Pro Chefs Blind Taste Test Every Boxed Brownie Mix

Pro Chefs Blind Taste Test Every Boxed Brownie Mix | Epicurious

Рет қаралды 624,246

Күн бұрын

Chefs Umber Ahmad, Jürgen David, and Rhonda Saltzman are used to thinking outside the box when it comes to cooking; however, today on Epicurious we’ve asked them to give us their unfiltered, honest reviews of some prominent boxed brownie brands found on supermarket shelves. Which brownie packs the most bang for your budget, and which should you avoid at all costs?
00:00 Intro
00:11 Pillsbury
01:40 Ghirardelli
02:55 Duncan Hines
04:02 Jiffy
05:09 Great Value
06:13 Trader Joe’s
07:24 Williams Sonoma
08:48 Betty Crocker & Hershey’s
09:59 Sticky Fingers
10:59 Simple Mills
12:09 Betty Crocker
13:10 Otto’s Naturals
14:22 Little Debbie
15:59 Keto and Co
17:16 Bob’s Red Mill
18:35 King Arthur
20:07 Kodiak Cakes
21:26 Final Results
Learn more about our chefs:
Umber Ahmad: mahzedahrbakery.com + @mahzedahrbakery on Instagram
Rhonda Saltzman: www.seconddaughterbakingco.com/
Jürgen David, Institute of Culinary Education: ice.edu/blog/chef-jurgens-fav...
Director: Jeffrey Kornberg
Director of Photography: Ben Dewey
Editor: Kristopher Knight
Talent: Umber Ahmad; Jurgen David; Rhonda Saltzman
Director of Culinary Production: Kelly Janke
Creative Producer: Tyrice Hester
Culinary Producer: Mallary Santucci
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Amy Haskour
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Casting Producer: Nicole Ford
Camera Operator: Lucas Young; Caleb Weiss
Audio Engineer: Rebecca O'Neill
Production Assistant: Noah Bierbrier; Caleb Clark
Culinary Assistant: Biba Clark
Culinary Researcher: Vivian Jao
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araujo
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Start your free trial and access over 50,000 expertly-tested recipes from Epicurious, Bon Appétit and more on the Epicurious app. apps.apple.com/app/apple-stor...
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Пікірлер: 641

@eggie1978 Ай бұрын

William Sonoma charging over $14 for a box of brownies is just ridiculous.

@jpleva9987 Ай бұрын

Williams-Sonoma in general is just ridiculous.

@KyleBaran90 Ай бұрын

They're still in business, so someone is paying those prices.

@lucadecarlo6723 Ай бұрын

😂😂😂

@sdseals2076 Ай бұрын

@@jpleva9987 Or the consumers are buying a lot of other things.

@hooktraining3966 Ай бұрын

its a rich white woman brand, and that demographic is easily dumb enough to buy it

@Jjynxx Ай бұрын

Not surprised at all that Ghirardelli took the win. What did surprise me was the positive reactions to Great Value, it kinda makes me want to give them a try lol

@zane_sadauskis Ай бұрын

Honestly for me that was a huge take away was for the best results compared to price. Great value is as it name implies

@WhenYoureAlexa Ай бұрын

Yeah! I’m definitely gonna give them a try!

@o0laieta0o Ай бұрын

Probably Ghirardelli or some other big brand makes them

@cwg73160 Ай бұрын

“lol” Where was the joke that made you laugh? lol I guess it’s normal to add lol to everything now lol What a shame lol

@Kriasr Ай бұрын

@@cwg73160 alright grandpa, let's get you back to bed

@nicholruaya8120 Ай бұрын

I really enjoyed this lineup of chefs. Chef Rhonda seems very joyful, Chef Jurgen comes across as a fun guy, and Chef Umber is very articulate and has a soothing voice. I would watch the lineup again

@peggyfci Ай бұрын

Chef Jurgen is fun and a great teacher!

@morddas Ай бұрын

I could listen to him read the weather!

