Family Size Cheez Its Taste Different

Niki Achitoff-Gray is the former editor-in-chief at Serious Eats and a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She's pretty big into oysters, offal, and most edible things.

Fact: I have yet to meet a cheese-coated, cheese-flavored, or cheese-filled snack (or just, you know, actual cheese), that I won't eat. And by eat, I mean shove into my mouth in frantic, greedy handfuls, spewing tiny crumbs as I patiently explain to bystanders, UNGHHHMAHGODSOCHEEEEEZE. They tend to reply with politely repulsed smiles, eying me warily with a look that says,

Amazon.com:

But I digress! For not all cheesy snacks are created equal, and once you do a little exploring, a very clear hierarchy begins to emerge. Here at Serious Eats, Cheez-Its are

Cheez It Cheese Crackers, Original, Single Serve 12 Ea

What exactly makes the classic Cheez-It so special? Is it the way you can lodge it between your molars and, with gentle pressure, split it into two flaky, translucent sheets? Is it the flecks of salt that adhere in perfect proportion to each dimpled square? Perhaps it's the charmingly scalloped edges, or the lingering, profoundly cheesy-tangy-salty-sweet flavor that permeates each baked cracker. Or mayhaps it's all of those things. (It's definitely all of those things.)

But what, we wondered, of Cheez-It's flavored brethren? When we realized that there were a whopping dozen variations on this already delightful theme, the answer was clear: sit down and eat every last one. Would any be able to rival, or even (gasp!) best, our golden standard?

We got our hands on all the flavors of Cheez-It crackers (not to be confused with offshoots like Cheez-It Grooves and Cheez-It Zingz—a promising project for another day), excepting the reduced fat varieties and Big Monterey Jack Crackers, which are in a different class altogether (they're, like,

Cheez It Cheese Crackers Extra Cheesy

Our group of tasters tried each flavor, marking their preferences and leaving detailed comments. Have a favorite Cheez-It of your own? Let us know in the comments!

My personal favorite, the Asiago Cheez-Its have a punchy, cheese-forward flavor reminiscent of cheddar popcorn. Nearly everyone remarked on its strong saltiness, which some found a little too overpowering. Others complimented it as more funky-cheesy, in a good way—this one may not be for everyone, but lovers of 'cheez' powder should delight.

Swiss is a relatively mild cheese, and this flavor was especially pleasing to those who found the Asiago a bit too strong. Tasters were impressed by how much the powdery crackers taste of Swiss cheese and enjoyed the nutty, slightly sweeter notes. Some compared it to the Mozzarella Cheez-Its, but found this one to be more complex and just a touch tangier. Unlike its saltier siblings, Baby Swiss is the kind of snack we might actually be able to control ourselves around, without feeling cheated. Oh, and just to be clear, the reasonable serving size I'm referring to is still roughly 25 crackers.

Cheez It Snap'd Double Cheese Cheese Cracker Chips Family Size, 12.0 Oz

Cheddar Jack was a big hit with most of our tasters. The bold flavor elicited a lot of comparisons to other snack foods, like Combos, pizza-flavored Goldfish, and Nacho Cheese Doritos. With notes of chipotle and tomato, it was among the darkest-hued of the bunch. As one commenter summed it up, this is like the stiff drink of Cheez-Its—I would get a box of these after a hard day of work and in need of a guilty pleasure. Definitely good to pair with reality TV. You can bet we'll be coming back for more.

Cheez

Classic yet modern, one taster exclaimed, like the over-achieving child of original. Others were slightly less enthused, finding the milky flavor pleasant but ultimately too mild to be particularly memorable. We'd happily eat the Colby crackers again, but it isn't the very first box we'd reach for.

