The Best Vanilla Extract America’s Test Kitchen & Cooks Illustrated for 2021

Are you finding the best vanilla extract to create sweet treats for your friends and family? You are in the right place. We are going to share the top seven best vanilla extracts for you in today’s article. That said, before diving into this part, please take a quick look at the following information for a better understanding of vanilla extracts.

Let’s get the ball rolling.

What are the different types of vanilla extract?

Today, three key types of vanilla are available commercially. They are vanilla pompona, vanilla planifolia, and vanilla tahitiensis. Each kind of vanilla comes with its specific characteristics. 

The planifolia vanilla is popular around the world and is the most commonly produced. It is typically more plump and round in comparison with other types. That said, strong variations exist. Meanwhile, the Tahitian type comes with a more floral flavor and aroma. Its beans tend to be flat and wide, have less vanilla content, and are used in the perfumes. 

Reviews of the Best Vanilla Extract America’s Test Kitchen

Here are top rated Vanilla Extract on the market today by consumer reports

Simply Organic: best vanilla extract america’s test kitchen & cooks illustrated 

Our top pick up is a name from the famous brand Simple Organic. This vanilla extract is made from Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans and doesn’t have added sugar. Well, we are really impressed with its buttery smooth, subtle floral notes, and sweet flavor. These features make it great for sauces and desserts. Plus, this kind of vanilla is also widely used in savory dishes, DIY home care, and smoothies. 

Using this vanilla, you could rest assured that this is a real vanilla with no GMOs, sugar, or artificial color. It gains the certification of QAI and KSA for its quality. What makes it stand out among other options is a warm and drool-worthy aroma, along with deep amber color. It’s safe to say this vanilla actually delivers real and potent flavor POW!

That said, we found that it would be better if the bottle is not frustratingly idiotic. All of the vanilla extract runs along its bottle and drips off the bottom.

Pros:

• Safe guarantee with no sugar, GMOs, and fake color
• QAI and KSA certification for high quality
• Warm and drool-worthy aroma

Cons:

• Unusable bottle

Baker’s Imitation Vanilla Extract: top 2 america’s test kitchen

The runner up spot comes to Baker’s Imitation Vanilla. This option is made of 100% high-end ingredients. More importantly, it delivers a rich and strong vanilla taste, which will not freeze out or bake. 

Plus, there is a staple for both novices and professional bakers. You could add this vanilla to your cookies, cakes, or other baked goods. It’s a worthwhile investment. Though this option comes with many outstanding features, its price tag is quite affordable. You do not need to worry about your budget for this option. 

That said, we have to say. It does have a drawback that we want you to know. It’s about its aroma. Unlike its taste, the vanilla does not come with a strong scent of vanilla. It smells just like plastic, which is definitely a downside for us.

Pros:

• 100% premium ingredients
• Strong and rich taste
• Affordable choice

Cons:

• Light scent of vanilla

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract made its way to our list due to various reasons. Firstly, this vanilla extract utilizes a proprietary combination of selected vanilla beans. And it also undergoes a strict and unwavering quality standard process. 

Another highlight of this vanilla extract is that to make it, the brand carries out a proprietary cold extraction procedure to gently draw out and preserve over 300 flavor compounds of the vanilla. This leads to a classic and rich vanilla flavor, which you could enjoy in various types of food such as savory dishes and sweet treats. 

More importantly, this vanilla extract is surely free of GMOs, gluten, and allergens. You could totally rely on its quality. 

The only thing we want to note is that the Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Extract is slightly more expensive than that of other products in the range.

Pros:

• Strict and unwavering quality standards
• Classic and rich vanilla flavor
• Free of GMOs, gluten, and allergens

Cons:

• High price

McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract

McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract names on our list thanks to its premium quality. It is known that pure vanilla beans are grown with the best care and blended for constant flavor in every single unit. 

One more thing, this great vanilla extract contains essential baking ingredients, which enhance the flavors of meat sauces, baked goods, vinaigrettes, and marinades. And you will like it when knowing there is no gluten, GMOs, and corn syrup in the product. 

When it comes to safety, this option gains the certification of Kosher pareve by Orthodox Union. In short, this extract comes with a strong and floral-like sweetness with various hints of dried fruit, bourbon, and rum.

That said, its price is slightly higher than that of other products in the similar range.

Pros:

• High-quality vanilla beans
• Essential baking ingredients
• Kosher pareve certification

Cons:

• Slightly high price tag

Kirkland Signature Pure Vanilla Extract

Another outstanding vanilla extract available on today’s market is Kirkland Signature Pure, which is dissolved in a water/alcohol mixture to maintain its aroma and flavor. Taking a look at this extract, you will quickly see a signature color of brown. 

