America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
Expert advice for every cook
Log InJoin Now

Reviews You Can Trust.
See Why.

Elbow Macaroni

One brand of macaroni elbowed its way to the top.

Emily Phares
By Emily Phares ･ Published June 25, 2019.
Save
Saved

Top Pick

WinnerCreamette Elbow Macaroni

Our winner had a distinct “buttery” flavor that set it apart from all the others, and the “long tubes” were deemed the “perfect size and shape.” As one taster noted, it was “a great size for spearing.” We liked its “tender” yet “slightly firmer” texture because it was “not too springy,” and the noodles held the cheese sauce well in the macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.88 inPrice at Time of Testing: $3.46 for 16 oz ($0.22 per oz)
Learn More
Our winner had a distinct “buttery” flavor that set it apart from all the others, and the “long tubes” were deemed the “perfect size and shape.” As one taster noted, it was “a great size for spearing.” We liked its “tender” yet “slightly firmer” texture because it was “not too springy,” and the noodles held the cheese sauce well in the macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.88 inPrice at Time of Testing: $3.46 for 16 oz ($0.22 per oz)
Learn More
See Everything We Tested

What You Need to Know

Like Bert, Garfunkel, and Thelma, elbow macaroni is best known as half of a beloved duo. While these curved tubes can be eaten in pasta salads and casseroles, their claim to fame is their use in macaroni and cheese.

It had been more than a decade since we last reviewed elbow macaroni, so it was time to retest. We selected five widely available products and tasted each one plain (tossed with canola oil) and in our Classic Macaroni and Cheese. At the end of the tastings, a clear winner had emerged, thanks to its outstanding flavor and larger size.

Larger elbows were easier to spear with a fork, while smaller elbows required a little more effort.

Longer Noodles Were “Spearable”

It quickly became apparent that not all elbow macaroni are created equal. Once cooked, the macaroni ranged in length from roughly 0.5 inches to almost a full inch long. As it turned out, these size differences affected how easy the tubes were to eat, both plain and in macaroni and cheese. In the plain tasting, one taster reported having to “chase them around a bit” in an attempt to spear them with a fork. In the macaroni and cheese tasting, another taster noted that the smallest elbows were overwhelmed by the cheese sauce. Our favorite macaroni, which were deemed the easiest to spear with a fork and held their own in the macaroni and cheese, were the longest, averaging 0.88 inches long once cooked.

Our favorite macaroni were the longest, averaging 0.88 inches long once cooked.

Our Favorite Had A Springy, Slightly Firm Texture

There were two textural matters at hand in this tasting. Most of the products were smooth in appearance, but one had faint ridges. However, that small textural difference didn’t give those elbows a leg up on the competition. In the plain tasting, their texture was on par with those of other elbows; tasters described the pasta as “tender” with a “great bouncy chew.” Some tasters said that the ridged pasta seemed to hold the cheese sauce well, but not significantly better than any of the other pastas.

While the elbows’ surface texture wasn’t a big deal overall, the texture of the cooked pasta certainly was. Most of the elbows in our lineup had a satisfactory springy quality, but our favorite was notable for its “slightly firmer” cooked texture that was tender but not overly so; it had a nice chewiness that tasters liked.

A Buttery Flavor Wowed Us

Some of the elbows we sampled lacked a pronounced flavor, with tasters describing them as average, plain, or bland. We sometimes detected “nutty” or wheaty flavors, but our favorite macaroni was on another level. It had a “classic,” “buttery” flavor, noticeable when tasted both plain and in macaroni and cheese. Our science editor explained that there are buttery-tasting compounds naturally found in wheat flour, primarily diacetyl (also called 2,3-butanedione), the same chemical used to flavor some microwave popcorns. It’s possible that our winning elbow macaroni has a greater concentration of diacetyl in either the semolina or the durum flour or in both.

Our Favorite Elbow Macaroni: Creamette Elbow Macaroni

It was no contest. Our winner, Creamette Elbow Macaroni, had nice, long tubes that were pleasantly firm and easy to spear, but its delightful buttery flavor was the real standout factor. It was “delicious” plain, and its “great flavor” was evident even when the macaroni was mixed with other ingredients in macaroni and cheese. One more thing to note: Though Creamette Elbow Macaroni is found primarily in the Midwest, we were able to easily purchase it online. If you’d prefer to pick up another product in your supermarket, we suggest De Cecco No. 81 Elbows or Barilla Elbows, which also scored well and are more widely available than our winner.

