13 Popular Sliced Cheese Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

The minute anyone invites me over for a night in, I'm automatically wondering what the cheese situation will be. It's extremely rare that I meet a variety of cheese I don't enjoy, and hearing the words charcuterie board give me an immediate spark of joy. Seriously, what is better than picking different bites from an aesthetically pleasing cheese and meat board? The mixing and matching of different flavors and textures is utterly delightful. It's not just charcuterie boards that bring me joy. I will partake in any cheese any time, including sliced cheeses.

There is, however, a sliced cheese hierarchy. Some brands are better than others, as are some varieties. There's also a time and place for cheese slices, such as sandwiches, wraps, and even shoving a slice directly in your mouth while making dinner because you are ravenous and just can't wait for the main event. Also, if you have not tried adding sliced cheese to your ramen or mac and cheese recipe, this is your sign to give it a whirl. 

There are so many options in your go-to grocery stores but I'm here to break down all of the ones I tried to let you know if you should add it to your cart, or pass. Regardless of which slices strike your dairy fancy, there is never a bad time for cheese.

Swiss cheese has one of those unmistakable borderline stinky scents. The smell is actually stronger than the flavor in my opinion. I'm a huge fan of Swiss cheese and how it can elevate a sandwich in just one bite. I would not call the general flavor strong, and would label it as stern instead. It's not overpowering, but can absolutely hold its own in a sandwich. But there's one major issue with Sargento's Ultra Thin Swiss that makes it a no-go for me.

While I appreciate Sargento's attempt to pare down a slice of cheese to make it more palatable and to perhaps reduce the calories attached to it, this is not a success for the Swiss cheese lovers out there. It's so thin that there's not even a chance to capture the expected flavor. Eating this slice is like experiencing a slight, almost inaudible Swiss whisper. The cheese is just boring and brings nothing that's good about Swiss cheese to the table. I think Swiss cheese is meant to be a little more loud and feisty so you know it's there, but Sargento's people may not have received the memo. Also, the melt produces too much of an oily situation.

Mild cheddar is like the gateway cheese before you get into the strong stuff. It doesn't carry the full-fledged sharpness that accompanies a typical sharp cheddar. It also allows cheddar-shy folks to dip their toes in the water before overwhelming their taste buds with a powerful sharp cheddar. Similar to its cheesy relatives in the Sargento sliced line of products, the mild cheddar is unremarkable at best. I will say it's creamier than I expected, but that's basically the only positive thing I have to say about it.

For the price point of this sliced cheese, which is just under $6 at my local Walmart, I wanted a little more sass for my buck. Let me taste and feel something for my money. The cheese is okay in general, but nothing about me would make me race to a grocery store to grab it. It's definitely slightly better on a piece of bread than Sargento's previously mentioned slices. However, the mild cheddar also had an oily finish when melted.

Off the bat you can tell this sliced cheese is going to be better than the previous ones in this ranking. The signs of authenticity go far beyond the Italian brand name, and even in the package it looks legit. For those who prefer their provolone without the distinct smoky essence, Prima Della's non smoked option is good. Provolone is by far the most popular type of sliced cheese you'll find on sandwiches and offers a good match for most deli meats.

Prima Della's Non Smoked Provolone is a dependable slice you can count on to deliver solid supporting character energy. It's not the best sliced provolone out there, but it's for sure a respectable option to add to your Italian sandwich. It tastes and feels like a typical provolone and there are no surprises, good or bad. Could you find a better slice? Sure. However, if you don't want to spend a ton of money on grocery store sliced provolone, it's good for the price point at under $4.

American cheese always provides the best melt and there's nothing you will say that will change my mind. It's science, and you will never catch me ordering an omelette or burger without American cheese. That being said, it's not the type of cheese that should ever touch a pizza. The good news about the Land O Lakes American Cheese is that it absolutely delivers on the nostalgia of melty, comforting cheese as a topping. On a standard grilled cheese it would perform well and give you a decent cheese pull.

