Best Reviewed
Cheesecake
- Best traditional cheesecake Juniors Plain Cheesecake *Est. $30
- Best cheesecake for non-traditionalists Eli's Cheesecake Couture Cheesecakes *Est. $40
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Best traditional cheesecake
- Rich texture
- Website is easy to navigate
- Sponge-cake crust holds up to shipping
- Ships frozen with ice packs
- Some prefer graham-cracker crust
- Overnight shipping costs $20
On gourmet food blogs and magazines, reviewers identify Junior's as the best bet for traditional, New York style cheesecake. This three-pound, eight-inch cake, which serves 12, earns critics' praise for its rich, dense, slightly tangy filling. The sponge-cake crust, however, divides reviewers: Some like it better than a graham-cracker crust, which can become soggy during shipping, but others say it's not a good match for the filling. If you're looking for a cheesecake with an all-butter cookie crust and more culinary flair, reviews say that Eli's Couture Cheesecakes (*est. $40 plus shipping) -- which come in such flavors as Blood Orange Champagne and Burnt Caramel Cheesecake Flan -- are excellent.
We read reviews of Junior's plain cheesecake in Cook's Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, SeriousEats.com and the Rosengarten Report. We also read candid consumer reviews posted to Ask.MetaFilter.com. The Cook's Illustrated review is the largest and most detailed, but David Rosengarten's endorsement carries a good deal of weight: the former Food Network host samples thousands of prepared foods annually and selects only the cream of the crop for his newsletter. Note that the pumpkin cheesecake he recommends is only available seasonally.
Our Sources
1. Cook's Illustrated MagazineDetails/Subscribe
Cook's Illustrated staff review nine cheesecakes, Junior's of Brooklyn Plain Cheesecake among them. Editors rate cheesecakes for flavor and texture, commenting on each. We wish editors paid more attention to packaging, however.
Review: Mail-Order Cheesecake, Editors of Cook's Illustrated, Mar. 2007
The Wall Street Journal's tasting panel, which includes a hotel chef, samples five plain, traditional cheesecakes available by mail. Junior's Restaurant emerges the winner for its dense, creamy consistency.
Review: Catalogue Critic: Giving Thanks, With Cheesecake, Troy McMullen, Nov. 10, 2006
Levine lists seven "indisputably delicious" cheesecakes in this update to his 2004 New York Times cheesecake review. The popular Junior's cheesecake is "fine," but others are "phenomenal."
Review: The Best Cheesecakes in New York (and Therefore the U.S.?), Ed Levine, Sept. 27, 2007
Levine's top two mail-order cheesecakes are Junior's and Eileen's. If he had to choose, he'd go with Eileen's lighter version, but Junior's "obscenely rich primordial ooze" is "legendary."
Review: Give the Gift of Noshing, Ed Levine, Dec. 19, 2006
David Rosengarten lists several of his favorite holiday treats, but we're not sure how large his sample size was. Junior's pumpkin cheesecake, a cross between cheesecake and pumpkin pie, makes the list. Rosengarten raves about its "great dairy flavor" and "pumpkin pie spices."
Review: Best Mail-Order Holiday Desserts, David Rosengarten, Dec. 2005
A reader asks where he can find a great mail-order cheesecake, and 13 contributors chime in with suggestions. Junior's, Eileen's and Eli's are all mentioned more than once.
Review: Mail Order Cheesecake?, Contributors to Ask MetaFilter
