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    Post #1 - May 23rd, 2022, 8:33 am
    Post #1 - May 23rd, 2022, 8:33 am Post #1 - May 23rd, 2022, 8:33 am
    Hi,

    If Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the standard, what non-Philadelphia cream cheese would you recommend or avoid?

    Is there a better than Philadelphia Cream Cheese out there?

    Thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #2 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:49 pm
    Post #2 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:49 pm Post #2 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:49 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

    If Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the standard, what non-Philadelphia cream cheese would you recommend or avoid?

    Is there a better than Philadelphia Cream Cheese out there?

    Regards,
    Cathy2



    I was discussing this with a couple of friends several weeks ago.

    In general, our consensus was that if you are using the cream cheese for baking, there is no substitute for the Philadelphia brand. If it is just on a bagel, the Kroger or Great Value brands work just fine.
  • Post #3 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:58 pm
    Post #3 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:58 pm Post #3 - May 23rd, 2022, 9:58 pm
    jlawrence01 wrote:In general, our consensus was that if you are using the cream cheese for baking, there is no substitute for the Philadelphia brand. If it is just on a bagel, the Kroger or Great Value brands work just fine.

    That is very useful information. Occasionally, I have run into cheaper brands that a pale imitations of a cream cheese.

    I am making a Cheesecake with 2.5 pounds cream cheese. I did a bit of mental dancing trying to decide, then reasoned Philadelphia brand was likely what the recipe was based on.

    Locally, some people here like the cream cheese at Once Upon A Bagel for their bagels.

    Thanks for the input!

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #4 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:23 pm
    Post #4 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:23 pm Post #4 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:23 pm
    For baking, I agree on Philly being the standard. But, and this may just be sort of mental tomfoolery to justify my cheapness, I find that Philly has a slight sweetness that's not in brands like Food Club or Dutch Farms, particularly in the Light varieties. And I prefer the non-sweet flavor for savory spreads, and don't find those cheaper ones insufficiently creamy. I did get some from Aldi that was pretty lousy. Won't do that again.
  • Post #5 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:38 pm
    Post #5 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:38 pm Post #5 - May 23rd, 2022, 10:38 pm
    I've tried many brands of cream cheese in a cheesecake I bake fairly often and find that only Philly does it justice. It may just be that Philly's the best fit for this particular recipe. I've seen plenty of cheesecake recipes that call for other or no brands. But for this NY-style cheesecake, there is no equivalent work-around.

    I can't remember where but a while back I read a bit about the attributes that distinguish Philly. It may have mainly had something to do with the salt content but that's only a vague memory. In any case, while it wasn't quite the Gladwell Heinz essay, it was along similar lines.

    As for eating it, I doubt that most/some of those delicious cream cheeses sold at bagel shops are 100% Philly. I suppose it's possible but seems unlikely to me. That said, I've tried several grocery brands over the years and most are not as tasty as Philly.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #6 - May 24th, 2022, 7:12 am
    Post #6 - May 24th, 2022, 7:12 am Post #6 - May 24th, 2022, 7:12 am
    Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

    If Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the standard, what non-Philadelphia cream cheese would you recommend or avoid?

    Is there a better than Philadelphia Cream Cheese out there?

    Thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2


    I bought some Tillamook recently and I found it to be better than most. It doesn't contain any thickeners (other than its own dairy components). Downside is that I've only seen it in small tubs.
  • Post #7 - May 24th, 2022, 10:55 am
    Post #7 - May 24th, 2022, 10:55 am Post #7 - May 24th, 2022, 10:55 am
    spinynorman99 wrote:
    Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

    If Philadelphia Cream Cheese is the standard, what non-Philadelphia cream cheese would you recommend or avoid?

    Is there a better than Philadelphia Cream Cheese out there?

    Thanks!

    Regards,
    Cathy2


    I bought some Tillamook recently and I found it to be better than most. It doesn't contain any thickeners (other than its own dairy components). Downside is that I've only seen it in small tubs.


    I also bought some Tillamook yesterday and thought it was excellent. I have always eaten Philadelphia cream cheese but really wanted to try the Tillamook. I once bought some cream cheese from Trader Joe's and the taste was so off I tossed it.
  • Post #8 - May 24th, 2022, 2:26 pm
    Post #8 - May 24th, 2022, 2:26 pm Post #8 - May 24th, 2022, 2:26 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:... pale imitations of a cream cheese

    That's worthy of a line in a poem in The New Yorker :lol:
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #9 - May 28th, 2022, 1:54 pm
    Post #9 - May 28th, 2022, 1:54 pm Post #9 - May 28th, 2022, 1:54 pm
    As I indicated in the Aldi thread, I usually buy the Happy Farms brand Neufchatel Cheese, ostensibly for its lower fat content. This is typically for Aldi's plain bagels.
    Valuable links for survival, without the monetization attempt: https://pqrs-ltd.xyz/bookmark4.html

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