The bad news is that Land O Lakes is way too heavy handed with the salt content of its sliced yellow American. American cheese usually comes with a nice mild flavor that does not lean hard in any direction. The slices from Land O Lakes tell a very different story and definitely lean too hard into sodium-filled territory. It's a shame, because that alone overshadows the higher points for a good cheesy melt. There are better options out there if American cheese is on your grocery list.

In most cases, American cheese is the furthest thing from natural. It's not the freshest of cheeses, but many of us disregard that because it just melts so perfectly. I was genuinely shook to see that Sargento makes a natural version of an old classic cheese slice. I was also skeptical of how it would compare to old faithful. Even with its natural moniker, Sargento's slice is a decent choice if you want the allure of American cheese on your burger without all of the stuff in regular American.

The issue with Sargento's natural American sliced cheese is its pull. While most of its counterparts deliver a notable sign of pure and delicious meltiness with a respectable cheese pull, Sargento's does not. There is a slight one, so I don't want to take away all credit. However, it's nowhere near the show a regular unnatural slice offers. Since the whole point of an American slice (in my opinion) is that creamy, showstopping moment, Sargento's Natural American falls right down the middle of the rankings.

Let's hop back to Prima Della and talk about its Swiss cheese. Just like the earlier cheese from Prima Della, the Swiss looks the part. It's beautifully sliced and just as nicely packaged, looking like it came straight from nonna's neighborhood market. The first bite confirms that it already carries more of that signature nutty flavor you'd expect and desire from a Swiss cheese slice.

I don't want to oversell it as the best Swiss cheese you will ever taste. However, it's already far better and tastier than Sargento's Ultra Thin Swiss cheese slices. It's solid enough to do well on a ham or turkey sandwich to satiate a craving. Where it falls short is the melt factor. Similar to many cheese slices, Prima Della's misses the mark. Instead of smooth, creamy, and velvety, when melted it's too oily to enjoy. Stick to this one as a cold sandwich addition.

While we are on the topic of Swiss cheese, Cabot offers another decent slice. It does give you the tanginess of a Swiss cheese but not so strong that it will take over a sandwich. It knows its place. It brings the nutty but mild Swiss flavor, and honestly its biggest accolade is the price being just under $3. Cheese in general is not a cheap commodity, so it's nice to have an option from Cabot that is super-accessible.

It's another slice that would be good on a sandwich with your favorite deli meat. The fact that it maintains the integrity of what a Swiss cheese should deliver is a good thing. What's even better is that even at a much lower price than some other Swiss cheeses, you do not have to compromise on flavor. Don't try it on anything that requires melting, though. It's the same situation as the familiar oily endings the others result in.

Another Prima Della item I sampled in the ranking of these slices is its Colby Jack. It follows the same presentation pattern of all the Prima Della slices before it, so the brand is nothing if not consistent in its products. Colby Jack cheese in general is an interesting beast, because the bold color pattern makes it appear as a big flavor item. That's the least true thing about the cheese variety, though. It's probably one of the mildest cheeses.

It's creamy and super-mellow, making it an easy to use and like cheese. In my house, Colby Jack is our go-to for most Mexican food because it's perfect in tacos or melted on a pile of nachos. It's also worth a try on a cheeseburger. That's either a blessing or a curse depending on what you want from your cheese. The consistency is good, and it's a good melter. However, it's also bland and on its own is uninteresting.

I love an occasional white American cheese instead of the more traditional yellow colored variety. The melt of this one is fantastic. You get the ridiculously creamy texture, and it's perfect for a top notch grilled cheese. You will definitely get a nice cheese pull show with Land O Lakes American. This is not a slice I would choose to snack on because the whole point about American cheese, regardless of white versus yellow, is the appeal of what happens when heated.

Land O Lakes white American cheese has a smooth, buttery flavor and would do a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich proud. It would also blanket a burger well for a cheesy flavor layer. It does not have the sharper flavor that makes snacking on a cold slice of cheese appealing, though. I would say if you purchase this one, save it for the hot stuff, because that's where it really shines. If you have never experienced white American cheese, I would argue it's even better than the more well-known yellow American.

