Aldi's Cheese Club Express Mac Is A Total Kraft Copycat

Many people turn to instant mac and cheese because of how easy and fast it is to make. Even though there are other ingredients you can add to make boxed mac and cheese taste better, technically, you only need to add water. Mac and cheese cups, which are most famously sold by Kraft, are even more convenient, as you can microwave and consume the mac and cheese directly in the container it comes in. Unsurprisingly, this option tends to be more expensive than the boxed stuff. Though prices may vary by location, at Target, for example, a pack of four retails for about $5 or $6. Fortunately, if you're looking for a cheaper alternative, Aldi sells one for just over $4.

The German grocery chain's product is called Express Mac, and is sold under the brand Cheese Club, which is one of Aldi's private labels. Much like the Kraft version, Express Mac is prepared by filling the cup with water, microwaving it, and then adding powdered cheese. Both products come in packs of four, and each cup is around 2 ounces.

If you like Kraft Mac and Cheese Cups, chances are you'll enjoy the Aldi version, too. Customers seem to speak highly of its quality, and say it's hard to tell it apart from the name brand. In a YouTube video, one content creator pointed out that the only noticeable difference is that the Express Mac has smaller macaroni, but they also went on to speculate that the two products may both be produced by Kraft because of how similar they are. Blog Aldi Reviewer had equally positive comments, complimenting the price and the flavor.

The only potential downside of Aldi's Express Mac, customers have said, is its nutritional value. The product appears to be highly processed and heavy on sodium at 470 milligrams per serving. However, this is to be expected of an instant mac and cheese product, and it isn't far off from Kraft Mac & Cheese, which contains 490 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Kraft is widely believed to be the brand behind Aldi's parmesan cheese, so it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume it might also be responsible for the mac and cheese. However, just by reading the labels, you can determine that isn't the case, even though they are similar. The main difference is that the Aldi one is "made with real cheese" (cheddar, according to the ingredients list on the back), whereas the Kraft one is made up of "cheese sauce mix" and cheese cultures. The Kraft one, however, is free of artificial colors, preservatives, and dyes, while the Aldi one is only free of artificial colors.

Although the label doesn't explicitly state who manufactures Aldi's Express Mac, it's unlikely to be Kraft. In 2016, the product was recalled, during which the supplier was disclosed. Fourth Street Barbecue Inc. was named as the company behind the product, which also contained milk powder from Valley Milk Products LLC. There's certainly a possibility that the suppliers have changed since 2016, but either way, it's safe to say Aldi's Express Mac and Kraft Mac and Cheese Cups are presumably not the same product.