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What are the Best Coconut Waters – We Rate 35 Brands

By PDX Food Dude Last Update January 17, 2021

Best coconut watersBest Coconut Waters

Updated 1/2021 – mostly prices with a few new impressions.

What are the best coconut waters? Judging by the amount of shelf space devoted to them in grocery stores, coconut water is a popular item. Not being a huge fan of the fruit, I had never tried it until it was recommended to me by several doctors. They extolled the virtues: low in calories (the average is 55  per serving), lots of electrolytes, more potassium than a banana, no fat, no cholesterol, and an easy way to hydrate. I decided to give it a try and picked up a carton at Trader Joe’s. It was terrible; I nearly spit it out. It was weeks until I gave another brand a try. The second, Amy & Brian’s was much more pleasant and easy to drink, which led me to investigate the wide variety of brands available.

Some of their websites promise all kinds of miracles. For example, CocoFresh claims to “help with rashes, kill intestinal worms, check urinary infections, is a tonic for senior citizens & sick people, cure malnourishment, treat kidney & urethral stones and eliminate poisons”. Another “increases semen, promotes digestion, and is a “proven pitta-pacifier” with a pranaropana-life-restoring-capacity”. Huh?

Over the last six months, I have tried many brands and have found a huge variation in taste. Some were too sweet, some bitingly acidic, others tasted like a chemical brew, and a few had little flavor at all. It occurred to me that it would be worth the time to do a taste test: What are the best coconut waters?

Coconut WatersI held tastings over four nights with 17 intrepid friends, rating 18 brands in a blind tasting (additional brands were added in later tastings). Here are the results, with the top brands listed from lowest score to highest.

One issue that gave us fits – inconsistency. At first, I thought I was losing my mind when I did tastings with the second and third groups – ratings were very different than the first group. After buying samples of the same water over three months, it became clear that aside from the big-name brands such as O.N.E or Naked, the overall taste varied considerably from batch to batch. The smallest, least processed waters such as Harmless Harvest had a wide variation in taste, with two groups calling it the best, and two groups the worst. This is the reason you’ll see divergent comments in the ratings, but in the end, enough people participated in the tasting with samples from different sources so that the averages worked out. I discussed the issue with a couple of juice company representatives, and was told that “much like wine, the flavor of each coconut varies, especially from season to season and the age of the coconut”. Apparently, young coconuts are best for water whereas older once are best for industrial uses. In addition, some brands add “natural flavors” or sugar to ensure consistency between batches. Therefore, these ratings are subjective, based on the taster’s preferences, and the particular batch of water. I did go out of my way to buy one of each brand from three different stores.

One trend over the years since this report was first published is the rise of more “artisanal” coconut waters. For instance Trader Joe’s cheapest coconut water is rated dead last, but their refrigerated version earns a much more respectable 8th place. Also, prices on coconut waters go up and down like the stock market. If you check different stores, you can find a price difference of $1 per can within the same brand. For this reason, though I update the prices regularly, you may find differences. One thing I did highlight is whether they have been pasteurized as this is thought to make a difference in nutritional value. We’ve changed our list of best coconut waters – the “Not recommended and “Fair” are no longer ranked by order of preference. There were so many similarly bad waters it was becoming tedious to rank them.

Not recommended:

Blue Monkey coconut water in blue glass bottleBlue Monkey: Metal can, non-organic, no additives, flash pasteurized., $0.12/Fl Oz. The Philippines. BPA free.

On a June 2019 trip to the bay area, I picked up a new version in a fancy blue bottle. It had a good toasted coconut flavor but was overly sweet. Between the bottle and the French writing on it, It feels like a gimmick. The rating remains the same.

  • Comments: “Lingering chemical aftertaste”. “Overpowering chemical aroma”, “Heavy”, “Dull”, “Way too sweet!”, “Metallic”.

CocoCoast: Metal can, organic, 100% “green coconuts”. We found this at Providore Fine Foods, a local, upscale grocery store. They usually carry top-notch products, and even though it was $3.39 a can, we bought two based on Providore’s reputation.

  • Comments: “Sugar, sugar, sugar!”, “OMG, this is one of the worst ones you’ve made us taste”, “has a metallic finish”, “I grew up in the Philipines and this is nothing like I grew up with”, “Too sweet!”.

Coco Joy: Metal can. From Vietnam. $0.20/Fl Oz. They claim no added sugar/preservatives and not from concentrate. I find that hard to believe. Another terrible coconut water, this tastes like sugar with a hint of coconut. For the limited Covid panel, we couldn’t get it down. This stuff is just wrong.

  • Comments: “This is awful!”, “Why do you keep doing this to us?”,  “Undrinkable”. “Throw the rest away”, “It’s like drinking glucose”.

