I tried 4 beef hot dog brands and the best one had the most flavor and snap

I tried beef hot dogs from Applegate, Sabrett, Nathan's, and Ball Park. The packages of Sabrett, Nathan's, and Ball Park hot dogs each came with eight beef franks, while the Applegate package came with six hot dogs.

I've found that these are my favorite buns for hot dogs thanks to their perfectly soft texture and slightly sweet flavor.

The pack of six franks cost me $5.99 at my local Key Food grocery store, excluding taxes and fees. It was the second-least expensive brand I tried, behind Nathan's.

This smaller package count is definitely something to consider if you're planning for a large cookout.

I cooked all of the hot dogs at once to ensure they were all cooked the same amount of time.

When the Applegate hot dog was done cooking, I noticed that it was skinnier than the other brands. I wondered whether it would be less filling, or how the slightly thinner shape would affect the eating experience.

Right away, I noticed that this hot dog had a lot of flavor and the frank satisfyingly snapped in my mouth. The ketchup and mustard definitely came through but didn't overpower the hot dog's distinctly savory, beefy taste.

Despite being the thinnest dog, it also didn't taste like an unbalanced hot-dog-to-bun ratio. Every ingredient was perfectly complementary.

This was the most expensive brand I tried. A pack of eight hot dogs cost $7.49, excluding taxes and fees. Since it's a New York brand, I half-expected to pay a little less for a local product.

It fit perfectly inside the potato roll bun without hanging too much off of either end.

The only flavors that came through were from the ketchup and mustard — a distinct no-no in my book as far as hot dogs go. While the texture wasn't overly chewy, I thought it didn't have the distinct snap I often look for in a hot dog.

While it wasn't bad by any means, I didn't think this brand was worth the higher price tag.

The Ball Park pack of eight hot dogs cost me $6.79, excluding taxes and fees.

I also noticed that they cooked a lot faster than the other brands. While the other brands retained their red, crispy consistency in the pan, the Ball Park dogs quickly began to char and crisp up after only a minute or two of cooking.

I personally like really well-done, almost charred hot dogs, but it's something to keep in mind if you have different preferences.

I thought the hot dog had a nice, smokey flavor that was complimented well by the bun and condiments. The flavor came through, even though I wasn't crazy about what I thought was a slightly more rubbery texture.

Nathan's is a New York institution famous for its annual Coney Island hot dog eating contest on July 4. I managed to snag an eight-pack of these hot dogs on sale at my local Key Food. The original price was $8.69, but I managed to snag them for just $2.99, excluding tax.

It looked like a really classic hot dog you would eat on the pier in summertime: crispy on the outside, while still retaining that classic red hot dog color.

I needed water after just a few bites of this hot dog, and definitely couldn't imagine consuming dozens of them to win a contest. Overall, it was a flavorful hot dog with a slightly snappy texture, but the salty aftertaste made it nothing to call home about.

Nobody was more surprised than I that the organic brand ended up being the winner. Despite calling New York City home, neither Nathan's nor Sabrett deserved the win in my book.

I thought Applegate's hot dog, though thinner than the others, had the best flavor and texture. I also thought it was also a great value, despite being two dogs short. If I had to choose which hot dog brand to eat at my cookout, it would be Applegate hot dogs all the way.