@letti4285 Ай бұрын

They contrast each other well and add lots of helpful insight to the brownies

@roset9648 Ай бұрын

I had Chef Jurgen as an instructor and he is a delight

@seraeggobutterworth5247 29 күн бұрын

He might be a great guy but his take on some of brownies was… odd.

@SheilaR.08 Ай бұрын

Hearing the comments during tasting, it sounded like the Walmart Great Value mix was a hit, but it didn't get a mention at the end. For the price, it's a winner for me.

@JetstreamGW Ай бұрын

Just means it was middle of the road. Not their favorite, not garbage.

@zkiller195 Ай бұрын

My mother used to buy Great Value. They aren't terrible, but absolutely doesn't hold a flame to Ghiradelli (I'm particularly fond of the dark chocolate and turtle varities). Ghiradelli can frequently be found on sale @2/$5 and sometimes even BOGO (~$4 for 2) at stores near me. For me, that makes it a no brainer.

@junklex Ай бұрын

yeah i totally thought at least one was gonna say great value! but i’m not surprised ghirardelli won, their chocolate is immaculate

@FreePhilistine.GoliathLives24 Ай бұрын

@@zkiller195Costco sells it in bulk if you have a membership

@wilhelmina8843 18 күн бұрын

If they ranked them it might have shown up as someone’s 2nd or third. Ghirardelli is our favorite so far but we bought a box of Great Value to try.

@glossaria2 Ай бұрын

"Jiffy.... makes brownies?" "Jiffy corn bread!" ...were EXACTLY my reactions to that box. :D

@justinemarshall90 25 күн бұрын

Same 😂😂😂

@SwearMY 24 күн бұрын

I know. Occasionally I'll see something else besides cornbread, and it always surprises me.

@blackawana 23 күн бұрын

Jiffy has pizza dough, too. It is all about the market, I guess!

@CaliMel184 23 күн бұрын

They make all kinds of stuff!

@crystalgrose 21 күн бұрын

They make blueberry muffin mix and yellow cake mix too 😊

@fkcjdisndnffjj1824 Ай бұрын

i think this is the only video ive seen in this series where all the chefs were so adorable and likeable

@stans5270 Ай бұрын

@sillygo0oser 27 күн бұрын

@@stans5270 okay, and?

@stephanieyvonne9436 Ай бұрын

Great Value did way better than I expected and its only $1.24 a box. I’ll definitely be buying a box the next time I want to make brownies.

@sillygo0oser 27 күн бұрын

Great value is my go to brand tbh

@mareencope8421 21 күн бұрын

You can doctor the mix to improve it.

@MikeA15206 18 күн бұрын

I am famous with all my friends for my brownies and it’s what I always use. I do doctor them just a bit 😉

@CrimsonLegacy 10 күн бұрын

@@MikeA15206How do you like to doctor your brownies if you don't mind sharing a bit of your secrets? 😊

@jeremywright9511 7 күн бұрын

Great value rarely disappoints in most areas.

@wikidpanda Ай бұрын

All three getting Ghirardelli was impressive!

@Keith2XS 21 күн бұрын

Only 2. Trader Joe's took a win!

@evilken00 20 күн бұрын

@@Keith2XSI’m pretty sure they meant they were impressed that they all guessed Ghirardelli correctly on the blind taste test

@mrdubious95 Ай бұрын

Williams Sonoma really gets more hype than they deserve and I’m so glad these chefs noticed it.

@BaronVonChickenpants Ай бұрын

“15 dollars?!? Does it cook itself?!?” 😂☠️

@Waterflame Ай бұрын

That line is on par with "Just add water, mix, and bake. Well, that's disturbing." 😆

@GreenNastyRabbit Ай бұрын

Loll 😂😂😂

@mitchelly9473 Ай бұрын

It grows arms and gives you a back rub.

@stephanieyvonne9436 Ай бұрын

The guy needs his own show!🤣

@iamjro Ай бұрын

And it needed the most ingredients to add, unsalted butter, egg and water

@hailey2475 Ай бұрын

This was such a cute lineup of chefs

@enokii Ай бұрын

Loved the vibe and the info.

