I tried lots. Even ground my own. Best option at any price turned out to be WalMart's chili powder at $1.08 per 3 oz. I like that it is very flavorful without a lot of heat (capsacin) because I like to adjust that separately. WalMart rotates their stock better than other chains. WalMart is the retailer who forced the food packers to put their expiration codes in plain readable dates, likely because WalMart is less likely than the others to have any product on their shelves that expires or comes close so the date thing gives them an advantage. Their powder is fruity, smokey, darkly rich and not that spicy so you can dial up the flavor of chilis without exceeding spice tolerances. I use Tapatio for the high heat and if the chili is to be shared I keep that minimal so people can add as much or as little as they prefer.
My go to chili recipe is
2 lb of 85/15 ground beef
1 can 28oz crushed tomatoes
garlic powder
chili powder (about half of the 3oz container)
Tapatio hot sauce (for heat)
Cumin (optional, needs to be reasonably fresh or the taste is wrong)
black pepper
salt
Optional:
minced onion, cooked in with the beef
dark red kidney beans or black beans
Topping:
shredded sharp cheddar
sour cream
corn bread
If you drain off excess fat do it BEFORE you add spices because the spices will bind to the fat. Eg cook the beef 80% done, drain off the fat then add the tomatoes etc and finish it. Let it simmer long enough to tighten up.
If you don't drain the fat, adding crushed tortilla chips (from the bottom of the bag or the broken ones that are too small for dip / salsa) will bind up the fat and add lime notes.
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