Vanillin is a compound belonging to the aromatic benzaldehyde group. It is mostly soluble in organic solvents, and the methoxy group makes it soluble in polar solvents. It is primarily used in the food industry but it is also used in the pharmaceutical to make pharmaceuticals and by the perfumes industry thanks to its pleasant scent. The vanilla plant is the natural source of vanillin, and, in the 12th century, the people of Central America were the first to use it. Vanillin was first isolated in 1858, synthesized in 1874 from coniferin, and became commercially available at the end of the 19th century. Today there are several ways to synthesize vanillin: biosynthesis, synthesis from lignin and chemical synthesis from simpler precursors such as 4-hydroxibenzaldehyde with sodium methoxide. The aim of this study is to compare the results of vanillin synthesis from 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde done in a student laboratory with those available in literature.