Are Fish Fillets Really Better Than Sticks?

In the beginning, there was the fish stick. Made of minced fish -- we never knew exactly what fish, just that it was something that formerly bore fins -- and wrapped in a crispy coating that combined the crunch of cornflakes with the grainy texture of cornmeal. It was a staple freezer food for decades and many a suburban kid of the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

Invented in Great Britain in the 1950s as a way to make the herring catch a bit more palatable to the folks at home, fish sticks quickly jumped the pond and entered our freezers.

The proportion of breading to actual fish in most fish sticks is pretty appalling, but many a harried parent has used them to fulfill Lenten fish Fridays. With a half-sheet pan and a hot oven, you can have enough cooked in 15 minutes to feed a fair-sized crowd.

Whether through evolving tastes or the American urge to make everything just a little bit larger, various other battered or breaded frozen fish chunks have appeared in grocery freezers. Most call themselves "fish fillets," although their resemblance to what a restaurant would call a fillet is very limited unless some new species of triangular fish has been discovered. They do contain far more meat than fish sticks, and there's a fairly wide variety of coatings wrapped around them. Some manufacturers have even gone so far as to specify which fish is being offered, from flounder to catfish.

In this taste comparison, we picked seven frozen fish fillet products, two each from the major players in the industry and three from smaller (but still widely available) makers. Each entry was rated by a panel of five testers on taste, appearance, texture and accuracy of cooking instructions. Each tester could award a maximum of 20 points per entry, for a possible perfect score of 100.

Mrs. Paul's Crunchy Fish Fillets: (serving size 2 fillets) 280 calories, 14 grams fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 510 mg sodium, 25 grams carbs

The only real knock on these was the appearance. Out of the oven, they suffered from blotchy browning and looked somewhat unappetizing. However, the coating was nicely crispy with very little greasiness, and the fish was firm without being chewy. It lacked any real defining flavor, but that's more a hallmark of the category than an individual failing. Final score: 84.

Fisher Boy Golden Crunchy Tenders: (serving size 3 tenders) 230 calories, 11 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 22 grams carbs

These are very kid-friendly bites, forming a middle ground between fish sticks and the larger fillets. The meat didn't distinguish itself, with a watery, flimsy texture. The coating was the crunchiest of the test, possibly even too crunchy for very young diners. There was a bit of a greasy aftertaste, but it wasn't overpowering or unpleasant. Final score: 81.

Gorton's Crunchy Golden Fish Fillets: (serving size 2 fillets) 240 calories, 12 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 500 mg sodium, 23 grams carbs

The Gorton's fisherman probably should have thrown this one back. The coating was heavy and greasy, and the fish was limp and flavorless. One tester stated that they tasted very salty, although that wasn't echoed by the others. The appearance was quite good, with even browning and very few burned spots. Final score: 73.

Morning Fresh Farms Crunchy Fish Fillets (serving size 2 fillets) 290 calories, 14 grams fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 29 grams carbs.

Our tasting panel is normally a fairly well-mannered group, but the comments on this product vacillated between "school cafeteria food" and "prison food." The coating was thin and gummy, without any real flavor, and the fish had the texture of wet bread. Final score: 32.

The last three entries go beyond the norm either in coatings or type of fish used. They can be pricier than others.

Gorton's Potato Crunch Fish Fillets: (serving size 2 fillets) 240 calories, 14 grams fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 790 mg sodium, 20 grams carbs.

This one made two of the testers decide they wanted to immediately begin rolling random foods in potato chips to see if that improved their taste, too. The coating was the real star here, with the crunch of a good potato chip and just the right hit of saltiness. The fish was of middling quality, but it's safe to say this would be the most kid-pleasing of any of the items tested. Final score: 91.

Mrs. Paul's Lightly Breaded Flounder Fillets: (serving size: 1 fillet) 160 calories, 7 grams fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 12 grams carbs

At 3 fillets per package for the same price as a box of 6 to 8 standard fillets, a greater difference in quality and flavor was a fair expectation here. While they were perfectly adequate, there wasn't much to distinguish them from fillets made from more humble (or at least less prominently identified) fish. The coating was a bit too crispy and tended to flake off the fish, which was nicely firm. One tester noted that these, with their square shape, would make great fish sandwiches. Final score: 88.

Pubhouse Battered Fish: (serving size: about 2 pieces) 140 calories, 5 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 12 grams carbs

On a per-ounce cost, this was easily the most expensive item in the test, but the added expense paid off. The fish, firm and fresh-tasting, is coated with a beer batter that crisps up very well in the oven. If you've got a deep-fryer, these would work even better and you could pull off proper fish and chips. Final score: 96.

The Pubhouse fillets really stood in a class by themselves, but they don't make the cut as the best buy for this test. At a price equivalent to the standard-coating fillets, the Gorton's Potato Crunch fillets are an easy pick for best buy, closely followed by the Fisher Boy Crunchy Tenders.