Stacking them up
Five Globe staff members blind-tasted seven packaged supermarket bagels, all plain, three bought frozen, and all heated in an oven but not toasted. The winner, Ray's New York Bagels, was the most deeply colored and chewiest, but a Stop & Shop brand came in a close second. Most of the others were criticized for breadlike texture and bland flavor.
Ray's New York Bagels
$2.79 (6 bagels, 24 ounces)
Tasters appreciated the denser crust (''I like the chewy factor") and the fact that it wasn't pre-sliced, which may have helped it keep its freshness. They were split on the flavor, with some liking the slight sweetness and others finding it on the bland side, but three of the five named it their favorite.
Stop & Shop Authentic New York Style Bagels
$1.99 (6 bagels, 24 ounces)
Two tasters liked this one best, with one saying, ''This best approximates a real actual bagel that might have been made in the vicinity." Everyone appreciated the dark and bumpy crust, which gave a freshly baked appearance, and the slight saltiness, but some found it too bready.
Thomas' New York Style Bagels
$3.39 (6 bagels, 22 ounces)
This bagel was faulted for reminding one taster of Wonder Bread and another of Pringles. The remainder called it ''tasteless," ''really dull," and ''nothing like a bagel."
Trader Joe'sThe Bagel Spinoza
$1.79 (6 bagels, 18 ounces)
''I feel like I'm chewing on cardboard," one tester wrote, capturing the panel's opinion. The fact that it was the only other bagel besides Ray's that wasn't pre-sliced didn't win it any fans. ''It looks browned on the top," one panelist wrote, ''but what happened to the taste?"
Pepperidge FarmBagels
$3.19 (6 bagels, 21 ounces)
Tasters complained of the overly sweet flavor and ''extremely chewy" texture, which one likened to the ''fake bread" at chain restaurants.
Shaw's Big DeliStyle Bagels
$1.19 (5 bagels, 15.6 ounces)
Tasters split on this one, with two complaining of no taste, one picking up hints of garlic, and another finding ''only salt -- and then something chemical." Its crackly but thin crust gave it ''at least a semblance of bagel texture."
Lender's New York Style Bagels
$1.29 (5 bagels, 16.5 ounces)
''What are these, made in the Midwest?" wrote one taster, echoing the rest of the panelists, who complained of the white-bread effect. ''The shade on the outside gives the appearance of sourdough, but the taste doesn't."
Tasters were Alison Arnett, Geoff Edgers, Sheryl Julian, Joanna Weiss, and Joe Yonan. Prices are from Shaw's, Stop & Shop, and Trader Joe's in Boston but may differ in other stores. 
