Usual disclaimer about "the best" being all relative, but generally speaking:
(Basically) No $$: trusty Exact Audio Copy. Has gotten easier to set up, with options for FLAC output and all. Select CTDB metadata provider for even more comprehensive rip quality verification (ARv2 + CTDB).
You should generally be able to rip in burst mode and get the all clear from both databases, switching to secure mode should only be needed for tough nuts (the summary will show you which tracks had issues). The one thing I still have to do manually is copying the contents of the "CD Artist" field to "CD Performer" after metadata has been downloaded in order to fill out both Artist and Album Artist metadata fields.
$$: dBpoweramp. Better metadata quality, might save your sanity when ripping a lot.
I rip in EAC, then drag the output into a Foobar2000 playlist, have it do a ReplayGain scan and convert to MP3 for mobile use.
I'm pretty sure iTunes can do much of the same, though I don't think it has rip verification, and it's a substantially bigger download than EAC and Foobar combined.