What are the best hot sauce gift sets?
If you want to give a gift to the spicy food lover in your life, then the hot sauce gift set can be the product for you. These sets usually include at least five or six hot sauces of varying degrees of spiciness, from mild and fragrant to spicy and scalding.
For a massive set that includes a wide range of different flavors, the Wistful Tastes of the World Hot Sauce Sampler Set is the best choice.
What you need to know before you buy a hot sauce gift set
Scoville levels
Spice levels use Scoville thermal units to measure hot sauce. Most hot sauces advertise their Scoville level somewhere on the packaging. To get an idea of how spicy a hot sauce will be, follow the simple tips below.
- From zero to 500 heat units on the Scoville scale: These sauces will add flavor to your dish and only a small amount of heat. Banana peppers, pepperoncini and bell peppers fall into this category.
- From 500 to 2000 heat units on the Scoville scale: Still somewhat bland, however, this is where the recognizable but subtle burn will begin to show. Anaheim and poblano peppers usually end up here.
- From 2,500 to 10,000 heat units on the Scoville scale: These hot sauces are hot but full of flavor, usually using jalapenos and milder serrano pepper varieties in their formula. Many of the world’s most famous hot sauce brands are featured here.
- From 10,000 to 50,000 heat units on the Scoville scale: This is the part of the scale where the spice levels get tricky for many casual visitors. This section includes the freshest serrano and cayenne peppers.
- 50,000 and above: This part of the scale is reserved for the hottest hot sauces. Fresh habanero peppers and scotch bonnet are at the bottom. By contrast, sauces that use ghost peppers or the notorious Carolina reaper can regularly exceed 1 million Scoville heat units.
capsaicin
Capsaicin is the active chemical in chili peppers, which gives hot sauces their famous spiciness. It is said that the consumption of food rich in capsaicin promotes the release of endorphins, which is the main reason why so many people love spicy food. Research has also shown that capsaicin has anti-inflammatory properties and may even improve heart health.
What to Look for in a Quality Hot Sauce Gift Set
Ingredients
The main ingredients in most hot sauces are chili, vinegar, and salt. Jalapenos, cayenne and habaneros are perhaps the three most popular chili peppers found in seasoning, but chefs can use anything from banana peppers to the legendary ghost pepper to add spiciness. Modern hot sauces include many creative ingredients. For a mixture of sweet and spicy flavors, some hot sauces even use honey or fruit juices in their formulas.
Gift set size
When buying a gift set, consider the size of the bottles and the amount of hot sauces. The size of each bottle usually decreases as the number of flavors increases. Most hot sauce gift sets contain five to ten sauces.
decorative box
Hot sauce gift sets will almost always come in a decorative box. Most of these boxes are made of cardboard, while in some expensive sets the container can be made of wood.
How much can you spend on a hot sauce gift set
The cost of the hot sauce gift set may vary depending on how many sauces are included. Most consumers can expect to spend around $10-$50 for a fun and tasty set.
Hot Sauce Gift Set FAQ
Does hot sauce go bad?
BUT. Because of its main ingredients, hot sauce has a relatively long shelf life. An open bottle of hot sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for several years, and a closed bottle even longer.
Can you eat hot sauce every day?
BUT. You can usually eat hot sauce every day as long as you don’t experience side effects. If you start experiencing regular heartburn or stomach pain, it’s time to cut down on your intake.
Which is the best hot sauce gift set to buy?
Gift set “Best Hot Sauce”
A thoughtful set of samplers for hot sauce “Tastes of the World”
What you need to know: This huge hot sauce gift set includes 30 hot sauces in flavors from around the world.
What You Like: This gift set allows the recipient to go from mild flavors like Garlic del Fuego to sizzling hot Budapest Fire sauce. Many sauces include creative ingredients such as mango, lime and bourbon.
What to consider: Some users noted that the taste of many sauces is similar.
Where could I buy: Sold by Amazon
Best hot sauce gift set for money
Sauces Torchbearer Bestseller Mini Bundle Set
What you need to know: Not for the faint hearted, this super-spicy hot sauce gift set includes three of the most popular flavors from the renowned brand.
What You Like: The company uses all-natural ingredients to produce especially hot and flavorful sauces. All three flavors are vegetarian and gluten free. The sauces also include creative flavor blends such as honey-garlic and chipotle BBQ.
What to consider: The hot sauce bottles were smaller than some users expected.
Where could I buy: Sold by Amazon
A hot sauce gift set to look out for
Set of assorted Cholula hot sauces
What you need to know: This popular assorted pack comes in six glass bottles and is sure to please any hot sauce lover.
What You Like: This gift set from one of the most famous hot sauce brands in the world includes six delicious flavors that have just enough spiciness for many users. The set includes several rare varieties of cholula such as garlic chili and sweet habanero.
What to consider: Several users received individually wrapped hot sauce bottles, not gift wrapped as advertised.
Where could I buy: Sold by Amazon
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Patrick Farmer writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers make their buying decisions easier, saving them time and money.
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