Everyone in my family loves orange juice, and lately we have been drinking a lot of Aldi orange juice - which is called Nature's Nectar 100% Pure Orange Juice.
I will admit it flat out that our favorite orange juice is Publix's 1 gallon orange juice from concentrate, and part of the reason is because it is uses oranges from Florida oranges, which basically means local for us. However, when the 1 gallon Publix orange juice went from $2.49 to $2.99 to $4.66 and then to $4.99, it just began to eat out big chunk of our grocery budget. We used to go through 2 gallons of orange juice every week, which meant $10 out of the budget.
When the Publix orange juice increased to $4.99 (it has been there for about six months now), I began looking around for alternatives. Our local Target has 1/2 gallon of orange juice for $2.29 which would be $4.58 for a gallon, and sometimes I have been able to find coupons at Target.com or get them printed out at the register, which meant I could get the price down to $3.58 for a gallon, other times Target has their 1/2 gallon orange juice on sale at $1.99 each.
I will admit it flat out that our favorite orange juice is Publix's 1 gallon orange juice from concentrate, and part of the reason is because it is uses oranges from Florida oranges, which basically means local for us. However, when the 1 gallon Publix orange juice went from $2.49 to $2.99 to $4.66 and then to $4.99, it just began to eat out big chunk of our grocery budget. We used to go through 2 gallons of orange juice every week, which meant $10 out of the budget.
When the Publix orange juice increased to $4.99 (it has been there for about six months now), I began looking around for alternatives. Our local Target has 1/2 gallon of orange juice for $2.29 which would be $4.58 for a gallon, and sometimes I have been able to find coupons at Target.com or get them printed out at the register, which meant I could get the price down to $3.58 for a gallon, other times Target has their 1/2 gallon orange juice on sale at $1.99 each.
However, for the most part we have switched to Aldi's orange juice - the Nature's Nectar 100% Pure Orange Juice from concentrate, which costs $1.79 for a half gallon, which is $3.58 for a gallon.
| Orange Juice | Origin | Cost Per 1/2 Gallon | Price Per gallon |
| Publix | Florida | n/a | $4.99 |
| Target | USA + Foreign | $2.29 | $4.58 |
| Aldi | USA, Belize, Brazil and Mexico | $1.79 | $3.58 |
There are two main differences between the orange juice from concentrate at Publix, Target and Aldi and that is the price and the origin. The taste does not differ much, and I would probably have a difficult time during a taste test. Aldi's orange juice the Nature's Nectar 100 % Pure Orange Juice has the right amount of sweetness, and the only thing I am missing is having an option with pulp.
Aldi also has the not-from concentrate Nature's Nectar's Orange Juice at $2.39, which is still cheaper at the per gallon price than the 1 gallon Publix orange juice, and I am actually a fan of Aldi's not from concentrate orange juice, but it is a once-in-a-while special treat due to to the extra cost.
My absolute favorite Aldi orange juice is the orange juice in carafe with pulp, but I am the only one in my family who likes orange juice with pulp, and since it is more expensive, I usually just stick to the regular orange juice from concentrate.
The fourth orange juice option at Aldi is the frozen orange juice concentrate which runs at about $1.09, but I have never tried it, so I cannot voice my opinion.
Did you try any of Aldi's orange juice? If so, what did you think?
we enjoy it in the carafe....it's just as great as the move expensive version
ReplyDeleteYes, Nora I agree. I have tried the Simply juices, and they are extremely similar, just at quite a price difference.
ReplyDeleteWe recently switched to the not-from-concentrate $2.39/carton OJ and love it. It tastes a lot like Simply Orange in our opinion. I also love that it is domestic. We had been using Kroger OJ from concentrate in the gallon jug. Now, for a small amount more, we have OJ that we love and it's not from Brazil or somewhere else. I love ALDI!
ReplyDeleteOur family uses the cans of O.J. concentrate and I have to say that it fooled the kids and they are pretty picky. Their Nana always has the "famous brand" O.J> in a carton .....but I can't afford to spend 3.50-4.00 per half gallon. The concentrate works great for us!
ReplyDeleteI've not tried their OJ, but I will have to. My husband went through the 2 Simply Orange I bought last week in under 2 days as I predicted...LOL So I may have to see if he likes Aldi's as much. He's probably turn up his nose at first, but I don't make a habit of buying OJ because it costs so much so I hadn't even looked at the Aldi price. I'll let you know what it is around here. I'll be back soon for milk. ;)
ReplyDeleteAmanda, if your husband likes the Simply Orange, the Aldi Orange Juice in carafe is extremely similar in taste, as Amanda (WV) and Nora mentioned above. I love the Aldi orange juice in carafe. I think it is priced between $2.39 - $2.59, but I'll have to do a price check tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteit was $2.39 at my store but they were sold out...oh well, maybe next time.
ReplyDeletebecause i try to drink low cal juices, i tend to buy powdered crystal light...which is actually cheaper on a pure half gallon basis.
ReplyDeleteI always buy the frozen Aldi OJ and run it through the blender. Tastes great! And more economical.
ReplyDeleteI saw on the carton of orange juice that it is a product of USA and Brazil. My concern is the fungicides found in orange juice from Brazil. Has Nature's Nectar been tested? I hope so, and hope it is clean.
ReplyDeleteYes, anonymous, this is one of my concerns as well. This is why my favorite orange juice is Publix's orange juice, because it is made from USA oranges only.
ReplyDeletealdi oj is great tasting and great price, it doesnt have that sour taste like most store brand gallons. i used to drink tropicana.but now is too expensive, also produce at aldi is much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteAldi's Nature's Nectar is my preferred orange juice. I was highly disappointed when they switched the not-from-concentrate to a plastic bottle. Please consider switching back to the cardboard carton - I only buy the "from concentrate" now to avoid the unnecessary plastic.
ReplyDelete