The best cheese is a true lifesaver. Sometimes all you need is a fistful of cold shredded cheese from the fridge to tide you over until dinner, get you ready for bed, or even just put you in touch with the pure delicious cheesiness of this here earth. So, without further ableu, here’s all the best cheese we’ve tried during our taste tests, from the best shredded cheese to the best cheese for sandwiches to the best queso for dipping. Hopefully, there is at least one cheese on this list that sounds gouda to you. (Beware: many more cheesy jokes ahead.)
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- Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Mozzarella Cheese
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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it until the Oregon-based cows come home: Tillamook makes superior dairy products. They just do. And this Farmstyle Thick Cut Mozzarella cheese is one of the best cheeses you can buy. The best part about it? This cheese comes as “thick, coarsely cut mozzarella ribbons” and not “tiny-ass feeble strands that get stuck together in the bag,” as our taste tester pointed out. The shreds are so thick you can eat them by the fistful straight out of the bag and feel like you’re having a substantial snack. Speaking of joy, this cheese melts like an absolute dream (Danny called it X-rated). In other words, its mozzar-hella good. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best shredded mozzarella cheese
Credit: Paula Kunatee / Tillamook
- Sargento Sliced Swiss
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We love Sargento’s take on sliced Swiss. It’s earthy, funky, creamy, salty and just an all-around complex and beautiful specimen for your sandwich. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart especially loved the texture, saying, “It has a great dry, chewy texture that sort of squeaks between your teeth as you chew […] Plus, it’s sliced to a pretty much ideal thickness.” Don’t get it Swiss-ted, this is some of the best cheese for sandwiches. Plus, because it’s Swiss cheese it has holes in it, and that’s always a good time. Who doesn’t love hole-y cheeses? —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best Swiss cheese
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Old Croc Sharp Cheddar Cheese
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No, this cheese is not a foam rubber clog that’s past its prime. It is the best cheddar cheese from our taste test and it’s absolutely delicious: rich, creamy, and salty with those delicious little flavor crystals (that are made up of amino acids, interestingly enough). Truly a chedderuption of flavor. It’s so good, and elevated, and fancy tasting, in fact, that Gwynedd called it “special-occasion sharp cheddar. Sharp cheddar for when you’re hosting company you actually like.” —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best cheddar cheese
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Instacart
- Kraft Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar
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If you love good shredded cheddar but don’t have the will to bust out the cheese grater and shred it from the block, Kraft comes in clutch with its Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar. This is the bag of cheese you want in the fridge for gringo tacos and piping hot crocks of chili. It doesn’t clump and packs a lot of cheddar flavor into delicate little shreds. It’s some of the best shredded cheese, in part because it’s so versatile. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best shredded cheddar cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Boar’s Head Deli Picante Provolone
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This provolone may be a bit more expensive than your average provolone, but you could argue that it simply knows its own worth and will charge you accordingly. Danny called this deli-counter provolone “deliciously funky and sharp—the bite you get on the back end smacks you in the mouth in the most wonderful way.” Not only does this cheese taste good as is, it also melts like a dream, making your next muffuletta, grilled cheese, or meatball sub a one-way ticket to cheese heaven. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best provolone cheese
Credit: Merc / Pavilions
- Buitoni Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
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It may seem sacrilegious to present a shredded parm as our best parmesan cheese (over the classic block), but we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t worthy. Every shred is packed with so much salty, nutty, delicious flavor. Its convenience as a pre-shredded cheese doesn’t even factor into how much we love it—we’re just obsessed with how bold, sharp, and savory it is. That being said, if you prefer to opt for the block to get a wider variety of textures, check out our full parmesan cheese ranking to find the best cheese for your tastes. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Merc / Stop & Save
- Red Apple Smoked Gouda
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No shade to the smoked gouda brands that traffic in overprocessed gouda cheese (there are a lot of those), but when we searched for the best cheeses, we wanted to find the stuff that tastes fresh from the farm. Red Apple Smoked Gouda is rich and authentic, with a campfire smokiness and real-cheese consistency that set it apart from every other wheel of gouda we tried. It’s the stuff your charcuterie board’s dreams are made of, quite honestly. —Ariana Losch
Read our full ranking of the best smoked gouda
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Point Reyes Original Blue
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We’re big stinky-cheese people here at Sporked, meaning we take our blue cheese recommendations very seriously. So yes, unfortunately, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese is on the pricier side—but hey, it’s pretty easy to find. You don’t have to go to a specialty store to buy it, and that should count for something! Within one beautiful block of bleu, you’re getting so many layers of bold-but-nuanced flavor: savory, tangy, smoky, even sweet. Each bite has a that signature crumble but finishes on an addictively creamy note. It’s probably one of the best cheeses we’ve ever tried, period. We’re completely obsessed. —Ariana Losch
