13 Soy Sauce Brands, Ranked From Worst To Best

Soy sauce has been around for thousands of years. While production methods have been modernized, the product itself has remained largely the same. A mixture of soybeans, wheat, water, and salt goes through a multi-step fermentation process using yeasts and molds. It's not too dissimilar to the way sake and miso are crafted. The brewing methods can vary by producer, but the finished sauces will all have a similar flavor profile: Salty, deep, and packed with umami.

Producers all over the world make their own versions of this condiment. On top of that, there are many different styles of soy sauce, some better suited for specific purposes, some more generally versatile. It can be daunting to look at the array of bottles, not knowing one from the other. Very few people likely have the kitchen space or the soy sauce zeal to keep multiple bottles on hand, so when faced with so much choice, how can you know which single bottle should claim a spot in your pantry? With that dilemma in mind, I've selected a dozen brands and, through a series of taste tests, have determined which soy sauce will give you the best flavor, versatility, and value. Here are the bottles I tried, ranked from worst to best.

Signature Select brand products can be found in various Albertsons-owned stores all over the country, including my local Safeway. This was one of the most affordable bottles of soy sauce that I purchased. It's a perfectly fine soy sauce — in fact, none of the sauces on this list were bad — but it was the one I'd be least likely to seek out again. There were a few cheaper sauces, and for the little extra money you'd spend on this, you don't really get anything better.

That said, it's not unenjoyable, just fairly unexciting. The color and opacity of this sauce were noticeably lighter than all of the others, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but its flavor and texture followed suit. It's got a decent brightness to it, and plenty of salt. It really disappears from your mouth quickly, though, with almost no lingering flavors. Aside from water, soybeans, wheat, and salt, it does contain sodium benzoate, a common preservative used in many foods to prevent any microbial growth. This additive is generally considered safe, and is only allowed in food in small doses, though folks with certain sensitivities may want to steer clear.

Whole Foods Market's 365 organic soy sauce sits right in the middle of the price range for these bottles, and while that means it's more affordable than half of the list, there are several brands in the cheaper half that I'd much rather use. This bottle is labeled shoyu, which is essentially the Japanese name for soy sauce, and doesn't denote anything specific, as both Japanese and Chinese soy sauces come in many different varieties with varying ingredients, flavors, and styles.

This shoyu provided a mellow aroma and mild flavor. I liked the balance of sweet and savory flavors, but the saltiness seemed a little off. In each instance — tasted on its own, as a tofu marinade, and as a rice seasoning — the salt level went from muted to overwhelming so drastically that it shocked my mouth. It was best with the pan-seared tofu, which makes me think it might be suited for cooking purposes, as this seemed to mellow out the saltiness a bit.

Walmart's Great Value brand soy sauce is nothing to write home about, but if you're looking for something simple and inexpensive, it's not the worst choice. I actually liked the aromas, as they reminded me of a dark beer, something like a porter, with roasted grain notes. It's got a very short ingredient list, which is a plus, although it does include sodium benzoate as a preservative, so those wishing to avoid such ingredients should take note.

As far as flavor, the main driver here is salt. The nice roasted aromas don't really come through on the palate, because the salt takes them over. I found myself adding more to my food to intensify the flavor, but in doing so, the saltiness became way too much to handle (if this happens to you, you can always fix the problem with a little lemon juice). A little bit just to add a touch of seasoning would be fine. Just don't expect it to wow you. If you're looking for soy sauce on a budget, it's the cheapest one on this list, which bumped it up a few notches.

Of the four chain grocery store brand soy sauces that I tried, the slightest of edges put O Organics at the front of the pack. In part, that's because its price and quality of ingredients put together make it a good value compared to the other three. It also impressed me just slightly more than the others flavor-wise. The aromas as you pour this sauce are warming and mellow, with a stewed fruit quality reminiscent of a port wine or a well-aged balsamic vinegar. Some other soy sauces had a similarly rich sweet-savory smell, but fell apart on the palate; this sauce didn't have that problem. The same flavors and intensity that I picked up with my nose showed up on my tongue.

The bright salty notes added a vibrant lift to all of the foods this sauce touched. It was particularly good with the tofu, adding just the right tang. I did wish it had a little more depth, which I found in many of the other sauces. It's lost a bit of its complexity once cooked, and the finish in my mouth was pure salt after each bite, as the other flavors didn't linger.

