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My BBQ Sauce Taste Test: My Family Bucks Conventional Wisdom (Again)

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Depending on who you talk to, barbecue sauces have been around since the days of the American colonies. Wikipedia claims that the first commercial barbecue sauce appeared around 1909. I know; please don't grill me on my source, folks. And while most, but not all, barbecue sauces include some secret blend of ketchup, mustard, vinegar, sugar, onion, and garlic, in the United States there are a multitude of different barbecue sauce styles. For example, there's Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and Alabama styles. There's also South Carolina Sauce, East Carolina Mustard Sauce, and even something called a Lexington Dip, which if you ask me, sounds more like a dance move than a barbecue sauce. Obviously, it's a matter of personal preference, but one thing is certain: there are as many barbecue sauces out there as there are opinions as to which one reigns supreme. If you don't believe me, walk down the barbecue sauce aisle at your local supermarket. With that in mind, I figured what better reason to conduct yet another of my completely unscientific blind taste-test experiments? How the Test Was Conducted As with most of my other taste tests, I recruited a bunch of hungry family members for my expert panel. This time everyone convened in San Diego for a summer cookout at my cousin Kevin's house. With the panel in place, Kevin and I barbecued up a whole bunch of chicken wings and the candidate sauces were applied from unmarked bowls. After tasting a slathered barbecue chicken wing, the experts were asked to rank each sauce on a simple four-point scale -- four points for their favorites or as few as one point for those they didn't like at all. The panel was also free to note any accompanying comments they had regarding each sample. The Expert Panel Before we get to the results, let's once again meet our distinguished panel of experts: Aunt Doris Birthplace: London, England Age: Unless you're the Queen, it's none of your darn business. Best advice ever given to her: Shut up! (Doris only gives advice nowadays.) Dad Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio Age: 74 Best advice ever given to him: Know what your first priority in life is. Tony Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut Age: 68 Best advice ever given to him: If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. . Mom Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio Age: 70 Best advice ever given to her: "I'm so old I don't remember." Rose Birthplace: Los Angeles, California Age: What Aunt Doris said. Best advice ever given to her: Don't ever get old. (Good luck with that. Right, Mom?) Kevin Birthplace: Youngstown, Ohio Age: 58 Best advice ever given to him: Read the four Gospels. (And for you atheists: measure twice, cut once.) Chris Birthplace: Hemet, California Age: As old as her tongue, but not as old as her teeth. Best advice ever given to her: Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. The Honeybee Birthplace: Whittier, California Age: 43 Best advice ever given to her: Your husband Len is always right. (Okay, you got me. I made that one up.) Evan Birthplace: Escondido, California Age: 32 Best advice ever given to him: Never quit! Matthew Birthplace: Fontana, California Age: 14 Best advice ever given to him: Get off the Xbox and go play outside. Nina Birthplace: Fontana, California Age: 11 Best advice ever given to her: Remember to wash your hands. By the way, for the first time ever, my dog, Major, was unceremoniously left off the tasting panel. Don't worry; he'll get over it. Introducing The Barbecue Sauce Competitors While my supermarket had a score of barbecue sauces to choose from, I selected the "Original" varieties of the following seven brands: Bull's-Eye, Hunt's, KC Masterpiece, Jack Daniel's, Tony Roma's, the Albertsons store-brand and, my family's personal favorite, Sweet Baby Ray's. Here now, in reverse order from worst to first, are the completely unscientific barbecue sauce blind taste test results, based upon the inputs of my expert panel: 7. Sweet Baby Ray's Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.21 Panel Scoring: 23 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.1 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 0 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 1 Well, this is embarrassing. Apparently, our so-called family favorite isn't quite as good as we thought it was. Even more surprising, not a single panel member ranked this as a top sauce, which is problematic considering it was the