The Best Hot Sauce Subscriptions of 2023

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.

Hot sauce has found a place on kitchen tables alongside other staple condiments like ketchup and mayonnaise. There are countless versions found globally, which range in heat from mild to tear-inducing spicy, depending on the variety of chili pepper used. Because of this variety, hot sauce can be used in meals throughout the day, from everyday breakfast or an elaborate family feast to a simple late-night snack. In addition to using it raw, hot sauce can be used in cooking, typically taking on a slightly different flavor. This list captures some of our favorite hot sauce subscriptions available nationwide so you will be well-stocked with this beloved condiment.

The Best Hot Sauce Subscriptions of 2023

Best Overall: Fuego Box
Best Variety: Heat Hot Sauce Shop

Best Overall : Fuego Box

Based in Southern California, Fuego Box offers over 100 different brands of hot sauce through its online platform. Browse by brand, spice level, or chili pepper for filtered, a la carte hot sauce selections, or sign up for a monthly subscription to get a new variety of hot sauce delivered to your doorstep either monthly or quarterly.

Fuego Box is known for carrying small-batch hot sauces from around the world that focus on the right balance of flavor and heat. The company calls itself “a hot sauce club for people who love food.” Available subscriptions include an option for one bottle of mild to hot sauce per month ($12.95 per box) and three bottles of mild to hot sauce delivered monthly or quarterly ($29.95 per box). A third subscription, aptly known as the Pain Seeker, includes two bottles of extra hot sauce per delivery (monthly or quarterly) and costs $28.95 per box.

Shipping is $5 per box for all subscriptions. Gift box subscriptions are also available and can be purchased for one month, three months, or one year.

Best Variety : Heat Hot Sauce Shop

Heat Hot Sauce Shop, another California based company, offers artisan hot sauces delivered to your door each month through its Sauce of the Month program. Subscriptions are categorized by heat level—Mild & Medium (mild heat but big flavor), Classic (a mix of all heat levels and flavors), and Extra Hot. Single bottle subscriptions are priced at $15 for Mild and Classic and $17 for Extra Hot, with shipping included.

For each heat level, there is an option to increase to a three-bottle subscription, which offers an even better value. All subscriptions can be delivered either monthly or quarterly. Packaged bottles also come with tasting note cards for each sauce. An added perk to subscribers is that they not only get free shipping on the actual subscriptions but on the entire online shop as well (shipping is normally $7.99).

Choose from over 600 hot sauces from around the world and some local favorites from the San Francisco Bay Area. Subscribers also get exclusive early releases on new sauces and some bonus items with their first shipment.

FAQs

What Peppers Are Used in Hot Sauce? Which Are Mild vs. Spicy?

A variety of chili peppers can be used when making hot sauce, but some of the most common ones used are jalapenos, serranos, and habaneros (listed in order from mild to hot). Certain sauces will use other varieties such as Thai chilies, Scotch Bonnet, or the extremely spicy Ghost peppers.

What Is a Scoville Rating?

A Scoville rating is a measurement of a pepper's heat, recorded as Scoville Heat Units (SHU) through the scientific measuring of the compound capsaicin, which causes peppers to be spicy. The scale ranges from 0 to pure capsaicin, with the latter classified as 16,000,000 SHU. For reference, sweet and mild chili peppers will range between 0 and 2,500 SHU; chipotles fall at about 8,000 SHU; jalapenos are 8,000 SHU; serranos can reach 25,000 SHU; habaneros can be as high as 350,000 SHU; and the ghost pepper is at 1,041,427 SHU. Most hot sauce retailers will include this figure in the description of their sauces. You can look up peppers' Scoville rating as a guide for their level of spiciness.

How We Chose the Best Hot Sauce Subscriptions

With the vast number of hot sauces on the market, this list was selected to highlight platforms that aggregate the best artisanal small-batch hot sauces on the market. Many may be lesser-known but are made with clean natural ingredients that pair with a variety of cuisines across a range of heat levels. The unique brand Truff, for example, represents the decadent side of hot sauce, while Armadillo Pepper can deliver hot sauces made with the world’s spiciest peppers to your door. Both Fuego Box and the Heat Hot Sauce Shop offer tremendous variety and customizable subscriptions. Pricing and customer reviews were also taken into consideration when finalizing this list.