I Tried 10 Store-Bought Mozzarella Brands And This Was The Best

Mozzarella cheese has always remained one of my favorites because the mild flavor profile makes it so versatile. Beyond topping homemade pizza, you can use it in Caprese salad, make fried mozzarella sticks, or layer it inside some classic lasagna. Unfortunately, not every type of mozzarella you find in the store is going to be amazing — some of them taste artificial, while others are too salty, and still others have an unpleasant texture. How are you supposed to figure out which of the mozzarella brands your local store carries are the best, and which deserve to be left exactly where you found them? Well, I went on a journey to figure out the answer.

During my more than 15 years in the food industry, I used a lot of mozzarella in countless variations, so I like to think I have a solid idea of what makes a brand good (or not). A great love of cheese (to the point you might call it an obsession), and other relevant experiences have also contributed to this foundational knowledge. Taste was my primary concern when assigning ranking, and I tried mozzarella in various renderings, from shredded cheese to snack sticks and beyond. You can find my full methodology at the end of this article. Now, ready to see which store-bought mozzarella brand you should snatch up on your next shopping trip? Let's get into it.

I want to start this off by saying that (surprisingly) there wasn't a single cheese on this list that I found truly dreadful. This was a relief because in many other rankings, I end up trying at least one thing that's almost traumatizing — like how the Emporium Selection Garlic & Herb Goat Cheese burned my throat so badly in my ranking of Aldi Emporium Selection cheeses that I had to wonder if I'd contracted strep throat.

This Lucerne Mozzarella Cheese comes from Acme Grocer's private label, and it wasn't an experience as dramatic as a burned throat by any means. Rather, the texture was off in a way that I can only describe as slightly reminiscent of Play-Doh, although that's not exactly right. It resisted cutting by caving in on itself, even with a newly sharpened knife, but I was able to cut relatively nice pieces with a bit of effort. In terms of taste, this was okay, but the base milky flavor was even milder than I'd normally expect, and it carried faint artificial tones.

I wouldn't purchase this mozzarella cheese again because there are options on this list I vastly prefer, as evidenced by how Lucerne ranked dead last. But, I could probably be tempted to eat it again if someone else offered it to me incorporated in a dish. Alone? I would probably politely decline.

Kraft is a pretty popular brand of cheese, so I had pretty high hopes for this option. My line of thinking was that a brand that has retained such high popularity must have something going for it. While other Kraft cheeses I've tried were completely fine, this shredded mozzarella was, unfortunately, mediocre at best and a bit disappointing at worst.

This Kraft Natural Mozzarella Shredded Cheese didn't melt great. Although it eventually does melt, it takes much longer than other options on this list, and some stayed in clumps that were hard to incorporate — I discovered this issue when I was making stuffed shells and found it mildly frustrating. When I tried the cheese by itself, I found it didn't taste as full-bodied as others, and I chalked this up to the fact that it's made with part-skim milk instead of whole milk. The flavor was so mild that it didn't really have much of a flavor at all, and I didn't detect any salty notes whatsoever.

I wouldn't purchase this again, and I can't recommend it in any good faith. However, I could be tempted to eat it again if someone else offered it to me.

Simply Nature is one of two Aldi private labels that were included in this ranking. As seems to be a trend on this list, I had high hopes for this cheese, which weren't fully lived up to. After all, Simply Nature is the brand behind some of my favorite Aldi produce items, and I believe the brand's organic garlic powder is one of the best Aldi spices.

As the worst-ranked string cheese on this list, the Simply Nature Organic Mozzarella String Cheese won't be joining my must-have groceries. My primary issue here is that the cheese was a bit drier than I would have expected, which made the texture feel a bit off. I did like that it's non-GMO and organic, but the taste once again made it evident that part-skim milk was used instead of whole. Some people may not mind this difference and even prefer it, so I will recognize this particular "issue" may be personal preference. However, the flavor was too mild, with no notable salty notes. Thankfully, it was devoid of artificial tones, which easily pulled it ahead of the bottom two options.

I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again because there are string cheese options that rank higher, and better mozzarella overall in any form. But I would definitely eat it again if offered to me by someone else.

