I Tried 6 Popular Instant Noodles & the Best Were Creamy and Comforting

Momofuku Ando probably had no idea of the lasting culinary mark he would leave with his invention of instant ramen in the late 1950s.  Today, there are unlimited instant noodle varieties on store shelves, from longtime-favorite ramen soups to newly popular air-dried options like the TikTok-trending Squiggly Noodles from Trader Joe's.

And demand just keeps rising. According to a recent report by research firm Technavio, the global instant noodle market is projected to grow by over $4 billion by 2028.

Economical, versatile, and easy-peasy to prepare, instant noodles have long been considered a pantry staple of college students, starving artists, and parents of picky eaters. I liken them to a favorite pair of jeans—a culinary staple that can be dressed up or down as you like.

I recently tried six popular brands of instant noodles, including highly sought-after options from specialty grocer Trader Joe's and celebrity chef David Chang's Momofuku label. Here's how each brand ranked in descending order, starting with my least favorite and counting down to the surprise winner.

Buldak Artificial Spicy Chicken Flavor Ramen

Notoriously hot among young people—with viral TikTok videos racking up millions of views with comments like, "Their spicy ramen ain't a joke"—Samyang has come a long way since introducing Korea's first-ever ramen in 1963. This Buldak ramen, aka "Fire Chicken Ramen, is the company's best-selling product. The listed flavorings include MSG and too many ingredients to count. A 5-pack from Amazon set me back $6.88, or $1.37 per pack.

Unlike most instant noodles in this survey, this stir-fried option involves a two-step cooking process: first, boil the block of dried noodles for five minutes until tender, then add the spicy chili oil sauce packet, and stir fry for 30 seconds. These noodles also came with a little packet of "flakes" for topping.

While I typically reserve a bit of cooking water when making any kind of noodle, the Buldak cooking directions say to "remain 8 spoons of water." This makes sense as the starchy water adds a silkiness to any sauce.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: Visually similar to the common Top Ramen, but with slightly thicker strands, the block of dried noodle itself also looks larger than the others, which is some kind of Jedi mind trick because all of them weigh about the same at just under five ounces. After following the cooking instructions, the sauced noodles took on an orangey-red tone.

The taste: Distinctly sweet at first, before an intense spicy heat kicked in. Disclaimer: I love spicy food and consider my heat tolerance to be high, but whoa! That's what I said out loud after the first bite as the chili spice almost knocked my tonsils out. The heat level on this one is so high that my lips were still burning 10 minutes later.

While I will admit it's the kind of hot that makes you want to keep eating, these noodles weren't my favorite. The texture is good—firm and chewy, but also silky. The intense chili flavor overpowers anything resembling that "artificial chicken flavor" from coming through. I clearly missed the memo about not using the whole sauce packet, which my college-age daughter and her friends are still laughing about.

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Public Goods Spicy Sesame Oil Ramen Noodles

Public Goods carries everything from home goods to food and beverage, and is focused on sustainability. Its Spicy Sesame Oil noodles are made with a "non-deep-fried" method and boast organic ingredients. A package of 10 cost me $29.99, which works out be to a great value at just $2.99 per pack. These are even easier to make than the Buldak noodles: just boil for two minutes, drain, mix in the "spicy" sesame oil, and eat.

The look: Out of the package, this dainty, slightly squiggly square of flat noodles was light and white. Once cooked up and combined with the oil packet, the noodles were a shiny golden tan. Visually, and because I'm familiar with the Momofuku- brand noddles, I was expecting them to taste very similar.

The taste: Ugh. These noodles were, as the kids say, "mid." I was looking and hoping for a specific, warm, garlicky chili flavor that just wasn't there. The heat was mild to almost medium, and the taste overall leaned toward bland.

Even so, I'd buy them again and add my own hot chili crisp and some veggies because, ladies and gentlemen and humans of all ages, this one wins for best overall nutrition with its low calories and lowest fat content for the whole group, plus 10 grams of protein!

It's also a solidly good value considering the quality at $2.99 per serving.

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Noodology Shanghai-Style Soy & Scallion Noodles

Soy and scallion oil noodles are a traditional Chinese staple dating back to 18th-century Shanghai, according to manufactuer Noodology, which boasts that its version is "restaurant quality." While these noodles are made of simply wheat flour, water, and salt, the scallion-infused oil is another story entirely. I was surprised by the P65 Warning (contains phenylalanine) printed on the back of the box, which reads, "Warning: Cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." I didn't see this before purchasing a 4-pack on Amazon for $15.19, or $3.79 per pack.

