Orange Juice Taste Test

Orange juice is like liquid sunshine, and Americans quaff 1.6 billion gallons, on average, every year. To weed out the, er, lemons, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested 12 different orange juices?some with pulp, some without. See which ones our testers chose as their main squeeze.

First Place:

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company Gourmet Pasteurized Orange Juice ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) trounced the competition with its "fresh-squeezed" taste and "just the right amount of pulp." It's no wonder one participant wrote that it "tastes like a real orange": This brand contains nothing but 100 percent Florida orange juice ? squeezed, then pasteurized and shipped (not frozen or stored). (oijc.com)

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Florida's Natural Premium Home Squeezed Orange Juice ($3 for 64 fl. oz.) impressed with its "classic," "pleasingly fresh-squeezed flavor." However, a couple of tasters noted a slight bitterness.Runner-Up:

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Noble Organic Juice

While some taste testers found Noble Organic Juice ($4.29 for 32 fl. oz.) too sweet, most enjoyed its "floral" finish and smooth body.

(noblejuice.com) 120 calories per 8 oz. serving

 Simply Orange

Several participants found Simply Orange ($3.79 for 59 fl. oz.) too thin and "a little metallic" tasting, but agreed on its pleasant balance of sweet and tart.

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Tropicana Pure Premium Some Pulp

Taste testers deemed the pulp level ideal in Tropicana Pure Premium Some Pulp ($3.49 for 64 fl. oz.), but many disliked its slight acidity. One tester said it "tastes like it was made from concentrate."

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp

Although most participants commented on the "bitter aftertaste" of Tropicana Pure Premium No Pulp ($3.49 for 64 fl. oz.), most enjoyed its level of sweetness and found it "pretty tasty."

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Florida's Natural No Pulp

Almost all tasters agreed on the bitterness of Florida's Natural No Pulp ($3 for 64 fl. oz.), but many loved its texture and found it "a little more natural than the others."

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Organic Valley Pulp Free Orange Juice

Although some tasters found Organic Valley Pulp Free Orange Juice ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) reminiscent of "airline OJ," many found it "tangy" and fresh.

120 calories per 8 oz. serving

Odwalla Orange Juice

A few volunteers thought Odwalla Orange Juice ($3.29 for 15.2 fl. oz.) had an artificial flavor, while they all agreed that it tasted "sweet and sugary."

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Organic Valley Orange Juice with Pulp

Although many liked the amount of pulp in this juice, several participants agreed that Organic Valley Orange Juice with Pulp ($6 for 64 fl. oz.) "tastes more like a tangerine" than an orange and was a bit too tart.

120 calories per 8 oz. serving

Minute Maid Original

Just about every taster commented on the bitterness and "strange aftertaste" of Minute Maid Original ($3.29 for 64 fl. oz.); however, some enjoyed the "smooth texture."

110 calories per 8 oz. serving

Minute Maid Pulp Free

The majority of our volunteers found Minute Maid Pulp Free ($3.29 for 64 fl. oz.) sweet, but too thin with a "slight plastic" flavor.

110 calories per 8 oz. serving