Value for money: chicken stock

Tesco Finest Chicken Stock €1.66 for 600ml €2.71 for 1 litre Highs:The stock market has come over all posh in recent times and no longer is the humble cube or gloopy paste sufficient.

Of the pre-made stocks, this is the certainly the best value. It is a very good stock which lends a nice rich texture to any dish. It has a readily discernable chicken flavour which will complement but not overpower soups and sauces. It's very simple to use, is relatively easy to get and is not too salty. It is also easy to slot into the smallest of spaces in your larder.

Lows: One downside to the bendy packaging, however, is that it is impossible to reseal once opened, so you'd better use the full amount each time you cook, or you'll have to keep the remainder in a tub.

Verdict: The best stock option

Star rating: ****

Knorr Simply Stock

€1.72 for 450ml €3.83 per litre

Highs:This is, Knorr promises, free from artificial flavours, preservatives and colours - which is certainly to be commended. It has an admirably natural ingredient list and is low in salt with only 0.34g per 100ml.

Lows: While it may be free from artificial flavours, preservatives and colours, it is also free from taste. We had hoped this would be a handy alternative to spending hours boiling chicken bones and skimming fat and the like but were left sorely disappointed. It so insipid that despite spooning this into ourselves and swilling it round like a fine wine, we were unable to detect even the faintest chicken flavour from it.

Verdict: Tasteless

Star rating: **

Oxo Chicken Stock Cube

€1.21 for 71g (makes 2.3 litres) €17.05 per kg

Highs: These little cubes score highly in the familiarity stakes and also take up the least space in the cupboard. A box will make over two litres of stock, making them the cheapest option we found. They are easy to find, pretty much everywhere and are fine if you want to add a little flavour to your dishes.

Lows: If, however, you want to make a really good chicken soup or some delicate dishes to woo your buddies, you can forget about these. You have to read a long way down the ingredient list before you come to the first mention of chicken, which may explain why this has little or no chicken flavour. It's also flecked with green bits which may at one time been fresh herbs, although they've been rendered tasteless by the processing.

Verdict: Cheap and convenient

Star rating: ***

Marks & Spencer Chicken Stock

€3.99 for 210g (makes 2.27 litres) €19 per kg

Highs: This thick paste comes in a small jar that's easy to store. It certainly is handy and can be used to make up to four pints of cloudy, orange-coloured stock. It has a nice roasted chicken smell and once you get past the saltiness, it does have a recognisable chicken flavour. It is also surprisingly good value and is not a lot more expensive than the Oxo cubes.

Lows: It does take a lot to get past the salt, which is by far the strongest flavour in this. It has 18.7g of salt per 100g which means that one litre will contain almost four teaspoons of salt. It is also the messiest of the stocks tried, and unless you have a very steady hand you could end up with sticky brown gunk all over the place.

Verdict: Nice but salty

Star rating: ***

Jurgen Langbein Chicken Stock

€6.50 for 500ml €13 per litre

Highs: We had to rely on assurances from the staff in the deli where we bought this that it was in fact chicken stock as the entire jar is in German and the picture on the jar is ambiguous. When you taste it, however, it is clearly chicken stock and has a rich meaty flavour which works very well as a base. It is the only liquid stock that comes in a resealable container. We took to the web for a translation of the jar and were pleased to find that it comes with "added freshness".

Lows: It's not clear how the manufacturer managed to add freshness, but it does have E621 (that's MSG to me and you) and a couple of other E numbers listed among the ingredients, which took away from the boast. It is also the most expensive of the stocks we found.

Verdict: Good quality but pricey

Star rating: ***