Around one million boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese are sold each day. It is the king of boxed mac & cheese that has produced many competitors through the years. While Kraft is the original, is it really worth paying more for instead of going with a cheaper competing brand?
Here we compare Kraft vs Great Value Mac & Cheese to help you decide if the store brand lives up to the iconic Kraft brand. If you’ve already tasted both mac & cheese products, please vote for your favorite in our poll at the end of this article.
Kraft vs Great Value Mac & Cheese
Taste Test
Kraft was the winner of our blind taste test. It was creamy with an intense but not overpowering cheese flavor. The testers found the Great Value to be a bit on the bland side with the need for more flavoring such as salt and cheese. A mouthful of Kraft provided a pleasant cheesy flavor that lasted until swallowed. The same could not be said for Great Value. While it was tasty, it lacked the buttery/cheesiness punch that Kraft is known for.
While Great Value is a solid alternative to the Kraft brand, it isn’t on par with it. We’d occasionally purchase Great Value as a budget-friendly option, however, Kraft is superior and certainly one we would consider grabbing as our first option, along with the Annie’s boxed mac & cheese brand.
Appearance
Kraft Original is pictured left and Great Value is pictured right. The cheese sauce on the Kraft covered the macaroni noodles evenly and smoothly. However, the Great Value cheese sauce was a bit clumpy in some areas where the powdered cheese did not fully dissolve. Keep in mind that we prepared both macaroni & cheese brands the same.
Prices
We paid $0.98 for the box of Kraft Original and the budget-friendly price of only $0.34 for Great Value. Both box sizes were 7.25 ounces and each product was purchased at Walmart. Be aware that Great Value is a store brand of Walmart so generally, you aren’t going to be able to shop around for a better price elsewhere. However, Kraft is found at numerous stores. Here are some prices we found for Kraft Original in a 7.25 oz. size.
| Store | Price |
| Walmart | $0.98 |
| Target | $0.99 |
| Kroger | $1.00 |
| HEB | $0.91 |
| Safeway | $1.00 |
| Big Lots | $1.00 |
| Weis | $1.00 |
| Dollar General | $1.00 |
| Meijer | $1.00 |
| Harris Teeter | $0.99 |
| Albertsons | $0.99 |
| Average | $0.99 |
Given the $0.65 price difference between the two brands, it may be worth sampling Great Value if you haven’t already to see if you enjoy it enough to purchase regularly.
Ownership
Kraft – Kraft Mac & Cheese is owned by its parent company, Kraft Heinz. It was officially introduced in 1937 and became extremely popular during World War II as food rationing allowed people to obtain two boxes for one food ration stamp. While the brand is old, it is still regarded as the top boxed macaroni & cheese brand by many.
Great Value – This is a brand owned by Walmart that is primarily only found in its stores. The brand was launched in 1993 and has since provided products that deliver similar quality as many name-brand items at reasonable prices. The brand offers hundreds of goods to consumers such as cookies, canned goods, cream cheese, trash bags, household cleaners, toilet paper, and much more.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts taken from the box are reflected below for the prepared macaroni & cheese meals. Ultimately, the nutrition will vary based on what is used to prepare them. For example, the use of whole milk vs skim milk or margarine vs butter. See the boxes for complete details on nutrition.
| Kraft Original | Great Value Original | |
| Serving Size | Per 1 Cup Prepared* | Per 1 Cup Prepared** |
| Calories | 350 | 420 |
| Total Fat | 11g | 18g |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 11g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 10mg | 45mg |
| Sodium | 710mg | 690mg |
| Total Carb. | 50g | 55g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2g | 2g |
| Total Sugars | 10g | 10g |
| Protein | 10g | 10g |
| Vitamin D | 0% DV | 0% DV |
| Calcium | 10% DV | 8% DV |
| Iron | 15% DV | 10% DV |
| Potassium | 8% DV | 8% DV |
| *Prepared using margarine (4 tbsp.) with 0g trans fat and 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk | **Prepared using 4 tbsp. of butter or margarine and 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk |
Ingredients
Kraft Original – Enriched Macaroni (Wheat Flour, Durum Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [iron], Thiamin Mononitrate [vitamin B1], Riboflavin [vitamin B2], Folic Acid), Cheese Sauce Mix (Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Milk Protein Concentrate, Sodium Triphosphate, Contains Less Than 2% Of Tapioca Flour, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, With Paprika, Turmeric, And Annatto Added For Color, Enzymes, Cheese Culture).
Great Value Original – Enriched Macaroni (Wheat Flour, Durum Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Whey, Enriched Wheat Flour Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Modified Cornstarch, Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Bacterial Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Yeast Extract, Natural Flavor, Disodium Phosphate, Yellow 5, Yellow 6
Poll: Kraft vs Great Value Mac & Cheese
Please vote for your favorite between Kraft and Great Value Mac & Cheese if you have tried both.