In my recommendation of Aldi cheeses worth buying or skipping, the string cheese version from this brand ranked highly. In fact, I said that this would be my go-to string cheese moving forward (and it has been for some time), but I just wasn't as impressed with their block option. Additionally, based on this ranking of various brands from a range of stores, I'll be skipping out on the string cheese option, too, in lieu of options I now prefer more.

Despite not being incredibly impressed by this Happy Farms Mozzarella Cheese, it was still my favorite block because the texture was significantly better than the Lucerne option. At the very least, this one didn't remind me of Play-Doh at all, but rather provided a nice, soft give. I would have liked a little more firmness for cutting purposes, but overall it melted and cut fine, so this isn't a major complaint. The taste was mild, as expected, and very milky, with distinct but faint salty notes — the fact that these notes existed is what easily pulled it ahead of the lower-ranking options.

If I wanted a block of mozzarella cheese for, say, a charcuterie board or to eat with crackers, this is the option I'd choose. But, if I wanted something to melt into a dish, I'd opt for the top-ranking brand instead.

Galbani makes my family's favorite Colby Jack cheese sticks, and it's the brand behind my go-to ricotta for when I make my homemade lasagna. Overall, I've always found it reliable when I need cheese — and despite this ranking closer to the bottom than the top, my opinion on its reliability really hasn't changed. I think every brand is bound to have one or two mediocre options.

Mediocrity is exactly how I would describe the Galbani Whole Milk String Cheese, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Rather, that means that this is a perfectly fine mozzarella cheese option overall, but it just doesn't really stand out amongst the competitors. I like that there are no artificial flavors or colors. Texturally, this is appropriately stringy and moist. My single complaint of any significance is that it's a bit saltier than I prefer, but it isn't so strong that I felt immediate mouth dehydration, so I could definitely overlook this. Otherwise, we have a typical mild, milky flavor profile with perhaps the faintest nutty tones.

I'd buy this option again if I were specifically looking for string cheese and my top option wasn't available. However, I'd opt for the top option in most situations where mozzarella was called for.

Bowl & Basket is Shoprite's private label, and while I do a lot of shopping at the store itself, there's a somewhat toxic love-hate relationship between me and the label. Why toxic? Despite being regularly disappointed, I just keep going back for more, hoping that I'll luck out the way I sometimes do, like when I found some positively delicious Bowl & Basket frozen snacks. Since I'm more often disappointed than not, it was a nice change of pace to not have strong feelings about this product either way.

Bowl & Basket Shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese is perfectly fine both texturally and taste-wise. There is minor graininess in the texture, which is why this didn't rank higher, but it's easily overlooked. It melts okay, although it doesn't do so as readily as the top few options on this list. We have that hallmark mild dairy flavor profile with faint salty notes but no notable undertones. For being mozzarella, the flavor profile could even be described as "bold," thanks to the whole milk used to make it.

If I wanted to save a few bucks on my grocery bill and was already shopping at Shoprite, I wouldn't be opposed to purchasing this again. If you're looking for a solid budget mozzarella, this is fine. If you're looking for a better experience at a slightly higher price point, stick to the top three options.

I rarely purchase fresh mozzarella cheese balls or logs. When I do, it's typically for a very specific purpose, like creating a classic Caprese salad. Since I aimed to try mozzarella in all its many forms for this ranking, I knew I had to get at least one option in this format — and I purposefully chose one I'd never used previously. And, I'm quite glad that I did.

My favorite thing about this Polly-O Fresh Mozzarella Cheese is how moist and stringy it was, which is exactly how I like this type of cheese. Even better, it wasn't so moist it felt slimy, nor was it so stringy that it was challenging to cut. No, it was just right. The taste was very fresh, just as the name promised. Amongst that hallmark mild milkiness were faint salty tones, and light tang with an almost floral finish. The complexity of this flavor profile embodied what I look for in my mozzarella, almost to a tee. Truthfully, personal preference is the reason this didn't rank higher. I simply prefer the formats of the top three options better, and I would have liked to have tasted just a bit more tang than this had.

