Top 15 Best Parmesan Cheeses

I know some people who couldn’t enjoy pasta without shredded parmesan cheese and some who couldn’t even finish their salads without sprinkling this cheese on top. And me, myself, couldn’t imagine how my spaghetti going to be if I run out of parmesan cheese when cooking.

Due to that, as a cheese lover and Italian food fan, you might want to stock the best parmesan cheese at home in case you need it. But it’s never been easy to purchase the right one for your taste.

Let’s find out more about parmesan cheese and hope that you could finally get the best parmesan cheese to fit your needs and budget!

What’s Parmesan Cheese?

Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan is a hard Italian cheese that is popularly used in many Italian dishes, especially pasta. Parmesan has cow’s milk as its main ingredient.

The process of making Parmesan cheese takes a lot of time, at least one year, and it takes about 2-3 years to achieve perfect “maturity”. Parmesan is named after the areas where it’s produced, the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Modena and Mantua of Italy.

As you may know, Italian law only allows cheese produced in these areas to be labeled as Parmigiani – Reggiano.

Parmesan Cheese vs. Cheddar Cheese vs. Mozzarella Cheese

You are probably curious about the differences between parmesan cheese and other types of cheese on the market.

Parmesan vs. Cheddar:

Parmesan is hard Italian cheese, while cheddar is hard English cheese. The easiest thing to distinguish between these two types of cheese is color.

The former has a yellow, straw-like color; the latter is orange. It takes more time for parmesan to mature and ready to sell in the market than cheddar, usually more than a few months.

Parmesan is rich in flavor and has granular appearance, while cheddar has a strong aroma and crumbly texture.

Parmesan vs. Mozzarella:

Mozzarella is classified in the group of cream cheese with ingredients made from water buffalo milk or cow’s milk. It hasn’t been aged for a long time, so it’s soft, compared to parmesan.

Mozzarella is often white or yellowish. It’s also very easy to melt under heat. People are familiar with mozzarella, which is sprinkled on the top of the pizza.

How Healthy Is Parmesan Cheese?

In 100g of Parmesan cheese contains:

• Calories: 392
• Carbohydrates: 3.2g
• Sugar: 0.8g
• Fat: 25.8g
• Saturated fat: 16.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 7.5g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g
• Protein: 35.8g

Due to its nutrients, Parmesan cheese brings a lot of health benefits for cheese lovers as below:

• Source of Protein: Parmesan cheese provides a significant amount of protein and is much higher in protein density than other cheeses.
• Source of Minerals: About 100 grams of this cheese provides: 118% of the recommended nutrient intake (RDI) of calcium, 11% of the RDI for magnesium, 69% of the phosphorus RDI, 67% of the RDI for sodium.
• Enhance Sleep Quality: Parmesan cheese contains amino acids such as tryptophan, an essential amino acid that plays a role in the synthesis of specialized proteins and molecules that help the body have a good night’s sleep.
• Improve Gut Health: As a long-term fermented food, Parmesan cheese contains a large number of probiotics.

Here Are The Best Parmesan Cheeses:

In this list, I highlight some best parmesan cheeses and their particular characteristics. Let’s go through these products before deciding.

• Best Overall – Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese
  “Thanks to its nutty and salty flavor, you can add it to pizza, salad, seafood…you name it. This cheese has also been grated for ready to use.”
• Best Budget – Mama Francesca Premium Classic Parmesan Cheese
  “It’s gluten-free, non-GMO, rBST-free, has no artificial flavor, and made in order with reasonable price.”
• Best for Pizza – Milano’s Parmesan Cheese
  “The cheese features fine, powdery texture with a strong aroma and is easier to melt on top of the pizza; it also comes in a shaker top jar.”
• Best for Pasta – Italian Grana Padano
  “It has a granular texture with creamy color and delicate flavor of high-quality Parmesan cheese.”
• Best for Risotto – Caseificio 3090 28-Month-Aged Parmigiano Reggiano
  “…straw-yellow color and smooth texture with a milky finish, adds a great depth of flavor to your homemade Italian dishes, such as pasta, lasagne, risotto…”
• Best for Lasagna – Igourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese 24 Month
  “24-month-aged cheese has a full-flavored, buttery, and sweet taste.”
• Best for Antipasti – Igourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio
  “Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio is fermented for 36 months, which results in golden color cheese with full-flavored and tasty. Great when eating alone.”
• Best for Alfredo Sauce – Alma Gourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
  “Freshly grated or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is essential to good Alfredo sauce. Not to mention, the nutty, buttery, salty, and full-flavored taste will enrich any dish you are going to cook.”
• Best With Red Wine – Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Vacche Rosse/Red Cows
  “…fine texture with white crystals and slightly sweet taste goes well with red wine and sweet white rice.”
• Best for Carbonara – Olio&Olive Parmigiano Reggiano
  “Salty, crunchy, absolutely a lot better than store-bought parmesan. You can add it to your pasta, sprinkle on top of the pizza or make some Caesar salad with it .”
• Best for Pesto – BelGioioso Parmesan Cheese
  “With rich, strong flavor and hard, granular texture, just a small serving of this cheese will enhance the aroma of Italian dishes in a profound way.”
• Best for Caesar Salad – The Wisconsin Cheeseman SarVecchio Parmesan Cheese
  “Suitable for all vegan pursuers; sturdy, dense, and granular texture, together with fruity and slightly caramel flavor.”