Coco Libre: Paper container, water, organic coconut concentrate, and “natural flavors,” flash pasteurized. $0.22/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Salty”, “Awful x 3”, “Heavy”, “tastes like something dairy”, “You need a spit cup”.

Full Circle and Foco Coconut Waters

Festival Coconut Water: this brand recently appeared in most major stores as well as online. The price is right – $0.15/Fl Oz. 100% organic. Metal can. Thailand. We just retested this with the full panel. The cost per can has jumped 49 cents since 2019. (Retested 8.27 with the same results – we both spit it out.)

  • Comments:  “Cardboard taste”, “Nasty!”, “Terrible aftertaste”, “Nutty, but a bit too sweet”, slight chemical aftertaste”, “if you’ve got any more of this, throw it away!”. This is truly one of the worst we’ve tasted.

Nature Factor: Metal can, organic, no additives, high-temp pasteurized.  $0.20/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “If this was representative of the others, coconut water would have no future”. “Smells like a pond”. “Woody”, “Too sweet”

O.N.E.: Paper container, non-organic, contains water, sugar, coconut concentrate, “natural flavors”, flash pasteurized, $0.13/Fl Oz. Owned by Pepsi

  • Comments: “Oddly salty”, “Bland x 5”, “Simple”, “Not too sweet”, “Off taste”, “Foul”, “Oh hell no!”, “Chemical taste”.

Refreshe: Paper container, non-organic, vitamin C added, flash pasteurized., $0.13/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Could hardly get down”, “Caramel”, “Too sweet – x 12”, “Tastes like cherry Koolaid”, “Awful”, “Unpleasant smell” – Safeway brand.

Tasco Young Coconut Juice – Metal can, includes sugar, preservatives. Flash Pasteurized.

  • Comments: “Ugh – tastes like chemicals” “Too damn sweet”. This water cost us only $1.19 at an Asian market, making it one of the lowest-priced, but I would never buy it again.

Taste Nirvana Young Coconut Juice: Glass container, non-organic. Cane sugar, sodium metabisulfite added. Don’t confuse this with our top-10 listing which leaves out the word “young.”

  • Comments: I didn’t even bother to put this before the group. I’m sure I speak for all of them when I say this was the worst we’ve ever tasted. To be fair, they call this “juice”, not water, but it looks and is labeled much like their regular coconut water. The clear glass bottle is rather pretty with long strips of coconut floating in it, but that is where the good ends. It’s like drinking a mouthful of brown sugar – almost to the point of being syrupy. It also contains 5 grams of saturated fat and 10 grams of sugar in 9.5oz. Most coconut waters have 0 fat and 100 calories in a 16.2oz container. I’m not a fan of sweet drinks to start with, but I couldn’t finish the bottle. Don’t confuse this with Taste Nirvana Real Coconut Water which is currently at #2 on this list.

Trader Joes Coconut WaterTrader Joe’s Pure Coconut Water: Paper container, non-organic, vitamin C added, flash pasteurized. $0.25/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: The judging was universal – it was the worst of the entire group. We found it acrid and bitter, yet watery. I couldn’t drink the leftover water and ended up pouring it out. This is the non-refrigerated version.

Trader Joe’s Organic King Coconut Water – Cardboard container with an attached straw. USDA Organic, not from concentrate. Sri Lanka. $0.16/Fl Oz. We were not impressed by yet another version of coconut water from Trader Joe’s.

  • Comments: “Watery”, “lacks body”, “tastes cheap”, “there are coconuts in this?”, “I wouldn’t pay for this”.

Fair:

365 Whole Foods: Metal can, non-organic, no additives, flash pasteurized, $0.11/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Middle of the road”, “Easy drinking”, “Drinkable”, “Pleasant”.

C20:  Metal can, non-organic, no additives, high-temp pasteurized, $0.18/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Bland x 3”,  “Smooth”, “Average”. “Awful!”, “Sugary”. Retasted 4.19 – “Nasty!”, “Even worse than before”, “Plastic taste”, “Foul”.

Cadia All Natural: Metal can, no added ingredients. Flash Pasteurized. Thailand. Updated 2.19

  • Comments: “Ugh… nasty”, “Astringent”, “No body”,  “Lousy aftertaste”, “Off taste”. “Not refreshing”. “Way down my list”, “Throw the rest out”.

CoCo Fresh: Metal container, non-organic, no additives, $0.22/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “not a hint of taste”, “Not much fragrance”, “Icky”, “Unremarkable”, “Smooth, but so is water”, “Bland”.

Columbia Gorge Coconut WaterColumbia Gorge Organic – Plastic container, organic, no additives, cold-pressed, distributed refrigerated. Thailand. $0.23/Fl Oz. Information is sparse – not much on the web and CGO’s website is terribly outdated and not mobile-friendly. I generally like CGO products but wasn’t impressed with this one. But the taste is what you are here for:

  • Comments: “Wow, I thought this would be better; it’s so bland”. “No depth… a very flat taste”, “The mouthfeel is a little off”, “$4! – It’s not worth it”.

