Always Grab This Store-Bought Caesar Dressing: It's Better Than Ken's And Newman's Own

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It doesn't get much more classic than a Caesar salad — the romaine lettuce, the croutons, the shaved Parmesan. But the one thing that can really make or break a good Caesar salad is the dressing. It's not too hard to make homemade, but if you don't have the time or simply aren't interested, there are plenty of quality store-bought Caesar dressings out there to help liven up your salad.

To determine which are the best options, we tried 15 Caesar dressings and ranked them from worst to best. The winner here was Caesar Cardini's, which is fitting, as the brand is named after the chef who invented this iconic salad. A 20-ounce bottle sells for $6.29 at Kroger, making this brand a little pricier than competitors. But once you actually try it, you'll understand that an extra buck or two is totally worth it.

The Caesar Cardini's dressing is just the perfect combination of acidity, creaminess, Parmesan, and spices. We noted that, while creamy and rich, there's never a twinge of mayonnaise on your palate — which will make mayo haters rejoice, for sure. This brand really knows how to make a Caesar dressing that's perfectly balanced and in no way overpowering. It really does the Caesar Cardini name justice.

Over on Reddit and Facebook, plenty of people think that Caesar Cardini's dressing is legit. One Facebook thread opens with the question of which store-bought Caesar dressing is the best. Caesar Cardini's gets plenty of votes, with one Facebook commenter saying, "Cardini for sure. If you want the dressing that was invented by [Caesar] Cardini you buy Cardini's. It's the dressing that all others are based off of." Amazon customers give the dressing a 4.5 rating, with one Amazon customer calling the dressing a "precious secret" and saying that it's the "best Caesar salad dressing on the market."

If you can't find the dressing in your local stores, you can purchase it on Amazon. Just note that it's a bit pricier at $9.99 for a 12-ounce bottle. Some other Caesar dressings we thought highly of were the Walmart brand Great Value, as well as Newman's Own — which also makes a delicious Italian dressing. Both are solid options, but they really don't hold a candle to Caesar Cardini's. It's, as the kids say, absolute fire.

So we can thank Caesar Cardini himself for discovering the glory of Caesar dressing way back in 1924. And we can thank his namesake brand for continuing on with that legacy by producing an outstanding Caesar dressing. If you're looking for that perfect finish to your salad — and don't feel like making a homemade dressing — Caesar Cardini's has you covered.