{"id":4003,"date":"2024-09-12T03:02:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T03:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/the-10-best-melting-cheeses\/"},"modified":"2024-09-12T03:02:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T03:02:08","slug":"the-10-best-melting-cheeses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/the-10-best-melting-cheeses\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Best Melting Cheeses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Cheese pull<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, noodles topped with molten cheese, strings of mozzarella dangling from a slice of pizza\u2014a dish with perfectly melted cheese is superbly satisfying. But what makes a cheese a good melter, and what are some of the best cheeses for melting?<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Laura Werlin photo credit Nader Khouri<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Higher moisture<\/h3>\n

\u201cFor the most part, you want higher moisture cheeses for that ultimate melt quality,\u201d says Laura Werlin, James Beard award-winning author of six books about cheese, including Great Grilled Cheese<\/em> and Mac & Cheese, Please! <\/em>She explains that semi-soft and semi-hard cheeses are ideal. \u201cIf you can bend a cheese with your hands, chances are it\u2019s going to melt pretty well.\u201d Read more <\/em>about Laura Werlin<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHigher moisture cheeses, like a young gouda or a mozzarella, melt very well,\u201d agrees Shannon Berry, ACS Certified Cheese Professional and marketing specialist for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin<\/a>. \u201cDrier, aged cheeses like aged gouda or parmesan don\u2019t melt as well\u2014they don\u2019t have that water in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Jason Sobocinski with Sylvia Sobocinski<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Curd size<\/h3>\n

Jason Sobocinski, owner of Connecticut-based food truck Crispy Melty by Caseus<\/a> and author of The Caseus Fromagerie Bistro Cookbook<\/em>, notes that curd size affects a cheese\u2019s moisture content and thus its melting ability. Dry, aged cheeses are made with smaller curds to expel as much whey as possible during the cheesemaking process, while moist, young cheeses are made with larger curds. \u201cBecause the curds are larger, when the cheese melts, it holds together better\u2014you get more of that stretch, more of that pull. The larger the curds are cut, the better of a melter it is,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Shannon Berry photo credit Fromagination<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pH and the preparation<\/h3>\n

Another factor that determines cheese\u2019s melting ability is its pH, which is influenced by the amount of calcium in the curd structure. \u201cThere\u2019s almost a bell curve,\u201d says Berry. \u201cA low pH cheese\u2014like juustoleip\u00e4 from Carr Valley<\/a>\u2014you can grill that and it gets gooier and warmer, but it doesn\u2019t melt all the way. And then when you think of a very high acid cheese, like a feta, that also doesn\u2019t really melt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

How you prepare the cheese also makes a difference\u2014each of the experts we spoke with emphasized the importance of grating the cheese before cooking with it. Grating increases the cheese\u2019s surface area, ensuring a quicker and more consistent melt throughout the dish.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s sometimes controversial,\u201d says Werlin. \u201cPeople say, why do you have to grate it for grilled cheese? But you do, because you want the cheese to start melting as soon as it hits the pan so that you\u2019re not worried about burning the bread while you\u2019re waiting for the cheese to melt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grating also allows cooks to combine cheeses for a more nuanced flavor profile. \u201cWe shred all of our cheese fresh and then we blend all of those different cheeses together so you get a nice mix of tastes and textures,\u201d says Sobocinski. \u201cWhen you do that, you can add in some older cheeses. If you add in a hunk of Pecorino Romano, if you grate it up with the other cheeses, it will bind together really nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mozzarella<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Making mozzarella photo credit The Consorzio di Tutela<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each of the experts we spoke with mentioned mozzarella as the paradigm of a great melting cheese, thanks to its supple, stretchy quality. Berry notes that mozzarella has the high moisture content and moderate amount of acid development that ensures an excellent melt.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fontina<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Fontina<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A cow\u2019s milk cheese that originally hails from Italy, fontina is a smooth cheese with a mild, savory flavor. \u201cAny kind of fontina melts really well, but I especially like the D.O.P. one, Fontina Val D\u2019Aosta from Italy,\u201d says Werlin.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Provolone<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

