A cold glass of orange juice is a wonderful way to begin the day. That’s what it is supposed to be, anyway. Some orange juice brands simply do not deliver the goods.
To compile this list of orange juice brands to avoid, 24/7 Wall St. consulted five different food blogs, vlogs, and websites, along with reviews from shoppers on retail store websites. Only juices that received significantly low reviews were included in our list. Juices that were negatively reviewed on nearly all of the sites we consulted are found at the top (or, in this case, the bottom) of the list.
In the course of our research, we found some orange juice brands that were very well received by the reviewers. Brands such as Natalie’s, Simply Orange, Florida’s Natural, Tropicana, and Uncle Matt’s all fared very well. Each of these orange juice brands is a terrific way to kickstart your day.
However, we also found some orange juice brands that offer a rather unpleasant start to your morning. A few might make you want to crawl back into bed and forget that the morning ever happened.
Here is a look at 8 orange juice brands to avoid. These juices don’t put the “good” into a “good morning.” (And if you prefer an even sweeter start to the day, here is a list of ten chocolate milk brands to avoid.)
8. Juicy Juice
- Expected Price: $3.84
- Size: 64 fluid ounces
- Common Complaints: Lack of orange flavor
Juicy Juice Review
Admittedly, it feels a bit wrong to include Juicy Juice on this list. After all, it is 100% juice. There is no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors. It’s a high-quality product, to be sure. However, this is a ranking of orange juices, and Juicy Juice’s “Orange Tangerine” variety lacks a notable orange juice flavor.
A quick glance at the ingredient label shows why the orange juice flavor is seemingly absent. The first three ingredients are apple, pear, and grape juice concentrates. It is not until you reach the fourth ingredient that you’ll find orange juice.
As an overall quality juice product, Juicy Juice scores big points. As an orange juice, though, it misses the mark. However, you’ll still be yearning for a glass of Juicy Juice when you compare it to the other seven juices on this list.
7. Whole Foods 365
- Expected Price: $4.79
- Size: 59 fluid ounces
- Common Complaint: High price
Whole Foods 365 Review
If you shop at Whole Foods, you know that it is not necessarily the place for bargain-hunting shoppers. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest knocks against Whole Foods 365 orange juice is the high price point. However, shoppers who frequent Whole Foods willingly spend more because they believe they are receiving higher quality products in return. In the case of this orange juice, though, that is not necessarily the case.
A few reviewers in our survey noted that this orange juice is too sweet. Some compared it to a juice box, Capri Sun, or SunnyD (keep reading if you’re interested in that last one).
All in all, though, Whole Foods 365 orange juice was given a passing grade by most reviewers that we consulted. If the price was lower, it probably wouldn’t appear on this list. However, when a carton of orange juice approaches five bucks, consumers should expect it to be the greatest juice that ever juiced in the entire history of juice. This pretty-okay-tasting orange juice doesn’t come anywhere close.
6. Great Value
- Expected Price: $3.98
- Size: 63 fluid ounces
- Common Complaints: Too watery, sour flavor
Great Value Review
While some may joke about it, Walmart’s Great Value brand can be surprising. Some of the products are quite good, rivaling name brands which sell at much higher prices. Great Value orange juice cannot be counted among these pleasant surprises, though.
Some reviewers noted that it lacks sweetness, almost like the oranges weren’t allowed to ripen before they were juiced. Overly sour orange juice is not the way to start your day.
The other main knock against Great Value orange juice is its watery consistency. One review said, “It’s like you took mediocre orange juice and then added water.” The reviewer also noted that, while you can taste the orange flavor, it is “unacceptable muted.”
There is nothing “great” about Great Value orange juice.
5. Kroger
- Expected Price: $3.79
- Size: 52 fluid ounces
- Common Complaints: Bitter taste, odd texture
Kroger Review
Kroger orange juice is made from concentrate. In and of itself, that is not a reason for inclusion on a list of orange juice brands to avoid. However, the taste and texture of Kroger’s orange juice do seem to be adversely affected by the concentration process.
One reviewer noted that the juice was a dull yellow color, somewhat like “a sad banana.” That same review noted that this juice has “a suspiciously creamy texture.”
Multiple reviews noted the bitter, almost medicinal taste of the juice. One customer on Kroger’s website noted that this juice, “tastes like it is stored in a rubber hose.” Hyperbole? Probably. But the overall point is clear. Kroger orange juice is not very good.
