9 Aldi Emporium Selection Cheeses, Ranked Worst To Best

I don't know about you, but there are few foods I love more than cheese. It's such a versatile food that it can easily become a large portion of your diet. Eat it alone, with crackers, or as an ingredient in countless dishes and even desserts. Unfortunately, some of the best cheeses can end up being really expensive, which can put a damper on your cheesy creativity. But, one of Aldi's private labels has stepped up to fill the gap with specialty cheeses that are affordable enough for anyone to partake in. That private label is Emporium Selection, and if you haven't yet had a chance to give it a try, I can't recommend it enough.

When you look at the Aldi cheese section, you'll find a dozen or more offerings from Emporium Selection, so it can feel overwhelming deciding which one (or two) should be the first you try. Thankfully, I was given an opportunity to try nine diverse options from the brand and report my findings back here to take the guesswork out of your search. To create my ranking, I assessed the taste, texture, and smell of each cheese, using my food industry experience and other relevant qualifications to make my judgments. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article. Ready to discover the best Aldi Emporium Selection cheeses? Grab your shopping list and keep a pen handy. Let's get into it.

The Emporium Selection Garlic Herb Goat's Cheese had a really nice smell to it when I opened the package — and it looked really aesthetically pleasing thanks to the herbs strewn throughout. As I cut my first slice, the cheese began to break apart. The texture is nice if you're looking for something to smear on some bread or crackers, but it isn't ideal for creating slices for a charcuterie board or similar.

I really had great expectations for this cheese, but as I took my first bite, those hopes were thoroughly dashed. What could have been an excellent goat's cheese turned out to have an overwhelming herbal taste that made my throat burn. That herbal taste was so strong that you couldn't even taste the cheese itself, but rather, only feel its soft, creamy texture. I think if a lighter hand were taken with the herbs, this could be a stellar cheese. As it is, I definitely won't purchase it again and can't recommend it in any good faith.

The Emporium Selection Parmesan Cheese came in a nice wedge that had a beautiful transitional coloring. When I opened the package, I found that it had a surprisingly light scent to it, with only mild tones of tanginess paired with faint notes of cream. It was a pleasant smell, but unfortunately, the scent ended up being a far cry from what the cheese actually tasted like.

My first bite of this cheese was challenging to take since it was super hard. I expect parmesan to be a harder cheese, but this was beyond what I expected. While that may make it ideal to grate, it makes it challenging to eat in slices. But, that was only the first problem I ran into. The flavor was much more sour than I expected, veering from "sharp" and into nearly unpalatable territory. I imagine this might be good when paired with a milder grating cheese for lasagna or stuffed shells, but eating it on its own isn't a pleasant experience. I recommend skipping this and opting for a higher-ranking similar cheese, like asiago.

The Emporium Selection Rustic Red Cheddar Cheese had a beautiful coloring to it that's very aesthetically pleasing. The wrapping was a bit hard to get open, but once I did, I was greeted by a very sharp, tangy smell that told me this was, indeed, an extra sharp cheddar cheese. This worked out since I enjoy slightly pungent cheeses as much as I do the more mild ones.

I cut a slice off to have my first taste and immediately noticed the texture was a little crumbly for my preferences. It quickly fell apart when I applied pressure with either my knife or fingers (when I was picking it up to try). But, once I did get a bit in my mouth to taste, I noticed the cheese was as sharp as it smelled, but paired with an unexpected creamy richness. In my opinion, this unique flavor profile makes this one of the best cheeses for mac and cheese when paired in equal parts with something lighter, like mild cheddar or gruyere.

I may buy this in the future, specifically for macaroni and cheese, but probably wouldn't purchase it for snacking on since I prefer other options much more. That being said, this is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a very sharp, pungent cheese instead of the more mild options dominating this list.

The Emporium Selection Applewood Smoked Gruyere Cheese is a specialty cheese that would work well with very specific pairings, but wouldn't be an ideal everyday option due to its intensely smoky smell and flavor profile. However, if you're looking for something to serve alongside barbecue ribs, smoked brisket, or similar items, this works as a highly complementary cheese option.

The smell of smoked applewood was intense from the moment I opened the package, with only the faintest hints of cream. This scent ends up being largely indicative of the flavor profile, which features a dominating smokiness with moderate nutty notes interspersed with faint hints of cream. Texturally, this is fantastic, featuring a soft body that would be perfect for melting in cheese fondue or incorporating into a cheese sauce. While I might purchase this again, I do want to warn you about how smoky the flavor profile is. So if that's not your thing, I suggest skipping it in lieu of a better-ranking Emporium Selection cheese from Aldi.

The Emporium Selection Feta Cheese is only traditionally styled, not authentic, because it's made with cow's milk. True Greek feta is made with a combination of sheep's and goat's milk. But, that nuance aside, this is a fine feta cheese — and, in fact, there were very few Emporium Selection cheeses I didn't at least partially enjoy. Since I can be quite picky about my cheeses, I think this is a testament to the brand's high quality.

