The Top 12 Saffron Brands in 2022

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Saffron, one of the world’s most unique and costly spices, has a magical aspect about it that lends the ideal finishing touch to any cuisine. Saffron’s rich and ruby red color, as well as its flowery perfume, is a great accompaniment to your dishes, whether used as a garnish or as a coloring agent.

In this analysis of the finest saffron brands, we look at the many saffron goods available. There are small differences amongst saffron goods, which we will discuss in our review. In our evaluation of each saffron product, we will offer you our honest opinion on what we liked and didn’t like about it.

But wait until the end because we’ll walk you through a fast shopping guide. In that part, we’ll go through the most important factors that purchasers should consider before making a purchase choice. This section will be very useful for first-time saffron purchasers.


Best Selection

The Zaran Saffron is our favorite. It provides high-quality saffron that is distinguished by the rich and lovely floral scents it emits. The tin appearance is likewise excellent, as are the general coloring possibilities of this saffron.

Budget Selection

Although though saffron is extremely costly, there are several inexpensive choices, the greatest of which is Golden Saffron. Don’t be fooled by its modest price; it’s a Grade A saffron with excellent scent, taste, and color. Ideal for those on a tight budget looking for saffron.



Product Name Grade
Zaran Saffron, Superior Saffron Threads A
Golden Saffron, Finest Pure Premium All Red Saffron Threads A-
Vanilla Bean Kings Premium Saffron Threads A-
Mehr Saffron, Premium All Red Saffron B
The Gathering of Saffron Brand B-
Slofoodgroup Persian Saffron Threads B
Delitaliana Spanish Saffron Tin B+
Zaraffe Saffron (La Mancha) B-
Mazaeus Saffron, Premium Saffron Threads A-
La Mancha Prime All RED Premium Coup Spanish Saffron B+
Zand Persian Saffron Threads B+
Rumi Spice Saffron A-

1. Zaran Saffron, Superior Saffron Threads

Because of its incredibly excellent quality and complex smells, Zaran Saffron is our top pick for finest saffron brand. Saffron is transported to consumers in small containers or tin cans after being prepared and packed, and the saffron frequently resembles threads of clothes.

These tin cans are quite little, and the quantity of saffron you receive may not seem like much, but keep in mind that saffron is a very costly spice. This Zaran Saffron tin can contains about 2g of saffron.

We can affirm that Zaran Saffron’s saffron threads are of exceptionally high quality, as shown by its Super Negin Grade Saffron. This indicates that it has been classified as some of the world’s top grade saffron.

Crocin (color), safranal (aroma), and picocrocin levels are consistently high (flavor). These three characteristics are what distinguishes saffron, and our Zaran Saffron excels in all three.

Its exceptional quality is well acknowledged. This saffron is said to have a rich flowery scent and a somewhat bitter flavor. They often use saffron as a final garnish on top of rice meals like paella and risotto. Some individuals like the scent so much that they incorporate it into their tea and milk drinks to give a hint of taste.

What we liked: We like the taste and scent of this saffron. We used it into our meals to add color and liveliness to it. We also mixed it into our hot water to add taste and color, and we were not disappointed.

What we didn’t like: we would have like for the flavor to sink deeper into the dish, since we found the bitter taste to be on the milder side. If the saffron flavor had been more prominent, this would have been the ideal saffron brand.


2. Golden Saffron, Finest Pure Premium All Red Saffron Threads

The problem with saffron is that it is not a cheap spice. It is painstakingly planted and cultivated across Europe and the Middle East, requiring considerable accuracy and effort. If you’re searching for a more affordable saffron option, try Golden Saffron.

Golden Saffron provides excellent value since all of their saffron threads are carefully chosen and wrapped in these tin cans. They are recognized for their saffron freshness, and these saffron threads are no exception.

The instant you open the can and smell those classic saffron fragrances, you receive a touch of freshness. It is Grade A saffron, which means it has an intense scent, taste, and color.

Golden saffron is 100 percent pure and grown on farms. It has no preservatives or additions, and it does not employ any artificial coloring or scents in its saffron threads.

