Welcome to the France 44 Cheesecutter! Every month, we will aim to explore a new area of cheese and provide our opinions and recommendations. We want to help you decide month by month which cheese is best to melt on your grilled cheese, which soft cheese is best to take with you on a picnic, and which stinky cheese pairs best with that bottle of bubbly in your fridge.
And so, this month, we have my definitive list of all time favorite melters that you can find right here in the Cheese Shop at France 44.
Winter has always been an intensely cheese-y time of the year for me. Sure, Spring and Summer have their picnics and Fall always brings about memories of back-to-school string cheeses and delightful Thanksgiving gluttony, but Winter remains top dog in terms of my personal cheese consumption for the simple fact that it’s the best time of year to melt it.
However, when I was younger, Winter was always my least favorite season. It promised all sorts of ailments that never plagued me in the Summertime. Growing up in California, it was the only rainy time of year and I was constantly cold (later on, I would learn the real meaning of the word after moving to Minnesota) or sick or trapped indoors. But it also meant warm bowls of minestrone with a mountain of Parmigiano Reggiano grated atop or a perfectly toasty grilled cheese and later on in life it meant raclette with cornichon or fondue with chunks of sourdough. It turns out the simple cure to hating winter was to prescribe myself a much higher dose of all of these delicious melt-y cheese dishes.
What to Consider:
- Melt-ability: not all cheeses melt equally. The secret to a perfectly melt-y cheese lies in its acidity level, ideally you want a cheese whose pH lies in the 5.0-5.5 range.
- Funk: melting a cheese tends to mellow out its funk quite a bit which could mean it’s a good time to reach for that funkier alternative.
- Flavor: cows milk cheese lean sweet and creamy, goat cheese can be tangy and lighter, and sheep milk cheese is typically rich and buttery.
- Feeling: are you looking for something nostalgic that will remind you of that perfect childhood Mac and cheese? Or are you looking for something more adventurous?
Fantastic for Fondue: Gruyere 1655
Gruyere sits perfectly in that 5.0-5.5 pH range for melting and its creamy consistency at this stage makes it the classic choice for fondue. Dip slightly stale sourdough, roasted potatoes, or even crisp apples and watch that magic cheese pull!
Great for Grilled Cheese: Widmer's 2-Year Cheddar
Widmer’s younger profile 2 year aged cheddar makes the perfect cheese for a classic toasty grilled cheese. Younger cheeses have higher moisture content and weaker protein links compared to their older counter parts which make it easier for the cheese to melt and stretch. Melt it on some nice toasty bread and pair it with a cup of tomato soup to bring those nostalgic childhood memories right into 2026.
Ready for Raclette: Raclette au Poivre
Raclette au Poivre is a true Canadian gem, winning best in show at the 2024 American Cheese Society awards, and a bit of an out of the box choice for raclette. However, it melts perfectly and the line of pink peppercorn featured down the center provides a lovely bite to any raclette dish. Try it for yourself and melt it over some cornichon or rye bread for a perfect wintery fix!
Out of the Box: Young Brabander
You might be familiar with the seasonal aged Brabander, also known as Black Betty, but do you know her year-round counterpart? This younger, creamier gouda adds a sweet and tangy zing to any beloved cheese-based dish. Add it as a secondary cheese to your favorite mac and cheese recipe for a little kick or try it in a grilled cheese to brighten the flavors and scale back the lactose.