@betterxogi Ай бұрын

i agree !

@evancasto1988 Ай бұрын

Fr they all seem sweet.

@ephemeraIl Ай бұрын

I know I loved watching this so much!

@stans5270 Ай бұрын

YUCK

@katl8825 Ай бұрын

“‘Just add water, mix, and bake’… that’s disturbing!” 😂

@marinazagrai1623 Ай бұрын

The maker of that mix doesn't know that we should add fresh eggs (whichever kind we use).

@trevorreniger5670 Ай бұрын

Rhonda is such a sweetheart. She just shares joy. 💗

@jibrilomari1608 Ай бұрын

she really is!

@MrScottie68 Ай бұрын

She is sweet, but can anyone actually look at her and view her as a “professional chef” with earrings that look like they were bought in Walmart and a nose ring that looks like she is a part time belly dancer?

@harpoon6186 22 күн бұрын

@@MrScottie68That has nothing to do with cooking. You just want to be little someone for their accessories 😂

@UnKnown-hp9gz 17 күн бұрын

@@MrScottie68 You are an incredibly unintelligent person if that's your question.

@FeR-kt1jt 17 күн бұрын

@@MrScottie68you sound like a hater 😂

@ZepG Ай бұрын

After 57 years of loving brownies, my family loves the Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate mix. We use an all edges pan to get that great chew of the corner pieces.

@debjoy12 Ай бұрын

omg that's hilarious because in my family we hate edges and fight over the center piece 😂

@UnKnown-hp9gz 17 күн бұрын

@@debjoy12 same

@MC-bo6ql 6 күн бұрын

Like the Vat19 pan? Lol, edging w the fam lol.

@mendep120 Ай бұрын

The 3 Chef personalities were perfect! They each had unique differences and expressed their opinions that line up with who they are! Bring them back please : )

@sarahwar3538 Ай бұрын

When I worked as an assistant pastry chef for a higher end place, Ghirardelli mix was the base of our brownies. We took some creative liberties with how we mixed it, but it was a must.

@sram2656 Ай бұрын

Chef David had me laughing throughout this whole video. love the energy

@morddas Ай бұрын

LOVE HIM

@annisamuhammad9084 Ай бұрын

ugh i can listen to chef umber explain everything forever, her voice is so soothing 💆🏻‍♀️

@OMGWTFLOLSMH Ай бұрын

100% And gorgeous too.

@bradm4864 Ай бұрын

All three chefs you got for this one are delightful. Bring them all back!

@TheRoofWatchers Ай бұрын

i love how they were all delighted and then immediately disappointed by the little debbies lmao

@tifftack766 15 күн бұрын

The juxtaposition between the excited, "Ooh, does this have frosting on it??" and the suspicious, "...Who does that?" at 12:12 😂

@adam92012 Ай бұрын

@10:30 "Well, that's disturbing" made me chuckle lol

@ArtamStudio Ай бұрын

8:40 "does it cook itself?" 😂 Ghirardelli FTW! 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

@LisaMT1218 29 күн бұрын

That was Williams Sonoma, not Ghirardelli

@ArtamStudio 28 күн бұрын

@@LisaMT1218 OMG. No, the W-S mix results were not in keeping with its cost, hence the timestamp reference to the line. Ghirardelli came out ahead overall. 🙄

@GetOutsideYourself Ай бұрын

Somebody please cast Rhonda in the next Star Trek as the Vulcan science officer. Oh and when she says "tastes more like an obligation than a treat . . ." yeah she's definitely a Vulcan. 100% logical.

@user-zr9hu3tf1y 23 күн бұрын

That's not Chef Rhonda you're talking about, it's Umber

@DapUniversalTarot 4 күн бұрын

She is kinda giving T'pol in an alternate universe hiding her pointy ears with long hair so she can live her life as a chef.