Numerous customers who have bought this Golden Saffron brand report that it is less expensive than other brands while tasting just as wonderful. They’ve used it in paellas, pasta meals, and meat dishes. It may also be the highlight of a meal with saffron rice and aioli.

What we loved: Of course, more than any other saffron brand, we appreciated the cost and quality of this saffron brand. We didn’t detect any significant difference in the quality of this brand when compared to others, thus we were pleased to have gotten it at a reduced price.

What we didn’t like: The only criticism we have about this saffron brand is its flavor. It tasted plastic or metal-like rather than bitter or sweet. Yet, after the saffron was completely incorporated into a meal, the strange flavor was less evident.


3. Vanilla Bean Kings Premium Saffron Threads

Premium Saffron Threads is another another great option for your saffron requirements. As the name says, they produce some of the best saffron available. This saffron brand is grown and picked by hand on Afghan fields. It should be mentioned that Afghanistan produces some of the world’s greatest saffron.

Premium Saffron Threads is recognized as Super Negin Grade Saffron, which is the highest certification a saffron brand can achieve and is regarded some of the world’s most desired saffron. Premium Saffron Threads is significantly more expensive as a result of its classification.

It has a 10 rating in safranal, crocin, and picocrocin and a final grade of A+. Nonetheless, the extra price is justified by the product’s quality. Premium Saffron Threads has been rated 10 out of 10.

Thus far, many individuals have agreed with this assessment. They have used this saffron in their cuisine, but they have also discovered that it steeps tea leaves quite well, contributing to the gorgeous golden taste and color. Several people claim that when they use this saffron in their cuisine, it provides a powerful flowery smell, which is desirable, as well as a superb flavor.

What we liked: The scent of this saffron brand really stuck out to us. The powerful flowery scent lingered from the minute we opened the tin can until we placed this saffron into our tea to help it steep, and it was quite lovely.

What we didn’t like: We would have preferred more taste from this saffron. Although the perfume was powerful, the taste was not, and it was difficult to detect the saffron flavor at times.


4. Mehr Saffron, Premium All Red Saffron

Mehr Saffron is another premium saffron brand. This saffron product comes in a stylish glass container with a cork closure. The cork in our Mehr Saffron serves to keep the saffrons brightness in the same way as it helps to preserve the freshness in red wine bottles.

This container also has far more saffron, with 5g of saffron. These 5g of Grade A+ saffron have a great saffron flavor and scent. The saffron is 100% pure and premium red saffron packed in the United States, yet it comes from one of the world’s greatest saffron-producing nations, Afghanistan.

Despite not knowing its origins, this Mehr Saffron has gained great praise and the International Taste & Quality Institute’s Excellent Taste award. A jury of 120 chefs and sommeliers from across the globe assessed the Mehr Saffrons fragrance, color, and taste highly as the winner of this prize.

Customers who have bought this organically hand-picked saffron have shown a preference for it. Not only do they like the fact that you receive more saffron in this package, but they also appreciate the freshness of this saffron as shown by the highly fragrant scent they get when they open the bottle and use it in their cuisine.

What we liked: As much as we liked the saffron, what we truly appreciated was the luxurious package it came in. Pulling the cork off of this one-of-a-kind glass bottle and then pulling the saffron threads out was a unique experience that added significantly to its worth in our opinion.

What we didn’t like: As much as we appreciated the whole experience, the saffron in this bottle appeared a little stale, and the fragrance in our bottle was quite subtle. It still contributed color to our dish, but not as much as we had hoped.


5. The Gathering of Saffron Brand

For those searching for both quality and substance in their saffron, The Gathering of Saffron Brand has enough to offer. This saffron originates from Spain, a nation that isn’t as well-known for saffron production as Afghanistan, but nevertheless produces some excellent saffron.

As previously said, there is plenty of saffron in this bundle, as you will get a hearty one ounce of saffron, which is comparable to 28g. Hence, if you work in an Indian restaurant or need to cook for a large group and saffron is a critical component, The Gathering of Saffron Brand may deliver the value you want.

This saffron is completely natural and has no additives or preservatives. They are often added to improve the taste and color of the saffron, and many saffron enthusiasts can identify them immediately.

In order to create one pound of saffron in Spain, almost 70,000 blossoms were utilized. This saffron brand has a color rating of Category 1, which is the highest degree attainable. It has a sierra rating of 2, which indicates that the overall quality of the saffron is good.

Several customers who bought this saffron praised its genuineness, which was verified by the lack of bleaching of the saffron threads. Many also claim it’s the greatest Spanish saffron they’ve ever experienced, and many compare it to Iranian saffron.

What we liked: We like to purchase more saffron rather than less, so this was a fantastic bargain.

What we didn’t like: the saffron’s quality looks a little questionable to us. When we opened the can, it smelled strange, almost like plastic, and when we placed the saffron in water to see how it would color the water, it rendered it a bright red hue rather than a more yellow-orange tone.


6. Slofoodgroup Persian Saffron Threads

Persian Saffron Threads is another wonderful saffron company that is well-known for producing high-quality saffron. These Saffron Threads originate from Afghanistan, where there is a significant concentration of excellent grade saffron.

This premium saffron company has a dazzling reputation for saffron production, as proven by their excellent grade with a Category 1 rating for their saffron hue. This spice is harvested fresh and carefully packaged in Afghanistan to retain as much of the scent and taste as possible.

The saffron in this jar is organically generated and has no added preservatives that may impair the saffron’s quality. As a result, its natural condition yields a deep red saffron rich in floral aromatics.

Customers who have bought this Persian Saffron Threads report that when steeped in tea, the vivid crimson of the saffron threads performs an excellent job of entirely transforming the tea into a dark red hue. Those who have cooked with this saffron appreciate it since it also gives the meal a deeper crimson color.

What we liked: We enjoy that you can get this Persian Saffron Threads in a variety of sizes. This one is for their 1g saffron, but they also offer a 28g saffron alternative.

What we didn’t like: the little plastic jar in which our saffron came. We could smell the harsh plastic fragrance of the bottle before we ever opened it, and we feel that this damaged the flavor and taste of the saffron within.


7. Delitaliana Spanish Saffron Tin

Delitaliana Spanish Saffron Tin is another Spanish saffron brand. This premium grade saffron is made comprised of pure red threads with no waste or white plant components that might damage the saffron’s quality.

As a result, you get a wonderful Spanish saffron with a reputation for its strong perfume, taste, and color. This product is composed entirely of natural materials and is 100% pure. It was also cultivated without the use of herbicides or fertilizers.

This tin of saffron has 2g of the excellent stuff, and you’ll have piece of mind knowing that it’s normally sealed tight to keep as much of the saffron’s freshness within the can as possible.

This saffron is said to go particularly well with paellas and casseroles, adding a flare of color and taste. Better still, to fully bring out the saffron taste, infuse it with hot water to better unleash all of its natural characteristics.

What we liked: We believe that the airtight container of this Delitaliana Spanish Saffron does a wonderful job of keeping the saffron’s fantastic scent and taste. We agree with others that this saffron works very well in paellas and adds a wonderful color to the meal.

What we didn’t like: One item that disappointed us was the quantity of saffron in our tin. It reads 2g on the tin can, but when we opened it, it seemed identical to what we’d receive in a 1g can. With the price of saffron, not having that additional gram is really costly.


8. Zaraffe Saffron (La Mancha)

Even though this isn’t a saffron brand, we had to add it since it was a great saffron option. Saffron (La Mancha) is saffron produced in what we consider to be the La Mancha area of Spain, where saffron production is well-known.

To make the greatest grade saffron, this saffron is 100% pure and manufactured with all-natural flowers. Folks will be pleased to learn that this tin has a generous amount of saffron. This massive tin bottle contains around 1 ounce or 28g of saffron. This is ideal for those who use a lot of saffron in their cuisine or who have to prepare for a big group.

Customers who are not completely satisfied with their Saffron (La Mancha) purchase may seek a full refund without any questions asked.

What we loved: This saffron worked great for coloring our dishes and tea, but what we truly appreciated was the sheer volume of saffron in one container. That was definitely more than the 1g tin cans.

