We Tried 7 Cheeses At Aldi And Trader Joe's To See Which Store Has The Better Selection

Nearly any grocery store sells at least a small selection of cheese, but very few stores do it quite like Trader Joe's and Aldi. The two ever-popular grocery stores are known for many things, like being budget-friendly and offering exceptional snack options. We'd be remiss not to highlight both stores' cheese sections, however, because both Aldi and Trader Joe's have any cheese lover covered when it comes to building a charcuterie board, snacking, and beyond.

Not only do Aldi and Trader Joe's have comparably impressive cheese sections, but both stores also offer several cheeses that are remarkably similar. But, based on these similar cheeses, which store has the absolute best cheese selection? That's the question I'm here to answer, and to do so, I've purchased and sampled seven cheeses from Trader Joe's and seven from Aldi, comparing them to see which version is better. I'm no stranger to cheese from both stores, and in fact, I've specifically ranked Trader Joe's cheese and have compiled a list of the best Trader Joe's cheese for a charcuterie board.

Naturally, the flavor of each cheese is crucial in determining what store has the better cheese selection, so that plays the most important role here, along with the respective textures of the cheeses. I've also noted the price of each cheese (from both stores) since budget is also an important factor.

Perhaps one of Trader Joe's most beloved cheeses is its Unexpected Cheddar, a cheese that seems like a straightforward cheddar at first, but one that's actually infused with Parmesan. Aldi offers a nearly identical cheese, the Not Your Average Cheddar & Parmesan, so naturally, it only made sense to compare the two very similar cheeses. For price reference, TJ's Unexpected Cheddar was $3.99 per block, while Aldi's Not Your Average Cheddar was $3.69.

Right off the bat, I noticed that Aldi's version of this cheese was a bit softer to cut into, and it didn't crumble quite as much as the TJ's version. I would say that neither texture is necessarily preferable; it all comes down to what you like best. If you like that distinctly crumbly, Parmesan-esque texture, then Unexpected Cheddar nails it. But if you like a more cheddar-like texture, then the Aldi cheese is more like that.

As for flavor, these cheeses really did taste quite similar. I think that TJ's cheese had more distinct notes of Parmesan, while the Aldi version tasted a bit more like cheddar than anything else. There were definitely notes of Parm in both, with each cheese offering a rich, savory flavor profile with subtle hints of nuttiness and sharpness here and there. Ultimately, however, I think Trader Joe's version was a little more complex and, therefore, the winner by a narrow margin.

No charcuterie board is complete without a good Brie, and there's certainly no shortage of options out there, especially when it comes to Trader Joe's and Aldi. Two of the most comparable Bries at both stores are TJ's Double Cream Brie and Aldi's Double Creme Brie, which cost $8.49/pound (my wedge was about $4) and $4.49, respectively. 

Trader Joe's Double Cream Brie is what some consider to be the worst grocery store Brie out there, and admittedly, it's never been my favorite in TJ's Brie selection. That said, I don't actually think it's a terrible cheese, and I went into sampling it for this article with an open mind. But, even after just slicing off wedges from the respective cheeses, it was obvious that Aldi would be the winner. Trader Joe's Brie had a rather stiff texture, whereas Aldi's Brie had a much softer, noticeably creamier texture.

Flavor-wise, neither of the cheeses exactly blew me away, but Aldi was the definite winner. The TJ's cheese was definitely lacking in the creamy department, and it wasn't necessarily just a mild or mellow Brie, but rather just seemed to lack any real flavor or complexity whatsoever. Aldi's version was significantly creamier, and it had that distinctly buttery Brie flavor profile with a hint of nuttiness. So, if I were to go for a double cream Brie again in the future, I would definitely seek out Aldi's version.

Anyone who enjoys tangy cheese knows that goat cheese is where it's at. Both Trader Joe's and Aldi offer a few different goat cheese flavors, though both overlap in offering a honey-flavored goat cheese log. Trader Joe's Honey Chevre cost $3.29, while Aldi's Honey Goat Cheese log cost me $1.89.