@bexyPTX Ай бұрын

My family has always sworn by Ghirardelli so I'm glad to know that all these pros think it's the best

@Mecknificent Ай бұрын

Getting Buster Bluth to judge brownies was a stroke of genius!

@honeyLXIX Ай бұрын

😂

@noelletakesthesky3977 Ай бұрын

I love how the chefs got all sentimental over the Little Debbie brownies, then get sad. :D

@josealfonso5260 Ай бұрын

Chef Umber has this motherly tone to her voice! I love her!

@littlepotato2741 Ай бұрын

Seriously? Why are you putting white letters on a light background. Come on...

@montananerd8244 Ай бұрын

Major ADA issue

@caseyhoward9101 Ай бұрын

Completely idiotic.

@zvezdoblyat Ай бұрын

Graphic design is not a conscious thought for most people apparently

@hauntedtravelers 24 күн бұрын

Honestly I agree even though I can read it, I have to strain my eyes a little

@J.S.R.9. Ай бұрын

Chef Rhonda’s baked goods is unmatched in the Philly/New Jersey area 🙌🏾

@safronsahara9000 Ай бұрын

Oh snap! She's in the Delaware Valley?

@Anthony-hu3rj Ай бұрын

You just to make the rest of us jealous.

@robynfree1558 Ай бұрын

I loved all these chefs! They were fun to watch! Between this and Babish's video I feel very confident about my use of the Ghirardelli mix!

@aleathacoleman6413 Ай бұрын

I make the Ghirardelli brownies, add vanilla and use butter instead of oil. Delicious!

@Allaiya. Ай бұрын

How much vanilla

@86thsamurai Ай бұрын

@Allaiya. I do this too. I eyeball the measurement but about a teaspoon.

@cindyn7512 23 күн бұрын

brown butter works a treat.

@Allaiya. 23 күн бұрын

@@86thsamurai thank you

@Shibbylovess Ай бұрын

Chef Rhonda is the literal cutest! Love her feedback and approach

@maryschiff9580 Ай бұрын

That was fun to watch. Ghirardelli for the win!

@iamjro Ай бұрын

The chef with the blonde hair knows her stuff! 😂 I don’t have an official count but I know she knew the most

@Petronio39 Ай бұрын

Rhonda was so smart. I felt like I learned a little more about food every time she talked.

@L3131L Ай бұрын

The Ghirardelli triple chocolate mix is FAR better than any scratch-made brownies I've had throughout my life

@mattkidroske Ай бұрын

I would listen to an audiobook narrated by any of these chefs

@GSutton Ай бұрын

The producers did "Doon-kin" Hines dirty by picking milk chocolate over the far-superior chewy fudge version... What a miscarriage of justice!

@samawi9992 Ай бұрын

Absolutely!!!!!

@pjschmid2251 Ай бұрын

But even their dark chocolate one lacks that shiny top. There’s something about Duncan Hines brownies that just don’t quite make the mark. But after watching this, I’m going to have to give Great Value a try. I’ve been sleeping on that one. And you really don’t have much to lose for $1.24.

@bubblelady8528 Ай бұрын

And they chose king arthur in a cup instead of boxed...

@_helmi Ай бұрын

Chef Umber and Chef Rhonda have soothing voices that match their looks and personalities.

@justlola417 Ай бұрын

I love how positive Rhonda is, how she considers the price and ingredients of each mix too

@JessKaplan Ай бұрын

When I saw this video was over 20 mins I did not think I was going to stick with it, but I loved hearing their analysis, and it was so fun to see the reveal!

@wolfwiles Ай бұрын

Rhonda is so sweet and Umber's voice is so soothing!

@FayeVert Ай бұрын

My loyalty will always lie with Jiffy mix. That cheap little blue and white box FED ME as a kid. Also helps if you use two eggs instead of one.

@applegal3058 Ай бұрын

I've never made boxed brownies before, nor do I buy box mixes, but I still watched this and was entertained.