Best Parmesan Cheese Comparison Chart

Before going into each product carefully, I would like to give you general information about type, aging time and origins. Let’s look at the big picture before zooming into details.

Top 15 Best Parmesan Cheese Reviews

It’s time to display 15 best parmesan cheese products that I have chosen in detail. We will elaborate on key features, pros, and cons of each product. In short, if you would like more in-depth review, keep reading.

1. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese

(Best Overall)

Looking for a convenient way to add parmesan cheese to your favorite pasta? Kraft grated parmesan cheese is your ideal option.

It’s made of 100% Parmesan cheese that has been aged for six months using pasteurized part-skim milk.

This cheese has been grated; therefore, it’s always ready to cook and doesn’t require more time and energy to shred it. Due to that, you can make delicious dishes in no time, especially when you’re in a hurry.

Moreover, the cheese comes in a jar with a convenient flavor lock cap so you can open easily and close when cooking as well as keep the content fresh.

The cheese makes a huge change to my pasta thanks to its nutty and salty flavor. I can also add it to my pizza, salad, seafood…you name it.

Although people recommend that I should buy a wedge from a wheel to ensure the quality, I still feel happy with Kraft grated parmesan cheese because of its versatility and convenience.

This parmesan cheese comes as a jar of 24 oz.

Key Features

• Jar of 24 oz with a flavor lock cap
• 100% grated parmesan cheese
• Aged for 6 months
• Good source of protein and calcium
• Fairly amount of sodium and fat
• Nutty and salty flavor

Product Specifications

Item Weight	24 oz
Dimension	1.3 x 0.9 x 0.9 inches
Brand	Kraft
Type	Grated parmesan cheese
Ingredients	Parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, less than 2% of enzymes, cheese culture, cellulose powder to prevent caking, potassium sorbate to protect flavor)

Quick Parmesan Noodle with Kraft grated parmesan cheese:

2. Milano’s Parmesan Cheese

(Best for Pizza)

Milano’s parmesan cheese comes in a shaker top jar of 16 oz and has been aged for over 10 months using pasteurized cow’s milk.

The cheese features fine and powdery texture with a strong aroma. It’s great for Italian foods; and I believe it should have a place in the pantry if you’re a big fan of Italian cuisine. You can sprinkle it on the pasta, salad, spaghetti, or meats to enrich the dish’s flavor.

Although the company stated that the cheese has no filler and is gluten-free, it still has cellulose powder to prevent caking; and potassium sorbate to protect flavor.

Last but not least, there’s a problem with Milano’s quality control process. That’s why the products have inconsistent quality over years.

Key Features

• Shaker top jar of 16 oz
• Imported and domestic cheese
• Aged for over 10 months
• Grating, shredding and custom blending by a family-owned company

Product Specifications

Item Weight	1 pound
Brand	Milano’s
Type	Grated parmesan cheese
Ingredients	Pasteurized cow’s milk, culture, salt and enzyme, corn starch and cellulose, potassium sorbate

3. Italian Grana Padano

(Best for Pasta)

Due to its long fermentation over 18 months, Italian Grana Padano has matured both in texture and flavor.

If you want the authentic flavor of hard cheese, you should purchase Italian Grana Padano. It has a granular texture with creamy color and a delicate flavor of high-quality parmesan cheese.

The package of 1 pound arrived in vacuum-sealed plastic for retaining its freshness. You should store it in refrigerator after open the package to extend its life’s use.

It’s great for making spaghetti, chicken, salad…If you’re craving for Italian foods, you can shred and sprinkle this cheese to your favorite dishes.

Or you can eat it directly and feel the cheese melting in your mouth.

