Cheesecake challenge

Admit it. There is something about cheesecake filling in a plastic tub that makes one’s inner foodie want to run screaming from the grocery store.

What has this I’ve-gotta-have-it-now world come to when you can scoop cheesecake innards into a pre-made crust and call it dessert? That’s right. This cheesecake requires no advance preparation. The filling is blended and waiting in a cooler near the cream cheese, and graham cracker crusts are just a few aisles down.

We designed a taste-test to see how this almost-ready-to-serve cheesecake stacked up against some of the fastest cheesecakes around. The Spokesman-Review reader food panel members recently tasted a Philadelphia Ready-to-Eat Cheesecake, a Costco cheesecake and Sara Lee’s New York Style Cheesecake.

And when the graham cracker crumbs settled, the winner was the Costco cheesecake, but only by a single point. Both the Costco and Philadelphia desserts received an average rating of four stars for flavor by the panel.

“Thick and rich, (with a) pleasant flavor,” said Larry Inman of the Philadelphia cheesecake. “I’m not a big cheesecake fan, but this is pretty good.”

Donald Clegg gave it the highest rating. “Creamy, gooey and very rich.”

And Marilyn Moore, a stickler for homemade, also gave the cheesecake top honors. “I liked this best. The flavor stayed with me.”

Others on the panel were critical of the Philadelphia cheesecake’s texture.

“A nicely undersweetened taste, but a 3 (out of five stars) for the texture,” said Tina Johnson. “The plastic-like gluey texture is off-putting. Too bad.”

Andy Hoye agreed: “Plumber’s putty texture, but nice tart flavor. Very rich,” he said.

The Costco cheesecake, sold in the warehouse store’s bakery, was also highly regarded by tasters.

“A perfect cheesecake,” Johnson said. “Not too sweet and a subtle cheese taste. The texture of this is perfect.”

“Nice and sweet, light and almost frothy, with that nice tart edge to it. My vote for the winner of this cheesecake competition,” said Matt Quesnell.

Sara Lee had fans, too. But it still lagged behind the other two cheesecakes, receiving a three-star rating from the panel. There are several varieties of Sara Lee cheesecake in the freezer case at grocery stores. They thaw in less than an hour (or 30 seconds in the microwave).

“Certainly the best of the bunch. Rich, thick filling and a nice buttery graham cracker crust,” said Skip Hubbard.

Philadelphia Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling and Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crust

Price: $4.49 for 24.2 ounces cheesecake filling (enough to fill a 9-inch crust) and $1.53 for a 9-inch crust

Nutrition per serving: 370 calories, 27 grams fat (16 grams saturated, 66 percent fat calories), 5 grams protein, 27 gram carbohydrate, 85 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 420 milligrams sodium.

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Comments: “I liked this best. The flavor stayed with me.” – Marilyn Moore

“The actual cheesecake is maybe a bit too creamy for my tastes – needs a little more substance – but has a great crunchy crust. Nice flavor, too. Very strong.” – Matt Quesnell

“More of a whipped cream texture than actual cheesecake. Might as well be sitting on a plain graham cracker because the crust was dry, dry, dry.” – Skip Hubbard

Costco Cheesecake

Price: $11.99 for a 4.5 pound cheesecake

Nutrition per serving: Not available.

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Comments:

“Rich and smooth with a sweet crust.” – Andy Hoye

“Creamy cheesecake with a sweet cream topping. I like the texture.” – Peggy Kazanis

“Sticks to the roof of your mouth like paste… Is cheesecake supposed to do that?” – Larry Inman

Sara Lee New York Style Cheesecake

Price: $6.79 for a 1 pound, 14 ounce cheesecake

Nutrition per serving: 480 calories, 30 grams fat (16 grams saturated, 56 percent fat calories), 7 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrate, 135 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 490 milligrams sodium.

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Comments: “A very good basic cheesecake that is not too sweet.” – Tina Johnson

“Rich, thick filling and a nice buttery graham cracker crust.” – Skip Hubbard

“So-so at best. Rather plain tasting.” – Larry Inman