9 English Muffin Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

English muffins are, perhaps, one of the better bread-based inventions. There's truly no better way to start a morning than toasting one up and slathering it with a spread of your choice, be it jam, peanut butter, or class butter. And they're not just for breakfast — no, they are much more versatile than that. There are plenty of unique ways to use an English muffin, like using it in place of regular bread for a grilled cheese sandwich, or even using it to make mini pizzas.

But which brand of English muffins is best? There are truly so many to choose from. In addition to the name brands, most grocery stores also have their own version — and some of them are surprisingly good. Regardless, it's time to find out, once and for all, which brand of English muffin reigns supreme. To keep things fair, we tried only the plain (white) version of each brand, rather than whole wheat or specialty options. Based on our findings, these are how nine English muffin brands rank against each other.

Udi's white English muffins are gluten-free, which usually doesn't bother me at all. And it's not that these English muffins are terrible — they're just disappointing and sort of plain. First of all, they are so incredibly thin that there's not much to have an opinion about at all. And while the outside is crisp and the inside is doughy (which is the perfect English muffin scenario), there's simply not enough of the inside to enjoy.

The flavor is best described as "general bread". Actually, when toasted, they sort of taste like a more dense (and hard) hamburger bun. If these were my only option, I'd still eat them, but compared to every other brand on this list, they are the least remarkable. These should be called bread discs, rather than English muffins. That said, the moment you add spread to them, they become floppy, somehow? Adding just a little bit of butter turns the hard bread disc soft. It's a very confusing experience. Perhaps Udi's other English muffin flavors are better than the plain ones, but based on these alone, it's a pass from me.

The best store-bought white bread might be at Trader Joe's, but unfortunately, we can't say the same about the plain English muffins. Right out of the package, they are supremely annoying as they are not fork-split. And not only do you have to use a knife, but they also don't cut very easily. The bread is floppy yet dense. Bread debris gets everywhere, no matter how hard you try. I'm not sure if this is an anomaly or if it's standard for the classic English muffins at Trader Joe's — I am a frequent buyer of the wheat version of them and never have those been this frustrating.

When toasted, however, they at least taste pretty good. They're not too thin and have a good texture going on, with an appropriately crispy outside and softer middle. I do wish they were a little thicker, but at least it's not as bad as Udi's (and they are better taste-wise). They're sort of boring and basic, but for a price of around $1.99, you get what you're paying for. These are generic, but passable. Perhaps avoid buying this particular bread at Trader Joe's. The wheat version is much better.

Great Value Original Fork-Split English Muffins are straight to the point, in that they are definitely an English muffin — there's no doubt about that. And yes, they do split with a fork, thankfully, so no lies there on the packaging. There's a good amount of nooks and crannies going on, and they're pretty defined, giving the spread of your choice plenty of places to sink in. This type of thoughtfulness makes all the difference when it comes to a more standard English muffin like this one.

It's a basic choice, not as flavorful as the ones to come. However, those distinct nooks and crannies give it the edge against the previous two entries and stop it from tasting cheap. Plus, it's not overly thin and has some substance to it. Great Value's English muffins might be generic, but they get the job done at a lower price than the rest of the bunch. Plus, each one has 1 gram of fiber, which is more than you can usually ask for with English muffins.

No fork or knife needed for Bays Original English Muffins. These bad boys pop right apart with ease, as they come pre-sliced. That's right, somebody already cut your English muffin for you, and you don't need to lift a finger — sort of makes you feel like a princess. Out of the toaster, they are a pretty ideal-looking English muffin and smell really good. The ideal ratio is there too, as the outside is crisp, the inside soft (if a little too soft in some parts).

This softness is what keeps it right in the middle, because as good as this English muffin is otherwise, it's very doughy in places, even after being cooked. In the middle, it feels a tad uncooked, even on the thicker of the two bread discs. I will say that the doughiness gets more enjoyable as you continue to eat it, however. Yes, pieces of it taste like you're eating dough, but I sort of ... started to like that? It was such an opposite texture from the crisp outside, and I appreciated it more as I continued to chew. This may be off-putting to some, but for me, Bays Original English Muffins are little freaks – and I like that. This is a solid, yet polarizing, English muffin (and, frankly, a journey).

Thomas is the most commercial brand of English muffins, and perhaps the most readily available brand at most stores. They also come in many different flavors, all of which are better than the Original English Muffins, sadly. It feels almost wrong to place the so-called king of the English muffins at number five, but the taste buds judge how they judge — and while these English muffins are perfectly fine and good (the English muffin standard to many, even), they are not the best out there. They are actually kind of boring. 

