I Tried 7 Cottage Cheese Brands and This Is the One I Will Buy Again

I grew up eating my fair share of cottage cheese. That’s because when my mom was out of tuna and bologna, she broke out the container of cottage cheese and a can of pineapple and said, “Lunch is ready!” And I came running.

Ironically this beloved food of my childhood is having a bit of a resurgence in popularity, and I’m here for it. I’m glad others are finally appreciating one of my favorite foods, but if you’re going to eat it, you should know that they’re not all created equal. That’s why I put seven different brands to the test. There were some clear winners and some very clear losers.

How I Taste Tested the Cottage Cheese

I shopped at several different stores to procure a variety of cottage cheese brands. I stuck with small curd and low-fat (around 2%) varieties to ensure I was mostly comparing apples to apples versus apples to oranges.

On testing day, I covered the labels on the containers with a piece of paper to ensure there would be no bias. After that, I pulled off the lids and pulled back the foil or plastic covering and then played a game of shuffle-the-cottage cheese containers. I set them all up in a row and called for my testers.  

How I Judged

I enlisted the help of family members for the taste test and we scored the cottage cheese based on three criteria, taste, texture, and lastly, liquid-to-solids ratio. We used a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst score in each category and 10 being the best. Here’s how the brands fared.

Store Bought Cottage Cheese, Ranked

Daisy Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 1/10

Unfortunately, none of us had anything good to say about this one. The liquid seemed incredibly thick and left my mouth feeling dry. And while it wasn’t the worst one we tasted, it certainly wasn’t flavorful. Sadly, we had to give it the worst score.

Kemp’s 2% Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 2/10

This was by far the most liquidy cottage cheese of the bunch, which wasn’t a good look. My daughter described the texture as “disturbing” and the look on my husband’s face verified he felt the same way. And even though I only bought cottage cheese labeled “small curd,” the curds in this container seemed huge, especially compared to the other varieties. As for flavor, this cottage cheese did not score well. Instead of the usual savory experience, this one tasted sweet. Maybe that’s okay for some people, but for me, it was the biggest reason I didn’t like it.

Good & Gather Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 3/10

At first glance, we could see that this cottage cheese appeared thick. Tasting confirmed those suspicions and my testers even went so far as to proclaim that this cottage cheese felt “dry.”  Taste-wise, this cottage cheese was nothing special. In fact, testers said it was “bland and boring” and that it lacked flavor.

Trader Joe’s Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 6/10

This cottage cheese was a bit on the watery side, but the texture and size of the curds felt right. The flavor wasn’t obvious, and maybe borderline bland, but it had enough cheese “essence” after eating to keep its score from dropping any further below a 6. I liked it, but it didn’t make me say, “Wow!”

Kaloma Super Natural Organic Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 7/10

The tangy flavor of this cottage cheese was a delight. It was savory and luckily, tasted like cottage cheese. But the curds were overly soft and small and the liquid (which wasn’t much) was thick. That thickness combined with the small curds, made it almost impossible to distinguish the curds. That left us all feeling like we were eating ricotta cheese rather than cottage cheese.

Organic Valley Lowfat Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 8/10

The biggest issue here for my team was the curds. They were small enough, but they were incredibly firm. And while I don’t mind some texture, I agreed with my daughter when she said, “These curds are hard!” Aside from that, my husband and I both liked the flavor of this cottage cheese and the ratio of solids to liquids seemed pretty perfect.

Good Culture Lowfat Classic Cottage Cheese, Small Curd 

Score: 10/10

It was unanimous, we all loved this cottage cheese best. The curds were perfectly sized and perfectly tender. The amount of liquid to curds was spot-on and the flavor was fantastic! This cottage cheese had an incredibly delicious tang (thanks to the live and active cultures) and the perfect level of salt, and it was easily our favorite.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a flavorful cottage cheese that you can eat and enjoy right out of the container, then Good Culture Lowfat Classic Cottage Cheese is the right choice. The curds are tender and just the right size. The flavor is tangy and delightful and there’s just enough liquid to make it feel like cottage cheese and not soup!