Read our full ranking of the best blue cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Sprouts Market Corner Low-Moisture Part-Skim String Cheese
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There are few snacks better than string cheese. It’s got the string, it’s got the cheese, it’s got the juice (wait, that’s corn), but most of all, it’s got staying power. This. Snack. Holds. Up. And especially this version from Sprouts, which is the perfect mix of “waxy and pliable,” according to Sporked staff writer Jordan Myrick. Also, this string cheese may be part-skim but the flavor is full-fat, baybee! Talk about a string of victor-cheese! —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best string cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Good Culture Organic Cottage Cheese 4% Milkfat
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This is the best cottage cheese ever. There. I said it. Its small curds, creaminess, saltiness, and tanginess make it aggressively good and almost addicting to eat in the best possible way. Danny even noted that this cottage cheese tastes “fresh.” And it really does. It’s kind of like someone on a farm made this cottage cheese from scratch just for you. So get out of your cottage and eat a lottage of this cottage cheese (sorry). —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best cottage cheese
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Creamy Toscano Cheese Soaked in Syrah
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Trader Joe’s really went full bourgeoise on this one. She’s salty, she’s tangy, she’s sweet, she’s complex, she doesn’t need any help from roasted garlic or a jam because she is already jam-packed with flavor. She is good on her own and she knows it. Jordan called this cheese “one of the most delicious cheeses I’ve ever tasted in my life,” and even pointed out that it has those “crunchy flavor crystals” just like parm, adding a textural layer to this cheese’s utter domination. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best cheese at Trader Joe’s
Credit: Ryan Martin
- Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese
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I am of the opinion that it should be socially acceptable to take a bite of a brick of cream cheese as if it were an ice cream sandwich. And Philadelphia cream cheese, specifically? It’s kind of the king of cream cheeses. Jordan described it as “sensationally creamy,” adding that it “maintains the perfect balance of rich and tangy.” They also pointed out that this cream cheese is excellent with fixins, but can totally hold its own as the only thing on a bagel. One could call this the cream cheese of the crop. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best cream cheese
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Cream Cheese Alternative
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This. Stuff. Is. So. Good. I’m not vegan, but one time in college, my roommates and I finished a whole tub of the stuff in about a half hour. Need more convincing? Jordan called it “totally spreadable, not too hard, and super creamy,” adding that it has “no weird coconut or chemical aftertaste.” One could even call this the vegan cream cheese of the crop! —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best vegan cream cheese
Credit: Ryan Martin / Trader Joe’s
- Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda
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Speaking of delicious vegan cheeses, the Sporked team thought this one was really gouda. That feels like an understatement. This “cheese” is a revelation. It tastes exactly like smoked gouda, because, as Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling pointed out in her review, the extremely strong smoky flavor of this Follow Your Heart cheese “covers up any obviously non-cheese flavors and is the star of the show—which is exactly how it is in real smoked gouda.” So If you are a vegan looking to share some “charcuterie” with a friend, whip out this cheese and see what they think! They’ll never know the difference…probably. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best vegan cheese
Credit: Ryan Martin / Albertsons
- On the Border Salsa Con Queso
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Just in queso you thought we forgot, of course there’s a good ol’ queso on this list. And not just any queso, it’s our best of the best queso. Why is this one the best of the best? Because it is “so creamy and smooth,” and because the “fruitiness from the jalapeno really shines,” according to Jordan. Not only that, but this queso is so good and flavorful that it can be eaten hot or cold. No, seriously. This queso can be eaten cold and it’s still delicious. That’s some borderline magic right there. —Jessica Block
Read the full ranking of the best queso
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese
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You’re no longer a coward. You’ve bravely entered the world of goat cheese. Bravo, I’m proud of you! Goat cheese is earthy and funky and creamy, and Vermont Creamery’s goat cheese is the best you can buy. Justine loved it not only for its “textbook goat cheese flavors” but also for its utility. You could eat this stuff on salads, spread it onto toast, or even slather it on apple slices. It’s the GOAT of the goats. —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best goat cheese
Credit: Liv Averett / Albertsons
- Laura Chenel Four Peppercorn Goat Cheese
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If you need some goat cheese training wheels, flavored goat cheese is a revelation. It’s earthy. It’s super creamy. But in this particular goat cheese, the flavor of peppercorn tempers some of that barnyard-y goat milk funk. It’s versatile, too. “Not only is the flavor impeccable but it is also the most useful of all the goat cheese I tried,” Justine wrote. “It would be incredible on toast with some avocado or smoked salmon for a lovely fancy brunch at home.” It’s the flavored GOAT of the goats (okay, I’ll stop now). —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best flavored goat cheese
Credit: Merc / Kroger
- Kraft Deli Deluxe American