As I would expect from this type of cheese, there was a strong, pungent odor as soon as I opened the package, which carried subtle notes of cream and hints of salt. Texturally, the block sliced nicely and crumbled even better, making it perfect for simple inclusion in a Greek salad, in my opinion. My first bite offered a layered flavor profile that began with a very sharp taste that faded into a rich creaminess heavily punctuated by saltiness. Although I prefer the traditional feta cheese made with sheep's and goat's milk, this is an excellent alternative that I wouldn't mind using again. If you're looking for a delicious yet affordable feta cheese, this is an excellent choice that I feel good recommending.

The Emporium Selection Edam Cheese was my first experience with this specific type of cheese — proving that even cooking professionals who are cheese enthusiasts can have first experiences. That being said, I didn't have alternative brand options under my belt to compare this with, but based my judgments solely on how the cheese stood up generally. And, thankfully, this first experience turned out to be a good one.

There weren't any strong scents to this Edam cheese. Instead, I noted only a faint balance of creaminess and nuttiness. This turned out to be highly indicative of the taste, which was very mild overall. The dominant flavor was a moderate nuttiness, interspersed with milky notes. I also detected hints of salt. The texture was firm yet surprisingly soft, with the cheese holding its shape yet giving way nicely to my knife. I believe this Edam cheese would be a fantastic addition to a cheese board when paired with fruit and buttery crackers.

Truthfully, I have nothing negative to say about this cheese, and the only reason it didn't rank higher was sheer personal preference. If you're looking for a very mild option that will balance other flavors in a dish or pairing rather than overwhelming it, this is a nice choice.

The Emporium Selection Cranberry Cinnamon Goat's Cheese is great for people who love goat's cheese and those who don't. Unlike some other options, it doesn't have a pungent smell or taste, thanks to the added fruit and spices. When I first opened the package, I was met by a strong smell of sweet and tangy cranberries accented by the warmth of cinnamon. It was a delicious smell that immediately set my mouth to watering.

After carefully cutting off a slice, I took my first bite and was greeted by a complex, layered flavor profile that fulfilled all the promises the smell had offered. Initially, my taste buds were offered the crisp, sweet, and tangy balance of cranberries. This was immediately followed by a burst of light tanginess from the goat's cheese itself, which carried lingering notes of cinnamon. The texture was rich and creamy, holding together nicely with limited crumble when I bit into it. Consider smearing this on butter crackers or using it for a goat's cheese puffed pastry. I would definitely buy this again, and highly recommend you try it.

The Emporium Selection Asiago Cheese was very close to being ranked as the top Aldi cheese. Ultimately, however, I decided that I liked the top choice just a little bit more when all things were considered. That being said, this is an excellent asiago cheese if you're looking for something with a similar texture to parmesan but a lighter flavor profile.

As I unwrapped the cheese, my nose was greeted by a moderate tang heavily punctuated by nutty and milky notes. The texture was ideal for grating or shredding, but it also held up well to being sliced — and thanks to the milder taste profile, it's actually really nice when eaten sliced by itself or on a cracker. That mild flavor profile was predominantly milky with a moderate amount of tanginess, balanced by subtle sweet notes and faint nutty tones. Although mild, it's a complex, layered flavor that I found quite enjoyable. I highly recommend trying it for yourself, and think it would be especially delicious sprinkled atop some homemade spaghetti.

The Emporium Selection Sliced Mozzarella Cheese Log embodies all of the best aspects of this cheese type. It smelled and tasted just as good as name-brand mozzarella options, but at a lower price point. Plus, the log slices came apart nicely and were a great thickness for snacking — whether that means eating the slices alone or using them to top some crackers with your favorite snacking meat. If you decide to go the second route, pepperoni or salami are exceptionally good pairings with this cheese.

Like the best mozzarella cheeses, this option had only a very light milky smell to it. My first bite embodied a mild, cream flavor with very delicate tones of tang that some may miss if they weren't savoring the taste. Texturally, this cheese was equally as perfect, featuring a softness that's slightly stringy and incredibly moist. Consider making homemade pizza with these slices, or using them for a fresh caprese salad. I highly recommend grabbing yourself a log of this mozzarella cheese. Once you do, you'll have zero doubts as to why it ranked as our top Aldi Emporium Selection cheese.

I chose Emporium Selection cheeses for inclusion in this ranking based on their availability to me at my local Aldi store in Vineland, New Jersey. From those options available to me, I aimed to choose a wide range of available cheese types, including both those made from cow's milk and those made from goat's milk. Each option was judged based primarily on its taste, with smell and texture playing smaller roles in my decisions.

To make my judgments, I relied primarily on more than fifteen years of experience in the food industry, during which time I routinely worked with a wide range of cheeses in both hot foods and bakery settings. Extensive previous consumership of various cheeses also contributed, as did my prior work crafting Daily Meal ranking articles — including many focused on Aldi private label products, like this one ranking 12 frozen pre-made meals at Aldi. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.