second most expensive brand sampled. Ironically, the Honeybee, who usually swears by Ray's, complained that, "it didn't have much flavor." Another self-proclaimed Ray's fan, Kevin, gave it demerits for being sugary. My cousin Evan suggested that the poor rankings were because Sweet Baby Ray's sauce goes better with pork. 6. Albertsons Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.17 Panel Scoring: 27 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.5 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 1 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 3 Nina was the only member of the panel to give the store-brand sauce a top mark, noting it was "tangy and addictive." You know what? I'm moving on -- I'm still in shock Ray's came in last place. 5. Tony Roma's Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.19 Panel Scoring: 27 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.5 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 4 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 4 Four members thought enough of Tony Roma's to give the sauce top marks; Chris thought it had a "great barbecue flavor" and Mom praised its "really good taste." But just as many panelists thought otherwise. Kevin ribbed the Tony Roma's barbecue sauce for tasting "artificial, although not bad for colored gelatin." The Honeybee piled on by remarking that it tasted so much like ketchup that it was better-suited for a weenie roast. Then you have my handyman father-in-law, Tony, who summed it more succinctly: "It sucked." 4. KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.19 Panel Scoring: 28 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.5 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 1 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 2 KC Masterpiece is generally recognized as one of the better mainstream barbecue sauces. However, for this test it ended up looking more like, well, just a decent lithograph. The Honeybee was the only panelist to give KC Masterpiece top honors, but Kevin enjoyed the sauce too, noting its pleasing "woody aroma." In a dissenting opinion, however, Chris beefed that the barbecue sauce simply tasted too much like ketchup. 3. Bull's-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.19 Panel Scoring: 30 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.7 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 2 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 1 This barbecue sauce got blue ribbons from both my kids. Matthew, in particular, thought the Bull's-Eye brand hit the mark for its "smokey flavor." 2. Jack Daniel's Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.22 (the most expensive of all brands tested) Panel Scoring: 30 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.7 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 5 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 3 Jack Daniel's barbecue sauce is manufactured by Heinz, and it got more top-scores than any of the other competitors. Nina noted that she would give it a higher score if she could. Meanwhile, both Aunt Doris and the Honeybee -- who coincidentally happens to a big fan of Jack Daniel's whiskey -- praised JD's barbecue sauce for its distinctive hickory flavor. Interestingly, those who didn't like the Jack Daniel's sauce dinged it for being just a bit too hickory flavored. 1. Hunt's Original Barbecue Sauce Price per ounce: $0.11 (the least expensive of all brands tested) Panel Scoring: 32 points Average Score (4-point scale): 2.9 Judges Who Gave It a Top Rating: 4 Judges Who Thought It Stunk: 1 Ah, the grill of victory! Incredibly, as with my ketchup taste test, the least expensive brand in the survey once again came out on top. Evan thought the Hunt's had a delicious sweetness to it. Rose agreed, giving it top marks for being "sweet, but not overly so." Dad liked Hunt's savory mix of spices, Kevin thought it was "perfect," and Tony thought it had a "great BBQ flavor." The only one who flat out didn't like the Hunt's was Nina, who remarked that the flavor was "just wrong." I Know What You're Thinking ... Hunt's barbecue sauce? Are you kidding me? Say what you will about this experiment's unscientific methods, but it was a fair fight. After all, the blind taste test goes a long way toward eliminating preconceived notions and biases that would otherwise subtly influence the panel members' decisions. Is Hunt's barbecue sauce "sexy?" Um, no. But in the end, Hunt's was not only the least expensive brand of all those sampled, but my expert panel also found it to be the best tasting barbecue sauce of them all   -- and that's good enough for me. Photo Credit: Public Domain Photos ...

