Cheese is one of life’s greatest pleasures. As a born and raised Wisconsinite, I am totally spoiled for choice: Our grocery cheese aisles have more options than most cheesemongers. So I never really explored the cheese section at Trader Joe’s much, even though I love the store. But people rave about the selection and cheap prices, so I finally decided to investigate.
I went to my local Trader Joe’s and bought 15 popular cheeses. Some were included in the store’s latest Customer Choice Awards, some were featured by other food writers, some have gotten a lot of buzz on social media, and some just caught my eye. I let them all come up to room temperature (it makes them taste better) and then tasted them on their own and with crackers.
Spoiler alert: None of them were bad! But I did have my favorites, and some I won’t be buying again. Here’s my ranking of Trader Joe’s cheeses from best to worst.
1. White Stilton With Apricots
$11.99 per pound
Apricots are a very underrated fruit, so this one caught my eye immediately. It turned out to be the biggest surprise and the one that I kept going back for. Upon inspection, you can see tons of diced apricots throughout the cheese, and it’s definitely fruit forward, but not too sweet. It would be a great addition to a typical cheese board for a little more variety.
The Stilton, which one might normally think of as a blue cheese, is actually a milder white version without the blue mold. It’s very crumbly but melts in your mouth. Don’t bother trying to slice this one, just break it into pieces and go at it with crackers. It’s totally worth the effort.
2. Toscano Soaked in Syrah
$10.99 per pound
This is so similar to one of my favorite cheeses, Sartori BellaVitano soaked in merlot, that I’d wager it’s made by the same company. This Syrah version has a beautiful dark purple rind thanks to the wine it’s soaked in, and is a strong, robust, and firm cheese. It’s delightful on its own or with crackers, but it’d be great with grapes or salami as well if you wanted to put together a charcuterie board. Thin slices will crumble on you, especially when it’s cold, so let it warm up. There’s a few calcium lactate crystals in this one — the crunchy crystals in aged cheeses — which I enjoy.
3. Unexpected Cheddar Cheese Spread
$4.99 for a 9-ounce container
I will always have cheese spread in my fridge, and it’s a staple for any party in Wisconsin. This version is high quality, with no cream cheese to stretch the more expensive cheese. It’s made with TJ’s super popular Unexpected Cheddar, but I actually like this spread more than the block. It’s extra creamy and luxurious — kind of like eating the gooey center of brie, but with a sharp, tangy cheddar flavor. Pull this out for company and it’ll be gone in no time.
4. Cheddar Cheese With Caramelized Onions
$9.99 per pound
I have no shame when it comes to flavored cheeses (as you’ve probably noticed already). You have to love onions to love this one, but I do. Think of the best French onion soup you’ve ever had, condensed down into cheese form. That’s this cheese in a nutshell. It’s very strong, so it would overpower a cheeseboard, but I imagine it’d be great melted on burgers, roast beef sandwiches, or a grilled cheese sandwich.
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5. Port Salut
$11.99 per pound
This is what Laughing Cow cheeses wish they were. This is a French-made, semi-soft cheese that’s almost spreadable at room temperature, but not quite. Both the orange colored rind and flavor remind me of muenster. It’s mild, smooth, and velvety, with an acidic finish. It’s be great on a cheeseboard or in any gooey, melted application.
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6. Goat’s Milk Gouda
$11.99 per pound
I have a love/hate relationship with goat cheese. I always thought I hated it, but I’m really just averse to the fresh, exceptionally strong stuff. This gouda-style wedge is exactly the kind of goat cheese I like: There’s just enough gaminess to know that you’re eating a goat’s milk cheese, but not enough that it’s all you taste. This is a beautiful, pure white cheese, with a smooth texture that’s extra creamy for a gouda-style cheese. It’s a great beginner’s goat cheese.
7. Old Amsterdam
$12.99 per pound
On the other end of the mild gouda spectrum is this Old Amsterdam aged gouda. It’s firm and a little dry around the rind, with a crunchy texture from all the calcium lactate crystals. Both the color and flavor are best described as rich, nutty, and caramel-like. Since this one can be dry, it’s best to serve at room temperature and with a spread like fruit preserves, chutney, or mild mustard.
