Cheez- It(R) Baked Snack Crackers are a favorite snack food of hungry consumers everywhere. In their familiar red and white box, adorned with a wedge of cheese and floating crackers, these treats can be found at grocery stores, gas stations, bars, convenience and drugstores, vending machines and virtually anywhere that food is sold. These little one- inch squares of baked goodness contain just the right amount of what seems to be a light cheddar cheese flavor, with an appropriate balance of salt. The wonderful flavor of Cheez- Its can aptly be described as ‘subtle, or even delicate, nothing like the sharp, overpowering nature of some other orange cheese- flavored snack foods. Unlike other cheese- flavored snack variations, Cheez- Its do not cover the consumer’s hands with a sticky orange film after eating them. Quite often, it is difficult to stop eating Cheez- Its once you have started. The shape, size, texture and especially flavor, combine to make Cheez- Its one of America’s favorite snack foods.
Recently, while shopping at CVS Pharmacy, I decided to purchase a box of CVS- Gold Emblem(R) Baked Cheese Snack Crackers, For years, I had seen the boxes of CVS crackers, as I regularly purchased Cheez- Its. What made me decide to buy a box of the CVS crackers was the illustration on the front of the box. Like the Cheez- It box, the CVS brand box features floating snack crackers on the front. On the CVS box, the crackers look suspiciously like Cheez- Its, only bigger and slightly more yellow in color. The price of the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers, when calculated, is approximately 2 / 3 the price of Cheez- Its Baked Snack Crackers. Of course, I also bought a box of Cheez- Its, just in case. When I got home, I realized there was a great opportunity to perform a consumer product review of Cheez- It and CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers.
Remaing as objective as possible, I opened both boxes of snack crackers. I filled a small bowl with Cheez- Its and a similar bowl with CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers and prepared to enjoy myself. The first thing I noticed was the difference in size. The CVS crackers are much larger than the Cheez- It Baked Snack Crackers, approximately one and one half times the size. The CVS crackers also had a drier feel in my hand. As my thumb and fingers held the CVS crackers, it was hard to distinguish any salt on their surface. The texture of the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers is markedly different from Cheez- Its also. They are much firmer and crisper. When I squeezed on a CVS cracker between my thumb and index finger, it broke in half, with an audible snapping sound. When I did the same with a Cheez- It, the top, or shell, as it were, almost politely folded inward.
When it comes to mouth- feel, the afore- mentioned firmness of the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers could prove to be an obstacle for those with weak teeth and / or extensive dental work. They also felt drier to the tongue and required more focused chewing. The Cheez- Its on the other hand, imparted the tongue with just a hint of salt and required very little chewing. In a way, eating the Cheez- Its just seemed like more fun. Because the sense of smell plays such an important part in our appreciation of food, aroma was also considered. Both brands of crackers have their own pleasant and appetizing aroma. It should be noted that almost immediately, I realized that the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers and Cheez- Its were not going to taste exactly the same. That having been said, each cracker would have to be rated on its merits, or, lack of same. Repeatedly, as I ate the CVS crackers, I thought that they would be an ideal platform for a tasty dip, preferrably a vegetable- flavored variety. Topped with sliced cheese, cold cuts or peanut butter, they would be even better. Not to disparage the taste of the CVS crackers, they indeed have a nice, mellow flavor that invites the consumer to eat more. But, would I want to eat them day in and day out, as I do Cheez- Its ? If they were softer and smaller, I would be more receptive to eating large quantities of these crackers, but I feel that these factors make them less desirable than Cheez- Its.
As I objectively ate the Cheez- Its, showing no bias, it was readily apparent that the Cheez- Its were an all- around better cracker. The instinctive, almost addictive process of immediately wanting more Cheez- Its as soon as I started eating them was simply not present when eating the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers. Nutritionally, the CVS Baked Cheese Snack Crackers contain 110 calories with 35 calories from fat per 24 grams (approximately 18 crackers. ) The Cheez- Its contain 160 calories with 70 calories from fat per 30 grams ( approximately 27 crackers.) Both brands of crackers have 0% cholesterol and are similar in protein and fiber makeup.
While both brands of crackers reviewed here are of high quality and certainly taste fine, they are by no means identical in any way, regardless of box illustrations. In this review, there is no clear ‘winner’, or better product, each of these baked cheese snack crackers is very good in its own right. But if you are a Cheez- Its fan, my suggestion is to continue purchasing, eating and enjoying Cheez- Its, because there is no substitute.