The look: These "hand-pulled, sun-dried, never-fried" noodles come in a neatly wrapped bundle inside of a protective plastic tray. Once cooked and combined with the scallion infused sauce packet, these noodles are, in a word, pretty. Wide and squiggly, these noodles came with an ample amount of sauce, which coated them a lovely golden tan.

The taste: I was not expecting to like this one as much as I did, which may or may not have something to do with the MSG content. These noodles are aromatic and incredibly tasty. There is a smooth and mild scallion flavor that comes through and makes you want to slurp up more than the one-cup serving size. Who's measuring and eating just the serving size? No one.

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Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles

Fun fact: Momofuku means "lucky peach" and its founder, the celebrity chef David Chang, is credited by the New York Times with kick-starting "the rise of contemporary Asian-American cuisine." It should be no surprise these instant noodles are included in this ranking and they are a favorite in my household. You can order from the company's website or find them for a few dollars cheaper at Target, which is what I did. At $11.99 for a package of 5, or $2.39 per pack, they're a great bargain for the quality.

The Momofuku Spicy Soy Noodles list 12 simple ingredients, including the accompanying flavor packet. They're air-dried, never fried or frozen, and vegan. The noodles cook up in a quick four minutes.

The look: These noodles were almost identical to Public Goods but smaller—in fact, they're the smallest in this survey. Once cooked, the umami noodles were white, but not opaque. Thin, flat, and slightly wavy, these noodles mixed well with and soaked up the sauce, giving off a light, warm amber color.

The taste: I would classify the spice level as a solid medium. The flavors of chili sauce combined with sesame oil come through nicely and are not overwhelming. They are indeed as the package reads, "Gently spicy."

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Fly by Jing Sweet & Spicy Noodles

As a big fan of Fly by Jing's Sichuan Chili Crisp, I was excited to see the brand come out with instant noodles. Founded in 2018, Jing Gao was inspired by the flavors of her hometown, Chengdu. Currently available online only, I ordered a box of the Sweet & Spicy Noodles on Amazon at $34.99 for a six pack, or $5.83 per pack, making these noodles the most expensive on this list. Notably, Fly By Jing also contains the highest sodium content. Each package comes with a packet of sweet, spicy tangy sauce, and a separate packet of dried chives.

The look: Similar in size to the Noodology variety, these sun-dried, small batch noodles came packaged in a neat bundle and tucked into a plastic tray along with seasoning packets. The Sichuan-style noodles shined beautifully with the ample amount of sauce provided. They are dark soy-sauce looking color after mixing. A perfectly cooked noodle in the recommended cooking time.

The taste: I had high expectations for this one and while it was absolutely delicious, I did't taste as much sweet as I do spicy. What I loved about this ramen is that the spice didn't overpower the rest of the flavors. The garlic and mushroom flavors of the sweet and "spicy" Zhong sauce are forward and then you get a really nice, not-too-spicy finish that lingers, but doesn't cancel everything else out. The dried chives were a perfect flavor addition.

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Trader Joe's Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles with Spicy Garlic Sesame Sauce

Did you see this one coming? I did not. I take this taste testing very seriously and while I was aware of Trader Joe's Squiggly Noodles being a TikTok trend, I wasn't sure how they'd stack up against the competition here. If there was a bonus round for lowest-sodium content, TJ's would win hands down. I braved the Cherry Hill, N.J., traffic and grabbed a 5-pack at my local TJ's store for $4.99, which also makes these noodles the most economical at just 99 cents per pack. (Note: if you buy from Amazon, however, be prepared to pay a substantial markup.)

The look: Squiggly, as described, with a medium-width noodle that ranks squarely in the middle of the pack. Everything was going along swimmingly until I tried to extract the sesame seed paste from its packaging. It was a pain. Even with a few tablespoons of reserved cooking water, it was difficult to mix in and I ended up with clumps of it that I didn't bother with.

The taste: Sesame paste aside, this was an excellent bowl of noodle deliciousness all around! The flavors were smooth, comforting, and savory. While I wouldn't call this "spicy" at all compared to the others, there is a lovely, light and creamy taste that is unique in this grouping of ramen noodles. This was the one brand that left me wanting more!

If you're looking for great taste and value, you'll find both at Trader Joe's.

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