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The Scapegoat: GE Money Takes Your Cash and Stores Take the Fall

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by Angie Picardo “If you apply for a [store name] credit card today you can get [arbitrary number]% off your purchase.” I can’t remember the last time I was able to go to a mall without being bombarded with pitches for store credit cards. I always manage to escape with a subtle “maybe next time,” but it would be nice to leave a store in a little less awkward fashion. With the end of HSBC’s credit card business in sight, there doesn’t seem to be much competition in the store credit card market. Big names like Gap, Banana Republic, Amazon.com, and Chevron, to name a few, are backed by GE Money, a financial subdivision of General Electric that issues credit cards and handles all the financing for their consumer products. GE Money is a holding company, meaning it can issue and manage credit cards under another company’s name, but is able to dodge some important regulations since it isn’t an actual bank. If you suddenly find your credit limit has been reduced or there are some mysterious charges on your statement -- common complaints among dissatisfied customers -- don’t expect Old Navy or Walmart to be on the other end of the line when you ring customer service. GE Money has the power to raise interest rates, close accounts, and a million other things that can ruin consumers’ credit scores, and they rarely get any heat for it. They hide behind companies, letting them take the fall, sometimes severely affecting their consumer base. Customer (Dis)satisfaction Guaranteed GE Money is notorious for allegedly “losing” customers’ payments right before zero interest promos expire, and they are rumored to have stacks of identity fraud lawsuits to their name. Many of these issues supposedly arise due to miscommunication between GE Money, the store itself, and the consumer; sales associates will disclose information about their store credit card, but give some incorrect or insufficient information. Angry customers then come barging into the store, but come to find the stores are just as surprised and appalled. If you’re looking for a way to shop, save and earn rewards, you’re better off with a regular bank credit card. Store credit cards usually have higher interest rates that are often subject to change (in their favor, not yours). A lot of the time, they offer better deals at a store than their own credit card. Stick to the Basics For example, the Citi Forward card gives 5% back on all purchases made on Amazon.com, while you’ll only get 3% back with GE Money’s Amazon.com card. If you frequent Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic, you’ll benefit more from an American Express Blue Cash Preferred card since its APR varies from 17.24%-21.24%, lower than the Gap credit card’s across-the-board APR of 23.99% (variable, current as of June 2011). So the next time someone tries to lure you into one of their “15% off the first purchase” traps, you now have a very good reason to avoid it. Angie Picardo is a staff writer for NerdWallet, a credit card website dedicated to helping consumers find the best credit card. Photo Credit: stevendepolo ...

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How to Choose a Reasonable Health Care Plan on a Budget

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by Patricia Walling Every year there are millions of Americans who struggle to afford health care. This can be due to insurance companies raising premiums, but there can be other reasons too. For example, many people who are either unemployed or self-employed (such as per diem nurses or those in other health care professions like medical coding) are unable to get the discounts that many companies offer to their employees. Many employers who have simply stopped offering health care as a benefit. As a result, many people struggle to find a reasonable health care plan that fits within their budget. Luckily, there are options available that can help provide yourself with reasonably priced health coverage. And though it may cost a little more than you'd like,  paying for health insurance before you get sick or injured is usually a much better alternative than paying medical bills out of pocket. Here are a few basic tips to consider when you're looking to choose a reasonable health care plan on a budget. Stick to the Basics Basic coverage policies differ a little bit depending on the insurance provider. Of course, these are no-frills policies that generally cover doctor visits and reduce the amount the policy holder has to pay for prescription medication. That doesn't mean they aren't worth it; when you are sick, one trip to the emergency room or a walk-in clinic can cost more than six months of coverage. Consider an HMO Plan If you visit the doctor often, an HMO may be the most cost-effective way to manage your health care as preventive services like physicals are often provided at no extra cost. An HMO is where you use in-network doctors. Thus it is important to remember that even though your favorite doctor may be right around the corner, if he is not in the network you probably won't be able to see him. Consider High Deductible Plans Each year, more and more people are choosing to go with high-deductible plans because they are generally very affordable. These plans are meant to protect you from a catastrophic injury or illness. Because these plans have very high deductibles, they will not protect you from having to pay out of pocket expenses for minor injuries and illnesses. Shop Around Always shop your options. Although many insurance companies advertise that they have low prices, but you won’t really know if they’re truly low unless you get comparison rates. Find out what the rates are for at least two or three insurance providers and then make your decision once you have some actual facts. Pay on Time No matter which option you choose, always make sure to budget properly and pay your premium on time. If you neglect to pay on time, your insurance provider could pause or cancel your coverage. Timing is everything and chances are when your coverage is suspended is when you will need it most. Purchasing health insurance can be an expensive undertaking. The choices you make will affect your future should you get sick or injured, so it is crucial to chose wisely when selecting a plan for you and your family. Photo Credit: rosmary ...