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Say what you will about it, but American cheese is a great neutral cheese. It’s great on a burger, but the good stuff is tasty enough to stand alone on a grilled cheese. It can even be eaten cold as part of the right sandwich. It’s a classic, but if you’ve been settling for Kraft Singles, you’ve been doing it wrong. It’s time to upgrade to Kraft Deli Deluxe American, the best American cheese according to Gwynedd. It’s creamy and melts like a dream, but it doesn’t have that plasticky texture a lot of American cheese has. Plus, the slices don’t come individually wrapped like Singles! Less plastic waste! Good for the environment and your belly (unless you’re lactose intolerant). —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best American cheese
Credit: Merc / Target
- Mt Vikos Traditional Feta
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Feta is the great cheese equalizer. The Cheesequalizer, even. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Savory meals, sweet salads, desserts, pizza, snacks, etc. It’s versatile, it’s mild but salty enough to make an impression—it’s a cheese for any occasion. Mt. Vikos Traditional Feta is the feta ideal. “There’s an actual cheesy quality that so many other feta cheeses lack,” Justine wrote. If you’re looking to add some Feta to your life, look no further than Mt. Vikos. —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best feta cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Kraft Mexican Style Four Cheese Blend
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Whether you’re making a quesadilla or a platter of oven nachos, a good shredded Mexican blend (usually queso quesadilla, jack, asadero, and cheddar) is essential. You can’t do better than Kraft’s Mexican Style Four Cheese Blend for your crunchy tacos. As Gwynedd put it, “This mix of Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso quesadilla cheeses comes in incredibly fine shreds that melt beautifully.” It’s mild, but also has a nice salty tang that hits the sides of your tongue. If you need a melty shredded cheese to get gooey for Taco Tuesday, this is the cheese for you. —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best shredded Mexican blend cheese
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- El Mexicano Nacho Cheese Sauce
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The nacho cheese / “not your cheese” pun barely works in text format, but let me just say that this nacho cheese is actually yo cheese. El Mexicano nacho cheese sauce pairs with everything from tortilla chips (duh) to broccoli to french fries to chili dogs. Jordan called this nacho cheese “perfect,” saying, “It’s creamy. It’s buttery. It’s spicy. There are absolutely no notes. I would use this to make nachos or pour it over a chimichanga or just dip my fingers into it and consume alone.” Good thing it comes in a gigantic can. —Kota Lee
Read the full ranking of the best nacho cheese
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Brie Log
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To quote one of the keenest observations ever made about a cheese log from Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling: “Trader Joe’s brie log has the perfect cracker circumference. Each slice lays just right on a Ritz or water biscuit.” I mean, obviously we didn’t pick this brie because it was our favorite shape—we adored its classic creamy flavor and delicious tangy rind more than anything else—but I just thought that was a fun tidbit about some of the best cheese. —Ariana Losch
Read the full ranking of the best brie
Credit: Liv Averett
- Organic Valley Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
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If you’re making a recipe that calls for ricotta, chances are you just go ahead and grab whatever you see and move on. Ricotta’s ricotta, right? So wrong! Some ricotta is weirdly sweet and super dense—i.e. not ideal for that tray of lasagna you’re slaving over. Organic Valley Whole Milk Ricotta is a different story. This stuff tastes so savory and fresh, like actual farm-fresh dairy. It’s nice and loose without being cottage cheesy. It’s perfection. Your stuffed shells deserve this stuff, trust us. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best ricotta cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Emporium Selection Not Your Average Cheddar Cheddar & Parmesan
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The Aldi cheese section is a wonderland of cheap, tasty cheeses, but this cheddar-parm blend is the best of them all. It’s nutty and salty with plenty of parmesan funk. This is basically Aldi’s take on Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar. But if you don’t feel like braving the parking lot at your local TJ’s, head to Aldi and buy this instead. —Gwynedd Stuart
Read the full ranking of the best Aldi cheese
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Shredded Mozzarella
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Swiss
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Cheddar
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Shredded Cheddar
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Provolone
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
Best Parmesan
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Smoked Gouda
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Blue Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best String Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Cottage Cheese
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best Trader Joe’s Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Cream Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan
Best Vegan Cream Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Queso
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Goat Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Flavored Goat Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best American Cheese
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Feta
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Mexican Blend
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Nacho
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Brie
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Ricotta
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Aldi Cheese
Rating:
9/10
Sporks
