I ranked every sausage I could find at Trader Joe's, and I think the best could be used in almost any recipe

I went to Trader Joe's and bought every kind of sausage I could find.Ted Berg

• I tried every Trader Joe's precooked sausage I could find to see which was the tastiest.
• The sweet-apple and maple chicken options were my least favorite sausages I tried.

If you're looking to explore grilling options beyond burgers and hot dogs, it might be time to visit the precooked sausage section at your local Trader Joe's.

Of course, the store's sausage section can be overwhelming because there are so many different kinds and they all look pretty good. And if the store's crowded, you can feel the impatience of shoppers behind you, waiting for you to move so they can swipe the sausage they already know they want.

I'm here to help. I sampled nine different precooked Trader Joe's sausages. I started by trying all of them straight off my skillet, with no dressing or bun, so I could judge each sausage fairly without condiments impacting my preferences. Then, I tried to come up with a favorite preparation for each.

Here's my final ranking, from worst to best.