Appearance-wise, these two cheeses were nearly identical, and once I scooped some of the cheese out of each package, I noticed that the textures were similarly creamy as well. So, I knew that this comparison would really come down to flavor, and what do you know — both cheeses tasted very, very similar.

While the cheeses did have very similar creamy, tangy, and subtly sweet flavor profiles, I found that the TJ's version had a little more complexity. When eating goat cheese, I always look for a mild, creamy flavor at first (plus whatever additional flavor might be added; in this case, honey) but anticipate that sharp, tangy, almost funky flavor to follow. TJ's chevre took me through this experience, with the honey contrasting really nicely against the sharp tang in the aftertaste. Aldi's goat cheese definitely had some creamy flavor, but I found it to be a little more mild all-around, relying more on straightforward creamy flavors with little added complexity. So, Trader Joe's wins the goat cheese race, at least when it comes to honey-flavored goat cheese.

Good old Gouda — it's hard to beat, whether you're enjoying it on a charcuterie board, on a grilled cheese, or simply by the slice. Gouda can vary flavor-wise, and smoked Gouda is perhaps one of the most popular variations of the cheese out there. Trader Joe's offers a few types of Gouda, including its own take on smoked Gouda, the Dutch-Smoked Gouda (which cost me just over $4). Meanwhile, Aldi's Applewood-Smoked Gouda (priced at $4.29) is slightly different, but ultimately, I knew that both cheeses would offer that distinct Gouda richness with added smokiness.

Texture-wise, both of these cheeses were similar, though I was reminded of cheddar when slicing Aldi's Gouda. Meanwhile, TJ's version seemed more like a straightforward young Gouda, solid and smooth yet still very creamy. The flavors of the cheeses varied much more than I was expecting. Trader Joe's Dutch-Smoked Gouda definitely tastes like your typical Gouda, meaning that it was smooth and mild with a slight nuttiness, and a slight smokiness that I did think could be much stronger. Meanwhile, the Aldi Gouda blew me away with its smokiness, to the point where any other flavors that the cheese had to offer were muted because all I could really taste was the smoke. I don't think this is a bad thing if smokiness is what you're looking for in a cheese, but I do wish there was a little more nuance and balance. 

Ultimately, I'd say that Trader Joe's wins the smoked Gouda race, if only because its version of the cheese had slightly more balanced flavors. I do wish that TJ's cheese was a little smokier, but I'll take less smoke if it means I can actually taste the Gouda underneath it.

Havarti is my absolute go-to cheese when I want a mild option on a charcuterie board but I don't necessarily want to default to cheddar. Plain Havarti is very mild and creamy in nature, with perhaps an ever-so-slightly tangy aftertaste. Since its such a neutral cheese, it takes on just about any flavor you throw at it, and we as a society have collectively decided that dill is a staple flavor to infuse into Havarti. Both Trader Joe's and Aldi have followed suit, with TJ's offering a Havarti with dill that costs $7.99/pound (my block cost about $5), while Aldi has a dill Havarti that costs $2.79.

Both cheeses had that distinct dill-speckled look to them, though TJ's cheese seemed to be a bit softer and creamier while Aldi's cheese was slightly more firm. Both textures were delicious, and the distinct difference between these two cheeses ultimately came down to the flavor of that dill. The Trader Joe's cheese itself had a nice creaminess to it, but the dill was a little harsh, and perhaps even a little bitter. The Aldi version, meanwhile, had dill that tasted much fresher, offering up grassy notes that contrasted really nicely against the creamy cheese. 

Both Trader Joe's and Aldi have successful versions of dill Havarti, but I have to hand this one to Aldi. I enjoyed the slightly firmer (yet still soft and creamy) texture of Aldi's Havarti, and the dill tasted nice and fresh yet still mellow, making for a balanced and delightful cheese.

Much like the cheddar and Parmesan fusion cheeses that both stores offer, there's also something out there for cheddar and Gruyere lovers at both Trader Joe's and Aldi. More specifically, there's Trader Joe's Cheddar & Gruyere Melange Cheese (which cost $7.99/pound, with my block being about $5), and Aldi's Not Your Average Cheddar and Gruyere cheese (which cost $3.69). 

