If you live in the East, South East, or Mid- Western parts of U.S. The big name brand for Cottage Cheese and other dairy items is Breakstone’s. In the Western parts the big name is Knudsen’s. Both Cottage Cheese brands have been absorbed by Kraft Foods. I stumbled into a rare opportunity to get my hands on some Breakstone’s Cottage Cheese in Phoenix AZ. I thought I’d see how the two measure up against each other. But first is a little bit of story about these brands.
Knuden’s was at one time a family owned business that made cottage cheese and other items that got mostly bought out by Kraft.
On the Breakstone’s Container it states that they were established in 1882 and according to the commercials I grew up with Breakstone’s was founded by Sam Breakstone.
I don’t know for sure but according to what I read on the internet the Sam Breakstone’s Name might be somewhat fictitious?????????? There is LOTS of documentation that The Breakstone Name is linked to many named Lithuanian immigrants from the New York Lower East Side named Breakstone from the pre 1900’s that were involved in the dairy business. Brothers, cousins, distant relatives all named Breakstone are linked to the dairy business all where the “real” or “fictitious” Sam Breakstone came from.
Jordon Davis of www.FindingSamBreakstone.BlogSpot.com dedicated his WHOLE BLOG to researching all people that he could find name Sam Breakstone in America that were alive in 1882. He was aiming on finding the real Sam Breakstone of from what we know as Breakstone’s . He digged up records on about SEVENTEEN Sam Breakstones and isn’t satisfied that any of the Sam Breakstones He has found (even though in the dairy business) were actually the founding Sam Breakstone of the 1882 established dairy.
Some of us of a certain age from certain parts of the United States remember the likable character from Breakstone commercials named “Sam Breakstone.”(he’s the same actor from the Dunkin Donuts Commercial, “Time to make the donuts” guy) In the commercials Sam Breakstone turned down lots of milk because it wasn’t good enough for his products. He was a real stickler. (well that’s the way I remember it..think it went that way) Oh I found a bunch of old Breakstone’s Commercials that live on youtube. Most were made from 1977-80.
“Not GOOD enough!” “NOT GOOD ENOUGH” “I wouldn’t feed it to a dog!”
“Not thick enough.” NOT THICK ENOUGH!”
I had difficulty researching Breakstone’s and Knudsen’s varieties of cottage cheese that they used to sell before they were bought out by Kraft. It seems that information disappeared or never was found on the web. But I remember Breakstone’s use to sell the cottage with a variety of curd sizes and different fat contents. I don’t recall Knudsen’s because it wasn’t sold were I lived most of my life.
Now back to the two brands of Cottage Cheese…..
Both Cottage Cheeses are low fat and 2% milk fat and are small curd. Both Cottage Cheese have the same amount of calories and fat.
The main ingredients in Breakstone’s are skim milk and cream, plus 8 ingredients.
Knudsen’s main ingredients are Fat free milk and cream, plus 10 ingredients.
You can see the texture differs some.
Knudsen on the right has harder, drier curds and is much saltier tasting.
Breakstone’s on the left has more difference between the curds and whey.
Knudsen’s almost seems like it was blended together.
Breakstone’s taste milkier maybe because it isn’t so salty.
Breakstone’s and Knudsen’s do taste different.
The Forking Truth
www.FindingSamBreakstone.BlogSpot.com.
Sam Breakstone is definitely a mythical family patriarch invented by Kraft Heinz for branding and marketing purposes.
During the 1050’s, via their Bronx based New Amsterdam Cheese venture, my family was the largest Breakstone’s distributor in metro NYC (Breakstone Foods/ National Dairy’s largest market). My father and grandfather dealt with a real life person named Sidney Breakstone (the true de facto family patriarch) -and perhaps Sidney’s full name did not resonate with the focus groups.
Who, outside Kraft and their advertising firm(s) could possibly know with certainty what the actual business calculus was that led to the Sam Breakstone fiction?
How interesting! Thanks for the inside story!
I remember Knudsen growing up in California in the 60’s and 70’s. It was a drier very tiny curd cottage cheese. It wasn’t slimy or runny like this stuff is now. I would love to see the original Knudsen make a comeback. I hate this other stuff.
It’s a shame that some things change. Many things used to be better. I know M&Ms changed too.
I’m from California, and now live in Ohio. I love Knudsen’s yellow container cottage cheese. Wish I could get it her. I do not like Breakstones. I tried to find a company that will ship it to me and haven’t had any luck.
Yes, You are not the only one that prefers the yellow container Knudsen’s to the Breakstones. Someone else said that they also prefer the Yellow Container Knudsen’s to the Breakstones. The yellow container Knudsen’s is also a higher milk fat (4% instead of 2%) so I don’t think it’s as fair as a comparison as the container I tried but it’s nice that they make different formulas for different needs and tastes. Thanks for the interest and comment.
I use to love Breakstone cottage cheese from Sams club. Every since the recall it taste “slick” hate how it feels on my tongue. I wont eat it. Make me sad it was my source of calcium. Please fix it!
I used to live in Knudsen country. LOVED the small curd cottage cheese.
I have lived in Breakstone country for about 10 years and have been woefully unimpressed with Breakstone’s 2% “small curd” cottage cheese. It isn’t small at all and it’s too loose and liquidy.
BUT!! This week, I decided to try Breakstone’s 4% cottage cheese and it has the consistency and taste how I like it! Not “watery” or loose at all. I’m back in love with cottage cheese.
I wish you would’ve used the yellow Knudsen container with 4% milk fat; It is delicious. Of course, I can’t find it in the East, but just came back from the Pacific Northwest and brought some back. It’s not so much an issue for me because I divide my time between different homes, but absolutely, Knudsen’s is better than Breakstone’s; there is a sourness to Breakstones you don’t find in Knudsen’s.
Interesting, I never tried the yellow container maybe it’s better? The day I tried them I didn’t get the bitterness but I will try them again sometime. Thanks for the comment!