The Ultimate Ranking Of String Cheese

There is significant contention surrounding the way people eat string cheese. Are you in the camp that meticulously peels each piece, enjoying the nostalgia from childhood, or are you in the boring, adult camp where you take a few bites (like a savage) and you're done? It's clear you can see where I stand. While there are numerous articles showcasing the different ways to eat string cheese, I found far less actually talking about the cheese itself. This realization made me head to my local grocery stores and see how many cheese brands I could find to rank.

From your typical mozzarella to your fancy cheddars and Colby Jack, I sought out an array of brands and types to see which cheese sticks are worth the buy. Which brand has the best peel? Which string has the best flavor? And which string cheeses and sticks should be left in the dust? Buckle up — it's about the get cheesy!

While most brands offer a simple mozzarella stick, Sargento offers a wider selection of cheese sticks to enjoy. You can choose from a traditional string cheese featuring mozzarella or fiesta pepper, along with its Colby Jack cheese stick option. I went for the latter to switch it up during a somewhat monotonous ranking.

While not a traditional string cheese, I was hopeful about the taste. Sadly, I was quite wrong in my hope. The cheese tasted very artificial, and the only flavor I can accurately relay is plastic. Sure, there were some faints dairy notes in there, but this felt and tasted processed, no other notes or flavors to be found.

I'm not sure if the brand's others flavors would have been better, but I won't be the one to find out. If you're looking for a quick snack, skip this option. Anything that tastes processed, especially cheese, is a hard no in my book.

Next up was Organic Valley Stringles organic string cheese. I have to say, the packaging and the higher price tag got me, leading me to believe I was going to get a great piece of cheese that was healthy for me. However, this brand placed second to last and for good reasons. Organic doesn't always mean tasty.

The cheese stick was pretty malleable but was hard to pull, offering little to no actual strings of cheese; just chunks of the larger piece. Regarding taste, this was a no. While it did lean more cheese-tasting, there was a huge ick factor here. It didn't give off a fresh mozzarella vibes, and the aftertaste leaned spoiled milk. Something was just off about this brand.

So, while yes, is has a great label with no antibiotics, synthetic hormones, toxic pesticides, or GMO anything, the flavor wasn't there. I guess if you want to be healthy, go for it, but I know there are other brands out there that offer great ingredients and stellar flavor.

Next up was Kraft, and I honestly didn't know what to expect. My nostalgia for the brand runs deep, as I'm an '80s kid, but after ranking an array of boxed mac and cheese and learning that Kraft really isn't the best, I was skeptical going into this specific tasting.

Kraft offers a 2% reduced fat mozzarella string cheese, but I didn't really get any mozzarella flavor or the string cheese part for that matter. The cheese stick didn't bend much, and it did not peel well. The cheese had no flavor, save for some off aftertaste. This one was bland with a negative texture. There wasn't much here to write home about.

Kraft took the No. 10 spot because it wasn't the worst on this list. But when there's no real flavor and your string cheese isn't stringy, there's no reason to say more or grab this one while you're out shopping. I'm starting to think my love for Kraft as a child was a lie...

I learned a lot about Cracker Barrel cheese when I compiled a ranking from worst to first featuring all of its flavor options. While there were some flavors that missed the mark, I remembering loving the Extra Sharp White. When I saw this option in the form of a cheese stick, I decided this was the flavor I would put up against the rest. Unfortunately, it didn't hold up against the fierce competition like I expected.

The cheddar cheese of Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp White was creamy and bold, but that bold taste faded quickly. It didn't linger on my palate and left a bad aftertaste that wasn't cheese-forward. What I also didn't love was that after a few minutes out of the fridge, there was a lot of condensation, and the texture became too soft. It seems to enjoy this one, you have to scarf it down right after you take it out of the fridge and packaging.

Overall, this one wasn't wholly bad, but there are better options on this list. My suggestion: Keep reading. (However, the brand's snack packs are way better!)

Coming in No. 9 is Whole Food's 365 brand, featuring a low-moisture, part skim string cheese. Honestly, I was a little shocked, as 365 is a typical contender in all categories from meats to sweats. When it comes to string cheese, this brand just didn't have what it takes.

These sticks were pretty bendy, but they offered bad pulls with small rips that weren't stringy. This isn't the string cheese you remember from childhood.

Regarding taste, there was some flavor — a hint of dairy tang and light salt, but there was this plastic aftertaste I couldn't shake. A negative aftertaste always ruins a decent bite.

These weren't the worst, but I definitely wouldn't buy them again. They rank "fine" in my book. If you're a Whole Foods shopper, go for it. If you like cheese that actually tastes like cheese, I have some better options for you — be patient.

If you know the Polly-O brand, then like me, you're probably a Costco shopper. You can get 48 of these bad boys in one pack — great for a quick snack, pre- and post-gym protein, or nights where you believe making homemade mozzarella sticks is a good idea. Hey, we've all been there, right? I was interested to see where Polly-O fell in this larger cheese stick pool, as I buy them merely for price and convenience. #teamcostco

Overall, there is nothing bad about the Polly-O brand. The string cheese is thick and it has a good pull, but there isn't much flavor compared to some of the others on this list. However, I can highly recommend this option, especially if you are shopping at Costco on a budget. You get a lot of bang for your buck, but if you're looking for something super tasty, keep reading. There are some other brands with far more flair.

