I Tried 10 Brands of Orange Juice and This Is the One I’ll Buy From Now On

Walk into any grocery store’s beverage aisle, and you’ll find a flood of orange juice options. Choosing the right one can quickly become overwhelming, especially since many cartons and jugs look nearly identical. When faced with so many choices, it’s easy to grab one at random.

While this approach sometimes works, most of us have probably ended up with a carton of OJ  that tastes rancid or overly sweet, which is definitely not fun.

So, to help you avoid that disappointment and a spoiled breakfast, I gathered popular orange juice brands from grocery stores and major retailers to determine which ones are actually worth buying. I compared store brands, nostalgic favorites, and new arrivals, and found several strong contenders. Read on to discover which ones deserve a spot in your fridge.

How I Chose the Orange Juice Brands

Scouting orange juice brands was easy. Across grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, as well as larger retailers like Walmart, I found several widely available options. To keep the test consistent, I limited the selection to no-pulp varieties and excluded sugar-free options to ensure a level playing field for tasting.

How I Tested the Orange Juice Brands

To keep the test unbiased, I sampled each orange juice masked to avoid being influenced by certain brands. I paid close attention to whether each one tasted freshly squeezed or appeared to come from concentrate. Orange juice should taste sweet but not syrupy or artificial, so I also looked for a bright citrus flavor and deducted points for anything that tasted off or rancid. 

The Best Orange Juices, Ranked

10th Place: Great Value Orange Juice

I couldn’t finish a cup of this Walmart OJ. It had an artificial, almost chemical flavor. Made from concentrate and quite sugary, its profile came off cloying instead of refreshing. The consistency didn’t help either—instead of being smooth and easy to drink, it tasted heavy.

9th Place: Hannaford Orange Juice

I’ve found plenty of store-brand gems at Hannaford that really deliver, but unfortunately, its orange juice missed the mark. The first sip revealed a slightly syrupy consistency, and overall, it reminded me of the juice my mom used to buy and water down because it was too sweet on its own and packed with “made from concentrate” flavor.

8th Place: Florida’s Natural Orange Juice

Florida produces a huge amount of oranges, so I was excited to try this brand. Unfortunately, the juice didn’t live up to its reputation. Instead of refreshing sweetness, it had a rancid, sour flavor that lingered. The aftertaste gave away that it was made from concentrate rather than fresh juice.

7th Place: Tropicana Orange Juice

Funny enough, this was the brand of OJ I grew up with in my school lunch program, so the first sip brought on a lot of nostalgia. That said, the tartness felt a bit too sharp, and the sweet orange flavor didn’t come through strongly enough for me. On top of that, the consistency wasn’t as smooth as some of the other ones I tried.

6th Place: Minute Maid Orange Juice

Freshly squeezed orange juice sets the bar high, and once you’ve had it, going back to the usual stuff feels tough. This one poured well and looked like a classic cup of OJ, but the flavor came in sharp, overly tart, and bitter from the first sip. If you like your orange juice on the sour side, this might hit the mark. Personally, I’d stick with one of the top-ranked contenders that offers a more balanced profile.

5th Place: Simply Orange Juice

When I tried this OJ from Simply, the citrus flavor hit nicely at first. But after a few more sips, the tartness started to take over and ended up lingering a bit too long on my palate. The sweetness didn’t balance it out enough either. Compared to some of the standouts, it could use a smoother, more honey-like profile to round things out.

4th Place: Whole Foods Organic No Pulp Orange Juice

Whole Foods’ OJ contains only two ingredients: orange juice and orange juice oil. I appreciated the consistency of this drink because it had more body than most, which I didn’t mind at all. The flavor is more tart than sweet, and the stronger citrus profile keeps it refreshing without going overboard.

3rd Place: Kennesaw Orange Juice

Kennesaw has been selling orange juice since the early 1900s, so I felt genuinely excited to try this old-school brand. One sip in, and the nostalgia hit. It tasted just like the orange juice I loved as a kid, with that same balanced flavor and no hint of concentrate.

They pack each bottle with 100 percent squeezed oranges, and it shows. There’s no weird aftertaste and no artificial flavors, just real, straightforward juice done right.

2nd Place: Trader Joe’s Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Just like the name suggests, this OJ from Trader Joe’s tastes freshly squeezed. It’s bright and not overly sweet. The orange flavor comes through with a nice balance. It’s smooth and not too tart.

The consistency of this OJ stood out the most. It has the light, silky feel of a cold-pressed juice and is easy to sip. This is the kind of orange juice that works any time of day, whether you’re having it on its own with breakfast, mixing it with lemonade at lunch, or using it in a tequila sunrise at dinner.

1st Place Winner: Uncle Matt’s Orange Juice

One of my favorite things about traveling through places like Italy and France is starting the day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Uncle Matt’s brought me right back to those little café stops—it tastes just the same.

The flavor hits just right. Tangy, but not too sharp, with a subtle honey-like sweetness that keeps it balanced and super refreshing. Honestly, I could’ve finished the whole bottle in one go.

While digging into the brand, I found out they use organic Hamlin and Valencia oranges picked at peak ripeness, and you can tell because that freshness comes through in every sip.