8 Store-Bought Dijon Mustard Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

There is a type of mustard out there for every palate. Yellow mustard is for the people who love an acidic tang, honey mustard is for those who want a touch of sweetness with their savory dishes, and Dijon is for diners who want to add some complexity to their meal. It's a condiment that has a rich history that reaches from Egypt and the Middle East to France. There, mustards seed were combined with grape must left over from wine production, setting the precedent for the mustard we know today. 

When you walk down the condiment aisle at the grocery store, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of mustard brands. Not only are there a slew of mustards in general, but there may be several different brands of Dijons available. How do you choose which brand to grab? I tasted my way through several different store-bought Dijon mustards to see which brands are the best and which should be left on the shelf. I tasted these mustards both alone and on a piece of sourdough bread to see how they stacked up against each other in terms of their flavor and texture. 

If you take a look at Whole Foods' 365 organic Dijon mustard's ingredients list, you'll see that the first listed ingredient is apple cider vinegar. That vinegar flavor will hit you the second you taste it. Instead of just resulting in a pleasant tang, that specific apple cider vinegar flavor cuts through everything else in the mustard. It tastes out of place — like it shouldn't be there. I wished the flavors were better integrated. 

The color of this mustard is notably darker than all the others I tried, which I assume is due to the recipe's unique blend of spices. All those spices, though, just can't compete with the strong vinegar note, which is what earned this mustard its last-place spot. Most of the mustards on this list are decent at least, but this is one I will personally be actively avoiding.

Hate Dijon mustard? You're not alone. It can kind of be a polarizing flavor, especially if you're more used to yellow or honey mustard. If you fit into the Dijon-hater category, there's a chance that you'd actually like French's chardonnay Dijon mustard, since it doesn't have that distinct Dijon flavor. Maybe there's a whisper of those intense flavors, but ultimately, this mustard is relatively bland and dull — as bland and dull as a vinegar-based condiment can be, that is. If this brand is all you can find, it's not going to ruin any recipe you use it in, but it would never be my first choice of Dijon.

Other than that lack of flavor, there's nothing really wrong with this brand of mustard. But since I already know that French's does yellow mustard so well, I'm going to stick with them for that and look elsewhere to get my Dijon fix.

Sometimes, store-brand products are the way to go. They're usually cheaper than their name-brand counterparts, and sometimes, they deliver the same level of quality. That's not the case with Signature Select's Dijon mustard, though. The main issue I have with this mustard is its wateriness. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this cheap product lists water as its first ingredient, and the texture definitely reflects that. It was the only bottle of Dijon I opened that leaked when I first tried to squeeze it out. Signature Select landed itself in the bottom three for that fact alone.

That being said, the flavor of this mustard was pretty good, and it had a surprising complexity. I'm not privy to the specific spices used in this recipe, but it almost tastes like there's notes of baking spices. Plus, this brand contains white wine, which also came as a surprise considering its price point. If you're looking for a cost-effective option, Signature Select may be the way to go. Otherwise, keep reading for brands that really blow it out of the water ... without the watery gunk.

When you just want an easy, basic, store-bought Dijon mustard that doesn't cost too much, you can head to Target to check out Market Pantry's Dijon mustard. This mustard tastes about as basic as can be. It has that signature acidic tang, savory saltiness, and complexity from the mustard seeds, in addition to a deeper flavor from the addition of white wine. I loved that I could actually taste the white wine, which isn't something I could say for the other brands. Is it anything special? No, not really. But will it do its job and make your sandwich, salad dressing, or wrap taste better? Sure!

For those who are looking for a good quality-to-price ratio, Market Pantry's Dijon mustard is certainly worth checking out. However, it's not really worth making a special trip for; it's something you can just grab during your normal Target run.

Some people are super sensitive to salt, or they don't like the flavor. Others, though, can't get enough salt, and will always season their food right before eating it. If you consider yourself the former, then you'll likely want to steer clear of O Organics Dijon mustard. However, if you're the person who wants everything to be saltier, then there's a good chance that you're really going to enjoy this brand.

O Organic's mustard is especially salty, which definitely makes it more delicious when it's on a sandwich or a piece of bread. But, that makes it less appealing when it's eaten alone. Unless you plan on going at your Dijon mustard with a spoon, though, it's probably not a big concern for you. Plus, as the name suggests, this product is made with organic ingredients, which may be preferable to some consumers. 

You may not be able to grab five different kinds of Dijon mustard at your local Trader Joe's, but the fact that it has one good option makes up for it. This is one of my favorite mustard brands because of just how balanced the condiment is. It offers bright, acidic notes, but that acidity isn't overwhelming. Rather, it plays well with the slight spice from the mustard seeds. That spice is mild and approachable, but it has enough of a kick that it keeps things more interesting than some of the other brands on this list. And although this brand lists water as the first ingredient in the recipe, the texture is nice and creamy with no unsightly wateriness to be found.

So, what is this Dijon mustard missing? Well, it just doesn't have the same complexity as some of its competitors. That being said, this is a delicious Dijon, and you'd be lucky to eat it with whatever you're craving.

When you want a Dijon mustard that really gives you a kick of flavor, you need to turn to Grey Poupon. This is undoubtedly one of the most well-recognized Dijon mustard brands in the country. Although it seems very fancy, it's actually available for a very reasonable price point. And, when you consider the fact that it really is one of the better mustards on the market, you'll realize you need to have some in your fridge at all times.

Out of all the mustards I tried for this ranking, Grey Poupon was the spiciest of them all. That doesn't mean that this mustard is actively spicy. Rather, it has that mustard-y spice that easily awakens your taste buds. There's a lot of intensity here, which makes for an ultra-flavorful sandwich or salad dressing. Of course, you can always snag your Grey Poupon in the classic glass jar, but it's even easier to handle in its plastic squirt bottle.

Looking for the best of the best Dijon? Well, look no further than Maille's Dijon Originale. This was my favorite brand by far for a few reasons. First of all, it embraced simplicity. Some of the other brands tried to do too much and added strange flavors that resulted in an unbalanced product. Other brands kept things too tame and boring, which yielded so-so mustards. But Maille seems to walk the line between the two extremes. The intensity is not nearly as pronounced as it is in the Grey Poupon, but there's a profound complexity to this Maille's product that makes it worth trying. There's also a note of fruitiness in this mustard that I didn't taste in any of the others.

Maille sells a variety of Dijon mustards, so you should give them all a try if you're dedicated to tasting the best mustards out there. But if you want to keep things simple, just stick with the Dijon Originale, and you'll never be disappointed with a sandwich again.

I selected these Dijon mustard brands based on local availability. I opted for smooth, not seedy, versions of all brands. To avoid dulling any of the flavors in these condiments, I tasted them at room temperature, both on their own and with a piece of sourdough bread. I wanted to see how they tasted with no interfering flavors and also how they would perform in a typical use scenario.

The brands were ranked by both flavor and texture. Brands with more complex, nuanced flavors ranked higher than those with simpler flavor profiles.