What is consumer reports smoking? Best bagels are Dunkin, Lenders and Costco?!?!?!

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NetWareHead

THAT guy
Aug 10, 2002
5,847
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Saw this on CNN Video ( http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c2#/video/us/2012/03/25/nr-levs-bagel-battle.cnn ) but here is the NYPost article also quoted in the news story ( http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/half_baked_4nxl6LzpMoeChzubqcaFUO )

Here is the Consumer Reports article: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/05/who-makes-the-best-bagels/index.htm

As quoted: "There’s nothing quite like a New York bagel—or is there? Although a bagel from a shop near our headquarters in Yonkers, N.Y., set the bar high, a few big brands came close."

I have to call BS and ask if they really know wtf they are talking about. There is no way those bagels rate "very good and recommended" compared to fresh NY bagels. I have tried Lenders and Dunkin Donut bagels and there is no way, no damn way in hell they could compare to a quality fresh bagel from a local deli. Not even close. I haven't tried Costo brand but I'm not expecting anything good either. This should have been a review of the best store bought bagels and any mention of or comparison to NY bagels should have never even been uttered.

Speaking as a former NJ resident (from Bergen county, right across the Hudson River from Manhattan), you just could not find a crappy deli/bagel shop bagel around. The competition was so fierce that mediocre bagel shops would not stay in business. I stocked shelves for a local chain supermarket in HS and they could never really sell the frozen bagels due to the great bagels READILY available, fresh! Currently I am a transplant, 3 years living in Mass. I still have not found a bagel shop that makes 'em like back home. I miss the bagels and its ironic there are now frozen store bagels in my freezer... :'( :(

P.S. yes I know I'm a bagel snob. Store bagels can kiss my ass.
 
P

preCRT

Platinum Member
Apr 12, 2000
2,340
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Lenders is crap, it's more like Wonder bread than a bagel.

But if you are out in Iowa or Kansas, maybe Lender's is all you can get.




In the Boston area, Zeppy's wasn't bad, but they closed when Zeppy retired.


BTW, get a bread machine to knead the dough and make your own bagels. I've done it and they are a huge improvement over supermarket bagels.
 
C

cyclistca

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2000
2,885
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The only good bagels are the ones made by mom and pop shops or very small operations with a few outlets. Everything else is a bread doughnut.
 
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preCRT

Platinum Member
Apr 12, 2000
2,340
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The key to great bagels is to use very high gluten bread flour, or add vital wheat gluten to bread flour. The water bath needs barley malt, plain water won't do it. Also the bagels should not have oil, milk, eggs, or fruit. Blueberry bagels are an abomination.
 
The Boston Dangler

The Boston Dangler

Lifer
Mar 10, 2005
14,647
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i've had nice bagels in delis. for the supermarket i liked ray's new york bagels which apparently stop and shop no longer carries.
 
S

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
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Shaw's store bakery bagels are pretty good. I could be full of shit, though, since I'm from South Jersey and we didn't take bagels nearly as seriously.
 
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Lifted

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2004
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But the review was about finding the best available mass produced brands, with the criteria for best being a fresh NY bagel. I don't think "very good" meant the bagels from Dunkin Donuts or Lenders were almost as good as a fresh NY bagel, they just came the closest vs other brands.

I'll take a fresh Kosar's bialy with cream cheese any day over a bagel.
 
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Miramonti

Miramonti

Lifer
Aug 26, 2000
28,653
100
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Crono said:
They are looking at big brands.
There aren't any national bagel shops, so of course it's going to be places like Dunkin' and Costco that are the "best".

I live in New York. The places near me (Bubba's Bagels, David's Bagels, Rockland Bakery) and the ones I have frequented in Brooklyn (La Bagel Delight) are much better.

I do eat Dunkin' Donuts bagels from time to time, though, simply because I like Dunkin' Donuts coffee the best among the national chains. A bagel with cream cheese or a tuna salad bagel isn't half bad from DD.
Click to expand...

I can't remember which bakery I used to walk to, somewhere around 3rd ave and 53rd or so...4am...hot out of the oven....omfg those were awesome.
 
FoBoT

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
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fobot.com
outside of the NorthEast, our options for beagals are very limited, costco is about the best i have had, maybe there is a small shop in KC, but i don't know it
 
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
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rudeguy said:
Consumer's Report has been bad since it came out
Click to expand...

Correct-a-mundo.

It has been my experience that the more you know about the the products/area that Consumer Reports is reviewing, the less you agree with their conclusions and recommendations.

-KeithP
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Crono said:
They are looking at big brands.
There aren't any national bagel shops, so of course it's going to be places like Dunkin' and Costco that are the "best".

I live in New York. The places near me (Bubba's Bagels, David's Bagels, Rockland Bakery) and the ones I have frequented in Brooklyn (La Bagel Delight) are much better.

I do eat Dunkin' Donuts bagels from time to time, though, simply because I like Dunkin' Donuts coffee the best among the national chains. A bagel with cream cheese or a tuna salad bagel isn't half bad from DD.
Click to expand...

exactly, they aren't going to go every dinky little bagel shop in the world.
 
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