  • Longer noodles, close to 1 inch long when cooked
  • Firm but slightly tender texture
  • Buttery flavor

Everything We Tested

Highly Recommended

WinnerCreamette Elbow Macaroni

Our winner had a distinct “buttery” flavor that set it apart from all the others, and the “long tubes” were deemed the “perfect size and shape.” As one taster noted, it was “a great size for spearing.” We liked its “tender” yet “slightly firmer” texture because it was “not too springy,” and the noodles held the cheese sauce well in the macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.88 inPrice at Time of Testing: $3.46 for 16 oz ($0.22 per oz)
Our winner had a distinct “buttery” flavor that set it apart from all the others, and the “long tubes” were deemed the “perfect size and shape.” As one taster noted, it was “a great size for spearing.” We liked its “tender” yet “slightly firmer” texture because it was “not too springy,” and the noodles held the cheese sauce well in the macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.88 inPrice at Time of Testing: $3.46 for 16 oz ($0.22 per oz)

Recommended

De Cecco No. 81 Elbows

We liked this pasta's size (it was a longer noodle like our winner), and though the flavor was deemed “mild” and “neutral,” the standout factor was the texture. Tasters said that this pasta was “light and springy,” and the “pleasantly chewy” noodles “held the cheese well” in macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), iron (ferrous lactate)Noodle length: 0.75 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.67 for 16 oz ($0.10 per oz)
We liked this pasta's size (it was a longer noodle like our winner), and though the flavor was deemed “mild” and “neutral,” the standout factor was the texture. Tasters said that this pasta was “light and springy,” and the “pleasantly chewy” noodles “held the cheese well” in macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Durum wheat semolina, vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), iron (ferrous lactate)Noodle length: 0.75 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.67 for 16 oz ($0.10 per oz)

Barilla Elbows

Although this product's flavor was “not particularly noticeable,” tasters said that the pasta was “tender but has structure,” with a “great bouncy chew” and a “nice spring to each bite.” Tasters were also fans of the “textured,” faintly ridged exterior because it “held the sauce well” in macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum wheat flour, vitamin B3 (niacin), iron (ferrous sulphate), vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), folic acidNoodle length: 0.63 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.67 for 16 oz ($0.10 per oz)
Although this product's flavor was “not particularly noticeable,” tasters said that the pasta was “tender but has structure,” with a “great bouncy chew” and a “nice spring to each bite.” Tasters were also fans of the “textured,” faintly ridged exterior because it “held the sauce well” in macaroni and cheese.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum wheat flour, vitamin B3 (niacin), iron (ferrous sulphate), vitamin B1 (thiamine mononitrate), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), folic acidNoodle length: 0.63 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.67 for 16 oz ($0.10 per oz)

Ronzoni Smart Taste Elbows

These “teeny little elbows” were “fine” in terms of flavor, with a “properly firm” and “pleasantly chewy” texture. Some tasters said that these elbows were “too small” and “overpowered by the cheese” when cooked in macaroni and cheese, but overall we liked these “mellow,” “springy” noodles.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), modified wheat starch, dicalcium phosphate, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.56 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.12 for 12 oz ($0.09 per oz)
These “teeny little elbows” were “fine” in terms of flavor, with a “properly firm” and “pleasantly chewy” texture. Some tasters said that these elbows were “too small” and “overpowered by the cheese” when cooked in macaroni and cheese, but overall we liked these “mellow,” “springy” noodles.
Ingredients: Semolina (wheat), durum flour (wheat), modified wheat starch, dicalcium phosphate, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acidNoodle length: 0.56 inPrice at Time of Testing: $1.12 for 12 oz ($0.09 per oz)

Goya Small Elbows

With a “nutty” and “pleasant” wheat flavor, this elbow macaroni had the shortest length in the lineup. Some tasters liked the tiny noodles, but others thought that they were “too small” and that it was “hard to get a moderate bite.” The cheese sauce overwhelmed the “teeny tiny noodles” in macaroni and cheese, but overall we liked this pasta's “mild” and “good” flavor.
Ingredients: Semolina, durum flour, nicotinamide, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acidNoodle length: 0.56 inPrice at Time of Testing: $0.50 for 7 oz ($0.07 per oz)
With a “nutty” and “pleasant” wheat flavor, this elbow macaroni had the shortest length in the lineup. Some tasters liked the tiny noodles, but others thought that they were “too small” and that it was “hard to get a moderate bite.” The cheese sauce overwhelmed the “teeny tiny noodles” in macaroni and cheese, but overall we liked this pasta's “mild” and “good” flavor.
Ingredients: Semolina, durum flour, nicotinamide, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acidNoodle length: 0.56 inPrice at Time of Testing: $0.50 for 7 oz ($0.07 per oz)

*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.

Reviews You Can Trust

The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. Have a question or suggestion? Send us an email at atkreviews@americastestkitchen.com. We appreciate your feedback!

Related Reviews and Recipes

Ingredient

Egg Noodles

More in Pasta

Reviews You Can Trust.
See Why.

This is a members' feature.

America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo