The Standard
Every brand on this site is curated against the same set of criteria. We publish the criteria so you can argue with them. We list the tradeoffs on every brand page so you can decide whether our standard matches yours.
What gets a brand in
- Ingredients you can pronounce — and verify. Sourcing has to be specified, not gestured at. "Natural" is not a sourcing claim. We want country of origin, growing/processing method, and any third-party testing.
- An honest founder story. A real person, a real reason. Not a private-equity rollup with a rustic font.
- An answer to one hard question. If we ask why a particular additive or production shortcut appears in their line, they answer specifically. No deflection.
- Repeatable quality. The thing you bought last year and the thing you'll buy next year should match.
What we don't require
- Certifications. Some great small producers can't afford USDA Organic; some big ones game it. We weigh the underlying practice, not the badge.
- Being small. Scale isn't the disqualifier — corner-cutting is.
- Being American. Origin is reported, not preferred.
What gets a brand removed
- A reformulation that quietly drops the thing that earned the listing in the first place.
- Acquisition by a parent company whose other lines we wouldn't list.
- Refusing to answer the hard question on the record.
- Demonstrated misrepresentation of sourcing or ingredients.
When a brand is removed we add a note explaining why and leave the page up. We don't memory-hole prior calls.
What this site will never do
- Take payment for placement.
- Make medical claims.
- Run popup modals or exit-intent overlays.
- Hide affiliate relationships. Every CTA links through a labelled redirector.