This parmesan cheese is imported from Italy.

Key Features

• Aged for over 18 months
• 1 pound wedge from a whole wheel
• Imported Italian cheese
• Authentic taste of hard cheese with grainy texture

Product Specifications

Item Weight	1 pound
Brand	Italian Grana Padano
Type	Pre-cut wedge from wheel parmesan cheese
Ingredients	Milk, whey, rennet and salt

Let’s watch how to cook pasta inside a grana padano cheese wheel in Bangkok:

4. Caseificio 3090 28-Month-Aged Parmigiano Reggiano

(Best for Risotto)

This Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is made by one of the finest producer of Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy, namely Caseificio Sociale di Borgotaro.

It has been made from dairy #3090 and aged for 28 months. Therefore, it’s the safe bet that this cheese has authentic texture and flavor you are looking for.

If you’re still on the fence, just wait until you taste it. The cheese adds a great depth of flavor to your homemade Italian dishes, such as pasta, lasagne, risotto…

It appears with straw-yellow color and smooth texture with a milky finish.

Each product is air-freighted straight from Borgotaro, Emilia-Romagna, and is kept on ice to maintain its best condition.

Key Features

• Pack of 2 pounds
• Aged for 28 months
• Air-freighted from Borgotaro, Emilia-Romagna
• 100% Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from dairy #3090
• Made by Caseificio Sociale di Borgotaro – the finest producer of Parmigiano Reggiano

Product Specifications

Item Weight	2 pounds
Dimension	7.5 x 3.5 x 1 inches
Brand	Caseificio 3090 Parmigiano Reggiano
Type	Pre-cut wedge from wheel Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

5. Igourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese 24 Month

(Best for Lasagna)

Thanks to its 24-month-aged production, this cheese has a full-flavored, buttery, and sweet taste.

Igourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese 24 Month is considered top grade cheese under the regular examination of cheese experts.

The yellowish shade of color, as well as the dryness, can prove my point. You can also look at the appealing texture and let the cheese melt in your mouth to fully taste its flavor.

It’s made from unpasteurized cow’s milk and imported from Italy, packaged carefully in an insulated bag to ensure the freshness.

This cheese is a real deal for Italian food lovers. Because of its nutty and tasty flavor, I often add it to my lasagna to indulge myself and my family on the weekend.

Key Features

• Top-grade Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Ships expedited in an insulated package to ensure freshness
• Imported from Italy
• Aged for 24 months
• Super fine texture and nutty flavor with yellowish shade

Product Specifications

Item Weight	2 pounds
Brand	igourmet
Type	Top-grade Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

6. Andrew & Everett Hormone Free Grated Parmesan Cheese

Andrew & Everett Hormone Free Grated Parmesan Cheese comes into convenient and easy to use container.

This cheese is gluten-free with no preservatives, binders, fillers, or extenders. It’s produced in small batches and deliver straight from farm to table freshness.

The milk used to make cheese comes from pasture-raised, grass-fed, and humanely raised cows that are rBGH-BST hormone-free.

Andrew & Everett Parmesan Cheese is made in USA and has been aged for over 10 months.

It’s finely grated for convenient use and has a tasty flavor, which you can use for a variety of cooking recipes. It’s no doubt that this cheese makes cooking Italian dishes becomes easier and more authentic.

It tastes little sharper than other grated Parmesan cheeses in the market.

Key Features

• Aged over 10 months
• Packed in convenient and easy to use container
• Farm to table freshness
• Great tasting cheese

Product Specifications

Item Weight	7 ounces
Dimension	9.2 x 5.9 x 6.2 inches
Brand	Andrew & Everett
Type	Hormone Free Grated Parmesan Cheese

7. Igourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio

(Best for Antipasti)

Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio is kept fermented for 36 months, which results in golden color cheese with full-flavored and tasty.

This cheese is an ideal option if you are looking to make delicious antipasti for your party. Your guests will be thankful for that.

This cheese is a pre-cut wedge from a wheel of cheese stamped with the producer’s name on its rind. Therefore, you can rest assured that it’s authentic Italian parmesan cheese you expect.

You can find a lot of white crystals, which are tyrosine, if you look closely at the texture of the cheese. They are where the flavor is made.

I prefer using it to create my cheese board. You can add salami, olives, cashews, dried fruits, stick bread, and some favorite fruits. Another way to appreciate the taste of this tasty cheese is by eating it alone.