Although I can't ever seem to spell it correctly, Muenster cheese does not get enough attention. It's such a good cheese for many things. Cabot's Muenster is rich, buttery, and a good melter. If you are looking to level up a grilled cheese or cheeseburger, it's a good candidate, for sure. This cheese is softer and more delicate than many others on this list and, while the flavor is different, it's still super-mild.

That's also Muenster's downfall, as well. The flavor is so mild that when it's surrounded by too many other flavors it can easily get lost in all of the noise. What Cabot's Muenster slices lack in the flavor department, they make up for it by delivering a satisfying and smooth texture upgrade. If you are looking for a mild and creamy cheese that is good as it is and when melted, and is also not some variation of cheddar, Cabot's Muenster is something to consider. My advice would be to try it on a bagel, melted or not. It's truly delicious and slept on more than it deserves.

It's not all doom and gloom for all of Sargento's sliced cheeses. Its Havarti has some redeeming qualities that put its sliced cheeses in a better spot on the rankings than others. Havarti is another one of those types of cheeses that is frequently passed over, but shouldn't be. Don't mistake it for a kind of Swiss on account of the holes. It's nothing like Swiss. It has more of a personality than a Muenster, and could fare better on a sandwich without losing itself in the other ingredients. The flavor is mild but not boring.

I think its most successful role is on a turkey sandwich, because it does its thing without attempting to upstage the turkey. The rich flavor is balanced and comes with a slight tang that's just enough to make you pay attention to it. There's also another way to enjoy Havarti and it involves a sweet addition. Take a slice of this cheese and wrap it around an apple slice, and you can thank me later. 

Sargento's Havarti slices melt much better than its predecessors on the lower part of this ranking. The key to a successful Havarti play is not to use it with too many other ingredients because it will be underrepresented.

Remember everything I said earlier about Prima Della's sliced Colby Jack? Well, this one takes those sentiments and flips everything on its cheesy little head. The mild and creamy texture of Cabot's Colby Jack eats completely different with the addition of pepper. That one variation transforms this cheese into something else, and it's almost in a different category than the Prima Della Colby Jack slices.

The peppery essence adds a layer of flavor that makes Cabot's version a more fiery Colby Jack that becomes immediately more recognizable in any sandwich. It's fun, and offers an interesting bite filled with moxie. The peppers act like a good hype man to bring the more subtle Colby Jack out of its shell. 

The downside, apart from not appealing to the audience who does not favor a little heat, is that the kick is not very versatile and wouldn't lend itself to just any recipe calling for a cheese slice. It's a great cheese if used wisely and if you like a little fire.

This is by far the most confident cheese in the pack. Its sharp cheddar flavor is spot on and classic. It has all of the things you want in a sharp cheddar. There's savoriness, creaminess, tanginess and the crumbly texture cheddar is famous for. The melt on Cabot's Vermont Sharp Cheddar is not its strong suit. However, it's still the frontrunner even despite that shortcoming.

The same textural challenges that make it a mediocre option for melting, actually give it super-high success as a cheese to snack on. It's also fantastic on a sandwich without being a lackluster addition. The Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar knows exactly who it is and will let you know on any sandwich. That's not to say it will take over and upstage the other parts of a sandwich. It knows how to balance standing out and being an assertive addition. Like other Cabot sliced cheeses, its performance for a price point under $3 is incredible, too.

I bought and sampled 13 different brands and varieties of sliced cheeses from my local Walmart. Each cheese slice went through rigorous judgement by my very own taste buds, and they are a tough crowd. I tasted each slice and based my review on flavor, texture, and overall quality. 

Since meltability is also important, I melted each slice on a piece of toast in the oven and also tasted each of those to see if it would change the rankings. The sliced cheese haul is ranked worst to best with all of my candid feedback.