These guys get their punch from Tabasco sauce and Tabasco Dry Red Flavoring. But while the jalapeño, tomato, and citrus flavors definitely make a statement, commenters were not exactly united on what that statement actually was. Several felt that they weren't hot enough to merit their name, and a few thought they had a chemically aftertaste. But others waxed rhapsodic about these cheesy micheladas, comparing them to a Dorito dipped in Sriracha and exclaiming A+! The best. They're certainly a fun change of pace from your average Cheez-It, but if you're craving a snack food that delivers on fiery heat, you may want to look elsewhere.

Amazon.com: Cheez It Baked Original Cheese Crackers Family Size, 21 Oz

With a generous coating of cheese powder, Italian Four Cheese was slightly more divisive. The box actually lists six cheeses in the ingredients—predominantly white cheddar, followed by Monterey Jack, Romano, Parmesan, mozzarella, and Asiago—and, as with the Asiago, some found the markedly tangy combination a little

Powerful. But proponents were vocal and enthusiastic. It was best-liked for its onion dip-like flavor, drunk food appeal, and all-around salty, cheesy goodness. We can imagine eating a whole box of these in one sitting (though we choose not to contemplate the likely consequences).

The

The Mozzarella Cheez-Its were agreed to be the most mild of the lot, which makes sense given the character of its namesake cheese. It has a nice, creamy flavor that was inoffensive and perfectly palatable, but lacked the enjoyable qualities of its counterparts. If you're in the market for a snack on the blander side of the spectrum, this may be just the thing.

Cheez It Baked Snack Cheese Crackers White Cheddar Family Size

Unsurprisingly, original Cheez-Its were the all-around favorite. Tasters reveled in the familiarity of the flavor and its time-honored merits. All Cheez-Its, exclaimed one commenter, should aspire to the original. They were referred to as salty and perfect, even beautiful, and several commented on the unadulterated pleasure of savoring each salt crystal as it dissolves on the tongue.

We like our food spicy, so despite a noticeable tingle of heat, this box had commenters demanding more pepper. Those who detected it liked the vegetal pepper taste, but wished it was either more or less spicy, instead of somewhere in between.

There was no disagreement when it came to Provolone, and virtually every taster offered some iteration of, Wow, smoky! It's certainly one of the most distinctive flavors of the bunch, and perhaps the first one that really tastes like its description. But the artificial smoke didn't work in its favor—though people found it interesting, most didn't think they could eat it by the handful. We'd enjoy it more in a snack mix than on its own.

REVIEW:

We Try Every Flavor Of Cheez It Crackers

Folks definitely appreciated the White Cheddar, describing the flavor as funkier and deeper than the original, if somewhat subtly so. For the most part, commenters wanted to take it up a notch, wishing it were more tangy, salty, and sharp. But even in its mild state, it went over well—we'd love to see a sharp cheddar flavor hit the shelves. Those who feel similarly might want to check out Cheez-It's Sharp White Cheddar Grooves as an alternative.

Whole Grain Cheez-Its were another group favorite, and the majority of participants were pleasantly surprised to find that they were virtually indistinguishable from the originals. A few found them to taste slightly milder and less salty, but most felt they'd be unable to tell the two apart in a blind test.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.Cheez-Its have been a fixture in the world of convenient, prepackaged snacking for nearly 100 years (that's a whole lotta cracker chomping). Whether in your cafeteria's vending machine or your mom's junk food pantry, they were and continue to be a cheesy, crunchy presence. Cheez-Its are as American as apple pie or spending way too much money at Target. It's hard to explain why they're more than just a cracker. Is it that surprisingly satisfying burnt aftertaste? The subtle greasiness? All we know is they taste like home and we love 'em.

Love The Actual Extra Toasty Cheez It's. Big Fan. But Aldi Dropped The Ball On This One.. Like A Bland Little Unsalted Cracker That Missed The Whole Point.

Since they've always been around, it's easy to not think about the ups and downs they've experienced as an enduring, beloved snack cracker. There's some interesting history behind Cheez-Its, and plenty of trivia-worthy fun facts for your next cocktail party. Here's all the cool stuff you might not have known about the food that was responsible for oh-so-many crumbs in your mom's minivan growing up.