I tried 3 different kinds of store-bought brown gravy, and the richest tasting was also the best value

Erin McDowellNov 20, 2020, 22:43 IST

I tested three different kinds of store-bought brown gravy to see which one was the best.Erin McDowell/Insider

Gravy is a must-have for potatoes, meat, and everything in between this holiday season, but making it from scratch can be a lot of work.
I decided to test out three different kinds of store-bought brown gravy to see which one was the best.
All three had very different textures and colors, but I ended up preferring the richest, most meat-like-tasting gravy from Knorr.

This Thanksgiving and holiday season, you might be wondering how store-bought instant gravy packets stack up against the homemade kind.

I decided to put three brands of brown gravy — Knorr, Big Y, and Better Than Gravy — to the test. After following the instructions on the packets, I compared them in terms of taste and consistency. I also tried the gravy with mashed potatoes to see how well the different types complemented the traditional holiday side.

Here's the best store-bought brown gravy I tried, ranked from worst to best.

The organic Better Than Gravy brown gravy was the most expensive mix I bought.

Better Than Gravy brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

A 1-ounce packet cost $2.39 at my local Big Y grocery store in Connecticut.

It was the thickest gravy I made.

Better Than Gravy brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

The instructions, like the other packets, were simple. All you need to make this gravy is water, a whisk or fork, and a stovetop pot.

It was the lightest color and took a little bit of maneuvering to whisk all the clumps out.

The instructions, like the other packets, were simple. All you need to make this gravy is water, a whisk or fork, and a stovetop pot.

It was the lightest color and took a little bit of maneuvering to whisk all the clumps out.

This gravy didn't taste as "meaty" as the other two, despite advertising that it included organic beef stock on the packet.

Better Than Gravy brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was also the sweetest gravy that I tried.

It worked well with mashed potatoes but tasted more similar to a turkey gravy than a rich brown gravy.

Better Than Gravy brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

I wasn't a huge fan of the slightly lumpy consistency and felt that the flavor fell short of my expectations.

The Big Y brand grown gravy mix was less expensive, but also included less mix.

Big Y brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

A .87-ounce packet cost $1.89 when I purchased it.

I was impressed by the store-brand mix's texture.

Big Y brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

It wasn't too lumpy or gloopy, but held its shape and wasn't too viscous either. It was slightly darker in color than the Better Than Gravy mix, making it a more traditional brown gravy in my eyes.

It was also slightly sweet, but well-balanced.

Big Y brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

I could still pick up notes of the beef stock.

The gravy was a pleasant addition to mashed potatoes — it was just the right consistency.

Big Y brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

After tasting this one, I decided to call it the "happy medium gravy." It wasn't too thick, too salty, too sweet, too lumpy, or too expensive. However, while I enjoyed the flavor, I was looking for a gravy that packed a little bit more of a punch in that department.

After tasting this one, I decided to call it the happy medium gravy. It wasn't too thick, too salty, too sweet, too lumpy, or too expensive. However, while I enjoyed the flavor, I was looking for a gravy that packed a little bit more of a punch in that department.

The best brown gravy mix I tried was from Knorr.

Knorr brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

Knorr's brown gravy contained the most mix in its package. A 1.2-ounce bag cost me $2.19.

The gravy was the darkest one I tried and also the second thickest.

Knorr brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

However, despite being quite thick, it wasn't lumpy or overpowering. I also noticed that a little bit of the gravy goes a long way — this one seemed like the best value to me.

This gravy tasted the most like beef.

Knorr brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

It was very rich-tasting and immediately transported me back to my childhood, where I would eat as much thick brown gravy around the holidays as I could get my hands on. It could only be described as the most comforting, stick-to-your-bones gravy I tried.

Paired with some mashed potatoes, this gravy truly blew me away.

Knorr brown gravy. Erin McDowell/Insider

It didn't exactly taste homemade, but I didn't mind that. I thought the flavor was powerfully delicious, the consistency just thick enough, and the value too good to pass up.

I tried 3 brands of store-bought mashed potatoes and Idahoan surprised me with its homemade-tasting, fluffy potatoes

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

I tried 3 different kinds of store-bought brown gravy, and the richest tasting was also the best value

The organic Better Than Gravy brown gravy was the most expensive mix I bought.

It was the thickest gravy I made.

This gravy didn't taste as "meaty" as the other two, despite advertising that it included organic beef stock on the packet.

It worked well with mashed potatoes but tasted more similar to a turkey gravy than a rich brown gravy.

The Big Y brand grown gravy mix was less expensive, but also included less mix.

I was impressed by the store-brand mix's texture.

It was also slightly sweet, but well-balanced.

The gravy was a pleasant addition to mashed potatoes — it was just the right consistency.

The best brown gravy mix I tried was from Knorr.

The gravy was the darkest one I tried and also the second thickest.

This gravy tasted the most like beef.

Paired with some mashed potatoes, this gravy truly blew me away.