No fridge is complete without a chilled bottle of orange juice, whether for a breakfast pick-me-up or an afternoon treat.
Tropicana is the top dog when it comes to sales in the UK, and the OJ dominates the chilled section in most supermarkets.
But how does it compare when tested against the best of the supermarket own-brands?
We took to the kitchen – as well as the streets – to find out whether Tropicana is the king of the cooler, or if a zesty upstart can pip it at the post.
We’re back with our third instalment of Battle of the Brands, our weekly series aiming to help readers grab a food shop bargain as the cost of living crisis continues to affect everyone across the country.
How is the team planning on doing this? Well, we’re putting a range of the nation’s favourite branded products to the test against supermarket own brands.
This week, the Tropicana drinks are free for the food & drink squad and the lucky members of the public that took part in our taste test. But what wins out?
Who knows, you may even find yourself preferring the alternatives – and your wallet would likely thank you for it, too.
The items we tried against Tropicana Orange Juice were:
- Tesco 100% Pure Squeezed Orange Juice
- Morrisons 100% Smooth Orange Juice
- Co-op Orange Juice Smooth
- Lidl’s Naturis Pure Squeezed Orange Juice
Tropicana Smooth Orange Juice
Price: £1.60 per 900ml
The Tropicana brand last year was partly sold by Pepsi owner Pepsico, which suggests the public taste for 100% orange juice may be waning because of all the sugar in fruit juice.
But that doesn’t stop Tropicana from tasting delicious (though that may also be down to all the sugar – a relatively solid 8.4g per 100ml).
Everyone on the tasting panel enjoys the chilled OJ, and its tangy bitterness. But how will it compare with the best of the supermarket brands?
Overall team scores:
- Value for money: 3/5
- Nutritional value: 3/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Mouthfeel: 4/5
Tesco 100% Pure Squeezed Orange Juice
Price: £1.60 per one-litre
Tesco’s premium OJ line delighted the panel and was deemed much fresher than Tropicana by Julia.
Everyone was happy with the price, too. Tropicana is around twice the cost of the Tesco OJ when size differences are taken into consideration. It is also comparable in terms of sugar content, though the Tesco brand does edge Tropicana slightly with 10g of sugar per 100ml.
All in all, the Tesco OJ was the best of the supermarket brands so was taken out onto the street for a public vote. Watch the video to hear the views of people on the street.
Overall team scores:
- Value for money: 4.5/5
- Nutritional value: 2/5
- Taste: 4.5/5
- Mouthfeel: 4/5
Meanwhile, to hear our thoughts on the supermarket alternatives from Morrisons, Co-op and Lidl, watch our Battle of the Brands video above.
Public verdict
Out on the streets, the response to the 100% orange juices was… diluted.
Some people preferred the taste of Tropicana, but there was a lot of love for the Tesco OJ, with some tasters even pledging to buy some for themselves on their next trip to the supermarket.
Ultimately, it was a moral victory for Tesco, which clearly has an excellent orange juice. And one that is half the price of Tropicana.
Tune in next week when we’ll be putting Walkers’ famous shortbread up against supermarket brands to find out which is the best.
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