The Popular Ranch Dressing That's Seriously Lacking In Flavor

Born from a popular brand, the Kraft classic ranch dressing may catch your eye. The innovative blue bottle label with colorful veggies illuminating its front is pretty inviting. But up against 14 other store-bought ranch dressings, we ranked Kraft's ranch dressing second last. It was unlike the nostalgia-inducing Kraft's mac and cheese that we rate highly, and it failed to execute robust ranch dressing flavors like the higher-ranking brands.

The reason it pays to use ranch dressing to enhance scrambled eggs or switch up potato salad is its natural tang and sourness. Now imagine that instead of a vibrancy in your ranch dressing you're met with a flat, insipid flavor. This was the case with Kraft's ranch dressing when Tasting Table's Neala Broderick sampled it. Although it delivered its signature bite that we appreciate, Kraft's ranch dressing was slightly bland, and the little zing it did offer quickly fizzled out to usher in an unpleasant aftertaste.

Specifically, the herbaceous element was lacking. Unlike Trader Joe's buttermilk ranch dressing teeming with herbaceous essence, there was no garlic, parsley, or dill to enhance Kraft's beautifully creamy condiment. So naturally, we'll always stock up on Trader Joe's as opposed to Kraft's ranch dressing. This is such a shame because Kraft makes it easy to squeeze the contents from its bottle, yet the product itself isn't worth the squeeze.

If you already have a bottle of Kraft's ranch dressing, don't despair. It's not the best option out there but it can still shine next to dipping foods that don't need much besides a subtle tang and creamy companion. Capsicum sticks, crudités, or spicy chicken puffs are a few examples of such foods. You might even appreciate the mild nature of Kraft's ranch dressing that doesn't compete for attention next to bold flavors. Alternatively, we have a way you can elevate the herb taste of ranch dressing with one ingredient you probably already have.

That said, Kraft's low score for flavor doesn't diminish its beautiful consistency that excelled even that of our top contender's. So if you have a bottle, at least be glad about that. Its lovely creamy texture makes Kraft's ranch dressing versatile enough to use as a dip or dressing. No watery hodge-podge that barely sticks to your salad, and it's not a gloopy globbed texture that's stubborn like mayo. If anything, you have the most basic, maybe boring, of ranch dressings to work with but once you successfully enhance its taste, you might wind up with a condiment that ranks high with zesty flavor and a wonderful consistency.