Ideas
How to Make a Food Tier List People Will Actually Debate
Food tier lists start the friendliest arguments. Here’s how to pick a topic, choose items and rank them in a way that sparks conversation.
By List Tier Maker Team Published
Everyone eats, and everyone has opinions about food. That makes food one of the easiest and most popular tier list topics — and one of the best for getting people talking.
Choose a tight category
“Food” is too broad. “Fruit”, “pizza toppings”, “potato dishes” or “breakfast foods” work far better, because every item is being compared with things like it. A tight category also makes it obvious what’s missing, which is half the fun.
Include a few controversial items
Every good food list needs one or two items people feel strongly about. Pineapple on pizza, olives, coriander, black licorice — these are the ones that make friends reply to your list.
Decide what you’re ranking
Are you ranking taste alone? Taste and convenience? How often you’d actually eat it? Pick one and mention it with your list. “Pizza toppings, ranked by how happy I am to see them” is clearer — and more defensible — than just “pizza toppings”.
Use emoji or simple images
Food is easy to recognize. Clear photos work well, but emoji or plain text tiles are often enough and keep the board tidy. The fruit list that opens in the tier list maker uses emoji for exactly this reason.
Make room for “haven’t tried”
Add an extra tier at the bottom called “Haven’t tried” instead of guessing. It keeps the rest of your list honest and gives people ideas for what to try next.
Compare lists
Food tier lists are most fun side by side. Ask a friend or family member to rank the same items, download both images and compare. The disagreements are usually more interesting than the agreements.