7 Store-Bought English Muffin Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

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English muffins do not have an easy job. As a breakfast option, they have to face-off against fluffy morning pancakes and waffles decked out with berries, syrup, and even chocolate chips. But, don't forget about the breakfast superstar. From simple scrambled eggs and savory omelets to showstoppers, like eggs Benedict and eggs Florentine, they easily dominate many breakfast tables in homes and restaurants. English muffins have one job — emerge from a toaster striking the perfect balance of soft and crispy. It's deceptively difficult to pull that off. There are no gorgeous berries or a dollop of whipped cream to hide behind. The English muffin has to nail it without many tricks up its sleeve.

There's a time and place for an easy, understated breakfast. English muffins can do that. The margin of error is small though. If it's not toasted enough, it eats like a mediocre disc of bread. If you give it too much time to toast, you risk burning it and making it inedible without potentially breaking a tooth. When you hit that sweet spot though, and add salty butter that melts into all of the crevices of an English muffin, it's an excellent morning bite without a fuss. I tasted 7 different brands to bring you a ranking before you decide which English muffin you want on your plate.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

These are easily the most recognizable English muffins of the bunch. Thomas' English muffins have a long history as a go-to, light, and easy breakfast. You'd be hard pressed to see a typical grocery store bread aisle without them taking up valuable shelf space. Recognition does not, however, automatically secure a leading spot for a ranking. They are familiar, and, when I see one, I have specific expectations. After toasting, a Thomas' English muffin will crisp up around the edges and present buttery little pockets in each bite.

Could Thomas' Original English Muffins, at $3.77, support a breakfast sandwich? Yes, but with limitations. If you're talking about egg, cheese, and bacon, Thomas' is up to the job. There's a lot of love for a McMuffin-like breakfast sandwich you can make at home. Just be careful with anything more than that. There's only so much surface area, and creating a complicated breakfast sando with a whole slew of layers will definitely overpower any evidence of a muffin, or, worse, make it crumble from the pressure. It's an obvious starting point for purchasing English muffins, but it can go from pleasantly crisp to dry and brittle before you can say nooks and crannies. 

The flavor itself is restrained and it needs a glam squad to really get it ready to star in any breakfast situation. It gets the job done, but there's nothing memorable to make you crave it time and time again.

The Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Frozen Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins, priced at a steep $8.69, found in your grocer's freezer are the kind of bread product that can easily divide a room. These are not meek muffins and are one of the more dense options. In terms of flavor, these English muffins come on the strongest. While most English muffins are positioned on the mild end of the taste spectrum, these are much more aggressive. They are sturdy, which is a plus. When toasted and served with a little butter, or your favorite flavor of preserves, they can provide a quick and understated breakfast.

It gets dicey with anything more than that. Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Frozen Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins come with a big and assertive personality. While other muffins know exactly how to carry their accompaniments, while letting them steal the show, these are way too alpha to share the stage with anything. They are the kind of English muffins you make with intention knowing you are not making a breakfast filled with fanfare. If you want a light breakfast, it's still hearty enough to be satisfying. However, it's a one trick pony, so if you prefer more versatility from an English muffin, this one won't do.

Off the heels of the dominant flavor of the Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Frozen Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins, the ones from Canyon Bakehouse are a welcome contestant in this ranking. The more gentle flavor of this muffin also comes with a slight touch of sweetness. The Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Honey White English Muffins are prime for a sweet and tangy jam or preserves with a bit of butter. It offers a much more approachable bite, however the texture of this store-bought gluten free bread option does not do it any favors. It just doesn't compare to some of the others in that sense. Plus, at $8.49, Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Honey White English Muffins are also on the pricey side.

The honey element does give it a unique personality and its sweetness against a salty butter is not terrible. Since it already gives off a sweeter energy, I wouldn't suggest it with an overtly fruity jelly. It begs for more of a contrast. This particular English muffin also demands toasting. Since the texture is more monotonous, it needs some differentiation in its consistency. The edges can achieve a nice crisp, however the rest of it is boring, also lacking the springiness in some of the higher-ranked English muffins. A freshly toasted half, dressed with salted butter, can be enjoyable if you eat it while it's still warm. After that, all bets are off.