A beautifully rich aroma comes off Lee Kum Kee's soy sauce. It smells like stewed figs, and I mean that in the best way. I could smell this stuff for hours. Started in China, this brand has been around since 1888, and they now make everything from chili crisp to sriracha mayo, so you can imagine they know their way around soy sauce. From the initial smell, I was prepared to be awed, especially considering that this was one of the lower-priced sauces even for a larger-sized bottle.

The taste didn't quite live up to what the nose promised, especially when cooked. Not much of that lovely rich fruitiness stuck around, so at the end of each promising bite, all that was left on my palate was salt. I probably drank more water in between bites with this sauce than with any other. I kept going back for more, because I just wanted that richness to stick around for a little longer, but it never did. As for ingredients, this sauce contains caramel color as well as flavor enhancers disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate, which are often used together in place of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to improve the flavor of foods. It's something to be aware of if you're looking to avoid food additives.

Here it is, one of the most recognizable bottles in the world — Kikkoman soy sauce. The dispenser's shape is so unique, it's actually been trademarked by the company. Whenever I set eyes on a curvy Kikkoman bottle, I'm taken back to childhood meals at our favorite Chinese restaurant, spinning dishes around the table on a lazy susan, my eyes locked on the plate of broccoli beef, hoping no one else would take the last bite before it got to me. Nostalgia can only get you so far, though, so how does Kikkoman actually hold up?

Originally a Japanese company, Kikkoman now has facilities throughout the world, and has production centers in the U.S. Its soy sauce is free of additives and preservatives, boasting only four ingredients: Water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. This precision comes through in its flavor. There's a clear, briny quality to the saltiness, balanced deftly by its subtle roasted umami flavor. It's not super deep or rich or complex, but it does what it does perfectly. There are other sauces that are more interesting, but Kikkoman is tough to beat when it comes to a basic, classic, pure soy sauce.

While the ingredients involved in Master soy sauce are far from ideal if you're looking for the purest, most natural product, this sauce has so much flavor I truly didn't care what was in it. It lists the same flavor enhancers you find in Lee Kum Kee's sauce, along with MSG, as well as the preservative potassium sorbate, as well as sucralose, an artificial sweetener (also known as Splenda). Your mileage may vary when it comes to tolerance of these things, but whatever they're doing, it's working pretty darn well.

There's so much complexity here that each bite with this sauce took my palate on a journey. First, the aroma is deeply fruity, reminiscent of baked plums, with a woody, brambly character. Unlike many of the other sauces that enticed me with their bouquet, the flavors actually echoed what I smelled, giving the palate layers and layers of taste. The flavor moves from sweet to salty to savory and then back again. It's sort of a punch in the face, and I ended up preferring other sauces that had more subtlety, but Master definitely caught my fancy. It's also one of the cheapest on the list, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Aloha's original blend is yet another soy sauce where I set my concerns about ingredients aside and let myself enjoy the flavor. Brewed in Hawai'i, this sauce had a truly unique flavor that set it apart from all of the others, and it kept me coming back for more. Caramel coloring, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and the umbrella term "preservatives" are all listed here, so be aware if these are things you're trying to avoid. If they're not an issue for you, give this sauce a try.

It took me a while to pinpoint the very specific flavor I was picking up, and then it hit me — water chestnut. A fresh, nutty, subtly sweet flavor, almost like savory apple, permeates this sauce and gives it an unusual personality. It's also got sugar in it, which may be unsuitable for some, but I like the addition of a little sweetness as a balancer (they also make a version without sugar, but it's meant to cater to commercial kitchens and is only available in large sizes).

Koon Chun's soy sauce is a superbly made product at a great price, and one that I'd definitely consider keeping on hand as my basic, everyday house soy sauce. Founded and still produced in Hong Kong, Koon Chun is made using natural, old-fashioned practices, including fermenting its non-GMO soybeans outdoors, and foregoing the use of any preservatives or other additives. Compared to some of the more artificially altered sauces — some of which I truly enjoyed — Koon Chun comes across as subtle, mellow, and graceful.

Its pleasant aroma is reminiscent of button mushrooms, and falls more on the savory side than the sweet, perhaps because there's no sweetening agent added. That savoriness follows through on the palate, with a more pronounced, deep mushroomy flavor. The salt is also well-integrated into the sauce, so that it enhances food beautifully and doesn't overwhelm it or fight against it. This is definitely a top-tier soy sauce, especially if you prefer a more savory flavor profile.

I had never tried San-J's shoyu before making this list. This brand is much better known for its tamari, which is a specific type of soy sauce made without wheat, a bottle of which always lives on my refrigerator's shelf of sauces and condiments. They make fabulously rich and flavorful tamari, so it's no surprise that their shoyu is also in the upper echelon of quality. The ingredients are all organic and non-GMO, with nothing unnecessary added. It's a bit on the pricey side, but not prohibitively so, especially given the quality.

