Taste-Off: The best cracker cut cheese brands and the merely meh

A block of cheese can be a clunky addition to a cheese board, but turning it into a stack of appealingly sliced squares takes deft knife skills. Sure, supermarket cheese aisles offer cracker cuts — pre-sliced cheese ready for topping crackers. But in recent months, charming squares of single-variety cheeses have joined the offerings on those aisles. They’re sold in compact, easy to open/reseal trays that look a bit like butter plates.

As most cheese lovers know, reaching for anything pre-cut or pre-shredded often means a big flavor trade-off, mainly due to the anti-caking agents used. It turns out that isn’t the case with these cuts. In every case — whether it was sharp cheddar, pepper jack, colby, havarti or Jarlsberg, the machine-sliced cheeses we tasted looked and tasted like cheese cut from a block.

That’s the good news: The best of these offer perfect squares of the variety stamped on the label. We’re not talking gourmet fromage, but the best cracker cuts deliver pungent flavor and pleasant textures — and they are easy to separate, when the cheese is cold.

The worst sport wonky flavors, are cut oddly or are so stuck together, they must be manually pried apart. Here’s the scoop on the tastiest cracker cuts and the problematic squares to avoid. Nutrition info refers to 28 grams — about 3 slices.

Adams Reserve New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cracker Cuts

These cuts from great quality cheese are truly impressive and guaranteed to please the pickiest of cheese-eaters. The cheese is bold, deliciously sharp and nutty. 110 calories, 9 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 6 g protein. $6.49 for a 10 ounce package of 30 cuts at Sprouts. (4 stars)

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cracker Cuts

Except for the tiny white dots on these slices, these cuts are near perfect. The flavor is rich, pungent and smooth. 121 calories, 10 g fat, 205 mg sodium, 6.5 g protein. $4.59 for 6.5 ounces/24 cuts at Target. (3½ stars)

Good & Gather Extra Sharp White Cheddar

The sassy kick of well-made, well-aged cheese makes these slices a terrific choice for those who appreciate good quality cheese. 110 calories, 9 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 6 g protein. $4.29 for 10 ounces/30 cuts at Target. (3 stars)

Kraft Cracker Barrel Variety Pack

Unlike many of the new cracker cuts, this one comes arranged as a tray. The presentation makes it party ready, but because the cheeses are lined up edge-to-edge, flavors are shared — the colby becomes spicy, and the asiago shares its funky aroma with the cheddar-jack. The best on the tray is the aged cheddar, which is creamy, sharp and tasty. 110 calories,10 g fat, 220 mg sodium, 7 g protein. $8.92 for 16 ounces/48 cuts ounces at Walmart. (3 stars)

Great Value Colby and Monterey Jack Cracker Cuts

Mottled cheeses often bring bland personality, but this blend of Monterey Jack and mild cheddar is both flavorful and delicious. This deserves a spot on every tray headed for a party for kids. 110 calories,  9 g fat, 170 mg sodium, 7 g protein. $4 for 10 ounces/30 cuts at Walmart. (2½ stars)

Cello Variety Pack Cracker Cut Cheeses

The convenience of a party tray is terrific, but three of the four cheese varieties are oddly cut, and only the Jarlsberg is on-point in terms of flavor. The Dutch Gouda and havarti are flavor-compromised; the aged cheddar is wimpy. 120 calories, 10 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 6 g protein. $9.99 on sale for 2 pounds at Costco. (2 stars)

Good & Gather Gouda Cracker Cut

Yes, this is cheese. But Gouda? That’s a stretch. It’s creamy, mild and pleasant, but lacks the the authentic, nutty flavor of Netherlands’ Gouda. 100 calories, 8 g fat, 230 mg sodium, 7 g protein. $4.29 for 10 ounces/30 slices at Target. (2 stars)

Lucerne Sharp Cheddar Snacker Cuts

Those who love cheese of every kind may have no issue with these slices. They are milky fresh and entirely edible. But they’re not a bit sharp in flavor. 110 calories, 9 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 6 g protein. $4.99 for 10 ounces/30 cuts at Safeway. (1½ stars)

Sunnyside Farms Extra Sharp Cheddar Cracker Cuts

These are creamy and tasty, but not even close to extra-sharp cheddar — and the slices are so soft you’ll be hard pressed to pry them apart. 110 calories, 9 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 6 g protein. $4.65 for 10 ounces/30 slices at Food Maxx. (1 star)