What goes into a really 'great' donut? Here are the criteria for judging "NEO's Best: Donuts' winners (2024)

Vote for your choice from finalists

A great donut is the sum of all its parts - flavor, texture, fillings and freshness are all key elements.

(David Petkiewicz, NEOMG)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's no "science" to determining what makes a perfect donut. At least, none that I've found.

But over the course of visiting the 10 shops that readers named as finalists in the 2014 "NEO's Best: Donuts" competition, certain factors emerged. Maybe they'll offer some perspective on the characteristics that stood out as I did my own sampling - and help you to fine-tune your own judgment.

1. Flavor and fragrance ought to be distinctive, well-balanced - sweet but not cloying - and appealing enough to demand a second bite. If it's a raised donut, a whiff of yeastiness promises authentic, old-fashioned goodness.

And ... does it taste "real?"With all the mixes available out on the market, plus artificially flavored, colored and textured fillings and toppings, you're bound to come across some really fake-tasting flavorings, with an offish "lab" aroma.

2. Fillings ought to taste like what they claim to be. If you're selling me a raspberry donut, I want to taste raspberry -- not just sweet, goopy red goo.

3. Texture is a bit more challenging. I happen to love the light-as-air and melt-in-your-mouth quality of Krispy Kreme's plain glazed donuts. No indie shops matched them, which is fine. The best donuts I sampled (especially plain glazed raised donuts) combine lightness with good loft. That gives you something to chew on for a moment or two.

Too many businesses fry their donuts in hydrogenated shortenings (think Crisco, but lower-quality commercial brands), which are the source of trans-fats. Cheaper frying fat leaves an unmistakeable coating that clings to your palate and especially the roof of your mouth. When I visit a shop for the first time, I'll sometimes buy a single donut, to make sure I won't end up with a dozen cheap-tasting crullers.

4. Nostalgia is an elusive characteristic. Here's an advantage of having stuck around for a couple of generations or more. Donut-lovers of a certain age -- meaning, those who grew up on pre-industrial donut recipes -- remember true old-fashioned flavors.

For that reason, flavor-combinations ought to make sense. I'm all for new concepts like Boston Cream Pie donuts. Just make sure they taste good. Just because you can throw things together doesn't mean you should.

5. One more thing: how good do they taste the second day? Donuts don't have much in the way of good shelf-life (except in atmosphere-controlled display cases), but day-old donuts should at least still taste good enough to dunk. Not like sweet Styrofoam.