We Tasted And Ranked 21 Aldi Cheeses From Worst To Best

At Aldi, once customers drop in a quarter and grab a cart, they immediately make a beeline for their favorite section. Some go straight for the heavily discounted baked treats, dry goods, or fresh meats. Others love checking out all the sweet deals on produce or miscellaneous home supplies. As for me, I can't help myself. As a career cheesemonger and Certified Cheese Professional, I head to the cheese section. My favorite part of the store is unexpectedly wide and varied — and features Aldi's in-house brands like Happy Farms, Emporium Selection, and Specially Selected. With such a large selection of lactose-laden offerings at such low prices, you can buy a few specialty wedges for a well-curated cheese board without crying over costs.

Here I've ranked 21 different Aldi cheeses from worst to best, spanning different flavors and styles. But don't limit yourself to my own choices. These options are a mere introduction to all the fun and diverse cheese products from different creameries and cheese suppliers partnering with Aldi, with availability varying by store location. I won't be able to include all the basic fan favorites (my mom expressed her disappointment that I skipped Aldi's Asiago cheese), and it's also worth noting that some cheeses, like the fresh chevre log, come in multiple flavors. So please don't blame me for leaving out your own personal preferences — I'm getting enough flak from my own family members!

I'll share with you the first note I took after my first bite of the Happy Farms Port Wine Cheese Ball: "Might be the WORST ONE." And now, having tried all the other contenders, I can confirm that I was definitely right. This sherbet-hued blob looks and tastes like Play-Doh. It's thick and pasty, and had a gross combination of a too-salty cheddar spread and a too-sweet port wine mixed with waxy sliced almonds. Gross.

I don't have anything against cheese balls. When made well, like Chowhound's recipe for a loaded baked potato cheese ball, they're fun, casual, communal, and a playful ode to outdated party appetizers. The major flaw, however, is opting for a prepackaged one that contributes nothing other than weird textures and even weirder flavors.

The Mozzarella Cheese in Pesto is dealing with an identity crisis. What I tasted was not pesto but rather a bland mixture of sparse seasonings in oil. I checked the ingredient list to figure out what I was eating. Nothing seemed out of place with the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and basil. But I kept reading ... Onion? Tomatoes? Green onion? Cilantro? No wonder it was so tough pinpointing any specific flavor.

The "pesto" was a disappointment, as was the effect the marinade had on the mozzarella's texture. The exterior of the mozzarella was soggy, and the oil thickly congealed around the cheese. If you want a pesto-flavored mozzarella with more flavor while preserving the integrity of the cheese, my advice is to buy pesto and mozzarella separately and combine them directly before serving.

Bland, basic, boring. Emporium Selection's Edam is one big yawn. Edam is a Dutch cheese similar to a young gouda, but it is made with part-skim cow's milk rather than whole milk, resulting in a cheese that has a lower fat content and a slightly rubbery texture in younger styles.

This particular product from Aldi is a little bouncy and waxy, and doesn't have much flavor. But mildness could be exactly what you are seeking. While I wouldn't recommend this one to build an excellent cheese and charcuterie board, I would eat this option as a mindless snacking cheese when I need some calories to fill me up. Or I would serve it to kids or anyone with a pickier palate who has an aversion to strong or tangy cheese.

Read the fine print: this isn't really a gouda, but rather a pasteurized process cheese product. As with American cheese, the suspicious "cheese product" label on Emporium Selection's Smoked Spicy Gouda is a curious amalgamation of other ingredients that technically disqualifies it from being identified as actual cheese. It contains sodium citrate (an emulsifier), sodium phosphate (a preservative), sorbic acid (another preservative), and cornstarch.

So rather than tasting like gouda, it tasted like Velveeta. The downside is that the artificial flavor is pretty obvious, especially when combined with its off-putting smoke flavor. But the upside is that, because of the added emulsifiers and preservatives, it's guaranteed to melt beautifully — just like Velveeta and American cheese. Additionally, I enjoyed the decent amount of heat from the jalapeno peppers.

I loved the mini cylindrical shape of this Cranberry White Cheddar, a cute and festive option for a winter holiday cheese board with a lightly fruity flavor that could complement a variety of accompaniments. But my praise ends there. I have some serious complaints about its texture, unfortunately.

The consistency of the white cheddar cheese base was stiff, waxy, and rubbery, and it wasn't helped by the equally waxy, rubbery cranberry pieces. Not that I have ever eaten a candle, but I expect that the texture of this cheese would seamlessly mimic one.

I become a sad and depressed version of myself every time I eat a wedge of a mass-produced, under-ripe brie that has zero personality. And here I slouch in my chair, utterly sad and depressed after nibbling on Emporium Selection's Brie. There's no special spark, no charm. It's just a white, stiff puck of a cookie-cutter cheese, maybe with a teeny-tiny whiff of white button mushrooms.