We have officially arrived at the middle portion of the English muffin pack. Similar to Thomas', Bay's Original English Muffins, at $4.39, do all of the familiar and expected parts of an English muffin justice. There is no bold flavor or awkward structure. Bay's plays it safe in many ways. The strongest win is the solid balance between crispy edges and a tender center, and Bay's does that much better than Thomas'. It toasts very evenly and creates a pleasant texture that invites the addition of some melted butter. The bread is the right amount of chewy, and is not aggressively dense.

The mild flavor of Bay's Original English Muffins also make them more adaptable to a wider range of toppings, including eggs. That flexibility is probably its strongest attribute. It's in this spot on the list because, although the flavor is enjoyable, it's not really super memorable. It's a good muffin, not the best. Bay's offers a practical and consistent English muffin. You know you can rely on it for a very basic breakfast, but also don't expect anything exceptional from it, with or without toppings. It didn't make the top three simply because it stops just short of being special.

Our third place English muffin comes from Dave's Killer Bread and is priced at $6.34. It presents a more substantial bite without being too hefty or overbearing. The stronger presence makes them a more satisfying breakfast option and they have the ideal foundation for a hearty breakfast sandwich. The texture is the main attraction with Dave's Killer Bread Organic Classic English Muffins. Toasting this one brings out a nice, crispy finish while maintaining a tender center.

Dave's Killer Bread Organic Classic English Muffins have much more body than Thomas' and Bay's and overall they are much more balanced. Every bite is as enjoyable as the next instead of feeling like it's an obligatory chore to finish. The flavor is fuller with a nice amount of sweetness, and it would work with a variety of toppings. Butter makes this muffin shine just fine, but it can handle heavier toppings. I would definitely try these with a generous schmear of peanut butter or smashed avocado for an extra satisfying breakfast with more heft. It understands the assignment and contributes to the meal, instead of trying to overdo it. The only real flaw is that the bread is on the chewier side.

Runner up, Queen St. Bakery Plain Superfood English Muffins, which retail for $8.49. These have an even and satisfying texture. A nice crispy surface when toasted is important, but not the whole job of an English muffin. Many can accomplish that part even if they have other flaws. The reason these get higher marks than other contenders is because beneath the crispiness lies a beautifully tender bread texture. Toasting it definitely brings out its best attributes and they are satisfying without eating too heavy.

Queen St. Bakery Plain Superfood English Muffins bring a nice taste to the table without closing the door to being able to take on a variety of flavors and textures. The muffin has a gentle graininess that plays well with everything from salted butter to fruity spreads. Plus, it's sturdy enough to take on eggs, cheese, bacon, sausage, or whatever sandwich toppings you enjoy without crumbling and leaving a mess on the plate. They would work so well as the foundation that you won't even miss your favorite fast food breakfast sandwich. It's a much smoother bite than Dave's and came close to the winner of the English muffin rankings. This one makes for a satisfying and enjoyable breakfast with very little assistance.

The number one English muffin deserves its spot. Stone & Skillet Original English Muffins, priced at $5.99, even look more impressive in the package than the others. They have a very homemade English muffin look and are extraordinary in the simplest form without a single trick. A pat of salted butter seriously amplifies Stone & Skillet Original English Muffins and easily holds your attention. What takes it all the way to the top is the full-bodied flavor that none of the other contenders can compete with. It's a huge differentiator, and a delicious one at that. Toasting reveals a beautiful golden crust that provides a fantastic crunch leading to a perfectly tender inside. 

Butter truly enhances all of the best parts of this English muffin. When it melts into the warm crusty exterior, the richness factor is undeniable. The structure of Stone & Skillet Original English Muffins allow for more substantial sandwich characters if you're into that sort of thing. The tenderness makes it easy to sink your teeth into a sandwich without it feeling clunky and cumbersome. These win because they are the full package — crispy, tender, tasty, and versatile. In a dating scenario, this would be the English muffin you bring home to meet your family without hesitation. You can totally go big with sandwich elements, but this muffin is so good that it can also make butter the entire plan.

I purchased seven different brands of English muffin and made a point to get original flavors, or as close as possible. I toasted each English muffin and tried it plain as well as with butter. It's important to see how they stack up on their own as well as with butter to see how well they can maintain their structure. 

The most consideration for my ranking was based on how a toasted and buttered English muffin balanced texture and crisp. I also made ranking placements based on versatility possibilities for toppings. Toasting temperatures were adjusted for each English muffin to reach peak toastiness in order to deliver fair judgements.