Our Pick For The Best Grocery Store Bagel Brand Is Tastier Than Thomas' Or Sara Lee

Bagels are a favorite breakfast for many of us, and unfortunately, not all of us can just stroll down to a corner deli to grab some fresh ones (though we do have our favorite bagel shops across the country). So our next easiest bet is grabbing a package of store-bought bagels. Though it might not seem like it, there's plenty of bagel brands on shelves, and we recently tried 10 brands of store-bought bagels to see which ones we think are worth your money.

Surprisingly, store-bought brand names like Thomas' and Sara Lee didn't top the list (though both did crack the top five). Our favorite store-bought bagels are actually the only ones we found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, and that would be Lender's Bagels. Lender's was the one brand that eased the throttle on sweeteners, which allows its bagels to taste more bready and savory, and we found that the texture of the bagels was spot on. Our writer noted, "The inside is dense and doughy, and when toasted — on the bagel setting, of course — the exterior develops a satisfyingly crispy contrast to the soft and springy interior, making for a classic bagel combination."

Lender's Bagels was founded in 1927 by Harry Lender at his family's bakery. While it first started out as a shop in New Haven, Connecticut called New York Bagel Bakery (eventually renamed H. Lender's and Sons), this is where the family experimented with ways to keep a fresh supply of bagels all week. That's how the innovative freezing and thawing method was born, which eventually allowed Lender's Bagels to be sold at grocery stores across the United States. This distribution method is still used today, which is why you still find the bagels in the refrigerated section. The company remained in the family until 1985, when it was eventually sold to Kraft Foods. 

Surprisingly, bagels are having a pretty big heyday right now, with new bagel shops popping up seemingly everywhere. And though you might think a frozen bagel might taste stale, the truth is freezing bagels is actually a great way to store them, so it turns out Harry Lender and his family had the right idea. And thankfully, for a store-bought bagel, they're still the ones we think you should pick up for a quick breakfast, since they have the best texture and flavor.