MyTastr

Best ricotta, according to chefs

Two picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Thomas Keller, Charlie Palmer, J. Kenji López-Alt and Emma Sullivan. Recommendations come from archive.177milkstreet.com, charliepalmer.com, nytimes.com and seriouseats.com and 1 other sources.

Dairy & Cold · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Bellwether Farms Basket Ricotta

    Chosen by
    • Milk Street editors
    Also chosen by
    Won Milk Street’s ricotta taste test (2025) for “superb flavor and good performance”: made only with milk and salt, with “a rich, buttery flavor and tender curds.” Charlie Palmer: “In California, I use ricotta from Bellwether Farms.” Thomas Keller called it the best ricotta he’d tasted in the US (NYT, 2001).
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: archive.177milkstreet.com ↗
  2. 2

    Calabro Whole Milk Ricotta

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    #1 of nine nationally available brands in Serious Eats’ blind tasting: “Sweet, fresh, and creamy, this one tasted almost as good as homemade.” Very moist, so drain it before baking. Sullivan (Eat This, Not That!, 2026) calls it “the artisan pick… noticeably creamier than mass-produced brands” for ricotta toast and simple pastas.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: seriouseats.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best ricotta, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Bellwether Farms Basket Ricotta, chosen by Milk Street editors. Won Milk Street’s ricotta taste test (2025) for “superb flavor and good performance”: made only with milk and salt, with “a rich, buttery flavor and tender curds.” Charlie Palmer: “In California, I use ricotta from Bellwether Farms.” Thomas Keller called it the best ricotta he’d tasted in the US (NYT, 2001). Source: archive.177milkstreet.com ↗
What are the other top picks for ricotta?
No. 2 is Calabro Whole Milk Ricotta, chosen by J. Kenji López-Alt (Serious Eats). Only two picks cleared the bar so far. 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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