I will definitely buy this again as my new go-to fresh mozzarella, although that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be a frequent flyer on my grocery shopping list. This is a perfectly acceptable choice if you need fresh mozzarella specifically.

Sargento is one of the few cheese brands I had zero previous experience with, despite the fact that it's a relatively large nationwide name. I mean, I'd seen its cheeses plenty of times, but I'd just never grabbed a bag or a block because I'd mostly stuck with certain brands I'd always found reliable. As you can tell based on its ranking, not trying Sargento earlier was a personal failing.

The best part of this cheese (and the primary reason it ranked so highly) is that the Sargento Natural Shredded Mozzarella Cheese tastes like it's been freshly shredded off the block. If you've had pre-shredded cheese and also done it yourself, you'll understand there's a definitive difference. It also melted beautifully and quickly, although not quite as well as the top store-bought mozzarella brand. There was a beautiful complex flavor profile that was very clean, mild, and milky, featuring a moderate tang, faint salty notes, and a light sweetness.

If my top shredded cheese option isn't available, this will be an easy second choice. And, if you're looking for a traditional, finely shredded mozzarella, this is your best option.

Finally, we reach our string cheese winner, and the second overall best mozzarella in any format. Honestly, I'm not terribly surprised that Frigo ranked so highly because I frequently see this brand used for parties, school events, and stocked in other people's refrigerators. From now on, it'll also stay stocked in mine.

Once again, we have a comparatively bolder flavor profile thanks to the fact that these are made with whole milk. The Frigo Cheese Heads Whole Milk Mozzarella String Cheese still features a predominantly mild dairy flavor profile. But, strewn throughout are notable hints of saltiness and an almost nutty finish. Texturally, these were moist with strings that pulled apart nicely — and yes, I had to create a "cheese head" like on the package, which actually worked quite well. The only reason this didn't rank higher is that I prefer the format and exceptional melting capabilities of the top option.

If you're looking for a mozzarella string cheese specifically, this is your best option, and I highly recommend grabbing some. Parents will be happy to hear that my children devoured this with zero complaints, and requested more once they were gone.

Tillamook was one of those few brands I had zero experience with before this ranking, and I'm really glad I chose to include it. Without a doubt, this will be my new go-to mozzarella whenever I can get my hands on it — in fact, I have exactly zero complaints on how this tasted, felt, or performed.

The Tillamook Whole Milk Mozzarella Farmstyle Shreds come in larger, thinner, and more raggedly cut pieces than standard shredded cheese. Personally, I preferred this because the Farmstyle Shreds seemed to melt better, and they stayed in place better when doing so. A very pure milky flavor was streaked with faint salty notes, a mild sweetness, and a barely noticeable floral finish. Eaten alone and unmelted, the texture was soft but moist, with an almost pillowy feel to it that I really appreciated.

I highly recommend grabbing yourself a bag of these Tillamook Whole Milk Mozzarella Farmstyle Shreds. Although I bought mine at Acme Grocers, you should also be able to find them at Walmart, Target, and through Stop & Shop. Once you try these, you'll see that no other store-bought mozzarella compares.

I chose store-bought mozzarella brands for inclusion in this ranking based on their availability to me near Vineland, New Jersey. Options were purchased from my local Shoprite, Acme, and Aldi, with efforts made to include various forms of cheese for the most comprehensive ranking possible. This includes mozzarella that came in blocks, balls, shreds, and string cheese snack sticks. I judged each option primarily based on taste, but texture and meltability played smaller roles where these aspects were particularly notable. Each option was tasted by itself first so I could experience the true, unadulterated flavor of each cheese. Then, I used each one in a different meal or snack combination so I could see how it would balance or perform with other flavors.

My food industry background and a great love of cheese generally were the primary drivers in helping me confidently rank each option. During my more than 15 years working in the food industry, I used (and consumed) more cheeses than I could ever possibly count. My prior work creating articles for Daily Meal also contributed — this includes similar cheese-based articles like this one ranking store-bought queso dips, and this one discussing the Aldi cheese I always have in my fridge. Although personal preference played a role in this ranking, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible about product quality.