What we didn’t like: the fact that this Saffron (La Mancha) did not arrive sealed made us nervous since we weren’t sure whether it had previously been opened and if it was safe to consume. We did utilize it, although we were really skeptical.


9. Mazaeus Saffron, Premium Saffron Threads

Mazaeus Saffron is a modest, family-owned saffron company that started their gastronomic adventure in Washington, DC 15 years ago. They chose to source and market their own saffron, Mazaeus Saffron, after established themselves in the restaurant sector and a reputation for only utilizing the finest products.

In fields in Afghanistan, its saffron is produced naturally and collected by hand. It is then shipped to the United States, where it is subjected to laboratory testing to guarantee that it is of the highest quality before being packed for sale in the United States.

To provide a significantly longer shelf life for their saffron, it is organically dried, increasing the shelf life to an incredible 3-4 years. The ultimate product is a saffron with earthy aromas and a lovely floral aromatic character.

A tin can of Mazaeus Saffron will provide you with 2g of Superior Grade 1 saffron. It has been tested for safranal, crocin, and picocrocin levels, and all have been found to be quite high, ensuring a superb saffron experience.

Several people have praised Mazaeus Saffron for the full experience, from the little tin can to the wrapping inside that correctly seals the saffron to actually tasting the saffron. Several people have praised how wonderfully it colors foods like rice.

What we loved: We appreciated how effortlessly the Mazaeus Saffron colored our dish. We discovered that we needed far less of this saffron to color our cuisine than other saffron brands, which was fantastic since it enabled us to conserve more for future applications.

What we didn’t like: the price of this saffron brand is substantially more than the price of other companies selling the same 2g quantity in tin cans.


10. La Mancha Prime All RED Premium Coup Spanish Saffron

Another high grade saffron brand is La Mancha Premier Premium Coup Spanish Saffron, a Spanish favorite. This one makes amazing saffron in a tin container that is, in our view, the finest constructed by far.

A tin can contains 2g of pure, high-quality saffron. It is completely natural, does not include any preservatives, and is cultivated without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. As a result, it is a Grade 1 Saffron. This saffron was hand-picked from thousands of blooms to assure the greatest taste and quality saffron.

This saffron originates from Spain’s La Mancha province, which is an altitude location noted for its saffron cultivation. It is prepared and packaged in Spain before being delivered to the United States for distribution.

La Mancha Premium Saffron produces only high-quality saffron with vibrant red threads. It lacks any yellow or white plant components that might impair the plant’s quality and flavor.

What we liked: We like that this saffron comes in three various sizes: 2g, 5g, and 10g, and that the higher the saffron quantity you go, the cheaper this saffron gets per gram. While none of these sizes are very huge, such as a 28g packet, you will receive excellent value from any of these three options.

What we didn’t like: other reviews noted that this tin can was very difficult to open and, at times, appeared impossible! We were ultimately able to pull it open after more than an hour of attempting. On the other hand, their very tight seal means that they do an excellent job of keeping the lid sealed and fresh.


11. Zand Persian Saffron Threads

Many people come to Zand Persian Saffron Threads for Grade A quality saffron. Saffron is known as “red gold” for good cause. Saffron is the king of spices, and Persia produces the greatest saffron in the world.

Crocus flowers cultivated organically are produced by Zand Iranian Saffron Threads. They claim that it takes over 500,000 flowers to gather one tin can of 2g flowers for ingestion.

This saffron is little bitter but incredibly delicious, and it goes well with any home-cooked cuisine. It has no additives or preservatives, assuring that you only get the finest saffron threads Zand has to offer.

These saffron threads were gathered by hand in Afghanistan, and the scent, color, and taste of saffron have all been evaluated and found to exceed the ISO 3632 purity criteria.

Zand suggests storing this saffron in a drawer, cabinet, or anywhere dry in your home to maintain its greatest properties. It comes in a tightly-covered tin container.

What we liked: This saffron is really fragrant, and we were pleasantly surprised by how aromatic it was. We received a tremendous whiff of the familiar floral scent that is so frequent in better grade saffron after lifting the lid and before we could even put our nose to it to smell it.

