How we test food and drink
Rebecca has been leading our food and drink testing for over five years. She oversees rigorous blind taste tests of more than 250 products a year, covering everything from olive oil and chocolate to wine and champagne. And yes, she does sometimes get the leftovers.
Every year, we put more than 250 products through blind taste tests – from everyday baked beans to luxury champagne – to separate the best from the rest.
Last year alone, we discovered more than 70 Best Buy and Great Value products.
Our taste test recommendations are completely independent. We’re funded by Which? members and buy everything we test, while rigorous blind tasting ensures brand names never sway the scores or influence the results.
See all of the best food and drink from our independent taste tests
How our taste tests work
All our taste tests are strictly run as blind tests, so testers don't know which product or brand they're trying.
Tasters are given set criteria to rate each product on, as well as a standardised rating scale. Products are served without any identifying branding for the tasters to try, in a rotated order (which is different for each person).
We’re not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. As a not-for-profit organisation, we have no owners, shareholders or government departments to answer to, so we work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else.
Read our full statement of editorial independence.
Expert panel taste tests
For premium food and drink, we call in the big guns. From pastry chefs and chocolatiers to masters of wine, we recruit top-tier experts to put high-end products to the ultimate test.
To keep things completely unbiased, every panelist samples products in a different order, with no idea which brand they’re tasting. If there's a chance that a product logo or shape could give the game away, on goes a blindfold.
After tasting, the panel discusses the results, resolves any score splits, and agrees on which products truly deserve a Best Buy. Only when the final verdicts are locked in do we reveal the brands.
Sam Caporn MW (Master of Wine), Which? wine expert, says:
'The only way to rigorously and fairly judge wine is to taste it blind. I love tasting like this as it is so fascinating. You have no idea what the wines are and the results are always really exciting to see – the Which? tastings are up there as my very favourite tastings, especially as they are so commercially relevant.'
Looking for expert-recommended picks? Check out the best olive oil, the best ground coffee and the best red wine
Taste tests - in action
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A large collection of images displayed on this page are available at https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/food-and-drink/article/how-we-test-food-and-drink-ae5Zo8P1Zzh3
Consumer taste tests
For everyday staples, where crowd-pleasing flavour is key, we run taste tests with large panels of at least 60 consumers.
Just like our expert panels, every sample is served blind and in a rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester has a private tasting booth so they can’t discuss what they're tasting or be influenced by others.
Once results are in, our in-house statistics team crunches the numbers, running statistical analysis to identify significant differences between product ratings. Only the highest-scoring products are awarded our Best Buy rating.
How we choose the products
We start planning taste tests months in advance, gathering insights on wider market trends as well as feedback from supermarkets, brands and our members. Regular surveys tell us which tests members are most keen to read about.
Each taste test is thoroughly scoped out, to make sure we're testing comparable products. Once we've narrowed down the product list and confirmed the products will remain on the market, we start buying samples for testing. We purchase the majority of samples in store, just as a consumer would. For our Christmas taste tests, we order directly from the supermarkets so we can test products before they hit the supermarket shelves. Some tests require lots of samples – last Christmas we needed 40kg of Christmas puddings!
Things don't always go to plan. Whether it's receiving products already past their expiry date or chocolate samples melting during a heatwave, we've learnt it pays to be prepared for anything.
Lauren Temple, Which? food & drink principal market analyst, says:
'My job is to ensure we are covering the products of most interest to our members and that any test line-up is a fair comparison. I check with supermarkets and brands to confirm that the products are due to remain available and unchanged at the time of publication, so that you don't have any issues tracking down our Best Buys in the shops.'
Best Buys and Great Values: what our verdicts mean
The top-rated products in each test get our Best Buy seal of approval. But we know value is important too, so we're always on the lookout for products that taste great and cost less – we highlight these with our Great Value badge.
We've found lots of great supermarket picks that will help your money go further without compromising on taste, whether you're stocking up on everyday essentials or want to get your money's worth on premium products.
Making healthier choices
We understand that health is an important factor for many people when choosing which food and drink products to buy. Our taste tests cover a wide variety of products, including healthier options as well as popular staples – some of which may be high in fat, sugar or salt.
Many of our taste tests feature a quote from our in-house Which? nutrition expert, explaining key health benefits and things to watch out for. We also include a nutritional information table alongside our taste test results, to help you make an informed decision.
From gut health and nutrition apps to vitamin and mineral supplements, read our latest health and nutrition advice guides.
Our taste test experts: meet the team
Running our test projects is a group effort, with several members from across the team contributing to each one. Here's the team that makes it happen:
- Food, health & wellbeing editor Sarah Joan Ross: Sarah ensures you get clear, actionable answers to your biggest food and health questions. She shapes compelling stories that cut through the noise – empowering you to make smarter, healthier choices everyday. She also edits Which? taste tests, helping you to choose the best products for your table – from drizzling the tastiest extra-virgin olive oils over your salads to finding the best bangers for your BBQ.
- Senior researcher & writer Rebecca Marcus: Rebecca transforms complex data and expert comments into unbiased recommendations, separating the delicious from the disappointing. She ensures our methodology meets rigorous testing standards, so Which? members can be confident they’re buying the best.
- Principal market analyst Lauren Temple: keeping a close eye on food and drink trends, Lauren carefully curates test line-ups, ensuring every product comparison is completely fair. Working directly with supermarkets and brands, she verifies availability behind the scenes – so when you spot a Which? Best Buy, it’s guaranteed to be waiting in the aisles.