Quick Answer: We rank the best brands for 25 charcuterie board ingredients, from crackers and cheese to cured meat, spreads and olives. A few top picks: Kerrygold Reserve cheddar, Fromager d'Affinois brie, Olli salami, Dalmatia fig spread and Mezzetta Castelvetrano olives. Every guide has star ratings, a best value and a splurge pick.
Standing in the cracker aisle with twelve boxes in front of you? These guides tell you which one to grab and why. Each ranks the widely sold options for one board ingredient, with a clear top pick, a budget pick and a splurge.
Cheese
| Guide | Our top pick | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Brie Brands at the Grocery Store | Fromager d'Affinois | ★★★★½ 4.4 |
| Best Cheddar Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar | ★★★★★ 4.8 |
| Best Manchego Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Kirkland Signature Manchego DOP (6 months) | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Parmesan for a Charcuterie Board | Boar's Head Parmigiano-Reggiano | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Goat Cheese Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Laura Chenel Original Fresh Goat Cheese | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
| Best Gouda Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Trader Joe's 1000 Day Gouda | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
| Best Blue Cheese Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Point Reyes Original Blue | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Fresh Mozzarella for a Charcuterie Board | Primo Taglio Fresh Mozzarella | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Burrata at the Grocery Store | BelGioioso Burrata | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
Cured meat
| Guide | Our top pick | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Salami Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Olli Salumeria | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Prosciutto Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Appleton Farms Prosciutto | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Best Pepperoni for a Charcuterie Board | Boar's Head Pepperoni | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Soppressata Brands for a Charcuterie Board | Brooklyn Cured Sweet Soppressata | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Best Spanish Chorizo for a Charcuterie Board | Palacios Chorizo (mild or hot) | ★★★★½ 4.3 |
| Best Summer Sausage for a Charcuterie Board | Cloverdale Original Tangy Summer Sausage | ★★★★½ 4.4 |
Crackers
| Guide | Our top pick | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Water Crackers for a Charcuterie Board | Carr's Table Water Crackers, Original | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Crackers for a Charcuterie Board by Brand | Carr's Table Water Crackers | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Gluten-Free Crackers for a Charcuterie Board | Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Crackers | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
Spreads, honey and mustard
| Guide | Our top pick | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Fig Jam for a Cheese Board | Dalmatia Original Fig Spread | ★★★★½ 4.4 |
| Best Honey for a Cheese Board | Nature Nate's Raw & Unfiltered Honey | ★★★★½ 4.6 |
| Best Mustard for a Charcuterie Board | Maille Old Style Whole Grain Mustard | ★★★★★ 4.8 |
| Best Hot Honey for a Charcuterie Board | Mike's Hot Honey | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Best Pepper Jelly for a Charcuterie Board | Braswell's Jalapeño Pepper Jelly | ★★★★★ 4.8 |
Olives and nuts
| Guide | Our top pick | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Jarred Olives for a Charcuterie Board | Mezzetta Castelvetrano Olives | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
| Best Marcona Almonds for a Charcuterie Board | Trader Joe's Roasted & Salted Rosemary Marcona Almonds | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
Best value picks
| Ingredient | Best value | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Water crackers | 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Water Crackers | ★★★½☆ 3.5 |
| Crackers | Milton's Craft Bakers Original Multi-Grain | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Gluten-free crackers | Blue Diamond Nut-Thins | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Salami | Volpi Genoa Salame | ★★★★½ 4.3 |
| Prosciutto | Trader Joe's Sliced Prosciutto | ★★★★☆ 3.8 |
| Brie | Trader Joe's Brie | ★★★★☆ 3.8 |
| Cheddar | Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar | ★★★★½ 4.7 |
| Fig jam | Bonne Maman Fig Preserves | ★★★★☆ 3.9 |
| Olives | Trader Joe's Organic Conversation Olive Trio | ★★★★☆ 3.8 |
| Honey | 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Raw Wildflower Honey | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Manchego | Trader Joe's Manchego | ★★★★☆ 3.9 |
| Parmesan | Kirkland Signature Parmigiano-Reggiano | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Goat cheese | Trader Joe's Chèvre | ★★★★☆ 3.9 |
| Gouda | Trader Joe's Goat Milk Gouda | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Blue cheese | Trader Joe's Cave Aged Blue | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Fresh mozzarella | Trader Joe's Fresh Mozzarella | ★★★★☆ 3.9 |
| Burrata | Specially Selected Traditional Burrata (Aldi) | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Pepperoni | Trader Joe's Ciao Pizza Prima Pepperoni | ★★★★☆ 4.0 |
| Soppressata | Volpi Soppressata | ★★★★☆ 3.8 |
| Spanish chorizo | Columbus Spanish Style Chorizo Salame | ★★★½☆ 3.5 |
| Summer sausage | Trader Joe's Natural Turkey Summer Sausage | ★★★★☆ 4.2 |
| Mustard | Grey Poupon Harvest Coarse Ground | ★★★★½ 4.5 |
| Marcona almonds | Kirkland Signature Marcona Almonds | ★★★½☆ 3.5 |
| Hot honey | Nature Nate's Hot Honey | ★★★★½ 4.3 |
| Pepper jelly | Tabasco Spicy Pepper Jelly | ★★★★☆ 4.0 |
How we rank
Every product gets a score from 1 to 5 on five things, weighted into one overall score out of 5:
| What we score | Weight | What earns a 5 |
|---|---|---|
| How it works on a board | 30% | Sturdy, the right size and texture, and it lets the rest of the board shine |
| Published taste tests and awards | 25% | Ranked at or near the top by reputable taste tests, or wins major food awards |
| Ingredients | 15% | A short list led by the real ingredient, with no fillers |
| Value | 15% | A low price for what you get |
| Easy to find | 15% | Sold in most grocery stores |
Researched, not taste-tested (yet). These rankings come from published taste tests (from outlets like Tasting Table, Sporked, Daily Meal and The Kitchn), award results, ingredient labels and prices. We have not tasted every product side by side. When we taste-test a category ourselves, that guide will say Tested. Each guide lists its sources.
Updated regularly. Products change recipes, prices move and stores change what they stock. Each guide shows when it was last checked.
Independent. No brand paid to be included or for its position.
Put the picks to work
Once you have your ingredients, the Party Planner tells you how much to buy, the Pairings Hub shows what goes with what, and the Board Library has full board plans to copy.
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