We are really impressed with this brown vanilla’s rich flavor, endowing all baking efforts with a smooth and sweet taste and a pleasant sensation. We believe that it will overwhelm your olfactory system. Regarding its safety, it contains no gluten and allergens as well.

And to preserve its flavor for a long time if you don’t use it often, the alcohol base will help deliver its extended shelf life.

But we have to say this vanilla does come with bad quality control of taste. That means it doesn’t deliver consistent great aroma and flavor.

Pros:

• Long-lasting flavor and taste
• Safety guarantee
• Natural ingredients

Cons:

• Poor-quality management

2 X Danncy Dark Pure Mexican Vanilla Extract 

The next name is a Mexican vanilla – Danncy Dark Pure Vanilla Extract. Packaged in a 33-oz bottle, this product is made from the finest ingredients from Mexico. Well, it is a true Mexican vanilla flavor. 

It is also a great choice for baking goods so that you could impress your family and friends with this vanilla. Its rich and deep flavor could definitely deliver superb results for drinks, foods, and cakes.

Moreover, it is a great addition to enhance the flavor of savory and sweet dishes like chocolate, meats, coffee, vegetables, and fruits. The last point we also like about this choice is its affordable cost. 

And like most of the previous products, this Danncy vanilla extract does have its own drawback. Well, it does not come with a great aroma. Thus, if you prefer a product that could deliver both good taste and aroma, you should skip this one.

Pros:

• Finest ingredients
• Rich and deep flavor
• Perfect for savory and sweet dishes

Cons:

• Non-captivating aroma

La Vencedora Mexican Vanilla Flavoring Extract

Well, this is a great neatly-packaged Mexican vanilla extract. La Vencedora Vanilla is carefully sealed to maintain its shelf life and definitely its flavor. 

We are pretty sure that it could deliver a sensational vanilla flavor to you that will compliment your pastries and dishes perfectly. This option retains a strong flavor and aroma that definitely satisfy you. And you could rest assured about its safety as it is made from natural sources of vanilla beans.

However, we should mention its additional sweetener to enhance its results.

Pros:

• Natural sources of vanilla beans
• Great aroma and flavor
• Good packaging

Cons:

• Additional sweetener

What to look for when choosing the best vanilla extract?

• Vanilla beans

You might not know this, but the best vanilla extract is made of high-end grade vanilla beans containing a high proportion of natural vanillin. 

• Sugar

Well, it would be best if your vanilla extract does not contain any sugar. That said, a small amount of sugar is acceptable. It could soften the vanilla’s harsh nose and offer a better aroma to the extract.

• No expiration date

Due to high alcohol content, a unit of vanilla extract will age for around 2 years and remain stable then. The best thing to do is to buy the next vanilla extract unit before your current bottle runs out. 

What type of vanilla beans are best for making extract?

In fact, Madagascar Bourbon is the most popular vanilla beans today. Another one is Mexican ones, followed by Tahitian vanilla beans. Each type comes with its specific subtle nuances as follows:

Madagascar Bourbon beans: Creamy, mellow, and sweet flavor with a long-lasting hint.

Mexican beans: Woody and sweet flavor, paired with spicy nuance of nutmeg and cloves.

Tahitian beans: floral-like aroma with caramel and licorice flavor hints.

FAQS

How much does vanilla extract cost?

It depends. But if we have to give the answer, it is about $20 on average for an 8oz bottle of pure vanilla extract. 

Why is vanilla extract so expensive?

The main reason why vanilla is quite pricey is that it is difficult to cultivate. Vanilla originates from Mexico, yet today’s ongoing deforestation has significantly lowered its habitat. And in Madagascar, the flowers of vanilla beans are being pollinated by hands. And more importantly, it takes several months for the pods to cure after a harvest.

What is the best vanilla extract?

It is the fact that the best vanilla extracts boil down to cost. A great vanilla extract isn’t cheap. And as it’s so expensive, many customers are likely to put it off by sticker shock.

Final Thoughts

This is all about our article about the best vanilla extract today. Briefly, the vanilla mentioned above extracts could meet almost all of your demands on cooking quite well. But if we have to choose the names that greatly outweigh other competitors, we would go for Simply Organic , Baker’s Imitation, and Nielsen-Massey Pure. It is because of their great taste and aroma, as well as completely natural and organic origin. 

Anyway, we hope that our article is helpful to you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to let us know. 

Thank you for reading.