Impossible Burger
Shares rank 2 of 3 plant-based burgers by recommenders
Recommended as the plant-based burger that tastes closest to beef, though critics say it still doesn't taste like meat and costs more.
Recommended as the plant-based burger that tastes closest to beef, though critics say it still doesn't taste like meat and costs more.
43 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 27
- criticize it
- 16
- approval share
- 63%
Recommended in 7 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 27 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 1.6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 7 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Tastes close to real meat
“Impossible is on a different planet in terms of being very very close to the taste of real meat.”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “the Impossible Burger often tastes better than the real beef”
Comment from 16 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “crazy meatless burger that still feels/tastes like meat”
Comment from 18 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” - Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand”
- Comment from 16 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand”
Better than other meat substitutes
“they were the only plant-based alternative that really satisfied a craving for meat”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” “The only imitation meat product I've remotely enjoyed is Impossible Burger.”
Comment from 21 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “Impossible and Beyond satisfy the taste and craving without the nastiness.”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” - Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “How Beyond Meat sank from a $14B plant-based protein powerhouse to a penny stock”
- Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand”
Works well as a beef substitute
“I regularly consume impossible, and use it in pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef.”
Comment from 12 Nov 2025 in “A vision of chocolate's future in an Amsterdam brownie” “those are quite good with an Impossible patty subbed in”
Comment from 18 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “now I use almost exclusively Impossible”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” Healthier and less resource intensive
“The fact that impossible burgers are vastly less resource intensive to produce”
Comment from 25 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” “Impossible patties are healthier and taste better.”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Still doesn't taste like meat
“they really aren’t much like meat in my opinion”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” “Impossible burgers are getting close and I’ve had my fair share of them, but they’re not there yet.”
Comment from 6 Sep 2026 in “South African diamond mines are closing due to weak sales and lab-grown stones” “They don't taste the same, they're much more expensive”
Comment from 25 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” - Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand”
More expensive than beef
“I have never _not_ paid at least $2 premium to sub in an Impossible or Beyond patty.”
Comment from 18 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “The problem with Impossible burgers were worse, more expensive, questionably "more healthy" and entirely relied upon the moral/social issues”
Comment from 13 Mar 2026 in “Long Overlooked as Crucial to Life, Fungi Start to Get Their Due” “They don't taste the same, they're much more expensive”
Comment from 25 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” Ultra-processed with high oil and sodium
“The only troubling thing on the ingredients list is how much oil they put into it”
Comment from 24 Sep 2026 in “Where's the Beef?: The lab-grown-meat revolution that wasn't” “but also has a high amount of sodium”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “Like impossible burger. Extreme ultra-processed.”
Comment from 4 Feb 2026 in “Ultra-processed foods should be treated more like cigarettes than food – study” Taste off-putting to some
“it was replaced by Beyond or Impossible, and the bar tender was pretty open about how it was gross”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “Impossible definitely has more of a "dead cow funk" taste to it.”
Comment from 16 Mar 2026 in “Beyond Meat CEO 'It's Just Not the Moment for Plant-Based Meat' After Rebrand” “impossible burgers are absolutely vile and disgusting”
Comment from 14 Apr 2026 in “40% of lost calories globally are from beef, needing 33 cal of feed per 1 cal”
Other plant-based burgers people recommend
The two most recommended other plant-based burgers, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beyond Meat Beyond Burger | 28 | 46 | 38% | 5 | — | — |
| Impossible BurgerThis page | 27 | 16 | 63% | 7 | — | — |
| Beyond Burger | 27 | 24 | 53% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
40 of the 46 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“They don't taste the same, they're much more expensive”
“The fact that impossible burgers are vastly less resource intensive to produce”
“The only troubling thing on the ingredients list is how much oil they put into it”
“they were the only plant-based alternative that really satisfied a craving for meat”
“Love the odd impossible burger”
“they really aren’t much like meat in my opinion”
“Impossible and Beyond satisfy the taste and craving without the nastiness.”
“Impossible burgers are getting close and I’ve had my fair share of them, but they’re not there yet.”
“because a black bean patty is tasty in its own way and not trying to replicate meat”
“Or impossible burgers. Or any other manner of "invented" food that is not essentially basic agrarian or hunter-gatherer.”
“Vegans gave us the Impossible Burger, which I'll eat instead when available.”
“Impossible burger is good.”
“impossible burgers are absolutely vile and disgusting”
“Impossible products are much more palatable imo, especially their burgers.”
“The only imitation meat product I've remotely enjoyed is Impossible Burger.”
“those are quite good with an Impossible patty subbed in”
“I have never _not_ paid at least $2 premium to sub in an Impossible or Beyond patty.”
“crazy meatless burger that still feels/tastes like meat”
“likes the taste and texture of both Beyond and Impossible burgers much more than ground beef burgers”
“Impossible patties are healthier and taste better.”
“it was replaced by Beyond or Impossible, and the bar tender was pretty open about how it was gross”
“I do prefer Impossible to Beyond, by far”
“I can't recreate its texture and flavor profile on my own. It's not "better" than other things I can cook.”
“but also has a high amount of sodium”
“I've enjoyed Impossible Burgers.”
“Even the Impossible one doesn't taste like meat.”
“I like both beyond burgers and impossible”
“Impossible is on a different planet in terms of being very very close to the taste of real meat.”
“now I use almost exclusively Impossible”
“the Impossible brand was by far the most realistic”
“i don't mind em once or twice a year but they knock me out more than melatonin”
“every burger alternative besides Beyond/Impossible is quite awful”
“I think it tastes close enough to the real deal”
“the Impossible Burger often tastes better than the real beef”
“Seitan makes me uncomfortably bloated whereas Beyond/Impossible do not.”
“Impossible definitely has more of a "dead cow funk" taste to it.”
“The problem with Impossible burgers were worse, more expensive, questionably "more healthy" and entirely relied upon the moral/social issues”
“Like impossible burger. Extreme ultra-processed.”
“Impossible Burger came close.”
“I regularly consume impossible, and use it in pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.