For many burger purists, there is only one cheese that goes with the classic American burger – creamy and salty American cheese. Others, however, feel that American cheese is over-processed and doesn’t have the depth of flavor of cheddar or Swiss cheese. The good news is that there is something called “new school” American cheese that combines the great melt of processed American cheese with higher quality ingredients.

A great way to try new school American cheese is the double-smash cheeseburger at Hoexter’s. Hoexter’s, an American brasserie on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, makes a classic double patty smash burger that showcases this product. We interviewed them and tried the burger to find out more.

What is New School American Cheese?

First of all, what exactly is New School American Cheese? While regular American cheese is delicious, it also contains a number of processed ingredients such as artificial colors and modified food starch. For some people, this can be off-putting.

New School American Cheese, created by chef Eric Greenspan and entrepreneur Alan Leavitt, aims to recreate the melty texture of classic American cheese with better ingredients. According to the ingredients list on New School American Cheese’s website, the product contains aged cheddar cheese (pasteurized sour milk, salt, enzymes), water, cream, sodium citrate, butter (cream), salt, paprika and turmeric.

“I’m absolutely in love with this product,” said Alexandra Shapiro, owner of Hoexter’s. “I love the taste, I love the way it melts, I love the tart taste. I love the better ingredients. It reminds me of the American cheese my grandmother used to buy when I was little.”

How does it taste?

We were able to try the Double-Smash Cheeseburger at Hoexter’s and found it to be an excellent take on an upgraded classic. The burger is straightforward – meat, cheese, special sauce and pickles. The 80/20 patties are thin and made from a combination of sirloin, brisket and ribs, all sourced from Allen Brothers, a top-notch meat supplier. The result is a tasty burger that will satisfy any burger craving.

In particular, the choice of two thin patties is not just for aesthetic reasons. “There’s something special about two thin patties,” Shapiro explained. “It gives you more surface area on each patty for grilling and more room for cheese.” The burger is also served with a special sauce. When we tried it, we found the special sauce to be quite mustard-heavy, which we think is a good balance to the richness of the beef and cheese.

Perhaps most importantly, each patty is topped with a slice of New School American Cheese. One bite is enough to tell you that this is an excellent cheese for burgers. It has the melty texture of a classic American cheese, but the tangy taste of a high-quality cheddar.