# Better than Bouillon **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470 "2020-01-15T20:29:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/1 "2020-01-15T20:29:14Z")
I was curious what people’s thoughts were on this stuff. I never tried it, but a couple days ago I noticed some on the shelf. And figured what the hell, I’ll give some of the beef a try. I love Beef and Barley together, particularly I like to make Barley in my rice cooker in half water and half beef broth. But since I normally just use boxed broth, I’m not living at gourmet levels to begin with, and I doubt it can be too bad even at worst case. But it will take two hours to finish, so now I am wondering If I should have diluted/stirred it into the water rather than just dropping a plop on top of the water and turning it on. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/2 "2020-01-15T20:40:21Z")
I think it’s a teaspoon per cup of water. It’s great stuff. Add it to the water before you put the rice in to cook. I use it in vegetable soup (they have a veggie option). Really brightens it up. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/3 "2020-01-15T20:42:12Z")
I love the stuff. It’s great when you need to punch up various flavors and don’t have enough homemade stuff on hand. I use it primarily in soups, sauces, gravies and stews, also if I want instant broth and want to control the strength of the broth. I would have stirred the BTB into the water first, but my guess is it will be ok even if you didn’t. You may find a congealed smear of it somewhere in your barley, but a few quick stirs will disburse the product more consistently through the cooked grain. You know for next time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/4 "2020-01-15T20:59:05Z")
Both the beef and chicken versions are excellent and keep almost forever in your fridge. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/5 "2020-01-15T21:02:43Z")
I love the stuff. America’s Test Kitchen recommends it, too. I make a fair amount of soup and I usually add a spoonful of Roasted Beef AND a spoonful of Chicken. The old-timey bouillon cubes were mostly salt. BTB has a lot of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/6 "2020-01-15T21:09:08Z")
It’s good stuff. We have beef, chicken and vegetable. They’re all, well, better than bullion. Much better. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/7 "2020-01-15T21:57:39Z")
Yup, another rec here. Love it in my Instant Pot beef and barley soup. I’ve even used it in a pinch to make a quick au jus for a french dip. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/8 "2020-01-15T22:35:51Z")
I like to put a tiny bit into my Ramen soup, really improves the flavor. Some barbecue sauce recipes call for bullion… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/9 "2020-01-15T22:52:42Z")
I use the stuff and have it around. I find it somewhat better than bouillon, but it still tastes like bouillon. It still tastes salty and glutamate-y as hell (which is often why I want bouillon and bouillon-type products around), but I don’t quite share the exuberance for it everyone else has. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/10 "2020-01-16T00:19:31Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I was curious what people’s thoughts were on this stuff. It’s soup base. Read the ingredients on bouillon — the first ingredient is salt. The BTB bases have more flavor than bouillon because they have more flavor than salt. There’re other brand of base out there as well. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/11 "2020-01-16T01:12:37Z")
I have not tried that product. But I love the [soup bases from Penzey’s](https://www.penzeys.com/search/#?q=soup). They can also be salty though I think any concentrate will be. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/12 "2020-01-16T01:23:22Z")
I think they’re pretty good. They also have far less salt than a bouillon cube ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/13 "2020-01-16T01:27:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I think they’re pretty good. They also have far less salt than a bouillon cube Depends on your definition of “far less.” 1 tsp of Better than Bouillon chicken base has 700 mg of salt. My 1 tsp of Knorr chicken bouillon powder has 820 mg of salt. Both are the amount used to make one cup according to the instructions on the pack. That’s not really “far less salt” to me. It’s still damned salty stuff, but there is a reduced sodium version (as there is of the chicken bouillon.) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/14 "2020-01-16T01:35:36Z")
I can make an ambrosial (if I do say so myself) stock or broth from scratch, and often do, using only original, unadulterated ingredients. By the time I roast the bones, add the water, the “solids” (carrots, onions, garlic, celery, parsley), herbs, salt and pepper, simmer till reduced, then strain, it takes most of a day. I usually make soup from this base. Sometimes ya just want a cup of broth for a recipe in a hurry, y’know? BTB is wonderful for this. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/15 "2020-01-16T02:27:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Depends on your definition of “far less.” 1 tsp of Better than Bouillon chicken base has 700 mg of salt. My 1 tsp of Knorr chicken bouillon powder has 820 mg of salt. Both are the amount used to make one cup according to the instructions on the pack. That’s not really “far less salt” to me. It’s still damned salty stuff, but there is a reduced sodium version (as there is of the chicken bouillon.) For information sake I did get the reduced sodium, as I prefer to be able to do final adjustment my self. I just checked and it says 510 mg sodium, so not dramatic but less. My barley was good, but I used too much BtB as it turns out. It was overly salty and stronger than preferable. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/16 "2020-01-16T02:44:13Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > For information sake I did get the reduced sodium, as I prefer to be able to do final adjustment my self. I just checked and it says 510 mg sodium, so not dramatic but less. > > My barley was good, but I used too much BtB as it turns out. It was overly salty and stronger than preferable. Yeah, you have to dial it in. With the regular full-salt version, I use about half of the amount recommended for one cup, so ending up with about 350g of sodium per cup. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/17 "2020-01-16T03:48:34Z")
I love it, I use to make my roux. I don’t do the bouillon thing with it, but as using it in a roux, you can add as much liquid, wine, water, whatever, and it works well. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/18 "2020-01-16T04:10:21Z")
I agree, the beef is great. The chicken, I don’t care for. There’s lots of varieties including vegetable and I just saw they have clam. There’s a low sodium version of the beef (and probably other flavors) that I use for making gravy as I mentioned in the meat loaf thread. The regular one if fine is stocks or mixing into meats, especially hamburger. Be sure to cut back or eliminate the salt as you’ll never realize how salty it us until it’s dissolved. If you come across a blob in your bowl or pot, take it out and don’t just mix it in. I really needs a good while in hot liquid to mellow out the flavor. If you don’t you’ll just get a big hit of salt. Also, be sure to stir well if you’re just plopping into whatever you’re making as it will drop the bottom and possibly burn. Really, really nasty when it burns! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/19 "2020-01-16T04:26:08Z")
still awfully salty, but I use it, it comes in handy when I can’t exactly jump in the car in a blizzard to slip slide off for a quart of broth. There are different flavors. I approve. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2020, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470/20 "2020-01-16T07:01:28Z")
I’ve forgotten about it since I found Better than Bouillon, but you might try mixing in a little Kitchen Bouquet. It’s mainly know for helping browning of meats, but I used to use it soups and stews to give them a little flavor boost. Hmmm…should buy a bottle, next market trip. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/better-than-bouillon/846470.md?page=2)