All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
In our Taste Test series, BA editors conduct blind comparisons to discover the best supermarket staples (like vanilla ice cream or frozen pizza). Today, which store-bought orange juice is the best squeeze?
To make a (very) long story (relatively) short, the ancestors of the oranges we know today were originally cultivated in northeastern India, China, and Burma, before sweeping through Europe, and eventually arriving with the Spanish in Florida in the 16th century. Throughout the 19th century, sweeter new varieties of oranges were introduced and mostly sold as whole fruit.
It wasn’t until World War II that orange juice took center stage. As the story goes, soldiers needed vitamin C in their diets, and the “lemon crystals” originally included in their rations tasted awful. Orange juice was the solution. After scientists discovered how to make palatable OJ concentrate in the mid-40s, the drink was on its way to fame and fortune. Finally, a bit of Bing Crosby–centric marketing secured orange juice’s place in the American refrigerator. (If you want the long story, good for you—check out Alissa Hamilton’s book, Squeezed: What You Don’t Know About Oranges.)
Today, orange juice is a heavy hitter in cocktails (not just mimosas), a key ingredient in marinades, and a dedicated sprucer in veggie sides. Orange juice even makes appearances at dessert. Whether it’s in a recipe, or just in a glass each morning, you deserve the best orange juice there is.
To that end, we tested popular orange juice brands to find the sunniest bottle out there. We left out Natalie’s, by all accounts a beloved brand, because, after visiting four grocery stores, we couldn’t find it. If we couldn’t get our hands on a bottle, we reasoned you might have a hard time too. We also included orange juice squeezed in-store (from Whole Foods) to see how packaged OJ would compare to the real deal. And to our surprise, the fresh-squeezed stuff was outdone by a single brand. We judged each juice’s balance of sweet to sour, its texture from thick to thin, and its color and aroma. Here’s what we thought.
Mildly Medicinal: Kroger 100% Orange Juice Homestyle With Pulp
The ingredients: Kroger and Florida’s Natural orange juice are the only two in our taste test made from concentrate—and it shows. Orange juice concentrate is usually made by filtering the juice into a pulp and a serum, and then processing excess water out of that serum. It can then be stored (for a long time) and rehydrated for whenever it needs to be bottled and sold.
The verdict: Our cups of Kroger’s orange juice were a dull yellow, like a sad banana. Swirling the juice around revealed a suspiciously creamy texture. Commerce editor Carina Finn compared the taste to “an orange chewable vitamin,” and editorial operations manager Kate Kassin said it “kind of tastes like orange-flavored Emergen-C.” That medicinal, cloying taste was also why associate cooking and SEO editor Zoe Denenberg compared it to “a Creamsicle.” Low marks on texture, color, and taste mean Kroger came in dead last.
Sadly Stale: Florida’s Natural 100% Premium Orange Juice With Pulp
The ingredients: Contrary to what you might assume from the name “Florida’s Natural,” the juice isn’t made with solely Florida oranges. Instead, as the label explains, it’s made with Florida oranges as well as oranges from “the world's premier citrus-growing regions.” It’s not an uncommon practice. Per the USDA, in 2010, imported oranges made up about a quarter of orange juice drank in the United States.
The verdict: Sips of Florida’s Natural revealed some pros, and a lot of cons. Associate cooking editor Antara Sinha liked the acidity of the juice, and Kate was a big proponent of its bright, citric scent, but other tasters weren’t as complimentary. Senior commerce editor Noah Kaufman noticed a stale taste, and Zoe said that its balance of bitter to sweet was off. Ultimately, it was the sharp, bitter aftertaste that we couldn’t move past.
Super Sour: Tropicana Homestyle Some Pulp
The ingredients: What does “homestyle” orange juice mean? It’s nothing but a marketing technique meant to summon images of domestic orange juicing bliss—despite the fact Tropicana processes their oranges in factories like every other company.
The verdict: It looked okay, and smelled okay, but Tropicana Homestyle orange juice was not okay. It was, in fact, pretty bad. The scrunched-up faces of our testers after their initial sips were the first indication that Tropicana was too sour. The kind of sour, Antara said, that left a “squeakiness on your teeth.” Carina thought it “would work well as a mixer.” But Kate spoke for all of us when she said, flatly, “this would give me heartburn.” Think of your esophagus.