Key Features

• Aged for 36 months
• Ships expedited in an insulated package to ensure freshness
• Imported from Italy
• It has a golden color, and has even more crunchy crystals

Product Specifications

Item Weight	7.5 ounces
Brand	iGourmet
Type	Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio cheese

8. Mama Francesca Premium Classic Parmesan Cheese

(Best Budget)

One thing about this Mama Francesca Premium Classic Parmesan Cheese is that it’s not produced in large quantity but made to preserve freshness and most extended shelf life for each product.

It also comes in a container for convenient use and storage.

Since all of Mama Francesca’s grated cheeses are made from 20 lb handcrafted premium cheese wheels, you can have faith in the product’s quality.

It’s gluten-free, non-GMO, rBST-free, and has no artificial flavor.

The cheese tastes great when sprinkling on pasta, pizza, salad.

The price is quite reasonable for a convenient and high-quality parmesan cheese.

Key Features

• Aged for over 10 months
• Not produce in large quantity to ensure the freshness
• Finely grated parmesan cheese
• Packed in a convenient container
• American family-owned company

Product Specifications

Item Weight	8 ounces
Dimension	2.75 x 2.75 x 6.25 inches
Brand	Mama Francesca
Type	Grated parmesan cheese

9. Alma Gourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

(Best for Alfredo Sauce)

This large 5-pound Alma gourmet Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese will leave you with the satisfaction of having a fresh cut wedge from a wheel.

Since it has been aged for 18 months under the careful inspection of certified cheese experts, it has a beautiful, uneven, grainy texture with white crystals, dry appearance, and light yellow color.

Not to mention, the nutty, buttery, salty, and full-flavored taste will enrich any dish you are going to cook.

It’s a product of Italy and is shipped with ice packs to your doors to keep its freshness.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a great source of nutrients for your health with high protein and calcium.

Last but not least, it has quite a reasonable price, compared to other Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in the market.

Key Features

• Aged for 18 months
• Product of Italy
• Arrived in a large vacuum-seal package of 5 pounds
• Great texture and flavor

Product Specifications

Item Weight	5 pounds
Brand	Alma
Type	Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

10. Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Vacche Rosse/Red Cows

(Best With Red Wine)

The Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Vacche Rosse/Red cows is a great source of nutrients, such as protein, calcium, and essential amino acids.

The cheese is made from the dairy of the Consorzio Vacche Rosse (Red label), which is well-known for its high-quality source of milk.

The rich straw-yellow color of the product is due to the cows’ OGM- and unifeed-free diet of grass, hay, and cereals.

In terms of quality, the fine texture with white crystals and slight sweetness taste said it all.

It’s free of lactose, low in fats and easily digested, good for children and aged people.

The product comes in vacuum-sealed plastic for freshness.

Key Features

• Aged for over 40 months
• Made from the dairy of the Consorzio Vacche Rosse (Red label)
• Good source of protein, calcium and essential amino acids
• Consistent quality

Product Specifications

Item Weight	5 pounds
Brand	Parmigiano Reggiano – Consorzio Vacche Rosse (Red cows)
Type	Parmigiano Reggiano PDO Vacche Rosse/Red cows
Ingredients	Red cow’s milk, rennet and salt

11. Olio&Olive Parmigiano Reggiano

(Best for Carbonara)

If you prefer affordable parmesan cheese without anti-caking powder, a pre-cut wedge cheese from Olio&Olive is worth considering.

It has excellent flavor and absolutely a lot better than store-bought parmesan. You can add it to your pasta, sprinkle on top of the pizza or make some Caesar salad with it. There’re endless options if you’re a cheese lover.

The cheese tastes salty and crunchy. It’s characterized by tiny white crystals grains, which implies 18-24 months of the aging process.

Thanks to its high quality, Olio&Olive Parmigiano Reggiano will surely promote the aroma of your dishes and enrich your experience with Italian foods.

Key Features

• Aged for 18-24 months
• Salty, crunchy taste with white crystals grains

Product Specifications

Item Weight	1 pound
Brand	Olio&Olive
Type	Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

12. Kirkland Signature Aged Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Kirkland Signature brings to us one more convenient way to enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano cheese without having to spend time taking it from the freezer and cutting it before use.

I have to say that some of you might enjoy purchasing a wedge from a wheel cheese while many others like grated or shredded cheese so that they could use as soon as they need when cooking.

This cheese is aged for 24 months and imported directly from Italy.

It comes in a plastic container and has fresh and rich flavor that you can use to cook many Italian foods.

The cheese is kept refrigerated until it reaches your hands.

