What Makes Premium Hot Dog Brands Pricier Than Others?

In the U.S., hot dog consumption is on the rise, and the hot dog market is projected to soar in the coming decade. If you're one of the millions scarfing down dogs at backyard barbecues, sporting events, or from street vendors, there are a few things to know about what differentiates premium brands from the bargain options. While branding can play a part in the price, at the end of the day, the ingredients are the main indicator of price. To start off, the term "premium" doesn't have any meaning beyond marketing. 

What does matter is the kind of meat the brand uses, along with its other ingredients, and whether it's full of fillers or not. Companies that promote their products as premium, like Hebrew National and Nathan's Famous, use all beef, which is more expensive than hot dogs made from chicken or turkey. 

Beyond that, if you go with organic hot dogs, you're paying for the extra work that goes into producing a product free from synthetics. Similarly, if you buy hot dogs that are from grass-fed cattle, or are labeled as being produced humanely, you're going to pay a bit more for all that goes into raising the animals ethically.  

Any hot dog brand could call themselves premium, since it's a subjective term and not a label certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But most companies that do, tend to be able to back it up with the ingredients they use, with the meat being one of the biggies. Hot dogs made from whole beef, pork, or poultry, without byproducts, which is organ meat (labeled as variety meats), is going to cost a little more. Similarly, hot dogs made from pork and poultry that's been mechanically separated — run through a fine sieve at high pressure to separate the meat from the bone — are going to be cheaper.

Perhaps just as important is what premium hot dog brands leave out of their products. Some of the lower quality ingredients in hot dogs that don't make it in include fillers, like nonfat dried milk and powdered bone meal, artificial colors, and sweeteners like corn syrup. Relatedly, hot dogs labeled uncured will tend to bump up the price, since they rely on naturally occurring nitrates from ingredients like celery powder to preserve the meat rather than less expensive synthetic nitrates and nitrites. In the end, what hot dog brand you choose comes down to personal taste and your budget.