Cheese expert ranks best cheese to buy at Trader Joe’s

Americans love cheese.

Per capita consumption of the dairy product grew from 14.3 pounds a year in 1975 to 36.9 pounds in 2017 — a 158% increase.

At the same time, the nation’s palate has expanded far beyond the rubbery yellow singles that are synonymous with American cheese. According to the 2019 U.S. Food Market Outlook from market research firm Packaged Foods, retail sales of natural and specialty cheeses — aka non-processed cheeses — reached $16 billion in 2018. That number is expected to exceed $18 billion by 2023.

Despite the growing market for it, artisanal cheese can be overwhelming for consumers. To help sort through the many varieties, we tapped Liz Thorpe, a cheese consultant, to pinpoint the cheeses with the best flavor at the most affordable price.

Thorpe told us when it comes to accessible, high-quality cheeses, Trader Joe’s is hard to beat.

“Trader Joe’s is a curator,” Thorpe said. “They differ from a traditional supermarket in that they’re not worried about having everything. Instead, they focus on the best performers with the best flavor profile. This translates into great value on items that tend to be more expensive or rarer in other mainstream retailers.”

Here are Thorpe’s top picks at Trader Joe’s.