A longtime fan of old-school doughnut shops, I picked the five of the city’s best and bought a glazed from each (glazed being the true benchmark of a doughnut shop). Here are the taste test results.

1. Happy Donuts, 3801 24th St. (Noe Valley)
Appearance: Big and puffy, with a crackly glaze.
Sweetness level: Pretty darn sweet, but not achingly so.
Melt-in-mouth factor: Excellent. It’s light, airy, and super fresh.

2. Allstar Donuts, 2095 Chestnut St. (Marina)
Appearance: Medium-puffy with a nice sheen.  
Sweetness level: Off the charts. 
Melt-in-mouth factor: Fair. This one was a bit cakey.

3. Bob’s Donut and Pastry Shop, 1621 Polk St. (TenderNob)
Appearance: Charmingly misshapen. 
Sweetness level: Medium. Detected a bit of saltiness, too. 
Melt-in-mouth factor: Good. It’s the densest one of the bunch, but still maintains lightness.

4. The Jelly Donut, 3198 24th St. (Mission)
Appearance: On the smaller side, not as much puff. 
Sweetness level: Just right.
Melt-in-mouth factor: Good. Slightly chewy, with a delicious fluffiness.

5. Eagle Donuts, 3303 Mission St. (Bernal Heights)
Appearance: Puffy and well-glazed. 
Sweetness level: Almost too sweet. Almost. 
Melt-in-mouth factor: Fair. Sadly, it’s a bit on the dry side.