I’ve eaten a lot of bacon over the years, and honestly, not all of it deserves a spot in your shopping cart. Some brands just don’t deliver what you’re paying for. They’re too salty, way too fatty, or they shrink down to basically nothing in the pan. After trying these brands and comparing them to what actual butchers recommend, I mean, the differences are pretty obvious.
Sugardale is a total disappointment
Sugardale bacon looks promising in the package. The strips seem thick and substantial. But once you start cooking them, everything falls apart. The texture never gets right—it stays chewy no matter how long you leave it in the pan. And the flavor is just bland. I’ve served this at breakfast before and watched people leave half their strips on the plate. Not a good sign. The price seems attractive at around $10 for 40 ounces, but honestly, you’re not saving money if nobody wants to eat it. The strips cook so unevenly that some parts burn while others stay undercooked. Why does this keep happening with certain brands?
Aberdeen Farms has terrible consistency
The slicing on Aberdeen Farms bacon is all over the place. You’ll get paper-thin pieces mixed with super thick ones in the same package. It’s basically impossible to cook evenly. The fat-to-meat ratio leans way too heavily toward grease, which means your pan turns into an oil slick. And the salt level is through the roof. After trying these, I couldn’t justify buying them again even though the price point seems budget-friendly at first. Your taste buds deserve better than this inconsistent mess.
Why Plumrose doesn’t work
Plumrose markets itself as hickory smoked, but the smoky flavor never comes through. What you get instead is greasy strips that refuse to cook properly. The edges burn before the centers are done. I mean, that’s pretty much the worst-case scenario for bacon. I’ve noticed the strips shrink down to almost nothing—they go from normal-sized to bacon bits in minutes. The sodium content hits 300mg per serving too, which is a lot considering the lackluster taste. At least other high-sodium options actually deliver on flavor.
Jimmy Dean bacon misses completely
Jimmy Dean makes decent breakfast sausage, so I had hopes for their bacon. Those hopes didn’t last long. The flavor tastes kind of artificial and chemical-y, which is weird for something that should be straightforward pork and smoke. And it’s way too salty—we’re talking 340mg of sodium per serving. The grease factor is out of control. Every time I’ve cooked this brand, the pan looks like someone poured oil into it. But here’s the thing—people consistently choose other foods on the plate over this bacon. That tells you everything.
The strips also have this strange texture that’s simultaneously too crispy on the edges and oddly chewy in the middle. Does anyone actually prefer bacon like this? I’ve tried cooking it different ways to see if technique was the problem, but the results stay pretty much the same. Not worth it.
Jones Dairy Farm Canadian bacon falls flat
If you’re a fan of Canadian bacon, skip the Jones Dairy Farm version. The rounds look pale and processed, lacking any of the juiciness that makes this style worthwhile. Each slice has this uniform appearance that screams factory processing. The flavor is basically nonexistent—just bland pork circles with no depth. And at 300mg sodium per serving, you’re getting all the salt without any of the payoff. I served this once at a holiday brunch and immediately regretted it when guests started asking for “real bacon” instead. That’s embarrassing.
Smithfield Hometown shrinks too much
Smithfield bacon does this disappearing act that’s honestly impressive in the worst way. The strips start out paper-thin and then shrink down even more as they cook. You’re left with these tiny pieces that don’t satisfy anyone. The grease released during cooking makes cleanup a nightmare—we’re talking serious scrubbing required. The texture swings between overly crisp and weirdly chewy with no middle ground. I mean, consistency matters when you’re cooking bacon. After trying these, my teenager actually asked if we could switch back to our regular brand. When teenagers notice poor quality, that’s saying something.
The flavor profile doesn’t help either. It’s sort of one-note salty without the smoky depth that makes bacon worth eating. Basically, you can do better for the same price point.
Hormel Brown Sugar crosses a line
There’s adding a sweet element to bacon, and then there’s whatever Hormel did with their brown sugar thick cut version. The sweetness is so overwhelming it masks any actual pork flavor. It’s like they couldn’t decide if they were making bacon or candy. The sodium hits a whopping 460mg per serving—that’s nearly 20% of your daily recommended intake in just two slices. And honestly, the cloying coating is too much. I watched people at a brunch gathering discreetly wipe off the excess sugar with napkins. Not exactly the reaction you want. Save the sugar for your coffee and skip this confused bacon experiment.
Great Value proves price isn’t everything
Walmart’s Great Value bacon seems like a money-saver at around $5 per package. But the quality is so inconsistent that one package might be acceptable while the next tastes like fatty rubber bands. The flavor lacks any complexity—just one-dimensional saltiness without the smokiness that makes bacon worth the calories. I’ve bought this during tight budget weeks, thinking I could make it work. The disappointment never justifies the savings though. The excessive grease and bland taste make this an easy pass. Anyway, spending a couple dollars more gets you bacon that people actually want to eat.
The fat content seems to vary wildly too, which affects how the strips cook. Some packages have way too much fat while others are oddly lean. You can’t predict what you’re getting.
What butchers actually recommend instead
Professional butchers look for totally different things than most of us do. They want thick cuts that won’t overcook easily, firm texture that indicates less water and more actual bacon, and a good meat-to-fat ratio. The ingredients list matters too—shorter is better. When experts were asked which brands they’d buy, Benton’s Hickory Smoked Country Bacon came out on top. It’s dry-cured for three weeks and smoked for two to three days straight. That’s the kind of traditional technique that actually makes a difference. And the smoky flavor really carries through in recipes, which is pretty important if you’re using bacon as an ingredient rather than just eating strips on their own.
Other solid options include Nueske’s Applewood Smoked and Wright Brand, both of which consistently deliver on quality. But here’s what nobody talks about—the worst bacon brands share common problems. They’re too salty, too greasy, or they shrink down to nothing. After comparing multiple rankings, the patterns become super clear. Stick with brands that use minimal ingredients and traditional smoking methods. Your breakfast will thank you.
