Dennison’s.
Hormel without beans, HOT if I can find it (usually can’t; the supermarkets have hot WITH beans, regular WITH beans, and no beans, but seldom have HOT NO BEANS); otherwise, I heat it up myself with scissored-up dried habañeros. I like to smother hot dogs in the stuff, after oven-brolling them to the point of making the black stripe and splitting the casing (or, if not natural casings, just making them burst a little bit). Then grate some sharp cheddar on top. Nummy!
I was going to mention Nalley, but it slipped my mind. ISTR thinking it wasn’t the greatest.
Of course we only use canned chili for pepper bellies (regional name in the Antelope Valley for Frito pie), or when the SO makes her canned veg chili soup.
While we’re here could someone please explain “chili con carne?” If you’re from Texas and there’s no beans in Texas chili why call it con carne?
There’s either vegetarian chili, or chili. Con carne is redundant seems to me.
Chili peppers are what make the sauce. So if you have chili peppers with meat, it’s chili con carne.
In some sense, I think my love of Nalley is a lot like how I feel about Campbell’s Chicken Noodle. If I put on my foodie hat, it really isn’t the best from that perspective. But when I’m getting something out of a can, it’s the flavor that feels so familiar and comforting that a “better” product isn’t necessarily more desirable.
Velveeta is also in the same category. I don’t actually like Velveeta… but in certain recipes, nothing else comes out right.
In addition to Johnny LA’s response, I addressed it back in post 17. “Chili con carne” literally means “hot peppers with meat.” It’s that simple. Eventually, the name got truncated so that “chili” refers to any of a variety of American stews where chili peppers are one of the main ingredients, and the definition expanded to include chili pepper stews without meat. Originally (as far as the story goes), chili was just basically sun-dried beef, suet, dried red peppers, and salt, that was rehydrated and stewed in the field. It’s a type of dish that shows up in various cultures (Hungarian goulash or pörkölt has similar origins: dried beef, onions, and paprika [which is red peppers, of course] to be cooked in the field by the herdsman.)
My mom sent us cans of Skyline (Cincinnati style) for Christmas. No, if you aren’t from Ohio you won’t like it, but I think it’s wonderful. 
My guess is that it was originally “Chile con carne”, meaning “chiles with meat”, not “chili with meat”.
Which makes sense, because the archetypical Texas style chili is essentially a dish of beef stewed in a sauce made primarily from ground, dried chiles, spiced up with cumin, oregano, garlic, pepper and some other stuff.
I voted ‘Wolf,’ but I also use Hormel. I’ve started using chili as spaghetti sauce instead of the normal sweet tomato-paste-based sauces.
Skyline is delicious! (And I’m not from Ohio). I get a hankering for Cincinnati style chili a few times a year. It’s more a sauce than what I usually think of as chili, but it’s great over spaghetti with unholy amounts of shredded cheddar cheese over it. Or as a hot dog topping. I don’t much like chili dogs, but Cincinnati style chili over a so-so hot dog makes it great.
Jacob Goldman: [Max and Jacob are watching TV when the dog passes gas] UGH! What are you feeding this dog?
Max Goldman: Hormel Chili.
Jacob Goldman: [grimacing] Whoo!
Max Goldman: He likes it.
When it comes to what 99% of the country thinks of as chili, well, I find it best to simply avoid all canned varieties of same.
However.
Being from southwest Ohio, and having been raised on - and absolutely LOVING - what is known as Cincinnati chili, I find that any of the canned varieties (be it Skyline, Gold Star, Empress, or even Worthmore) are pretty dang great at replicating the dine in/carry out Cincy chili experience via their canned product. Those with a predisposition toward hating Cincy chili, no matter what form it takes, will doubtless only use this as further evidence that backs up their utterly clueless hatred for this ambrosia of the gods.
Which means more for me, so I’m cool with that.
I’ve only ever had the Skyline brand.
Lordy, now I need some chili five way.
I’ve never been anywhere near Cincinnati in my life. (Well, I passed through Cleveland once. I wouldn’t recommend it.)
I have, however, cooked Cincinnati chili from recipes I’ve found online, and it’s delicious when served with all the trimmings - spaghetti, beans, chopped onions and garlic, oyster crackers, and a mound of shredded cheddar as big as you can pile on top of the bowl without it falling apart.
My uncle introduced me to Wolf Brand when I lived in Memphis. Finally started seeing it on the shelves in this section of PA this past year. It’s not home-made quality, but it’s the best canned stuff.
I’m surprised Armour Chili didn’t get votes. I’ve seen it on the shelves for many years. I don’t recall buying it either.
Hormel and Wolf Brand are the two clear favorites. I’ll get a can of Hormel next time. I’m curious to see the differences.
I find Wolf to be marginally cheaper than Hormel, and so it’s my go-to $1 lunch.
My true favorite is no longer available. My local grocery chain, Giant Food, used to offer a store brand that was absolutely the sh–well, maybe that’s not the best way to compliment chili.
Eric’s Canned Chili Challenge. A blind taste test of several brands. Good idea, but they needed more people tasting.
Not surprising that both the dollar store brands were the worst. Wolf Brand and Hormel were the top two.
I slightly prefer Wolf over Hormel. Neither is really hot enough - has enough bite. I try to find a hot sauce that matches up well with the chili I’m making. Then I am happy. Also, let me say on the side, tortillas or saltines…none of these carrots or cinnamon rolls.
I also contend that a really good hangover cure (well maybe not a cure, but medication, at least) is really hot greasy chili with a chocolate milk shake on the side. My wife has been known to get sick just thinking about it.