The salt quality of this sauce is one thing that really sets it apart. It's a pleasantly mellow brininess, with a brightness that shimmers on your palate. It's never too strong or too punchy — whenever you think it's going to be too strong, another flavor comes to soften it. I found this shoyu to be one of the most elegant sauces on this list. It's balanced and sophisticated. This makes a great dipping soy sauce, because even if you drop your food and it gets completely submerged, it'll still taste good (as someone who struggles with chopstick form and etiquette, I can say this from personal experience).

If it weren't for the price tag, Momofuku's soy sauce would have crept a little further toward the top of this list. The fact that it even ranked in the top three, considering how much more expensive it is than all the others, is a testament to how uniquely delicious and versatile this sauce is — I'd happily shell out more than double the dollars of most of the other sauces to have this on my shelf. Created by Momofuku's Culinary Lab, an offshoot of the famed restaurant started by culinary tip-giver David Chang, the final recipe for this product allegedly took ten years to develop. The secret ingredient? Kombu.

If you're not familiar, kombu is a type of kelp, often used to make dashi. Momofuku's soy sauce is infused with this seaweed, to add extra dimensions, enhancing the umami and briny qualities. The result is a depth of flavor that's remarkable. This sauce performed very well in all of my taste tests, never losing its intensity or balance. When cooked, it took on another dimension of roasted goodness that somehow made it even more delicious. I'm excited to try this sauce on literally everything — but I'll have to tamp down my excitement somewhat, because it is quite pricey. Give it a go if you feel like splurging.

I hemmed and hawed for ages over whether or not to give Yamasa soy sauce the number one spot. It's like Kikkoman's polished, more sophisticated cousin, right down to the similar dispenser shape that has cleaner, leaner lines. It shined in every category, adding just the right amount of flavor and seasoning to proteins and rice, tasting just as good cooked as it did straight from the bottle. Based in Japan, Yamasa now has a production center in Oregon as well, for sauces destined for American consumers. Maybe it's because I'm not too far from the source here in northern California, but there was a vibrant freshness to this sauce that no other could match.

Aromatically, Yamasa entranced my senses with its savory, woody, and mushroomy melange of scents. I felt like I was hiking through a foggy forest. It's got a rich texture that coats food well, so it works great as a dipping sauce, but it's not cloying or overly thick. In all of my tasting notes, I barely mentioned salt, which just shows how flavorful the sauce is, and how impeccably balanced. At a similar price to Kikkoman, if you find yourself making a choice between the two, this is hands-down the best choice.

After much consternation and flip-flopping the first and second spots, after tasting and re-tasting and soul searching, I landed on Wan Ja Shan as my favorite soy sauce on this list. Hailing from Taiwan, domestic bottles of this sauce are produced in New York state from US-grown soybeans, water, wheat, and salt. There are a few additional ingredients — cane sugar, alcohol, and yeast — but nothing artificial. With flavor, texture, quality, and value all taken into account, this soy sauce rose to the top every time.

Savory, salty, and sweet are all in perfect balance from the first whiff of aromas to the lingering finish on your taste buds. It's got a big, bold, intense flavor, but somehow seems mellow at the same time. The salt component pops its head up above the rest every once in a while to remind you it's there, but the complexity of the other flavors never lets it take over completely. There's roasted mushroom, stewed plummy fruit, a subtle acidic tang, and a briny oceanic quality. Everything melds together, and I found I only needed a few drops to get as much flavor as a whole spoonful of some of the other sauces. I'm glad I could only find this sauce in a big bottle, because I have a feeling I'm going to be using it all the time.

To select the sauces for this list, I scoured the shelves of major chain grocery stores and Asian markets near me. To keep things simple, I narrowed the selections down to each brand's basic soy sauce, leaving out lite, low-sodium, tamari, or flavored varieties. I included both Japanese shoyu and Chinese-style soy sauces. These are major brands and should be fairly widely available, either in stores or online.

Once procured, I tasted a small amount of each soy sauce on its own to get an initial impression. Then I tried each in a few different culinary contexts: first mixed into rice, and then as a quick marinade for tofu, which I pan-seared to see how the sauce's flavor held up when cooked. Each sauce was judged on how well it performed at each of these tasks. Depth of flavor, salt level, and texture were all considered. The ones that were more flavorful and versatile ranked higher. Ingredients were also assessed to determine each product's quality, and the price per ounce was taken into account to assess value.