@laraduff4949 Ай бұрын

Same here

@Waterflame Ай бұрын

12:06 It is so refreshing to see a chef that's allergic to coconut!! I, too, am allergic to coconut! Thank you for the allergy rep!

@nancyomalley6286 Ай бұрын

I'm not allergic to coconut. Just hate the taste. It's like eating suntan lotion to me

@denisesudell2538 29 күн бұрын

Wish the chefs had acknowledged that some of us are allergic to wheat and dairy.

@mhc12k Ай бұрын

This video made my day just listening to people analyze Brownies

@kimiiiii_da_rab Ай бұрын

i want to be a chef when i’m older, thank you for being there

@ferredamon Ай бұрын

I love that there was so much effort put into this video. The crew paid attention to allergies and an effort to create consistency to make sure they were given a fair chance. Anymore content creators are not trying nearly as hard as they once did.

@arcanaj Ай бұрын

"$15 for this box? Does it cook itself?" 😄

@HarajukuSiren Ай бұрын

My favorite brand won!!! Go Ghiradelli!

@iwearleatherjackets1 Ай бұрын

Chef Rhonda is so nice and pleasant, she makes me feel safe

@scpatl4now Ай бұрын

I have some Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate mix in the pantry. Now I want to go make it

@alyviabryant7132 Ай бұрын

Yasser! LOVE THE DARK CHOCOLATE GHIRARDELLI BROWNIES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM SO YUMM!🤤

@melaniedejonge5234 Ай бұрын

You should. They are awesome!

@ShinjiSixteen Ай бұрын

Love these breakdowns, and wonderful editing as always!

@TheRoofWatchers Ай бұрын

"as always" I assume you haven't seen the pasta sauce one

@mab8047 Ай бұрын

Costco has not done wrong by me with the Ghirardelli.

@RaymondHng Ай бұрын

Costco is just the distributor of Ghirardelli.

@mrsseasea Ай бұрын

Love the lady with white hair…..she gives me the feeling of a well grounded fun lady.

@blackbell Ай бұрын

I really loved these chefs--Hope we'll see more of them!

@SerenityM16 Ай бұрын

5:00 always use milk even when it says to use water

@user-gd4ku5se8h Ай бұрын

Use clarified butter over oil.

@mettamorph4523 Ай бұрын

I use three-fifths can of Vitamixed black beans, one-quarter teaspoon of espresso powder, no egg. Cook to fudgey consistency, about 37 minutes in my oven.

@pingpongloser2131 23 күн бұрын

Love the video throughout, Chef Rhonda has the cutest smile I have ever seen

@SecludedSoup Ай бұрын

I’ve been eating Ghirardelli brownies seen I was a little kid and I’ve always loved them. Glad to know I wasn’t missing out on other brands lol.

@starrytrish Ай бұрын

I love how calm they are and explain the whole differences easily

@dhedgpeth Ай бұрын

Chef Rhonda is amazing. Please bring her back!

@SquirrelNutkins Ай бұрын

Make your own. They are so easy to make and superior in taste and texture.

@patricebetts6531 Ай бұрын

Definitely!

@youdeservethis Ай бұрын

Wonderful! I love watching pastry chefs deconstructing food.

@gibberishname Ай бұрын

Chef Rhonda stole the show

@MrScottie68 22 күн бұрын

Was it the nose ring or plastic pineapple earrings that did it for you?

@gibberishname 22 күн бұрын

@@MrScottie68 it was the smile and the upbeat attitute and kind eyes

@erins4262 22 күн бұрын

@@MrScottie68Why do you care so much about somebody’s appearance to make multiple negative comments?

@ernestoduran6075 Ай бұрын

I love how Umber talks!😍

@user-ns1um8kq7i Ай бұрын

Little Debbie isn't really meant to compete with normal brownies. They're their own thing... And they're delicious. 👀

@ashleykbarks Ай бұрын

😂😂😂 5:12 I LOVE the way he said that I had the exact sentiment! We shared the exact thoughts 😅

@RuthCameron-fm2fu Ай бұрын

I wish they would have tried the ALDI brand!

