Here's Why Aldi's White Cheddar Is A Better Buy Than The Option Costco Offers

White cheddar is the trusty sidekick found in foodie fridges: Slightly sharper-tasting and ghostly pale, without the yellow dye of annatto. Grated over mac and cheese? Delicious. For those in hot pursuit of a bargain as well as great taste, we compared eight foods at Aldi and Costco, and in the cheese department, Aldi took the crown. According to our reviewer, Aldi's Emporium cheddar costs less and tastes as great as the Costco alternative, so if you're planning a wine and cheese night, it's time to redirect Google Maps.

The cheesy faceoff had Emporium Selection Aged Reserved New York in Aldi's corner, with Cabot Creamery three-year-aged cheddar in Costco's. The reviewer noted that both pack in bold flavor with few ingredients. But the Emporium took the lead, despite being aged for 12 months rather than the Cabot's 36. Note the "New York" label, though: This cheddar variety has a reputation for packing a punch.

Aside from equally impressive flavor profiles, pricing swayed the balance. At the time of review, Costco retailed two pounds of Cabot Creamery cheddar for approximately $13 (notably undercutting the $10 per pound price on the Cabot Creamery website). Still, Aldi was a clear winner. Grab its Emporium cheddar at $2.49 per 10 ounces, ultimately securing two pounds of cheese for an unbeatable $7.96. You can't argue with almost halved costs and equivalent taste. No wonder it's frequently ranked among the best cheeses you can buy at Aldi. 

Other customers seem to be in agreement, especially when praising Emporium. "My husband calls it the fancy cheese, and thinks our daughter-in-law buys it at the specialty grocery store. I'm not telling him," admitted one Reddit user. Cabot does get honorary mentions, but specifically for its Seriously Sharp White Cheddar (which Aldi stocks for $4.19 per eight-ounce serving). 

Unfortunately, the three-year-old Cabot seems to have started collecting harsh feedback and things look to have taken a slippery slope. "This was genuinely my favorite cheese ever and the last two blocks I got from Costco were soft and rubbery and did not have any of the crumbly texture that it usually has," one reviewer complained on the Cabot Creamery website.

Another customer agreed, declaring that they'd enjoyed the cheese for decades, but now it was: "Soft and rubbery. No texture, no flavor." As of December 2025, this product seems noticeably absent from Costco's website. Perhaps the partnership ran its course, or Cabot Creamery went back to the drawing board. Regardless, these negative reviews leave a sour taste. Allocate another point to Aldi. Just make sure that when you buy some white cheddar from the store, you don't slot it straight into your fridge door, as that's one of the cheese storage mistakes everyone makes.