Galbani is another brand boasting no artificial colors or flavors, and with a positive reputation since 1882, I figured there would be something worthwhile in this pack. Overall, they sit comfortably in the middle, offering a traditional cheese stick appeal.

The Galbani cheese stick has a good bend with clean pulls, but it's not exactly stringy. It's the first string cheese option on this list thus far that offered actual flavor. However, it's a little too much flavor.

This one is salty like the ocean. I'm not saying it's a mouth full of salt water, but compared to the others on this list, there is a lot to take in. I did like that it was bold, and it placed No. 7 because it had flavor, but it just wasn't a favorite. I do think Galbani is perfect for homemade mozzarella sticks, and it's something I am dying to try with my extras!

Signaling the halfway mark in this cheesy lineup is a brand name cheese I lived off of in college and grad school. There is nothing better than a block of Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese and some crackers. Throw in some deli meat of choice, and I was set for the night. Or lunch. Or breakfast. Oh, to be back in my college days.

For this ranking, I was excited to see if this selection of Cabot would hold up. Overall, it did — with a caveat.

The cheese stick version didn't taste exactly like the brick. It was missing that extra tang and zing of aged cheddar I know and love, but it had good flavor, depth, and salty notes. However, it was a little moist — a feature I don't love in a cheddar cheese. Overall, this one was good, and I would absolutely eat it again if available. You can't go wrong with Cabot.

Breaking into the top five is a brand I'd never seen or heard of: Lucerne. Naturally, I was interested to see what this outsider had to offer. 

The Lucerne string cheese was a welcomed respite from many of the other options, as it was bendy, smelled like actual cheese, and had a great pull with stringy pieces. It's wild to think we had to get to the No. 6 spot for traditional string cheese aspects to starting showing up.

What I truly liked about this one is that it tasted like real mozzarella, like the cheese you'd traditionally get on a pizza. It had that milky taste with some salt. It was very balanced — taste and texture.

I have no negative notes here, just that there were better options. I can safely recommend this one for sure. When it comes to cheese, it's really about preference, anyway. Some like it bland and some like it stinky. To each their own.

Placing fourth was the Frigo brand, another option I'd never heard of. However, it landed in the top five and stole the show, offering a solid piece of cheese from texture to taste.

Frigo cheese sticks are made with whole milk, and I could definitely tell with its rich flavor profile. There was a good balance of salt, it was creamy, and the flavor built the more you ate. This one reminded me of actual pieces of mozzarella cheese. Again, it's wild it's taken so long to get that aspect within this ranking.

This one also rated in the top for that traditional sting cheese vibe with a good pull that gave me solid strings every time. If you're gonna eat string cheese, it feels important for it to be stringy, amiright?

No notes on this one, Frigo. You made a solid string cheese product! If you haven't tried these yet, definitely add them to your list.

Selecting the top three cheese sticks for this competition was tough. There were some amazing options, but honestly, I wasn't surprised in the least with the final ranking — especially Trader Joe's coming in third.

There are a lot of great products in the TJ's family, but they aren't all winners. When it comes to its string cheese, I can safely say TJ's is good and should be talked about way more than it is.

The stick is bendy and has a decent pull with some strings. The reason it made it to third was the taste. The mozzarella flavor was distinct. It was creamy, had a typical mozzarella flavor, but it wasn't too salty like some of the others. There was balance here that I enjoyed.

If TJ's had a stringier cheese, I think it might have made it into the top two. However, first place really stole the show. Keep reading for the reveal!

I learned about Aldi in late 2023 because of this writing gig, and I have to say, I am deeply thankful for my experience ranking its must-have snacks. I found so many new favorite food items and found even more with many trips back to this cult classic. While it didn't place super high on a list of chocolates, breads, chips, and dips, it crushed the competition in this cheese stick line up, holding its own and remaining as good as I remembered.

The Happy Farms brand offers a stellar cheese stick option with a good bend, good pull, and great texture. While the cheese was a little squeaky, it was giving halloumi vibes, but if you know anything about me, you know halloumi is my favorite cheese in the world. I said what I said. It was salty but not overpowering, offering a great bite all around.

I have no notes for Aldi. This really is the best string cheese around, but if you're looking for something truly flavorful and a little off the cheese stick path, the number one pick might just be for you.

I live in a Kelly Gold butter household, and I also live off its blocks of cheddar, so when I saw these cheese sticks at Costco, I had a feeling they would be tough to beat. The sharp and creamy cheddar is aged for over a year, and with one bite, you'll know why.

The Kerry Gold option was the best bite by far. While yes, this one isn't a traditional string cheese, the cheddar taste that builds is the draw. It's not super sharp, but the texture is just like the block, and the taste is balanced and bold.

Overall, there are a lot of great cheddars out there, but for me, Kerry Gold is a winner, and so is the brand's cheese sticks. This is one you simply have to try, and I can safely promise you won't regret the buy. Have at it but know the price tag is a little higher than most of the list.

For this taste test, I went to several stores to see how many brands of string cheese I could find. While most were traditional, I did grab a few cheese sticks because not everyone loves mozzarella.

I started with the plain options, looking for flavor but also texture. If there weren't any stringy pulls with the traditional options or if the cheese was seemingly artificial, it went to the back of the list.