They're definitely better than the basic ones, including all of the previous brands. The nooks and crannies are great, just as advertised in all the ads. They're very messy — when toasted, flakes get everywhere, no matter how careful you are. The top of the English muffin tastes great without anything on it, but the bottom half is kind of whatever. It feels blasphemous to say, but Thomas' Original English muffins are simply too bland — not bad, and still a fine choice overall, technically, but mostly unremarkable. Literally every other flavor that Thomas offers is better and might top a similar list, but not the plain one. 

Immediately upon opening Sprouts Original English Muffins, I was annoyed. You can't split these English muffins open without a knife. They are very fussy. They're actually not cut at all, despite appearing to be. When you do use a knife, they sort of trick you by starting to fall apart with ease mid-slice. This might lead you to believe that you can stop cutting and use your hands – do not. It will break and suddenly crumble. It's infuriating. I was prepared to loathe this brand. I definitely didn't trust it — the dough was clearly inconsistent, thick and hard in parts and soft and floppy in others.

This English muffin had the biggest redemption arc of them all, though. I am shocked to inform you that they have a singular pleasantness about them when toasted that actually makes up for how annoying they were at first. They toast so incredibly well that they look like English muffin perfection and actually taste good on their own, without anything on them. The taste is simply "bread" but elevated, almost. They are fluffy in the middle (on both sides, a rarity) and very chewy. On the outside, they have the perfect crisp. I so badly wanted to dislike these for making me mad at first, but they really proved themselves at the end, which is why they take the number four spot.

Like other grocery stores, Whole Foods has its own brand of English muffins. And for a store's generic version of English muffins, 365 by Whole Foods Market Classic English Muffins are surprisingly excellent and of high quality. This is in total contrast to how they appear, by the way: There are no nooks and crannies. They essentially look like two hockey pucks when split open — like two flat discs.

When they pop out of the toaster, however, the story changes. They are definitely the chewiest of all the English muffin brands in the best possible way. There is a fantastic, albeit oddly smooth, crunch on the outside. When you take a bite, the competing textures are so pleasant together. The extreme chew really elevates the entire experience. This English muffin has a hidden substance to it that is refreshing and proves that looks can be deceiving. Don't sleep on plain English muffins by 365. They are a true gem of a product and round out the top three brands.

I'm not normally a fan of Oroweat, but the Extra Crisp English Muffins really knock it out of the park. First of all, they're not flat-tops like some other Oroweat English muffin flavors. Also, unlike its siblings, this kind is very flaky, which really beefs up the whole experience. As advertised, Oroweat Extra Crisp English Muffins go above and beyond, crisp-wise. And as it turns out, a little extra crisp really goes a long way when it comes to a good English muffin.

In addition to the pleasant crisp, these English muffins also just really taste great on their own. It's a heightened English muffin taste that doesn't even need anything added on top (though you probably still should because it'll taste all the more better). And while it's crispy, it's not stiff or hard, which is appreciated (and not always the case with other brands, including some on this list). Overall, this is a sturdy and trustworthy English muffin choice and, for this, it takes the runner-up spot. 

And here we have it, folks – the undeniable actual king of the English muffins. Dave's Killer Bread Killer Classic English Muffins are, by far, the best plain English muffins out there. It may not seem like it at first glance, as there aren't many traditionally prominent nooks and crannies covering the tops of them, and they're not really flaky at all. However, the taste and texture make up for this completely.

Dave's Killer Bread Killer Classic English Muffins challenge what English muffins "should" look like and show that it's totally possible to create a flat-top English muffin with a ton of substance. They are so flavorful and can be eaten on their own or with a spread (seriously, they're that good). The texture is nothing short of amazing, with a perfect crunchiness and a can't-be-beat chew. It does what all of the other brands are trying to do when attempting to create an English muffin with the perfect crunch-to-chew ratio. Bravo to this English muffin. 

These English muffins were ranked by taste, texture, and overall experience. I personally eat an English muffin every single day for breakfast, so while I'm not technically an expert, I sort of am, actually. Despite many of the brands offering a variety of English muffin flavors, all of the ones on this list were white and plain (and therefore similar enough to compare to each other). After all, you can't compare a plain English muffin to, say, a cinnamon raisin one. That wouldn't be fair at all.