4. SunnyD
- Expected Price: $3.56
- Size: One gallon
- Common Complaints: Artificial flavor, Overhyped nutritional value
SunnyD Review
Sunny Delight debuted in 1963. Over the next few decades, it became the drink of choice for millions of children. Parents, believing it was a healthier alternative to soda, readily purchased it for their kids. However, in 1999, a doctor in Wales reported that a young girl had turned orange and yellow due to overconsumption of the beverage. This news sparked a global backlash that decimated the sales of Sunny Delight. Procter & Gamble reformulated the beverage in an attempt to stop the free fall of worldwide sales. The name was changed from Sunny Delight to SunnyD.
Today, SunnyD is far less sweet than the original formula. Even so, high fructose corn syrup is still the first ingredient after water on the ingredient label.
There are a variety of juice concentrates in SunnyD’s “Tangy Original” beverage. Orange, tangerine, apple, lime, grapefruit, and pear juice concentrates are all included, though they account for just 5% of the total beverage. There is a good amount of Vitamin C in SunnyD, but the high sugar and artificial ingredients far outweigh any possible nutritional benefits.
Oh, and it just doesn’t taste very good, either. The name SunnyD is pretty appropriate because that’s the grade we would give it: a “D.”
3. Tang
- Expected Price: $4.22
- Size: 20-ounce jar
- Common Complaint: Fake orange flavor
Tang Review
Tang is a powdered beverage invented by food scientist William Mitchell in 1957. He is also the inventor of quick-set JELL-O, Cool Whip, and Pop Rocks. Tang, however, was not well-received when it debuted in 1959. That would all change because of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn purportedly drank Tang on his 1962 mission, and suddenly this previously overlooked powdered drink became the most popular item in the grocery store.
However, while Glenn and other astronauts made Tang cool for an entire generation of Americans, many of them actually hated the taste of it. Buzz Aldrin famously summed it up by saying, “Tang sucks.” And…it kind of does.
Tang mimics the flavor of orange juice, but there are no oranges to be found among the powdered ingredients. Sugar, fructose, and citric acid are the main ingredients.
If you are hurtling through space and real orange juice isn’t a feasible option, then Tang is probably a pretty good alternative. Here on Earth, though, you’ll be much happier if you opt for the real thing.
2. Tampico
- Expected Price: $2.78
- Size: One gallon
- Common Complaint: Bad aftertaste
Tampico Review
The label on each bottle of Tampico claims the concoction contained within is “irresistible.” In reality, this “juice” can and should be resisted quite easily.
One reviewer compared the taste of Tampico Citrus Punch to brushing your teeth immediately after drinking orange juice. And that is one of the nicer comments we found concerning this product.
While it is marketed as punch and not orange juice, the big, juicy orange on the label implies it belongs alongside real orange juice. It decidedly does not.
The first two ingredients in Tampico Citrus Punch are water and high fructose corn syrup. Three juice concentrates follow (orange, tangerine, and lemon), but they make up less than 2% of the total product weight. There are plenty of artificial ingredients and colors that complete this concoction.
At less than three bucks for a gallon, Tampico is the cheapest product in our survey. However, even at that low price, you are not getting your money’s worth. As one reviewer noted, “You’re much better off spending your hard-earned money on something that was grown in a grove rather than a lab.”
We heartily agree.
1. Bright & Early
- Expected Price: $1.79
- Size: 59 fluid ounces
- Common Complaints: Artificial flavor, Contains no juice
Bright & Early Review
Like Tampico, the first two ingredients in Bright & Early are water and high fructose corn syrup. Unlike Tampico which at least adds a cursory amount of juice to its product, there is no juice whatsoever in Bright & Early. In all fairness, the company does clearly display the words “No Juice” on the carton. However, the oversized orange displayed above it is clearly a bait-and-switch.
After the water and high fructose corn syrup, the following two ingredients in Bright & Early are citric acid to provide tartness and potassium citrate to regulate tartness. You may want to pause and read that again. One ingredient is added to provide tartness. And the very next ingredient is added to dial back that tartness. This sounds more like a chemistry experiment than a recipe.
Also, the only reason this product looks even remotely like orange juice is the addition of artificial colors. Who knows what it would look like were it not for the addition of Yellow 5 and Yellow 6?
The one saving grace for Bright & Early is the price point. It is among the cheapest options in our survey. However, if you are seeking a high-quality orange juice, this is the exact opposite of what you are looking for. You may drink this product early in the morning, but there is no way that it is going to make your “early” morning “bright.”
This “juice” is nothing more than a carton of citrus-flavored sadness.
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