What we didn’t like: Unfortunately, our tin can was damaged very severely during delivery; nevertheless, we were relieved that the dent did not pierce through the can, since this would have allowed a lot of the scent to leak out. We also noted that, when compared to other 2g tin cans of saffron, this one did not seem to contain the entire 2g of saffron, which disappointed us.


12. Rumi Spice Saffron

Rumi Spice Saffron is another high-quality saffron from Afghanistan. Rumi Spice Saffron is produced naturally and picked by hand on Afghan fields.

Being an organic saffron, it has no chemicals or preservatives to increase its taste or color since it already gives a bright and brilliant red color as well as a rich flavor to your cuisine. You may also combine it and use it as a coloring agent in your tea, as well as to give a savory and bitter flavor to it.

This saffron is noted to have a more powerful flavor, with many people reporting a combination of brightness and aggressiveness when they taste it in their dish. It complements foods incredibly well by providing subtle sweet and salty undertones.

This saffron is incredibly popular among cooks and is often used by Michelin-starred chefs all around the globe. As a result, its presentation is likewise highly upscale, since it comes in a cylindrical glass bottle capped with a cork. A little packet of saffron (0.5g) is included inside the glass bottle.

What we loved: We appreciated the overall appearance of the glass bottle with the cork. That wasn’t like the regular tin cans we see for saffron. It also tasted extremely good, however if you used too much of it in your cooking, it may give a harsh fragrance to your cuisine.

What we didn’t like: We hoped there had been a lot more saffron in this container. There are other size alternatives available, but we chose the 0.5g bottle since it was already the same price as other manufacturers’ 2g packets. On a per-ounce basis, this saffron was by far the most expensive of any saffron we tested, therefore the price might have been much lower for the quantity of saffron we got.


Factors to Think About Before Purchasing the Best Saffron Brand

The Container

While saffron is the most unique and rare spice in the world, the quantities available vary, but they are normally on the tiny side. Saffron isn’t weighty or thick; imagine it as strands from a piece of cloth. Tin cans are often used as saffron storage containers since they do not emit an odor.

This is significant because when you get saffron in other sorts of containers, such as plastic ones, you can smell the plastic immediately away, which might compromise the quality of the saffron within. That is why many saffron containers are tin cans. Tin cans are also useful since they do an excellent job of sealing the saffron within, preserving its perfume, color, and taste.

Package Dimensions

Since saffron is such a difficult spice to get, the package is often substantially smaller. For example, several of the saffron companies we investigated sold saffron in tin cans containing just 1 or 2 grams of saffron.

You would think that’s not a lot, but with a few chosen brands, they offer saffron in larger quantities, such as a 28g jar of saffron. Yet, since it is such a coveted spice and the most costly in the world, most people choose for the smaller tin cans.

where it was made

Saffron connoisseurs might be extremely fastidious about where their saffron is grown before purchasing it. Saffron is mostly produced in Persia (more particularly, Afghanistan) and Spain. Although the end result, red threads, is comparable, there are distinct variances in its safranal (aroma), crocin (color), and picocrocin (flavor).

Non-saffron specialists may find it difficult to distinguish the changes, while saffron veterans may find them dramatically different, and they may have a preference for where the saffron they purchase is grown.

Price

Understandably, saffron is a highly costly spice owing to its position as an exotic and unique spice. Although a small tin can of saffron may cost just $10-$15, saffron is by far the most costly spice in the world on a cost-per-ounce basis.

It is not unusual for saffron to cost between $140-$180 per ounce. Thankfully, saffron may be obtained in a variety of quantities, but keep in mind that the price per ounce might be a decisive factor in whether or not you are getting a fair deal.

Last Thoughts

Saffron is a wonderfully unique spice. It provides individuals with flexibility since it may be used to color food, tea, water, and even as a garnish. It has a wonderful and sweet scent that is truly delectable.

It is also a pricey spice that should be eaten in moderation. Whichever you choose to use saffron, remember that you are buying the greatest spice in the world, which requires a great deal of labor to cultivate, develop, and create for your personal use.

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