I ranked 4 brands of beef hot dogs, and the organic ones had the most flavor and snap

My least favorite brand that I tried was the Sabrett skinless beef frankfurters.

This was the second-most expensive brand I tried. A pack of eight hot dogs cost $8.49, excluding taxes and fees. Since it's a New York brand, I half-expected to pay a little less for a local product.

The hot dog was about the same thickness as the Nathan's hot dog, which I ultimately ranked higher.

The Sabrett hot dog fit perfectly inside the potato roll bun without hanging too much off either end.

I felt like the flavor in the Sabrett hot dog was lacking.

The only flavors that came through were from the ketchup and mustard — a distinct no-no in my book as far as hot dogs go. While the texture wasn't overly chewy, I thought it didn't have the distinct snap I often look for in a hot dog. 

While it wasn't bad by any means, I didn't think this brand was worth the higher price tag.

I also tried a New York staple: Nathan's skinless beef franks.

Nathan's is a New York institution famous for its annual Coney Island hot-dog-eating contest on July 4. I managed to snag an eight-pack of these hot dogs on sale at my local Key Food. The original price was $9.79, but I managed to get them for just $4.49, excluding tax.

I thought the Nathan's hot dogs were a perfect size.

It looked like a really classic hot dog you would eat on the pier in summertime: crispy on the outside, while still retaining that classic red hot-dog color.

The hot dog from Nathan's tasted slightly saltier than the other varieties.

I needed water after just a few bites of this hot dog, and I definitely couldn't imagine consuming dozens of them to win a contest. Overall, it was a flavorful hot dog with a slightly snappy texture, but the salty aftertaste made it nothing to call home about.

My second-favorite brand was Ball Park's beef hot dogs.

The Ball Park pack of eight hot dogs cost me $8.69, excluding taxes and fees. It was the most expensive brand I tried.

The Ball Park hot dogs were the thickest and shortest ones on my list.

I also noticed they cooked a lot faster than the other brands. While the other brands retained their red, crispy consistency in the pan, the Ball Park dogs quickly began to char and crisp up after only a minute or two of cooking.

I personally like really well-done, almost charred hot dogs, but it's something to keep in mind if you have different preferences. 

The Ball Park dog was well done on the outside, but the inside was still slightly chewy.

I thought the hot dog had a nice, smoky flavor that was complemented by the bun and condiments. The flavor came through, even though I wasn't crazy about what I thought was a slightly more rubbery texture.

My favorite hot-dog brand was Applegate's organic uncured-beef hot dogs.

The pack of six franks cost me $7.39 at my local Key Food grocery store, excluding taxes and fees.

The pack came with six hot dogs, two less than the other packs.

This smaller package count is definitely something to consider if you're planning for a large cookout.

When the Applegate hot dog was done cooking, I noticed it was skinnier than the other brands.

I wondered whether it would be less filling, or how the slightly thinner shape would affect the eating experience. 

Right away, I noticed that the hot dog had a lot of flavor and the frank had a satisfying snap.

The ketchup and mustard definitely came through but didn't overpower the hot dog's distinctly savory, beefy taste. 

Despite being the thinnest dog, it also didn't taste like an unbalanced hot-dog-to-bun ratio. Every ingredient was perfectly complementary. 

In the end, I had to give the win to Applegate.

I was surprised that this brand won. Even though I call New York City home, neither of the local brands, Nathan's or Sabrett, deserved the win in my book. 

I thought Applegate's hot dog, though thinner than the others, had the best flavor and texture. It was also a great value, despite the pack being two dogs short. If I had to choose which hot dog brand to eat at my cookout, it would be Applegate hot dogs all the way.