We asked a panel of 64 consumers to blind-taste Innocent and Tropicana smooth orange juice alongside 10 cheaper own-label juices from supermarkets including Aldi and Asda and Tesco.
Innocent was the overall favourite, while Aldi's lower-priced orange juice came a close second.
See how the rest of the supermarket orange juices scored below so you can easily hunt down the best options for taste and value.
Eat well, live better and stay healthy.Best orange juice to buy
Innocent topped the rankings, but second-place Aldi is our top pick if you're after a great-tasting juice for less.
Several other supermarket juices scored well (and above Tropicana), so there should be decent cheaper options nearby even if the top picks aren't at a supermarket near you.
Best Buy: Innocent Pure Orange Juice Smooth - 78%
£3 for 900ml (33p per 100ml)
Tasters were impressed with the well-balanced citrus flavour and satisfying sweetness of Innocent's juice. It also got high marks for mouthfeel and appearance: 84% rated the colour spot on.
At 33p per 100ml, it's considerably more expensive than most own labels, but it's usually on offer somewhere, so it's worth shopping around to get the best deal. Currently it's £2.10 in Waitrose, making it 23p per 100ml, while Ocado is offering two bottles for £4.
The 900ml bottle is a little smaller than the standard 1-litre size that most juices come in, so bear this in mind when comparing prices across brands. You can buy larger 1.35 and 1.75-litre versions, which work out slightly cheaper per serving (and are also often on offer).
Available from , , , , and .Best Buy and Great Value: Aldi 'The Juice Company' Orange Juice Smooth - 77%
£1.49 for 1 litre (15p per 100ml)
Aldi's juice is our recommended pick if you're after a tasty, lower-priced alternative to the big brands.
Its sweet, tangy flavour hit the spot: our panel rated it more highly than almost every other supermarket own label overall.
As one of the cheapest on test (and less than half the price of Innocent), it's a great-value option if you're looking to cut costs without compromising on taste.
Available from .Co-op 100% Squeezed Orange Juice Smooth - 75%
£2 for 1 litre (20p per 100ml)
Another good own-label option, Co-op's juice tied in third place alongside Lidl and M&S.
Most panel members thought the strength of orange flavour, sweetness and sharpness were just right. However, they didn't like its mouthfeel as much as other juices, with a few people describing it as 'watery'.
Available from .Lidl Naturis Pure Squeezed Orange Juice Smooth - 75%
£1.49 for 1 litre (15p per 100ml)
While it didn't quite match up to our Best Buys, Lidl's OJ is worth considering if you're after a cheap and cheerful juice to enjoy with your breakfast.
It's the joint cheapest on test alongside Aldi's orange juice and was rated highly across the board, impressing on appearance, flavour and mouthfeel.
However, a third of our panellists said it wasn't sweet enough for their liking, so if you prefer a sweeter juice, it might not be for you.
Available from .M&S Pure Squeezed Orange Juice - 75%
£2.10 for 1 litre (21p per 100ml)
M&S's juice is the priciest own-brand option we tested, although it still offers a decent saving compared with the big brands.
Its appearance was a hit, with 88% of our panellists rating the colour just right. A third found the taste too sharp, though, so it's best for those who like a punchier flavour.
Available from .How orange juices from Asda, Tesco, Tropicana and more compare
The rest of the orange juices we tested scored similarly. None were terrible, but Asda fell slightly behind the pack, so regular Asda shoppers might want to try elsewhere for their orange juice fix.
Tropicana was rated reasonably highly, but was by no means a standout - you could get more for your money with an own brand, or opting for Innocent's higher-rated juice.
Morrisons 100% Fruit Smooth Orange Juice - 74%. Available from .Sainsbury's 100% Pure Squeezed Smooth Orange Juice - 74%.Available from .Tropicana Pure Smooth Orange Fruit Juice - 73%.Available from , , , , , and .Waitrose Smooth Orange Juice - 73%.Available from .Tesco 100% Pure Squeezed Orange Juice Smooth - 72%. Iceland 100% Pure Squeezed Orange Juice Smooth - 71%. Asda Tangy & Sweet Orange Juice Smooth - 68%. Available from .Prefer to make your own juice at home? See our pick of the .Is orange juice good for you?
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A 150ml glass of orange juice counts towards one portion of your five-a-day and is a good source of vitamin C. One serving will typically provide around 40-60% of your daily reference intake of vitamin C.
However, orange juice does contain naturally occurring 'free' sugars (usually 8-10g sugar per 100ml), so it's best to drink it with meals to minimise the impact on your teeth.
Even unsweetened fruit juice still contains a moderate amount of sugar, so the NHS recommends limiting the amount you drink to no more than 150ml per day, which is a small glass's worth.
The big portion size problem:Cartons vs bottles: which is easiest to recycle?
Orange juice cartons and plastic bottles can both usually go in your home recycling bin. Remember to give them a quick rinse and replace the lid.
It's worth checking with your council first, though. Until relatively recently, many didn't accept cartons due to difficulties separating the materials used to make them.
They're much more widely accepted now, but some local authorities might not be there yet, and each could have different rules about which of your recycling boxes to put them in.
How we tested orange juice
The products were assessed in June 2023 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume orange juice.
The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK.
Each orange juice was assessed by 64 people.
The panellists rated the flavour, mouthfeel, aroma and appearance of each product, and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. The order in which they sampled the orange juice was fully rotated to avoid any bias.
Each panellist had a private booth so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The overall score is based on:
Prices correct as of 24 July 2023.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/best-orange-juice-auYy60l2DPLQ