MyTastr

Best boxed mac and cheese, according to chefs

Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from George Duran, Jeanette Donnarumma, Brian Mooney, Audrey Plant and 6 more. Recommendations come from allrecipes.com, eatthis.com, simplyrecipes.com and epicurious.com and 1 other sources.

Pantry Staples · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Won Allrecipes’ chef panel with 4 of 8 votes. It “actually tastes like Cheddar, not just ‘cheese flavor’” (Donnarumma), and Duran calls it “the crowd-pleaser with chef energy.” It also won Bon Appétit’s blind test. Erin Clarke prefers the White Cheddar shells: “tangy, rich, and balances comfort with a more ‘grown-up’ taste.”
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: allrecipes.com ↗
  2. 2

    Cabot Seriously Sharp Shells & Cheese

    Chosen by
    • Epicurious Taste Panel chefs
    Also chosen by
    The pro chefs’ favorite in Epicurious’ blind tasting: “velvety … like real cheese, real milk” and “by far the most true cheesy flavored one.” One chef noted that Cabot “makes a very great commercial cheddar. We use it in a lot of the restaurants.” It also won Serious Eats’ 2026 blind test of 11 boxes, beating Kraft.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: epicurious.com ↗
  3. 3

    Kraft Original Macaroni & Cheese

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    An honorable mention on Allrecipes’ panel. Milne: “The blue box never disappoints,” with a “classic, cheesy flavor” and “reliably perfect noodles every single time.” Runner-up in Serious Eats’ blind test.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: allrecipes.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best boxed mac and cheese, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar, chosen by Brian Mooney (Tre Luna); George Duran (chef, TV host); Jeanette Donnarumma (recipe developer); Audrey Plant (Winn Winn Café). Won Allrecipes’ chef panel with 4 of 8 votes. It “actually tastes like Cheddar, not just ‘cheese flavor’” (Donnarumma), and Duran calls it “the crowd-pleaser with chef energy.” It also won Bon Appétit’s blind test. Erin Clarke prefers the White Cheddar shells: “tangy, rich, and balances comfort with a more ‘grown-up’ taste.” Source: allrecipes.com ↗
What are the other top picks for boxed mac and cheese?
No. 2 is Cabot Seriously Sharp Shells & Cheese, chosen by Epicurious Taste Panel chefs. No. 3 is Kraft Original Macaroni & Cheese, chosen by Jamie Milne (Everything Delish); Lindsey Baruch (Something Delicious). Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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