Should you try mail-order steaks? Blind taste testers try three popular companies
SEATTLE — It’s a tough job, but someone had to do it. A blind panel of eight tasters from Consumer Reports sampled popular filet mignon and ribeye cuts from Omaha Steaks, The Kansas City Steak Company and Snake River Farms.
“The companies didn’t know that we were testing these steaks,” said Perry Santanachote with Consumer Reports. “They didn’t send them to us, we bought them just as any consumer would.”
The panel looked at everything from the packaging to the steaks’ appearance, aroma, flavor and texture.
Snake River Farms was voted Editor’s Choice.
“The filet mignon was everyone’s favorite and the cowboy steak was a stunner that would make any meat-lover happy,” said Santanachote.
At $8.50 an ounce, Snake River Farms filets didn’t come cheap, and the 40-ounce ribeye cost $158 - or $3.95 an ounce.
Voted Best for a Crowd, The Kansas City Steak Company’s filet was $5.83 an ounce and a 18-ounce ribeye is about $70 or $3.96 an ounce.
“Most tasters liked [The Kansas City Steak Company] ribeye the best even if it wasn't the prettiest,” said Santanachote.
Omaha Steaks was voted Best Value.
“Neither the filet nor the ribeye were anyone’s favorites in the taste test, but we really appreciated how beautifully butchered and well-marbled the steaks were,” said Santanachote.
Omaha was the least expensive of the three. Its filet was $4.76 an ounce and the ribeye cost $3.54 an ounce.
Consumer Reports said many tasters compared Omaha Steaks’ cuts to a really good supermarket steak, a perfectly fine option and an especially good value.
Consumer Reports said the steaks from all three companies come frozen and packed with dry ice, so there’s no pressure to eat them as soon as they’re delivered.