12 Store-Bought Cheeses That Taste Luxurious

There's a whole slew of cheese varieties on market shelves to appeal to a range of taste buds. Whether you like the nutty pungency of blue cheese or a milder, more common cheddar, there are more options than one can count. You may feel like expensive, splurge-worthy cheese is the only way to get a quality product, but that simply isn't true (lucky for your bank account).

We scoured reviews, previous Tasting Table articles, and consulted our own taste buds to determine the best store-bought cheeses that have a luxurious flavor. You don't have to book a ticket to France or Italy to get a decent piece of cheese. With our insights, you won't feel lost staring at the endless options in your local grocery store either. Most of these cheeses are generally available at market chains (although you may have to search to see what store carries them), while others are specific to brands like Aldi or Trader Joe's. No matter if you want an incredible fromage for your next grilled cheese or something to add to a charcuterie board, you'll find a range of store-bought picks to drool over.

One of our writers tried 15 cheese brands and landed on Truly Grass Fed as the top contender, beating out other popular and highly reviewed companies like Kerrygold and Cabot Creamery. 95% of Truly Grass Fed cheeses come from grass-fed cows, where the cattle gets to frolic around the pastures most of the year. The cheese is imported from Ireland, giving you a taste of farm freshness and green fields without having to leave your local area.

The company doesn't offer too many options, only sharp cheddar, aged cheddar, a maker's blend aged cheese, and even pre-sliced cheese, which is perfect for a quick sandwich. Our writer tried the sharp and aged cheddar varieties and had nothing but praise, noting that the quality of the living and raising conditions of the cows are evident in the taste and texture. The cheeses are creamy and marvelously rich for whatever dish you have in mind. Because the brand only has a select few items in the first place, check your local store to see if Truly Grass Fed is available near you.

If you like mozzarella, then you will enjoy the creamy delights of Vantia Burrata. When you look at the cheese's packaging you'll see it's described as mozzarella cheese that's filled with cream. This may help to understand that burrata and mozzarella are similar yet two totally different products. Burrata is formed into a mozzarella ball with a pouch that is filled with curd and cream. As a result, you get a combination of mozzarella shreds on the outside and that scrumptious cream that falls out of the interior when you break it open. 

Burrata has a creamier, richer flavor and a more delicate texture. In theory, with that description, it seems like any burrata would taste luxurious and indulgent, but not all store-bought cheese is worth your dollars. Skip the disappointment and go straight for Vantia's version; our writer tested seven store-bought burrata brands, and Vantia was the best of the best. Although it doesn't have revolutionary ingredients compared to its competitors (pasteurized whole milk, vegetable rennet, and pasteurized cream in lightly salted water), the brand's cheese is described as being fresh, creamy, and soft without tasting too tangy. If you were wondering, lower-quality burrata can be too elastic, rubbery, and not as luscious as it should be. You won't find that issue with the Vantia option.

Tillamook is a favored brand for all things dairy, from ice cream to butter, so it's not very astonishing that one of its cheeses made it on this list. When our writer tried and tested 10 Tillamook cheeses, they determined that the Extra Sharp White Cheddar was the ultimate pick, beating Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and others. There is no question that this is an outstanding option, but it's even more impressive that the writer isn't normally a big fan of the potency of white cheddar.

This block is sophisticated with floral notes and a creaminess that coats the tongue. It has that sharpness that you'd expect from the name, but it's not overwhelming. It tastes like it'd be much more expensive than it is, making it a terrific choice when you want to elevate even the most basic of meals. Eat a slice with crackers to fully enjoy every morsel, or add it to your favorite casserole or mac and cheese recipe. Other reviews mention that they are repeat customers and use it frequently for many household dishes. One person claims that it's the best cheese on earth — doesn't get much better than that.

Brie is a beautifully creamy cheese if it's made well. When our writer tried out nine brie options from the store, Saint Angel Original Triple Cream was the second best (we'll talk about the top pick right after this) and came with extremely high remarks. Other brie varieties on the list were mild and not overly flavorful, which doesn't result in a lavish taste. The Saint Angel cheese, however, is ideal for those who adore a creamy profundity that envelopes the tongue, making a mundane Monday munchie feel like a multi-star meal.

