Ina Garten Prefers One Store-Bought Condiment Over A Homemade Version

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Foodies fans celebrate and internalize Ina Garten's unofficial catchphrase: "Store-bought is fine." The celebrity gourmand has built an empire on championing accessibility in the home kitchen. Everyday home cooks, says Garten, shouldn't have to forego high-quality culinary art. In fact, according to the Barefoot Contessa, some kitchen staples are even better store-bought than homemade, including mayonnaise.

In a 2015 interview with The New York Times, Garten calls mayonnaise "basically a sauce that makes other things taste better," and for the tastiest flavor, her go-to brand is Hellmann's. Even the buttermilk herb mayo recipe published in Garten's 2018 cookbook "Cook Like a Pro" begins with "1 cup good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's." "Mayonnaise is one of those things people think will taste better if you make your own," Garten tells the outlet. "I don't think that's the case. If it's perfectly good prepared, why bother?" Indeed, "bother" is the key word when it comes to making a batch of homemade mayo.

The condiment is an emulsion, meaning it combines oil and water (which ordinarily do not mix). To successfully execute an emulsion, the ingredients must be added slowly while quickly mixing nonstop. If that sounds like a lot of work and finicky technique, it's because it is. Texturally, mayo is so persnickety that Costco's creative team actually pulled the plug on developing Kirkland mayo before the product ever hit shelves. Skip the extra steps, advises Garten, and leave laborious mayo-making to the retailers.

It might come as a surprise that a famous epicure like Ina Garten would swear by such a widely accessible, well-known product. But Hellmann's boasts the unique distinction of being labeled as "real" mayonnaise, meaning that — in accordance with FDA regulations — it contains both a vegetable oil and an egg product (in this case, egg yolks). No added emulsifiers here. In total, Hellmann's ingredients list numbers just 10: Soybean oil, water, whole eggs, distilled vinegar, egg yolks, salt, sugar, lemon juice concentrate, "natural flavors," and calcium disodium EDTA.

Here at Tasting Table, Duke's is our favorite brand of store-bought mayo, for the record. But, in our definitive ranking of 13 popular mayo brands, Hellmann's also drew high marks. Also happily, at a Walmart in Chicago, a 30-ounce jar of Hellmann's mayo costs $5.98, offering a more affordable price point than many competitor brands without sacrificing quality. If you live on the West Coast, the same product is sold under the name "Best Foods." But, for the East Hampton-based chef, Hellmann's mayo is the ultimate tool for the job. According to the Times, while she enjoys it on its own, the Barefoot Contessa sometimes also doctors up her store-bought Hellmann's with a splash of white wine, lemon juice, herbs, or Dijon mustard for more dimensionality. Craving another taste of accessibility-forward inspiration? We've rounded up 10 more of Ina Garten's favorite store-bought ingredients.