&t=22s

Just finished my first ever homemade mayonaise. Sleevendog’s Two minute mayonaise, vortex method. First try appears a success. It is great! As a kid during WW2, my Mother made her own mayonaise and i hated it. Always felt anything she put it in was ruined, and she was a great cook, except for that mayonaise. Thats the reason i never tried to make it. This is a different ball game completely. Excuse the messy looking container.

That looks great. I bet a spoon will stand in it. DH learned bread, pie crust, fresh mayo, etc from his mother when 8-12 yrs old. He did get busy academically in HighSchool but never lost the love. He has always been a whisk baby...until the vortex method.

I should mention i do pasturize my eggs SousVide, six at a time. One reason is it extends the shelf life/fridge life of the mayo and the egg. And i mentioned after scraping the mayo from the jar...add some vineagar, avocado, dill, more lemon, garden herbs, etc whatver you have for a dressing...tahini, sesame oil...makes a great salad dressing using the mayo stuck to the stick blender. Cleans it of all that goodness.

I like to 'piggy-back' all blender things using the thickness from humus, nut butters.

I'll be the heretic -- I find the blender stick mayo to be too thick. I prefer hand-beaten. But I do cheat with pasteurized eggs.

I, too, keep both Hellman's mayonnaise and Miracle Whip in the refrigerator. Most things, we use mayo, but for others prefer MW. Always use MW for pea salad. And for tartar sauce found we prefer it made with half mayo and half MW.

How about an alternative to real mayonnaise?

Follow Your Heart Organic Vegenaise is the best tasting spread I’ve ever had. This is coming from someone who grew up on Hellman’s. It taste better than Hellman’s or Best Foods and even better than the regular Vegenaise. If Organic Vegenaise is readily available in your area, give it a try. Since it’s hard to find, here’s a store locator.

https://followyourheart.com/store-locator/

Organic Vegenaise Ingredients:

Organic Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Soymilk Powder (Organic Soybeans), Sea Salt, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Mustard Flour. Contains: Soy.

Here are the ingredients for some of the brands for comparison. Vegenaise is an egg-free spread and tastes very fresh. It has no preservatives or artificial flavorings. I love the organic version. I think the apple cider vinegar gives it that extra pep. In comparison, I find real mayonnaise tastes bland. Real mayonnaise is defined by the FDA as vegetable oil (must contain 65% vegetable oil by weight), an acidifying ingredient (vinegar, lemon and/or lime juice), and egg yolks.

Hellman’s Mayonnaise

Ingredients

Soybean oil, water, whole eggs and egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality), natural flavors.

Duke’s Mayonnaise

Ingredients

Soybean oil, eggs, water, distilled and cider vinegar, salt, oleoresin paprika, natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA added to protect flavor.

Organic Vegenaise spread

Ingredients

Organic Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Soymilk Powder (Organic Soybeans), Sea Salt, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Organic Mustard Flour. Contains: Soy.

Original Vegenaise spread

Ingredients

Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Apple Cider Vinegar, Soy Protein, Sea Salt, Mustard Flour, Lemon Juice Concentrate. Contains: Soy

Miracle Whip spread

Ingredients

Water, Soybean Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Vinegar, Modified Cornstarch, Eggs, Salt, Natural Flavor, Mustard Flour, Potassium Sorbate as a Preservative, Paprika, Spice, Dried Garlic. Contains: Egg.

What, no Kraft lovers? I buy either Hellman's or Kraft, one isn't any better than the other to me. For baked potatoes or broccoli, I use the Kewpie DH buys, it's got that hint of lemon in it that I like on vegetables.