It has a depth of flavor that goes beyond the triple cream butteriness you expect — it has a mild tang, some saltiness and umami, and a light vegetal taste to bring out the earthiness. Each of these notes gives it balance and intrigue. While it's still extremely rich, it has freshness that keeps you wanting more. The writer notes that it's one of their all-time favorites, which is a high compliment. Other online reviews consider it to be heavenly, smooth, and overall an excellent store-bought pick. Pair it with chocolates and dried fruit for a delicious, impressive dessert.

Although the top-tier compliments and creaminess of Saint Angel Original Triple Cream Brie are already high, one cheese managed to top it. The Fromager d'Affinois Le Fromager was noted as the best store-bought brie cheese that was sampled, mainly due to its complexity. You can easily perceive the dairy quality that is complemented by a nutty taste and an earthy mushroom-like flavor of the rind. The velvety creaminess is unparalleled; you could virtually scoop it out with a chip, giving it the appeal of a triple-dollar-sign cheese.

Because of this, our writer mentioned that this first-rate cheese became their fridge staple. Despite the decadence that makes it seem like it'd be well out of one's budget, it's indeed affordable and available at your average market. If you want an approachable, extremely creamy fromage, then you have to add Fromager d'Affinois Le Fromager to your shopping cart. Don't leave it in the fridge, unsure of the best occasion to use it. It's meant to be enjoyed any day of the week. Add it to a cheese board or make an unforgettable grilled cheese.

Aldi has plenty of cheese to pick from — whether you want slices, cubes, blocks, or wheels — so you may feel overwhelmed about where to start. If you want something classic yet thrifty, you can't go wrong with Emporium Selection Brie. In comparison, the two other brie cheeses we just mentioned are stronger with a mushroomy flavor that might be too much for some taste buds.

Thanks to its price tag and balance of a moderately firm rind and soft, rich interior, our writer placed the Emporium Selection Brie amongst the best cheeses to get at Aldi. It provides the flavor you'd expect in costly brie but for a fraction of the price, making it a bougie on a budget pick. This is the ideal queso to purchase if you're entertaining; it is rich and flavorsome, but you can buy multiple without feeling like you're going to have to refinance your mortgage to afford it. Let the creaminess shine by making a gooey, melty baked brie and serving it with nuts and fig jam.

Costco's house brand, Kirkland Signature, is a fantastic way to get great products and even better prices, and the Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio is no exception. This is one of our all-time favorite items to get at Costco. It's not any old Parmesan in a green shaker bottle or even a good dupe; it's an actual Protected Designation of Origin Parmigiano Reggiano that's made in Italy. This means that it's produced in a specific area linked to that exact product. Similar to how prosecco has to be from a certain area, otherwise anything else is just considered sparkling wine.

Stravecchio is aged for 36 months and shouldn't be confused with the 24-month aged Kirkland Signature Italian Parmigiano Reggiano (which is also a high-quality option). We picked the former because it has a rich, nutty, slightly sharp profile that makes it stand out. It's clearly well-made and authentic, but you get a huge hunk for a fantastic price. It makes you feel like you hit the jackpot. One online review notes that this cheese is life-changing. We especially love that it's highly versatile for many dishes; you can grate, microplane, cube, or slice it based on what you're making.

If you relish the complexity of Gruyère with its nutty, almost sweet, floral taste, then we have the perfect pick for you. America's Test Kitchen deemed the 1655 Le Gruyère as the absolute best Gruyère to purchase from the store. After blind tasting several options, the 1655 version was praised for its fattiness and dryness, which is indicative of its ageing process.

It has an edge over other Gruyère brands because of the nuanced flavors based on the soil where the cattle eat and roam. It's impressive that such a seemingly luxurious, quality cheese is available at grocery stores; you might expect that you'd have to get it at an expensive cheese shop in a big city. Serve with dry white or late harvest wine when you want to sit back and enjoy an extravagant moment at home. Play on the fruity notes of the fromage by adding raspberry or blackberry jam on top of the slice. This cheese tastes like you booked a flight to Switzerland but doesn't cost anywhere near the price of a ticket.

