When the temperature drops, there's a huge community of folks eager to dive into soup season, and I'm one of the first in line. While some outsiders are anti-soup, no one is really anti-broth, as it's likely the backbone to all your favorite comfort foods. Chicken broth is a staple for universally adored soups like chicken noodle and potato leek, but beef broth is a much richer component that adds depth to old-time favorites like French onion and mushroom barley soup. It's not just for soup, either. Beef broth can be the secret to reheating a juicy steak, jazzing up rice, or making the world's most tender pork shoulder.

Sure, it's tough to beat a rich, homemade beef broth, but we don't always have hours to let one simmer, and if one thing is true for broth, it's that it only gets more flavorful with each passing hour on the stove. Luckily, plenty of brands have pre-made cartons that will do the trick, and even the least impressive flavors can still amp up a bland dish. I gave eight different popular beef broths a taste, in both sip and soup form, to suss out the best option for whipping up a warming recipe.

I keep getting disappointed by Whole Foods in-house 365 brand, which is a shame considering it's typically the most affordable organic option. If I were to stick with an organic beef broth, I would grab Pacific over 365 in a heartbeat. The two both tasted reminiscent of chicken rather than beef, but at least Pacific's broth served a purpose with its thickness and slow build.