Here's the one major advantage to an embarrassingly young, individually sized wheel of brie: it's the best option for recipes that require it to be warmed, as you would with baked brie or brie en croute. Emporium Selection's Brie will hold its shape fairly well and is the perfect creamy blank slate for bold accouterments like jams, compotes, and chutneys.

Funny enough, I also become a sad and depressed version of myself every time I eat a wedge of a mass-produced, under-ripe Camembert that has zero personality. Emporium Selection's Camembert is imported from Canada and is only a hair more flavorful than Aldi's brie. The texture is pretty much the same: very stiff with no chance of an ooey-gooey ooze that I yearn for when cutting into a soft-ripened wheel.

The Camembert has a whiff of cruciferous funk, giving it a small leg up from the brie in the aroma department. And with a hint of bitterness, the Camembert has an edgier profile that I appreciated and latched onto with desperation as I sought some semblance of flavor.

Trying to push my dislike of feta cheese far off to the sidelines, I did my best not to let my bias interrupt a fair judgment of Emporium Selection's Tomato & Basil Feta. If you like feta's abrasively salty and tangy taste as well as its wet, yet crumbly, texture, I think you'll enjoy this flavored version. I'm clearly not the right audience.

The addition of tomato and basil brings bursts of savory freshness and heightened acidity to the base. Use it crumbled on top of a gyro bowl, or as a bold swap in the viral bake feta recipe.

I was quietly impressed by the prominent representation of the vegetable component in this Garden Vegetable with Sweet Basil Semi-Soft Cheese. Mixed into the base, I was able to taste the savory assortment of bell pepper, onion, celery, carrot, cucumber, and cauliflower. It would be the perfect accompaniment to a fresh crudite platter served with spreads like hummus or ranch dressing.

One big complaint, however: I hated the thick layer of dried herbs plastered on the outside of the cheese. Eating a piece of the edge was like sticking your tongue directly into a bottle of dried basil leaves, with no water to wash them down, so the pieces cling to your teeth and throat.

While fresh chevre often has a chalky texture, which can be a little unpleasant, I did not have that problem with any of the goat log options I purchased at Aldi. Just like this Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese, they were all favorably smooth and creamy.

Both the garlic and the assorted herbs in this chevre were light and lovely ingredients, like little kisses from spring. But their subtlety was the cheese's only weakness. I wish the flavors could have been a tad bolder, because they were being pushed around by the unforgiving tang of the goat's milk cheese.

This special aged cheddar is rubbed with ground espresso beans and dried lavender, creating a dark and gorgeous rind. It has a unique and heavily aromatic flavor profile. If you enjoy the deep, bitter notes from the espresso and the herbal notes from the lavender, this wedge will be a fun, standout choice for your next cheese plate.

You'll be kept entertained, since the rub infuses its flavor into the wedge from the outside in. The closer you eat a piece from or near the rind, the bolder the espresso and lavender flavor will be. As you make your way to the interior of the cheese, the rub becomes more and more subtle, and you can then taste the gently tangy profile of the cheddar base with more clarity.

Sweet and creamy with a tart backbone, the Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese from Emporium Selection is another festive option for your cheese board. It's not only coated in a layer of cranberries, but also has cranberries in the cheese itself, so there is no mistaking the bold fruit component. This one is sweet enough to double as part of a dessert course, paired with crispy graham crackers for a cheesecake-influenced treat.

I only wish that the cinnamon were more pronounced. It's there, but you have to focus pretty hard to find the flavor among the tart dried fruit and the creamy, gently tangy cheese. A heavier hand with the cinnamon shaker would have made all the difference.

I can't say a single bad word against Havarti. This Danish semi-soft cheese is so mild and smooth, with a buttery flavor and massive melting potential. And it also combines well with other flavors like dill.

Emporium Selection's Dill Havarti blends a creamy Havarti base with the grassy, citrusy herb to create a complementary flavor. And I can actually taste the dill — there's enough speckled throughout the wedge, and it doesn't get overwhelmed by the buttery cheese. It's a winning pairing, and I can't wait to use it to top a salmon burger.

A gouda that's aged for close to three years deserves some recognition for all that hard work. As it ages, the Specially Selected 1,000-Day Aged Gouda continues to lose moisture, eventually developing a brittle, crumbly texture, sprinkled with crunchy tyrosine crystals. The Gouda's flavor deeply concentrates into intense notes of dark soy sauce and dark toffee.

I usually recommend a cheese like this to cheese enthusiasts who are ready to take the next step outside of their typical cheese comfort zone — an aged Gouda like this feisty fella is not for the faint of palate. To counteract its intensity, serve it in small shards with big, juicy grapes and hearty fruit-and-nut crackers.

