Coarse-Grain Mustard

products tested (listed alphabetically)

• Boar’s Head All Natural Delicatessen Style Mustard
• Grey Poupon Country Dijon Mustard
• Grey Poupon Harvest Coarse Ground Mustard
• Inglehoffer Original Stone Ground Mustard
• Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
• Plochman’s Premium Natural Stone Ground Mustard
• Pommery Moutarde de Meaux
• Raye’s Old World Gourmet Mustard
• Trois Petit Cochons Moutarde a l’Ancienne Whole Grain Mustard
• Westbrae Natural Stoneground Mustard
• Woeber’s Reserve Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

See Product Comparison Chart

Mustard aficionados argue that the coarse-grained condiment improves any ham sandwich or grilled sausage—unless you pick the wrong jar. The fate of our lunch at stake, we sampled 11 brands.

Tasters appreciated spiciness, tanginess, and the pleasant pop of seeds. They disliked mustards with superfluous ingredients such as xanthan gum, artificial flavors, and garlic and onion powders. But the more noteworthy factor turned out to be salt. Mustards with a meager quantity ranked low, while the winners contained roughly twice as much of this flavor amplifier. Our co-winners—a familiar "nasal-clearing" product and a newer, "poppier" product—make good pantry staples.

See the Results