"Luckily, Tasting Table ranked the worst to best store-bought cream cheese brands to help you select the right schmear for your bagel - and know which ones to skip. Particularly, Tillamook's cream cheese block was a disappointment of the bunch, placing last, mostly due to what Tasting Table writer Emily Hunt described as a "somewhat chalky mouthfeel," along with a "very slight sweetness." Hunt was hopeful about the Pacific Northwest brand, known for its quality standards and quality cheese and ice cream."
"According to Tillamook's website, the product is "made with extra cream and no preservatives," and the ingredient list is short and sweet: cultured pasteurized milk and cream, pasteurized skim milk, and sea salt. Overall, we appreciate the minimal added ingredients. But just like an emulsification of fat and water can make or break a homemade cake, a natural stabilizer can go a long way in keeping cream cheese's fat and liquid components together."
Tillamook cream cheese block showed a chalky texture and very slight sweetness, leading to low ratings among store-bought options. The ingredient list contains cultured pasteurized milk and cream, pasteurized skim milk, and sea salt, with no preservatives and no added emulsifiers. The absence of natural stabilizers can allow fat and liquid components to separate, producing dryness and reduced smoothness that can affect spreadability and baking performance. Emulsifiers such as guar gum or carob bean gum help stabilize fat-water emulsions and improve creaminess. Philadelphia's cream cheese uses carob gum to enhance creaminess and stability.
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