Acidic Aftertaste: Simply Orange High Pulp
The ingredients: Simply Orange, like many other brands we tried, is proudly “not from concentrate,” per its label, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely unprocessed. It still undergoes treatments like pasteurization—the process of heating the juice to kill dangerous bacteria—for safety and to extend its shelf life.
The verdict: Kate said she tasted more of that mouth-puckering acid, and not enough sweetness. Other tasters also noticed that this orange juice felt distinctly sharp. In addition to the cutting acid, tasters didn’t like how this juice coated their mouth. Instead of a clean, bracing sip, it clung to our tongues, lingering for longer than we wanted. “I can’t drink any more of this,” Zoe said, placing her cup down apologetically. We might not want a glass of Simply Orange every morning, but it would work well in a marinade.
Juice Box Dupe: Whole Foods 365 Organic Orange Juice
The ingredients: Whole Foods offers organic orange juices in both fortified and non-fortified varieties; the bottle we grabbed for our taste test had added vitamin D and calcium. Adding these vitamins is simply meant to boost their intake for adults and kids—a full circle moment for orange juice, which rose to popularity because the US Army needed its high vitamin content.
The verdict: “Egg-yolk yellow” was the exact color the group finally agreed on to describe this Whole Foods juice. We appreciated this beautiful hue, but unfortunately, it disappointed in taste. The consensus was that it was just too damn sweet. Kate described it as “juice box vibes,” Antara compared it to a Capri Sun, and Noah thought it tasted a lot like SunnyD. We’d prefer something with a smidge more sourness. Though, as Antara pointed out, that could mean Whole Foods’ juice might be especially kid-friendly. It might not be the best pairing for a mimosa, but it could be a hit in a lunch box.
Bright and Tart: Trader Joe’s 100% Orange Juice
The ingredients: Another sneaky labeling gimmick: 100% orange juice. This sounds rustic, but as orange juice expert Hamilton explains in a 2009 interview, “The largest producers of ‘not from concentrate’ or pasteurized orange juice keep their juice in million-gallon aseptic storage tanks to ensure a year-round supply. Aseptic storage involves stripping the juice of oxygen, a process known as ‘deaeration,’ so the juice doesn’t oxidize in the ‘tank farms’ in which the juice sits, sometimes for as long as a year.”
The verdict: What set Trader Joe's 100% Orange Juice apart from its fellow taste test competitors was its texture. It “had body,” as Kate described it. Each sip felt robust and substantial—not at all watery. In contrast to Kroger, our other viscous orange juice, Trader Joe’s had a fresh finish. Its bright, citric flavor didn’t cling to our tongue, so each sip allowed us to experience those strong, insistent flavors anew.
Satisfyingly Sweet: Uncle Matt’s Organic Orange Juice
The ingredients: Unlike many orange juices, Uncle Matt’s doesn’t sneakily include a flavor pack. What’s a flavor pack, you ask? Typically, as it’s stored and processed, orange juice loses a lot of natural flavors. As a solution, orange juice companies developed flavor packs, formulations of chemical flavorings, to recreate the taste of fresh OJ. (And since they’re made of chemical compounds derived from orange essence and oil, companies don’t have to list those ingredients on labels.)
The verdict: Uncle Matt’s calls itself “the nation’s number one selling organic orange juice company,” and after a few sips, our tasters could see why. Kate noticed it was slightly lighter than other juices—more of a saffron yellow than a lustrous ochre, and she loved its sweetness that held up well to the juice’s squeeze of acidity. Antara noticed a distinct floral note and Zoe remarked that Uncle Matt’s was missing the bitterness that others had. Overall it was an orange juice that stood up well to its competition—although its floral notes may be a bit strong for some.
Just the Best: Trader Joe’s Orange Juice Fresh Squeezed
The ingredients: Unlike most juices, Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed OJ isn’t pasteurized. Juice typically goes through a similar pasteurization process to most dairy products. Unpasteurized juice hypothetically has some level of risk to it, but all it effectively means is that the juice is more likely to expire on store shelves more quickly.
The verdict: “It smells peppery,” Zoe declared immediately on sniffing her paper cup of OJ. The rest of our tasters agreed—a peppery smell that reminded them of oranges juiced moments ago. First sips revealed a beautifully partnered sour-sweet dance, and there was a bright invigorating aroma. This was the only brand in our taste test that editors preferred to freshly squeezed juice. Our panel was singing its praises—an easy first place in our taste test.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published on December 8, 2023 and updated on December 11, 2023, to clarify that Uncle Matt’s does not include flavor packs.