The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Whether it's sprinkled on a salad, inside of a burger, or on the side of a stack of pancakes, bacon makes everything better.
I love bacon and use it in a variety of dishes, including as a topping to cheddar cheese pierogi or to elevate my Caesar salad and it's a must-have as a side for scrambled or over-easy eggs.
When it comes to buying this type of meat, I'll be honest, I tend to go for the cheapest option because groceries are expensive and all bacon pretty much tastes the same, right?
Wrong. Prior to this taste test, I hadn't actually tried a wide variety of bacon and I was surprised to find that there's a huge difference between them all.
To find which bacon reigns supreme, I went to Real Canadian Superstore, Thrifty Foods and Walmart in Victoria, B.C. and bought five different brands of bacon: Compliments, Schneiders, President's Choice, Great Value and Maple Leaf.
Five different brands of bacon on a kitchen counter.Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
I know there are various ways of cooking bacon but for this taste test, I chose to go the traditional route and pan-fried a few pieces from each pack.
After stinking up my entire kitchen (I perhaps should've cooked that amount of bacon in the oven), I rated each brand out of five based on how salty, fatty and crispy each one was and how much I enjoyed it on its own.
Here's how it went.
Great Value Original Naturally Smoked Bacon
Asymina holding a pack of Great Value bacon. Right: Great Value bacon that's been pan-fried on a plate.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $6.97 for 375 grams
Price per 100 grams: $1.86
Whenever I go grocery shopping at Walmart and I have bacon on my list, I pick up a pack of Great Value bacon to use as a topping to some meals that call for it.
Upon opening the pack of bacon I immediately noticed how much fat there was compared to the other brands and how thinly sliced it was as well.
After chomping on a stick of bacon, I was thrown off by how incredibly salty it was.
Some of the other brands of bacon I could eat no problem, but it became difficult getting through half a piece of Great Value's fried bacon.
It looks like I won't be picking up this brand anymore.
Rating: 1.5/5
Compliments Naturally Smoked Bacon
Asymina holding a pack of Compliments bacon. Right: Compliments bacon that's been pan-fried on a plate.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $6.99 for 375 grams
Price per 100 grams: $1.06
Compliments bacon also had an unequal fat to meat ratio and was cut thin, similar to Great Value, meaning it got real crisp real quick.
The Compliments bacon also shrivelled up into thin little pieces after it was fried.
At first I thought all of these qualities meant it wouldn't taste as good.
Thankfully this bacon wasn't as salty as Great Value and the crispiness factor means it could work well as bacon bits to top off a salad, a soup or a plate of pierogi.
Rating: 3/5
Maple Leaf Natural Bacon
Asymina holding a pack of Maple Leaf bacon. Right: Maple Leaf bacon that's been pan-fried on a plate.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $7.97 for 375 grams
Price per 100 grams: $2.13
Upon opening the pack of Maple Leaf bacon I noticed it was cut thicker than the previous two brands and had an equal amount of meat and fat.
This brand cooked quite nicely and the meat was a bit soft and chewy on the inside, but crispy on the outside.
My one issue with this bacon is that it was a bit too salty for me to eat on its own.
If you don't mind the saltiness this brand would work well on a sandwich where you want a thicker cut of meat.
Rating: 3.5/5
President's Choice Naturally Smoked Bacon
Asymina holding a pack of President's Choice bacon. Right: President's Choice bacon that's been pan-fried on a plate.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $6.99 for 500 grams
Price per 100 grams: $1.40
President's Choice naturally smoked bacon was another brand that I hadn't tried before.
I appreciated that it was less salty than some of the other brands and had a hint of sweetness to it.
Considering it's the same price as Compliments, yet has more in the package at 500 grams versus 375 grams, I think this one will be my new go-to when I want affordable bacon for sandwiches or as a side to a meal.
Rating: 4/5
Schneiders Hickory Smoked Classic Cut Bacon
Asymina holding a pack of Schneiders bacon. Right: Schneiders bacon that's been pan-fried on a plate.
Asymina Kantorowicz | Narcity
Price: $8.97 for 375 grams
Price per 100 grams: $2.39
I had never tried Schneiders bacon before and it took me by surprise.
The hickory smoked pork was cut thicker than the rest and after it was pan-fried the meat was perfectly balanced in terms of crispiness and softness.
The flavour was also great and it wasn't too salty and I could taste a subtle smokiness.
This bacon would work beautifully on a BLT or as a side. I certainly had no problem eating it on it's own!
Rating: 5/5
This taste test really opened my eyes when it comes to how different bacon is depending on the brand you choose.
While I did enjoy Schneiders the most on its own, it is the most expensive and I will only be purchasing it if I need it to stand out in a dish.
However, if I plan on making something where bacon is merely a topping to elevate a dish, I have no problem with choosing a more affordable brand like Compliments or President's Choice.
Many of these brands would work well with a side of hash browns or to top off a bowl of mac and cheese. They would also be superb paired with a plate of pierogi.
I recently taste tested four different brands of cheddar cheese pierogi from Canadian grocery stores if you need help choosing a brand to go with!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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