We Tried 11 Hummus Brands and the Winner Was Abundantly Clear

Whether we’re dipping, dolloping, spreading, or spooning, The Kitchn team goes through A LOT of hummus (or hommus). Can you blame us? The creamy chickpea dip — in all its rich beige glory — is so good, it almost makes up for the existence of baby carrots. 

• Best Hummus: Ithaca Classic Hummus
• Runner-Up: Cedar’s Foods Original Hommus
• Honorable Mention: Esti Original Hummus

With no shortage of hummus brands to choose from and, in fact, new ones popping up on shelves each year, we set out to find the very best ones you can buy today. We selected a variety of well-known national name and store brands of classic-flavored hummus (no roasted garlic, no red pepper hummus — just the traditional stuff) that can be found at most grocery stores across the country. Each one was between $3 to $7 for similarly sized tubs at the time we purchased them. To round out the list of contenders, we asked editors for input, and looked at past taste tests, recent sales data, and new launches.

At first, it seemed like this would be the toughest taste test we’ve done so far. Unlike some of the other tests, where there were distinct visual differences that differentiated the lineup, all the bowls of hummus looked nearly identical. There were some textural differences, but they were minor. Everyone was curious (and maybe a little nervous) about how much the tastes would actually vary from brand to brand.

Turns out, it’s a lot. Although the winners ended up having a few things — brightness, creaminess, and a nice balanced flavor — in common. Let’s take a look.

In a sea of beige, Ithaca Classic Hummus is “the platonic ideal of hummus,” says Sofia, our associate lifestyle editor. Ola, our culinary assistant, is also “loving the color” and “viscosity.” Where you couldn’t smell much of anything with some other brands, Ithaca’s had a strong chickpea scent. 

It has a strong bean-y flavor and a “good balance of lemon and garlic,” says Alex, our editorial assistant (although some found it a bit too punchy or too bland — go figure!) A few tasters detected a hint of heat, likely from the crushed red pepper. It’s very mild, though, even for the spice-averse. And even though this hummus has a smooth taste, it also has great texture. It’s “nice and thick and luscious,” says Ola, who adds, “it’s giving I need to purchase.”

What’s So Great

• Smooth and thick
• Balanced flavor
• “The platonic ideal of hummus”

Good to Know

• N/A

Just four points shy of the top spot, Cedar’s Foods Original Hommus still “screams HUMMUS” to Brenda, our director of SEO & audience data. Similar to Ithaca, it has a “nice neutral coloring,” says Sofia. It also has a mild flavor and a “beautiful balance of acid and spices,” adds Ola, although we’d love a little more chickpea and lemon. 

In lieu of the citrus, this hommus is made with citric acid, which overwhelmed the flavor, giving it a half-sour pickle quality, according to one taster. But it gets rave reviews from multiple tasters for its creamy and “whipped airy texture,” says Alex — perhaps from the combination of oils (sunflower and olive) listed in the ingredients. 

What’s So Great

• Whipped airy texture
• More neutral flavor

Good to Know

• For some, too acidic

This hummus is so good, it converted one self-described brand loyalist. It’s ultra creamy — “smooth and whipped,” and “velvety” are just a few of the comments we heard from tasters. With one of the shorter ingredient lists — chickpeas, sesame tahini, sunflower oil, water, sea salt, garlic, pepper, and lemon juice concentrate — Esti Original Hummus “tastes like it just came out of the food processor,” says Mara, our senior groceries editor. 

Tasters were very much split on the flavor. For some, it’s a little on the mild side (even bland); others detect a robust lemony flavor (which they like!), and the tahini was both prominent and lacking, depending on who you ask. This 10-ounce tub inspired nearly as many ideas for how to serve it: drizzled with a good extra-virgin olive oil and sprinked with some za’atar, added to a chicken bowl, or brought as a plus one to a picnic with friends (perhaps, where you host an impromptu taste test and report back).

What’s So Great

• Ultra creamy
• Mind-changingly good

Good to Know

• To some, the flavor is too mild

We held a blind taste test of 11 hummus brands, focusing strictly on the OG varieties, and recruited eight longtime hummus-lovers who work at The Kitchn (so you know they’re qualified) to participate in an afternoon of tasting.

Each hummus was scooped into its own small ceramic bowl by Maya, our studio assistant, and placed in a larger bowl filled with ice to preserve freshness. To conceal the brands’ identities, Maya also assigned a letter to each hummus. Tasters were instructed to sample the hummus in random order, to avoid giving any one preferential treatment over the others. We also had pita chips and baby carrots, as well as water on hand for palate cleansing.

Tasters rated each of the hummus brands on a scale of one to five (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this hummus?

This was a blind taste test, which means tasters had no knowledge of the brands being evaluated ahead of or at the time of the tasting. It was held over one day and tasters were instructed to sample the hummus in random order (to stave off palate fatigue and not give any one brand an unfair advantage). The group of tasters included a combination of food professionals and hummus-lovers who work at The Kitchn. All participated in the taste test voluntarily, and we thank them for being so generous with their time and feedback. 

Speaking of, each taster filled out a score sheet (without discussion or influence) ranking the hummus across several criteria (listed above). The results were also tabulated without any visibility into the brands. Only after the numbers were finalized did we reveal which brands corresponded to the winners.

Did your favorite hummus make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.