The Very Best String Cheese, According to Our Test Kitchen
Updated: Apr. 23, 2024
Hungry for a snack? Our Test Kitchen team (and true cheeseheads) found the very best string cheese after sampling 10 in a blind taste test.
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Looking for the Best String Cheese?
Isn’t there something so satisfying about tearing into a stick of string cheese? Whether you’re a kiddo at lunch or a grown-up on the go, these protein-packed snacks are perfect for filling you up. Before you rip into your next serving, find out which brand makes the best string cheese.
You can count on the opinions of our Test Kitchen, a team of professional foodies and residents of America’s Dairyland. These folks know cheese!
Here’s How We Sampled Cheese Sticks
We got serious about string cheese for this test; we sampled 10 different brands. Like our other taste tests, our crew put aside any preconceived notions and tried these cheeses blindly. We judged them on:
- Texture: Texture with string cheese is two-fold. First, it should easily tear into strips—fat and thin and wispy (it’s all about your snacking style). And when you take a bite, the cheese shouldn’t be overly firm.
- Flavor: A good string cheese should taste like a mild, lightly salted mozzarella. This subtly salty cheese is perfect for snacking because it’s just so crave-able.
Check out which string cheese brands from our selection are Test Kitchen-Preferred.
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Freshest String Cheese
Crystal Farms String Cheese
Our team of cheeseheads knows what fresh cheese tastes like, and in this test, that’s Crystal Farms String Cheese.
Much like cheese curds, these Cyrstal Farms cheese sticks had a bit of a squeak to them. If you’re unfamiliar with this phenomenon, this is high praise; it means the cheese is incredibly fresh and satisfying.
Beyond that squeak, “this brand has a tangy, briny flavor that I’d expect from fresh mozzarella,” says Catherine Ward in the Test Kitchen. Mellow, yet slightly salted, there’s no way you can go wrong when pulling apart a stick of this cheese into plenty of thin, wispy shreds.
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Creamiest Mozzarella Cheese
Kroger Mozzarella String Cheese
For an extra creamy string cheese snack, try Kroger Mozzarella String Cheese.
According to the Test Kitchen’s Josh Rink, “this one is buttery and smooth” with hints of brininess. Our testers also think that this brand had one of the softest string cheeses with shreds that melt on your tongue.
These sticks, which are available at Kroger stores like Pick ‘n’ Save, Marianos and Ralphs, are “heavy, hearty and easy to shred into thin strips with wispy ends,” says Catherine.
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Best String Cheese for Kids
Good & Gather String Cheese
We all know that kids can be a touch finicky. If you’ve got a picky eater on your hands, pack mild Good & Gather String Cheese from Target in their lunch box.
These cheese sticks shred super easily into wide shreds or fine wisps to suit whichever way your littles prefer to snack. The texture of these Target-exclusive cheeses is “pleasantly chewy and has me feeling like I ate a pretty hearty snack,” says Catherine.
The flavor here is very mild and creamy with just the lightest bit of salt. This more subtle taste is perfect for kids that can be fussy about more polarizing cheese options.
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Best String Cheese for Recipes
Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese
When you’re making homemade mozzarella sticks or even a stuffed crust pizza at home, you need to start with a cheese that’s a bit more substantial, like Frigo Cheese Heads String Cheese.
Frigo’s string cheese has a slightly firmer texture which is perfect for breading or folding up in a wonton wrapper for everyone’s favorite deep-fried treat. Despite the firmer feel, individual shreds melt easily, and that’s precisely what you want when using mozzarella sticks in a recipe.
You’ll also detect a touch more salt in these sticks than other options; that’s great for folding into all sorts of mozzarella-forward recipes.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing food, kitchen gadgets and cleaning gear looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test Kitchen-Preferred.
If you want to fill your pantry and fridge with the best products, check out these tests:
Originally Published: August 24, 2022