BelGioioso Provolone Mini Pizzas Photo Courtesy of BelGioioso Cheese<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another top-notch Italian melting cheese is provolone, which plays a key role in the Crispy Melty by Caseus classic cheese mix. \u201cWe use a BelGioioso provolone<\/a> because we like the nuttiness of it,\u201d says Sobocinski.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gruyere<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Gruy\u00e8re AOP<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alpine-style cheeses, including fondue staple Gruyere, are excellent melters. \u201cI love Alpine cheeses,\u201d says Sobocinski. \u201cWhen [Alpine cheeses] melt, it almost enhances their flavor and you also get that really gooey, stretchy texture.\u201d Read more <\/em>about Gruyere<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Comte\u0301<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Comte\u0301 photo courtesy of Comte\u0301 Cheese Association<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Werlin describes Comte as \u201can absolute go-to.\u201d The French cow\u2019s milk Alpine cheese has a slightly sweet flavor. Read more <\/em>about Comte\u0301<\/em><\/a> and find out why it’s a favorite of cheesemongers.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Raclette<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Mount Raclette photo credit Alpinage<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Originally a Swiss cheese, raclette is designed to be melted and served over boiled potatoes, and Alpinage Mount Raclette<\/a> puts a Wisconsin spin on the Alpine classic. \u201cThis cheese melts amazingly like a raclette should, but it\u2019s also really good to snack on as well,\u201d says Berry. The raw cow\u2019s milk cheese has earthy and fruity flavors and is aged for 60 days.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Toma<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Toma and wedge photo credit Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Toma<\/a> is a semi-hard cow\u2019s milk cheese that\u2019s aged for 90 days, with tasting notes mentioning its buttery flavor and grassy tang finish. \u201cIt melts extremely well\u2014it makes a great grilled cheese sandwich,\u201d says Werlin. For truffle lovers, she recommends TomaTruffle, which features flecks of Italian black truffles from Umbria. Read more <\/em>about Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Young Gouda<\/h2>\n

\u201cMarieke Gouda Young Gouda<\/a> melts so well,\u201d says Berry. \u201cIt has wonderful flavor\u2014there\u2019s a particular adjunct culture that is added to the make process of gouda, and eventually in the breakdown of the fat and protein, diacetyl is released, which is literally the flavoring of buttered popcorn.\u201d The creamy, buttery Wisconsin-made farmstead raw cow\u2019s milk cheese is aged for 2-4 months on Dutch pine planks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Marieke plain gouda half wheel and wedge photo credit Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Belaire<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Belaire photo credit Hoard’s Dairyman<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Belaire<\/a> is a Port Salut-style cheese with a creamy texture and appealing yellow color. The cow\u2019s milk cheese is made with milk from the oldest Guernsey herd in North America. Berry mentions that it melts beautifully into tteokbokki, a Korean dish featuring chewy rice cakes simmered in a gochujang sauce.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Colby<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n

\"\"

\n

Colby wedges photo credit Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSometimes I really like to have an orange-colored cheese when I\u2019m melting cheese for grilled cheese or mac and cheese,\u201d says Werlin. \u201cFor that, I really like colby, in particular I like Widmer\u2019s Colby<\/a>, which is the gold standard\u2014it\u2019s made in Wisconsin, and colby itself comes from Wisconsin. It adds great color, it\u2019s the right texture, it melts really well, and looks good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cheese pull Gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, noodles topped with molten cheese, strings of mozzarella dangling from a slice of pizza\u2014a dish with perfectly melted cheese is superbly satisfying. But what makes a cheese a good melter, and what are some of the best cheeses for melting? \u00a0 Laura Werlin photo credit Nader Khouri Higher moisture … Okumaya devam et “The 10 Best Melting Cheeses”<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[395],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-milk-and-diary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4003\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sutyo.com\/tr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}