Which hot dogs are the best? A Globe Magazine tasting aimed to find out.

A NOTE ON METHODOLOGY: Magazine staff cooked 17 different kinds of beef franks over Kingsford charcoal in a Smokey Joe grill, then a panel of writers, editors, and art directors tasted the dogs plain—no buns, no condiments—and recorded their impressions. Tasters did not know which brands they were trying. (And yes, we held the tasting on a day when the vegetarian on staff was out.)