Best Cream, Butter, Sour Cream,Cream Cheese, and Cottage Cheese in the U.S. (with national distribution)

Best Butter, UNSALTED

23 Feb 2022, rev 8 Mar 2022

2022 TEST 

This is a re-test of the 2019 fairly comprehensive one just below it. In this test, however, all the A's and most of the B grade butters were re-tested -- but none below A's and B's. Three new brands were added to the test.

IN ORDER, tested side by side (in both the 2022 and 2019 tests):

A

Isigny Ste Mere – Beurre D'Signy (at Whole Foods Markets and Tony Caputos, Salt Lake City)

Plugra, gold wrapper: "Real Milk from American Dairy Cows" (replaces "Plugra European, per below)

Land O Lakes (up from B/B+)

A - -

Challenge (at most grocery stores)

B++

Kerrygold, Irish butter (up from B)

B

Delitia, Butter of Parma

Tillamook, "Extra Creamy"

Lewis Road (goes about here -- tested only with several above)

DROPPING OUT OF THE A & B GRADES:

B- 

Organic Valley, Cultured Pasture Butter (at Sprouts and Whole Foods markets) (previously graded at A-/A)

NEW BUTTERS NOT REACHING THE A and B Grades STANDARD:

B-

Nellies Free Range, Slow Churned

B- -

Beure de Baratte Churned Butter (salted, but flavor of the butter was graded)

C-

Deitia - Buffalo Milk Butter (gamey taste)

D-

Majestic Organic 

NOT RE-TESTED:

Trader Joes Organic (yellow) (previously tested as B+)

Trader Joes, regular (white) (previously B/B+)

Vermont Creamery Cultured (low sea salt, not unsalted) (previously B/B+)

Danish Creamery (low salt, not unsalted, sold at Walmart) (previously B/B+)

365 from Whole Foods Markets (not “365 Organics” below) (previously B)

NO LONGER AVAILABLE or REPLACED WITH NEWER VARIETY:

Plugra European, gold wrapper (replaced, per above, as "Real Milk from American Dairy Cows" (previously graded A, the grade remains A with new American version) 

Plugra Premium European, red wrapper (previously B/B+) (NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

29 Oct 2019 TEST

A/A+

Organic Valley, Cultured Butter (at Sprouts and Whole Foods Markets)

A

Isigny Ste Nere – Beurre D'Signy (at Whole Foods Markets and Tony Caputos, Salt Lake City)

Plugra European, in gold wrapper (different than red wrapper one below; at Whole Foods Markets)

A-/A

Organic Valley, Cultured Pasture Butter (at Sprouts and Whole Foods markets)

A - -

Challenge (at most grocery stores)

B+

Trader Joes Organic (yellow)

B/B+

Trader Joes, regular (white)

Plugra Premium European, red wrapper

Land O' Lakes

Vermont Creamery Cultured (low sea salt, not unsalted)

Danish Creamery (low salt, not unsalted, sold at Walmart)

B

Delitia, Butter of Parma

Kerrygold, Irish butter

Tillamook

365 from Whole Foods Markets (not “365 Organics” below)

B-

Kalona Organics

C+

Horizon Organics

C/C+

Vital Pasture Raised

C

Darigold

Sprouts

Clover Sonoma

Kirtland, from Costco (in our previous test, in 2011, it was rated in top 5, but has changed)

Delitia Buffalo Milk Butter

C-/C

365 Organics

Straus Organics, lightly salted, thus not unsalted

C - -

Straus Organics European Style

D

White Truffle Butter from Tony Caputos deli (grades this low eaten alone, but with cooking and     combining ingredients it could be very good)

BEST COTTAGE CHEESE – all are full fat, 4%! (Much better tasting than low fat.)

27 Oct 2019

A

365 Whole Foods Markets

Darigold

B

Clover Sonoma Organic

B-/B

Great Value (Walmart)

Organic Valley

B-

Meadow Gold (not good texture, nice flavor)

Horizon Organic Cultured

C-

Kalona Super Natural Organic, pasture grazed

BEST SOUR CREAM

26-27 Oct, 22 Nov 19

A-

Nancy's Probiotic
Daisy

B+

Trader Joe's Organic

B

Meadow Gold

Great Value (Walmart)

Straus (first day: D, but it got better after air had gotten to it for a day)

Horizon Organic

D

365 Whole Foods Markets

D-

Kalona Super Natural

Best-tasting Cream with national or large regional distribution
2018, June, rev. Sep 2019, Aug 2020
1. Land O Lakes (sold at Walmart) A
2. Darigold A-/A
3. Organic Valley B/B+
4. Kroger (sold at Smiths) B
5. Great Value (Walmart's) B
6. BYU Dairy, sold at their creamery locations B-
7. Straus C
8. Horizon C-/C
9. Winder Dairy C-
10. Meadow Gold Dairy Pure C - -

SEPARATE TEST, from 3 sold at Trader Joes

Aug 2020

1. Rock View B+

2. Trader Joes regular B/B+

3. Trader Joes organic B

Best Cream Cheese
12 Nov 2019

A
365 Whole Foods Market

B
Clover
365 Organic Whole Foods Market
Philadelphia brand (better texture than Trader Joes)
Trader Joes (but better flavor than Philadelphia)

C-/C
Sprouts

C-
Organic Valley

D+
Sprouts Organic