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Quit Sniveling: How to Make Lots of Money Doing What You Hate

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Readers: Nobody has written more guest articles for my blog than my good friend, the inimitable Mr. Credit Card. Today Mr. CC is going to entertain us with another of his always thought-provoking ideas.   By the way, Mr. Credit Card has just updated his business charge card recommendations for 2011, so please be sure to check them out if you're looking for one. by Mr. Credit Card Those of you who follow my Ask Mr. Credit Card blog know that I was recently on travel, visiting California.   One of the highlights of my trip was being kingly invited to Len's place for a nice burger grill. I always buy a new book before I fly to the West Coast and, on this particular trip, I bought Andre Agassi's autobiography. It was a most fascinating read for me because he told the story of his childhood and how he became a top tennis player. The real shocker though was at the beginning of the book, when he claimed he actually hated tennis.   What?!   I could not believe it when I read those words! It turns out that Andre's father was a tennis nut, and he was determined to train his young son to be the world's number one player. Andre describes his training when he was seven years old. His father created a tennis machine that would hit a ball close to Andre's feet.   During endless hours of practice his dad would constantly stand behind him and yell at him. "Hit the ball early," and "harder" were common phrases. I guess it should be no surprise that Andre ended up becoming one of the best hitters of the ball on the rise -- and a pretty hard hitter too. When Andre was fourteen, his father decided to send him -- against Andre's will -- to the Nick Bolletieri tennis school in Florida. At first the plan was to go for only three months. Then, the folks at the school determined that he was the best talent they had ever seen, and three months eventually became "forever." Andre was so good that he was able to negotiate a deal that allowed him to skip school.   He eventually turned professional before he was twenty. He also went on to become one of the best tennis players of all time, and one of only a few players to ever win all four grand slam titles. As a professional, Andre was never satisfied if he lost. He maintained a coach. He even hired a fitness trainer who imposed a ruthless fitness regimen that he faithfully stuck to throughout his long career, training for many hours every day. How to Excel at a Job You Hate So why I am telling you all of this? Though extreme, I think Andre's story is a clear example that you can excel at something even though you do not like it, assuming you are willing to put in the effort to be good at it. And even though Andre did not like tennis, he still put in hours of work to be good at his chosen profession. Andre not only earned lots of prize money, but also in endorsement deals with Nike and  American Express. I can think of numerous people I know who dislike their jobs and yet stick to it and earn great financial rewards. I know many folks who work for investment banks and disliked their jobs, but they stuck with it and became good at it because it paid well. I guess there was some motivation there. You may say that I'm using examples where the financial payoffs are great for those who rise to the top, but I would counter by saying that there are great rewards in any profession when you rise to the top. And here is the thing that sometimes gets to me: I read lots of blogs (especially lifestyle blogs) and, to me, there are too many instances where you read about folks being "unhappy" with their jobs; everybody wants to make "passive income" and work only a few hours a week.   While that is a worthy aim, I think before one starts to focus their attention to entrepreneurship, one should try to focus on being the best they can be in their jobs. Figure out what it takes to succeed in your industry and profession. You may find that it will bring great financial rewards and you may be happier as a result. And trying to be the best you can be is a trait that is necessary if you ever want to be successful at your own business. The Bottom Line Len is always talking about sound money principals. Spend less than you earn, yes!   Save, yes!   But another important part of the equation is increasing your income. Making more money is a very important part of our personal finances but, too often, the "making more money" part tends to focus on ways to acquire passive income or, even worse, making money by blogging or via network marketing. I urge you to refocus your attention on your present occupation (whether you like it or not) because I suspect we all can put a little more effort in getting ahead in what we currently do, and reap the resulting financial rewards.   Even if we don't like what we're doing. Editor's Note: Mr. Credit Card told me those were the best burgers and hot dogs he had ever eaten!   Okay, not really.   But he did have multiple helpings. Photo Credit: loneymops ...

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