@michiek8569 Ай бұрын

Ghirardelli is my pick always.

@ponconjahn Ай бұрын

King Arthur regular brownies in a mix (not a gluten-free microwave mug cake) are legitimately delicious. Not a fair comparison, maybe?

@bigsistruck Ай бұрын

Completely agree! The regular mix is fantastic!

@bubblelady8528 Ай бұрын

Exactly why in the world would they choose microwave

@noelnoel7683 Ай бұрын

Thank you I absolutely loved these reviews. Ironically I am making brownies as I'm watching this. Wish I'd seen it before going to the store

@rebekahtablante327 Ай бұрын

What brand did you use? 😊

@noelnoel7683 Ай бұрын

I used Ducan Hines signature California walnut

@mayasphere Ай бұрын

i could sit and watch Umber talk all day

@samanthaquant7411 22 күн бұрын

I’m so glad they checked the chefs allergies before giving them food!

@honeyLXIX Ай бұрын

11:44 when he motions at milking almonds

@brettcoleman4381 Ай бұрын

So funny!

@michaelturner5001 Ай бұрын

Absolutely loved this!!

@jaybird9451 Ай бұрын

i really love the chefs they're all so sweet and likeable

@cathyortiz1280 Ай бұрын

I like Betty Crocker's. I love dark & semi-sweet chocolate though. Also, Ghirardelli's.

@RyanEglitis 26 күн бұрын

Yeah, was a shame they wasted a frosted top on Betty. Supreme triple chocolate chunk is definitely the truth

@LauraJean3 Ай бұрын

Doooooon-kun Heinz, says the narrator. 2:29

@JuliaB1955 Ай бұрын

Love these chefs! Thank you!

@TheLegendaryMovieCritic Ай бұрын

Ghirardelli brownies are the best as it’s delicious!

@antigrace1 22 күн бұрын

This video was very enjoyable and helpful! Great job!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@Fernarcis 19 күн бұрын

Appreciate the knowledge and friendliness of the participants. Great episode.

@RaymondHng Ай бұрын

2:23 It's Italian. _Gh_ is pronounced with a hard G sound as in "get". _gear-rar-DELL-lee._

@sugarsugar475 Ай бұрын

When I’m too short on time to make homemade brownies, I reach for Aldi’s mix. It is excellent.

@SllyGrrl74 Ай бұрын

Excuse me....I beg your finest pardon...did you call it DOONcan Hines? *twitches*

@IceMetalPunk Ай бұрын

Thank you! Heard that and immediately checked the comments hoping someone else mentioned it.

@donlapham1265 Ай бұрын

Ach! DOONTOON! “NEXT!”

@coopaur Ай бұрын

i make brownies every week and ALWAYS get the great value bc of how amazing they are. im so glad they liked them too :)

@brofenix 23 күн бұрын

The 3rd lady "maybe this is also maybe Betty Crocker??" Lol

@amethyst4990 Ай бұрын

I really like these 3 chefs together please do more review videos with them.

@juliannajones6016 Ай бұрын

I’m a Ghirardelli girl! ❤

@crystalgrose 21 күн бұрын

I love these chefs! They’re very knowledgeable and an added bonus is they’re very hilarious as well ♥️♥️♥️

@Savings_and_Grift_Plan Ай бұрын

I think the big surprise out of this is that Great Value / Walmart is slept on.

@marycook1644 22 күн бұрын

Walmart’s mint chocolate wafer cookies are as tasty as Girl Scout cookies and only cost $ 2.17 per package ! Much cheaper than the Girl Scout cookies !

@beahwatson Ай бұрын

loved all these chefs!

@DominicGo Ай бұрын

ahh i love this chef line up so much

@jbythebay1543 24 күн бұрын

Not really fair to judge gluten-free/sugar free with the others, no one is eating that unless they have to be gluten-free or trying to avoid diabetes and other health problems (cause you know 75% of the US is overweight!), so this might be the next best option, cut it some slack!