Canstar Blue’s marinades & recipe bases review compares Maggi, MasterFoods, KanTong, Marion’s Kitchen, Patak’s, ALDI, Chicken Tonight, Ayam, Woolworths, Nando’s and Coles on range variety, taste, consistency, packaging design, value for money and overall satisfaction.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Maggi continues to top Canstar Blue’s marinades & recipe bases ratings for the SECOND year in a row! It was rated five stars for taste, consistency, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction.
Condiments like tomato sauce and soy sauce may have stolen the spotlight when it comes to amplifying a meal. But it doesn’t take a BBQ master or seasoned home cook to appreciate the difference a good marinade can make to a simple cut of meat, or how a recipe base can improve a pasta dish (even more so than cheese!).
Many Aussies we surveyed can certainly relate, with one in four (26%) regularly picking up a jar during their grocery shop. Almost half of our survey respondents (49%) have also tried multiple marinades or recipe bases, while a quarter (29%) experiment with different options from the same brand. For others, it’s about finding whichever is the cheapest (18%) or the healthiest option (15%).
To find out what goes best, Canstar Blue surveyed almost 1,000 consumers for their feedback on the marinades or recipe bases they bought in the last three months. Respondents scored brands on range variety, taste, consistency, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction. Brands that received at least 30 responses are included in the ratings.
Maggi topped our latest review for the second year, again scoring five stars across most of the board and for overall satisfaction.
Here are the best brands of marinades and recipe bases, as rated by consumers in Canstar Blue’s annual review:
Maggi hit the sweet spot with five stars for taste, consistency, packaging design, value for money, and overall satisfaction. MasterFoods was the only other brand that picked up full marks, namely for taste and variety.
Maggi has been an iconic food brand for years and is even often passed down as another staple ‘ingredient’ to go with the rest of the other handwritten family recipes. In addition to marinades and recipe bases, the brand also produces a variety of gravies, Asian sauces, noodles, and similar bases for different stir fry dishes. Some products to expect include:
Maggi’s recipe bases usually checkout for $1.75 for a 41g pack or $3.35 for something from the brand’s Stir Fry Creations range.
Marinades are usually made from a mix of oils, seasonings, and acids. Different seasonings including garlic, soy sauce, salt, herbs, and spices are what give your dish a delicious kick. Meanwhile, acids like vinegar, wine, and buttermilk are used to break down food proteins. This not only softens meats but also helps them better absorb flavour without losing their natural juices. Oil, such as olive oil or infused oil, is similarly added to secure the natural flavour of the food and stop it from losing moisture and drying out. Marinades can be either a paste, dry rub, or liquid. Here are various types of marinades or recipe bases our respondents purchased:
Recipe bases create the foundation of your dish and includes many of the same ingredients (or slight variations) of what you would otherwise add if making it from scratch, similar to a stock cube. It may also include citric acid as a food preservative and flavour additive. These are great for enhancing the taste of your meal and cut the cooking preparation time short, giving you more time to do what’s important – eat! Similar to marinades, recipe bases can come in a variety of forms such as powder or liquid.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s home & lifestyle journalist, Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito. She’s an expert on household appliances, grooming products and all things grocery and shopping. In addition to translating our expert research into consumer-friendly ratings reports, Tahnee spends her time helping consumers make better-informed purchase decisions on all manner of consumer goods and services, while highlighting the best deals and anything you need to be aware of.
Canstar Blue surveyed more than 3,000 Australian adults across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have purchased and consumed a marinade or recipe base (including dry rub marinades, marinade pastes, simmer sauces and dry recipe bases) from a supermarket or grocer in the last three months – in this case, 990 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here is the previous winner of Canstar Blue’s marinades & recipe bases ratings:
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