It might be the only time of year you head down this particular grocery store aisle, but here you are in November, facing down a daunting display of canned pumpkin in all its many incarnations. Sure, you said youd make the pumpkin pie for this years Thanksgiving gathering, but you forgot about this part, where you have to decode the difference between pumpkin pie mix and 100% pure pumpkin, then decide which brand to choose and hoo boy, its enough to make you want to buy a supermarket pie, put it in your own pan and walk away quickly from the dessert table, claiming innocence.

Step away from that frozen pie aisle and dont despair. We talked to the professionals bakers and chefs who turn out thousands of pies all year long. They have very strong opinions about which sort of product and brand you should use for the best possible pumpkin pie, so lets get to it.

Canned pure pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix? Experts were unanimous.

None of the experts we talked with recommended anything but buying pure pumpkin in a can. Not one of them advocated for buying a can of pumpkin pie mix, which contains added sweetener and spices.

Curtis Stone , the chef and owner of Maude and Gwen Butcher Shop and Restaurant in Los Angeles, said he goes for the pure and simple. If I dont have time to roast and puree pumpkins myself, and Im in a crunch, Ill always err on the side of a 100% pure pumpkin puree, he said. It gives me control over the flavor of whatever Im cooking, especially since I like making my own spice blends.

Its great because you can find it everywhere, and its reliably consistent. When I choose a can, I know exactly what Im getting, and thats whats needed when prepping a big, high-stress holiday meal, he said.

Rick Rodgers wrote the book on Thanksgiving (literally) with his revered classic cookbook Thanksgiving 101 . These days, hes teaching baking online at coffeeandcake.org . I never buy the pre-spiced pumpkin pie mix because I already have cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in my kitchen, he said (the duh was silent).

Which brand do they buy? Its Libbys (mostly).

Nostalgia reigned supreme as chefs and bakers recalled why Libbys is their favorite brand. Sandy Davis , a chef for New York-based Roxo Events , burst into song: If it says LIBBYS, LIBBYS, LIBBYS on the LABEL, LABEL, LABEL, you will LIKE IT, LIKE IT, LIKE IT, on your TABLE, TABLE, TABLE, he warbled, referencing the 1970s commercial jingle .