Emporium Selection's Cheddar with Mustard Seed and Ale is a perfect example of how bigger, bolder flavors work well in a stronger cheese without any risk of clashing. A tangy cheddar combines perfectly with the bitterness and zing of vinegary mustard seeds and the yeasty warmth from the ale.

This British import leaves a memorable impression, and as long as you know how to serve and use it wisely, you'll create a cult following. Allow the ingredients in the cheese to guide you: a crusty bread will be a most welcome hearty carb, and some meaty, fatty charcuterie can cut through the tang and bitterness. And for a drink? A cold ale, of course.

Le Gruyère AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) is a traditional, legally protected hard-aged cheese that's exclusively produced in certain regions of Switzerland. And for Aldi shoppers, they can enjoy a wedge of this historic cheese as part of the store's Specially Selected line.

There are different versions of Gruyère, depending on region, season, and aging process. Aldi carries a raw milk version aged for six months. The wedge I tasted had a demure, refined flavor that was very clean and subtly floral — it's definitely worth the slightly higher price point.

I'm not surprised that a lot of the cheddars are making it to the top of my list. A well-made cheddar should have it all: a firm, fudgy texture, a clean cut for cubes and slices, a bold tang, and the irresistible charm to make you go for a second piece. The Aged Reserve New York White Cheddar from Emporium Selection checks all of those boxes.

It's aged for over 12 months, so it has a very approachable tanginess that isn't overwhelming, and a firm texture that remains smooth and creamy, with minimal crumbling. The rectangular shape is intended to be sliced into cracker cuts for snacking on its own. It's also an ideal choice when you want a cheddar with some mild strength, one you could use as a supportive teammate in recipes that often blend multiple cheeses, such as in a mac and cheese.

Just when I thought I found my dessert cheese with the Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese Log, this one floats into my sweet dreams. I have fallen in love and am now completely obsessed with the Double Cream Amarena Cherry Goat Log. Just leave me alone with this log and a box of shortbread cookies — I won't be needing anything else.

Because there is both goat's milk and goat's cream, this one possesses a luxuriously silky consistency, which has possessed me into a full-blown hypnosis. Finely chopped tart cherries are mixed into the cheese, with a little salt, sugar, and vanilla to balance out the slightly sour fruit and the decadent base.

No, bread cheese is not bread — it is definitely a type of cheese. And when you combine bread cheese with bits of bacon, you're in for a tantalizing treat any salt fiend will love. The bacon used here isn't smoky, which I think is a real blessing. Instead, the cured bacon offers a salty, meaty backbone that amplifies the savory experience of bread cheese.

While you can certainly enjoy bread cheese cold straight from the fridge, I insist you need to try it heated. You can either microwave it for a few seconds, or heat it in a pan on both sides for a minute or two. Either way, the bacon flavor will intensify, and the cheese melts and oozes ever so slightly into an elastic wonder without completely losing its shape.

When dainty and subtle just ain't cutting it for you, grab a block of this 4-Year Aged Yellow Cheddar from Aldi's Specially Selected line. Because of the lengthy aging period, you get to enjoy the biggest and boldest tang that flirtatiously lingers in the back of the tongue well after you take a bite.

Despite how long it's aged for, this cheddar is still incredibly creamy and fudgy. I'm envisioning how perfect it would be thickly sliced on a big beef burger, or shredded over a hot and spicy bowl of chili. But if you want to celebrate the boldness all on its own, this would make for an epic grilled cheese.

I had a difficult time choosing the top spot on my list, but I knew the Specially Selected Lustenberger 1862 would stand high and mighty amongst its many hard-working contenders. It shares a similar profile to Le Gruyère AOP: an import from Switzerland, made with unpasteurized grass-fed cow's milk, aged for around eight months.

But that's where the line is drawn. Lustenberger 1862 is unchained and unbridled, throwing out the window all the disciplined subtleties that Gruyère firmly grasps so that it can instead totally embrace stinky Swiss freedom. I sensed the fantastic funk the moment I opened the packaging: the strong smell won me over, and the balanced fruity/salty/savory taste sealed the deal.

For this ranking, I did not choose basic commodity cheeses such as pre-shredded bags, simple blocks, or pre-sliced sandwich styles. Instead, I opted for specialty selections that could be used on a cheese and charcuterie board or as unique ingredients in recipes.

In addition to analyzing the appearance, smell, taste, and texture of the cheeses, I also considered their price points and carefully studied each ingredient list. This helped me gain a deeper understanding of how the cheeses were made and determine whether certain ingredients influenced the final product. To cleanse my palate between each tasting, I drank water and ate plain crackers.