A boxed mac-and-cheese fanatic blind taste-tested nine different varieties, and ranked them. In the end, Walmart’s “Great Value” box came out on top, while Banza, which has noodles made of chickpeas, came in last.
Here’s how they stacked up, along with the cost of each:
1. Walmart Great Value . . . He says, “It’s my hands-down winner, regardless of price point . . . but if you add in the fact that a box costs mere cents, I’ll have a hard time ever buying anything else.” Price per box: $0.34. Not a typo.
2. Velveeta . . . “There will always be Velveeta haters . . . but in my opinion, this stuff is just indescribably delicious.” Price: $3.59.
3. Kraft Deluxe . . . “A rich, creamy sauce that packs in a whole lot of flavor makes this ‘deluxe’ version of Kraft’s classic mac worth every penny.” Price: $3.59.
4. Annie’s Original . . . “Sometimes the classics really do reign supreme.” Price: $3.19.
5. Trader Joe’s . . . “Is it perfect? No. But it’s certainly a solid choice, especially at its very budget-friendly price point.” Price: $0.99.
6. Annie’s Grassfed . . . “I had high hopes for the ‘grass-fed’ version of the classic Annie’s I’ve always loved, so I’m sad to report that not a SINGLE element here was exciting.” Price: $3.29.
7. Kraft Original . . . “For nostalgic reasons, I’ll never quit you, Kraft . . . but yikes, was your mac-and-cheese always this basic?” Price: $1.00.
8. Whole Foods 365 . . . “The price may be more or less right, especially for an organic option . . . but the flavor couldn’t have been more WRONG.” Price: $1.49.
9. Banza . . . This is a gluten-free brand where the pasta is made out of CHICKPEAS. He said, “When it’s served in a deeply flavorful sauce, that bean-y taste can be more or less masked. Since their cheese sauce was subpar at best, all that chickpea flavor was the first thing to hit my taste buds.” Price: $3.99.