8. Unexpected Cheddar Cheese
$3.99 for a 7-ounce package
Cheddar is a staple cheese in my house, but I’m not really sure what’s so “unexpected” about this Unexpected Cheddar, frankly. It’s totally fine and inoffensive, with the tell-tale sharpness, crunchy crystals, and slight dryness from a cheddar that’s been aged a few years. It’d go great with apples or a slice of apple pie, but I was hoping for something more, and instead got “fine.”
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9. Cheddar and Gruyere Melange
$7.99 per pound
I’m not sure who asked for a cheese mashup of cheddar and Gruyere, but it’s not bad. It’s got that Swiss-like funk and nuttiness from a Gruyere, plus the light sharpness of cheddar. My only complaint is that the texture could be creamier; it’s a little waxy and rubbery. It’d be great in baked macaroni and cheese or a potato casserole.
10. Mini Basque
$14.99 per pound
These mini wheels of sheep’s milk cheese are adorable, with a waxed basket weave rind. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but I was in store for a firm, creamy, and smooth cheese with a long floral and grassy finish. It’s nutty and earthy and reminds me a little bit of Alpine-style cheeses. This feels like a fall and winter cheese because it’d go great with hot apple cider.
11. Toscano With Black Pepper
$10.99 per pound
This is the same Toscano cheese as the Syrah version, only with cracked black pepper instead of wine. Frankly, it’s boring, because unless you get a piece of the rind, you won’t even notice the pepper. The cheese is fine, but I was hoping for much more. (There is a black pepper BellaVitano as well, building my case that this is Sartori private label.)
12. Laura Chenel Goat Brie
$5.99 for a 5-ounce wheel
I think this little wheel of goat’s milk brie was not ripe enough, because except for a thin layer around the inside of the rind, it was very firm even at room temperature. One of the best parts of brie is the goo factor, so this was a real bummer. On the positive side, the flavor was good, with a medium goatyness and some lemon-like notes. Keep in mind that if you’re not a bloomy rind person, this small wheel will have a lot for you to cut off, so it may not be the best value compared to a wedge of brie.
13. Cambozola
$13.99 per pound
This is a combination cheese of Camembert and Gorgonzola, hence the name. It’s like if brie and blue cheese had a baby. I love brie but dislike blue, so this was new territory for me. It’s got the look and texture of a creamy brie, but there’s blue mold veins running through it. If you get a mouthful of one, you’ll definitely get that distinct, peppery, blue cheese taste. (It makes my brain involuntarily go “Ah! MOLD!” unfortunately.) If you’re a fan of both types of cheese, you’ll love this.
14. Burrata
$4.99 for an 8-ounce package
Look, I just don’t understand why burrata is so trendy all of a sudden. In case you’re unaware, burrata is made by filling a pouch of fresh mozzarella with cream mixed with more shredded mozz. It’s like a water balloon filled with white, creamy goop, and it’s bland, people. I’d much rather just have a ball of mozzarella than burrata. This is aggressively fine and inoffensive and a total mess and a pain to eat.
15. Chevre
$2.99 for a 5-ounce package
We all knew this was coming, right? This plain old log of fresh chevre was my least favorite of the Trader Joe’s cheeses I tried. But that’s just personal preference, because there’s nothing wrong with this cheese. If you’re a goat cheese person, you’ll probably love it. I’d be fine spreading a little on a sandwich or baking it in spicy marinara for toast, but just eating it on crackers is too much goat for me.
Honorable Mention: Garlic Bread Cheese
I’m giving Trader Joe’s bread cheeses an honorable mention because I love them, but as the helpful employee told me, they’re only available seasonally — and now is not the time for either garlic or pizza varieties, apparently. Bread cheese is actually a Finnish cheese called Juustoleipa (or just Juusto), and it’s similar to haloumi or paneer. Though you can eat it cold, it’s almost always heated. Throw it in nonstick pan to get the outside all crispy and caramelized, or air fry it. Cut it into hot, gooey chunks and dip them in marinara for an easy (and better!) alternative to mozzarella sticks. And if you’re looking for them in the off season, check Carr Valley Cheese, the company that likely makes TJ’s version.
