Not all OJ is real juice, and not all juice drinks are bad. We blind-tasted 20 to see for ourselves.
None made it
The Lineup: We tested 20 orange juices from grocery shelves and convenience stores, focusing on brands you'd actually find on a regular grocery run. We did not include concentrates and powdered juices, which fall into a different category in terms of price and format.
Juice vs. Drink: Take a close look at OJ packaging and you’ll find that not all OJ is created equal and the label tells you why. Juice is made from real fruit, squeezed or from concentrate. Drinks (or juice drinks) can have as little as 5–10% actual fruit, with the rest being water, sugar, and flavoring—check the percentage on the back of the pack.
Why We're Doing This: Orange juice is one of those things you just grab off the shelf without thinking twice. We wanted to see which ones actually taste like oranges—and whether the brand you've been buying since grade school is really the best use of your money.
How We Tasted: Each brand was poured chilled, straight from the container, and tasted as-is, the way most people actually drink it at home.
Blind Taste Test: All brands were removed from their packaging, labeled, and tasted blind to prevent brand bias.
How We Scored: Each brand was evaluated across 6 criteria. Final placements reflect the Pepper team's averaged impressions.
Transparency: No brand paid for inclusion in this taste test. Del Monte has been a past advertising partner of Pepper.