Boursin is a highly accessible brand, and its creamy, soft, and spreadable fromage varieties are available at many grocery stores. You have most likely come across the Garlic & Fine Herbs flavor; it's favored by consumers (and one of two flavors sold at Costco). Though it's a diverse option that we like to keep in our fridge, if you want a Boursin product that tastes truly luxurious, you have to get the Rosemary & Black Garlic. It's like something you'd get at a gourmet restaurant, served with freshly baked crusty bread. Our writer tried six popular Boursin flavors and landed on the Rosemary & Black Garlic as the absolute most scrumptious, "fanciest-tasting cheese" that the brand offers.

The rosemary is prevalent and elegant, compared to the nondescript herbs in the garlic and herb option — which our writer ranked second to last. The fermented flavor of the black garlic brings a playful juxtaposition to the piney freshness of the herb. This cheese was deemed to be impeccable, and it's the clear winner when you want a Boursin flavor that seems like it costs way more than its actual price tag. Eat it with crackers, spread it on toast, or incorporate it into pasta.

Trader Joe's seems to have unexplored items every time we go to visit, and the cheese portion of the fridge is uncharted territory. The brand has over 60 cheeses in its cheesehouse — oops, we mean wheelhouse — so it might take you a while to go through each one. However, one that stands out is the Unexpected Cheddar. It's the original Unexpected queso from the brand, which was so beloved by customers that it was incorporated into products like Unexpected Cheddar and turkey sausage egg bites, cheese spread, and chicken sausage.

The salt crystals give it a drool-inducing texture on the tongue. It's a firm cheese, which the Trader Joe's packaging describes as an aged cheddar cheese with some Parmesan nuances. There's a whole Reddit thread created by its fans, where people boast about how much of a staple it is in their fridge. We (and fellow TJs fans) aren't alone in adoring it either. One of our writers ranked it as the No. 1 store-bought cheddar cheese, beating out Kerrygold and Cathedral City for the win. They mention that it is mildly bitter, sharp, rich, and fancier than the price tag would suggest. Use it in anything from scalloped potatoes to macaroni and cheese.

We love the creamy, buttery texture of Gouda. While it's certainly tasty, it doesn't always have an expensive allure when purchased at your average chain store. We searched for the most delectable option by having our Tasting Table writer nibble on nine grocery store Goudas. The verdict? They determined that the 12-month aged Rembrandt Gouda stood out from competitors like Trader Joe's, Boar's Head, and Artikaas. This cheese goes beyond your milky and creamy Gouda because it's aged for a year. 

It has a savory quality and a nutty scent that wafts straight from the packaging. The impressive crystals provide a texture boost, while the dynamic caramelized flavor rounds off everything. This cheese is anything but one-note, appealing to virtually all your senses. "I knew it was going to be good even before I took the first bite," our writer said. If you served it at a party, people would think that you paid a pretty penny for it. Not only is it the best Gouda cheese overall, but the writer states that it's one of their favorite cheeses of all-times! Anyone from seasoned cheesemongers to local grocery store patrons thinks it's an exceptional cheese.

Aldi's Emporium Selection Borgonzola is basically a Frankenstein's monster of cheese — a little of this, a little of that, to construct a new creation for your taste buds. The soft ripened triple cream blue cheese is somewhat similar to cambazola, which is a hybrid of camembert and gorgonzola (hence the name), but Emporium Selection is more akin to brie and gorgonzola. It's marvelously creamy yet has that tangy blue cheese pungency, making it seem grand and pricey, even though it costs less than a small latte from our local coffee shop. 

Find inspiration from baked brie, and bake the Borgonzola with a generous drizzle of honey and fresh berries for a decadent dish you'll never forget. Or, add a sprinkle of sugar on top and give it a quick brûlée to create a sweet and creamy base to dip fruit into. Facebook reviews describe it as a blend of brie and blue cheese, with people saying it's great to put out for social gatherings. Afraid of the rind? One person notes that the rind is the best part!

To pick our list of supermarket cheeses that seem expensive and luxurious, we consulted previous Tasting Table taste tests, consumer reviews, and our personal experience, having tried many cheeses (like Gouda from the literal town of Gouda in the Netherlands to farm fresh cheese on a Swiss mountainside). There are likely more out there, but these stood out due to overwhelmingly positive reviews. We wanted to offer various flavors and textures, from the incredibly soft Boursin to the firm, crystallized bits of Unexpected Cheddar.