Cookouts on Labor Day, or any day, call for condiments. While the ketchup market remains fairly standard, the mustard scene is bursting with diversity. There is a dizzying array of gourmet varieties, exotic flavorings, and textures. But does anyone really need mustard flavored with pineapple, or lime curry, or organic garlic? The truth is, there’s no shame in supermarket mustard.

But even then, the choices can be daunting. The three supermarkets in my Park Slope neighborhood, for example, carry nearly 50 different mustards between them. I narrowed the field by eliminating anything that didn’t come in a squeeze bottle (I figured if you need more than one hand to dispense it, it’s too much work), which left me with 22 varieties. These broke down into four primary categories: yellow, brown, honey, and Dijon. Then I got some hot dogs, sausages, and pretzels, and put these mustards to the test. French’s, Gulden’s, Bookbinder’s, and Inglehoffer all get top marks in different categories, but Boar’s Head’s and Billybee honey mustard are to be avoided by anyone without a serious sweet tooth. Here’s how they all fared.

French’s

YELLOW Tastes instantly familiar – one bite and you’re suddenly at the ballgame; not very complex, but plenty sharp and strong; very solid product, despite its cultural status as the epitome of suburbia.

BROWN Not bad, but the flavor profile isn’t as complex or wide-ranging as Gulden’s.

HONEY Much too sweet; no surprise to find that high-fructose corn syrup is several items higher than honey on the ingredients listing.

Gulden’s

BROWN Excellent balance of spiciness, acidity, and rich mustard flavor; superb grainy texture, too – first-rate.

HONEY Nicely grainy texture can’t disguise overly cloying sweetness.

Hellman’s

BROWN Thick, coarse-textured product that almost matches Gulden’s for depth and subtlety – who’d have thought a mayonnaise brand could pull off such a great mustard?

DIJON Product is called “Dijonnaise” but is not truly Dijon-based, because it doesn’t include white wine – more like a brown mustard cut with a bit of mayo; very creamy, good for sandwiches.

HONEY So sweet, it’s only an emulsifier away from being a candy bar.

Grey Poupon

BROWN Very Gulden’s-esque, but with a slightly sharper bite, thanks to the inclusion of horseradish.

DIJON Starts off mild, then kicks in with an unexpected but welcome sharpness.

HONEY Much more of a caramelized, brownsugar flavor than the other honey mustards; too sweet for hot dogs but fine for dipping a pretzel.

Jack Daniel’s

DIJON Can’t really taste the whiskey (it’s the last ingredient listed, so there’s probably only a drop of it in there), but an excellent mustard nonetheless: rich, complex, halfway between a classic deli mustard and a classic Dijon.

HONEY Spiciest of the honey mustards, but still too sweet; despite brand name, contains no whiskey; looks disconcertingly like baby food.

Plochman’s

YELLOW Old-school brand, founded in 1852 and favored by some purists, but really just a milder, less interesting version of French’s.

Bookbinder’s

HONEY Best of the honey mustards, with a good balance of sweet and pungent; particularly good for dipping.

Billybee

HONEY Close your eyes, swallow a spoonful of this, and you’d swear you were eating a melted Bit-O-Honey.

Westbrae Natural

BROWN Good flavor and texture, but extremely acidic; also comes in a salt-free version, which is utterly tasteless and should be avoided.

DIJON Comes off like a slightly milder, creamier version of Grey Poupon.

Inglehoffer

DIJON Unlike the other Dijons, includes red wine as well as white; superb wine-driven flavor and extremely coarse stone-ground texture make this the best product sampled for this article.

HONEY More like a semi-bitter caramel sauce than a sweet mustard – could almost be a dessert topping.

Boar’s Head

DIJON Labeled as “Delicatessen Style” but includes white wine, which means it’s technically Dijon-style; fairly mild, nice enough but unremarkable.

HONEY Ridiculously sweet, with almost no underlying mustard flavor – you might as well pour maple syrup on your hot dog.