Key Features

• Aged for 24 months
• Imported from Italy
• Packed in a container of 1 pound

Product Specifications

Item Weight	1 pound
Brand	Kirkland Signature
Type	Shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

13. BelGioioso Parmesan Cheese

(Best for Pesto)

This cheese is well-known among cheese connoisseur. It’s crafted in Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland and is made vegetarian by using non-animal derived rennet.

BelGioioso parmesan cheese is aging for over 10 months from raw cow’s milk and is certified gluten-free as well as rBST-free.

With rich, strong flavor and hard granular texture, just a small serving of this cheese will profoundly enhance the aroma of Italian dishes, especially when adding to soup, pasta, or salad.

It features a wedge from a wheel; therefore, you can slice, grate, or shred it to make your meal the way you want it.

Don’t forget to wrap carefully and store it in the refrigerator after use.

Key Features

• Aged for over 10 months in Wisconsin, America’s Dairyland
• Trusted brand
• Made from raw cow’s milk from local farmers

Product Specifications

Item Weight	8 ounces
Brand	BelGioioso
Type	Pre-cut wedge

14. Frigo Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Packed in a small portion of 5 oz, Frigo Parmesan Cheese is an ideal option for people who want to indulge yourself in just a little bit creamy and buttery flavor.

If you are living alone or your family doesn’t usually cook Italian foods, this is an economical choice.

The cheese is aged for 10 months, long enough to form a hard texture and get a nutty flavor of typical parmesan cheese.

In terms of convenience, it has been shredded for you to use.

One thing about Frigo parmesan cheese is that it contains a high amount of sodium per serving. Therefore, if you have to watch your salt intake, make sure to have a look at the nutrient facts label to decide.

Key Features

• Comes in a package of 5 oz
• Aged for 10 months
• Contains high amount of sodium

Product Specifications

Item Weight	5 ounces
Brand	Frigo
Type	Shredded parmesan cheese

15. The Wisconsin Cheeseman SarVecchio Parmesan Cheese

(Best for Caesar Salad)

SarVecchio is highly regarded as America’s most decorated cheese. The company is so proud of it as they are ready to put it up against any Parmesan in the world.

This cheese is made from pasteurized cow milk in Wisconsin and only uses vegetarian rennet. Therefore, it’s suitable for all vegan pursuers.

What I like about this product is that it has a sturdy, dense, and granular texture, with fruity and slightly caramel flavor. You can incorporate into many delicious Italian recipes from salad and pizza to all kinds of pasta.

It comes in two wedges of 5.3 oz.

Key Features

• Aged for over 20 months
• Buttery, fruity and slightly caramel flavor
• Crumble and dry texture
• Trusted American brand

Product Specifications

Item Weight	10.6 ounces
Brand	The Wisconsin Cheeseman
Type	Pre-cut wedge parmesan cheese

How to Buy Parmesan Cheese?

You might have to decide between convenience or quality when buying best parmesan cheeses for yourself.

Type

Pre-grated or pre-shredded cheese appears handy; it’s ready to use whenever you need and don’t have to sweat over the kitchen if it’s your first time cooking Italian foods.

The flavor is good enough to evoke dishes’ aroma and easy to find in nearby grocery stores. For your information, this type of cheese often contains anti-caking additives.

If you’re cheese aficionado, you might want to buy only authentic Parmigiano Reggiano, then look for the stamp which is on the rind of the wheel. This dotted official Parmigiano Reggiano ensures that you’re buying the authentic one.

Texture & Flavor

The texture and flavor of parmesan depend on aging time. It’s up to you to choose the best fits your need and budget. The maturer it is, the more you have to pay.

Over 10 months: It features smooth texture with slight fresh milk flavor

24 months: Firmer body, grainy texture with a sweet flavor

36 months: Dry appearance with a lot of white crystals with a buttery, nutty flavor

Melting

One more thing people concern when buying parmesan cheese is how well it melts. Because it’s a hard cheese, it couldn’t melt easily and naturally like some other cheeses you know.

I suggest that you should choose younger parmesan cheese, about over 10 months to 12 months, it melts more easily than the old ones.

FAQs

Before choosing the best parmesan cheese to buy, I guess you will still have some questions in your mind. Let’s answer them together.

My Top Pick

In this article, I have spent significant time elaborating on 15 best parmesan cheese products in the market.

I hope it will be helpful for you to find your favorite parmesan cheese brand and successful cooking many homemade Italian dishes.

And my choice is Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese for its fine quality and versatility.

What about you? You are welcome to share your experiences with parmesan cheese.