Though Gruyere can vary in texture based on its age, both of these cheeses definitely leaned more into a cheddar-forward or young-Gruyere texture. This is to say that they were both soft and creamy, though I do think the TJ's one had a little more firmness to it. And, when tasting the cheeses, I noticed that the TJ's melange cheese had a nice balance of cheddar and Gruyere flavors, whereas the Aldi one tasted more like cheddar than anything else. Both cheeses ultimately had a nice, savory flavor profile, though Trader Joe's version had more of those expected Gruyere notes, like nuttiness with a hint of sharpness. 

No surprise here, but Trader Joe's wins when it comes to cheddar and Gruyere. I didn't dislike Aldi's take on the hybrid cheese, but it was a little too mellow and cheddar-forward to be something I'd return to when seeking out a Gruyere specifically.

I had never tried bread cheese before, but after seeing that both Trader Joe's and Aldi offered a garlic bread cheese, I knew that it was finally time to give it a spin. And, as it turns out, I've been missing out on a treasure trove of rich, melty cheese. Finnish bread cheese doesn't actually contain any bread, but it does sort of look like toasted bread, and I'd imagine this stuff would be pretty good on a slice of baguette, too. Price-wise, a package of garlic bread cheese from Trader Joe's cost $4.29, whereas the Aldi version was $3.99. 

When I first sampled each cheese, I cut off a bit and tasted it as-is, noting a mostly mild flavor from both with hints of garlic and a rather squeaky texture. However, instructions on both packages called for heating up the cheese in some capacity, so I simply microwaved slices for about 30 seconds, resulting in gooey pieces of cheese that paired really nicely with crackers. The melty cheese was absolutely delicious — both the Trader Joe's and Aldi versions — and it sort of reminded me of the melty cheese you might find piled high on top of a pizza.

Truthfully, I couldn't pinpoint a single difference in flavor between Trader Joe's bread cheese and Aldi's bread cheese. Both were very delicious, with garlicky flavors that were more mellow than I was expecting. So, it's a draw here, and if you want to get your hands on some bread cheese, both Trader Joe's and Aldi are worthy contenders.

After comparing seven similar (if not identical) cheeses across Trader Joe's and Aldi's lineup, I'd ultimately give Trader Joe's the best cheese selection crown, if only by a narrow margin. Though I certainly didn't dislike any of the Aldi cheeses (nor did I necessarily love all of the TJ's ones), it became apparent that Trader Joe's simply has some higher-quality cheeses in its lineup. Even when it was a close call between certain cheeses, I often found that respective Trader Joe's cheeses would offer a little more complexity or a slightly stronger flavor, making them the winner in most cases. This wasn't always the case, however, as I did prefer the Aldi Brie and dill Havarti cheeses.

If you're looking at the cheeses in terms of price, then Aldi is the clear winner. Nearly every cheese on this list is cheaper at Aldi, even if it's the same size wedge, wheel, or block as the Trader Joe's version. However, I do think that the price discrepancy is somewhat of a "you get what you pay for" sort of situation. Ultimately, Aldi is a worthwhile place to stock up on cheese, especially if you're on a budget; but Trader Joe's is budget-friendly too, and with slightly more quality cheese, I think it's worth the extra money.

The seven cheeses that I sampled from both Trader Joe's and Aldi in no way fully represent the sheer variety of cheese that each store has to offer. Rather, these cheeses offer a helpful window into the options you might find at both stores. I specifically selected the cheeses on this list either because they're popular offerings from each store, or because there are similar or identical options available at each store (like with the Unexpected Cheddar and the Not Your Average Cheddar, or with the garlic bread cheeses).

When tasting each cheese, I first noted how much I enjoyed a certain cheese on its own, without necessarily comparing it to the competition. I noted the complexity of flavor, balance (if it were a fusion cheese or one with added flavor), creaminess, and any aftertastes or lingering flavors. Then, I compared the like cheeses directly, determining which one was more successful overall, be it because it had a more complex flavor, was balanced, or because it was simply more delicious.