Foco: Cardboard container. From Thailand. Not listed as organic. No added sugar/preservatives. Various sizes. $0.07/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Bland”, ” Watery”, “Not offensive but not particularly good”, It lacking something to make it stand out from the pack”, “Ok for the price, but not particularly enjoyable”.

Full Circle Market: Cardboard container. Contains ascorbic acid. Not organic. Origin not clear. $0.10/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: The vitamin C which is added as a preservative is not nearly as overwhelming as other brands that use it. “Light, easy-drinking”, “fairly refreshing beverage”, “Innocuous”, “Middle of the road”, “nothing to write home about, but okay”.

Harvest Bay Coconut WaterHarvest Bay: an 8.45 oz. cardboard container with a “sippy straw”. Thailand. $0.21/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Tastes off.”, “Chemical tones”, “Flat”, “No, I wouldn’t buy this”, “Near the bottom of my list”, “Doesn’t taste much like anything”.

Naked: Paper container, non-organic, added fruit sugar, flash pasteurized, $0.13/Fl Oz. Flash Pasteurized. Added sugar. Owned by Pepsi. USDA Certified Organic. According to news reports, they have had a class action lawsuit for using GMOs and deceptive labeling.

  • Comments: “Bland”. “Tastes like plastic”, “Nothing special”, “Tastes off”.

Vita Coco:  Paper container, non-organic, <1% fruit sugar, ultra-high temp pasteurized, vitamin C added. $0.14/Fl Oz. Some versions use carrageenan

  • Comments: “Not bad”, “Just ok”, “Bland”, “Better on 2nd pass”, “Better warm”, “Fruity”, Citric acid taste”, “Average”, “Boring”, “Smooth”.

Wild Harvest: 100% coconut water, no artificial colors/flavors, no preservatives. “Micro filtered”. 8oz can. $0.10/Fl Oz. This is a recent entry that is showing up everywhere. Don’t confuse this with Harmless Harvest which is in our top-10.

  • Comments: “Innocuous”, “Bland”, “Not unpleasant”, “Would do in a pinch”, “Price is right”, “Slight off taste”.

Zico: Plastic container, non-organic, not from concentrate. Non-GMO. 100% coconut water, ultra-high temp pasteurized. $0.14/Fl Oz. Owned by Coca-Cola (this review updated for new formula 7/17 ). Ultra-high temperature pasteurization.

  • Comments: “Ok”, “Unremarkable”, “Bland”, “Middle of the pack”, “Grassy”, “Simple”, “Tastes like plastic”. [The comments above have been updated since they reformulated the product and it moved up the listings.]

Kirkland (Costco): cardboard container. Sold in packs of 12. Product of the Philippines. Cardboard container. 11.1 oz.  Organic coconut water, organic sugar, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). Advertised as “99% juice”. The tasting panel argued over this one and ended up being split 50/50. Vitamin C usually gives a nasty aftertaste and this followed that trend. The biggest critics are from those on the panel who grew up in Thailand and the Philippines”.

  • Comments: “It smells like piss”, “Slightly soapy”, “Tastes like old coconuts”, “Smooth”.

Kroger brand – Simple Truth: cardboard container, organic, no additives. Philipines. This was so similar to Thirsty Buddha (below) that we think it may be the same company. In our 2019 tasting, it was $.89. In 2020, $1.50, and the taste has gone downhill. $0.24/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Tastes watered down”, “Not much flavor”, Easy drinking”, “Another bland one”, “Slightly astringent”, “Smooth”, “Not too sweet”, “Oily aftertaste”.

Good:

13. Amy & Brian’s: Metal container, organic, no additives, flash pasteurized. $0.18/Fl Oz. No GMO’s, no preservatives. When Re-tasted 2.19 the tasters weren’t as impressed because of high sweetness – interesting as there are no added ingredients.

  • Comments: “Watery”, “Bland”, “Too sweet”, “Wow – too sweet!”, “Mellow”, “Brown sugar”, “Better than most”, “Could do in a pinch”.

12. Thirsty Buddha: Cardboard container, organic, no GMO’s, Philippines. See note on Kroger above. We picked this up at T.J. Max for $.89.

  • Comments: “A bit watery”, “Bland but refreshing”, “light”, “Smooth”, “Not much body”, “Not much character”, “Slightly astringent”.

11. Trader Joe’s 100% Pure (cold case): Plastic container, organic, no additives, cold high-pressure processed, $0.25/Fl Oz. Re-tasted 2/18

  • Comments: “Actually tastes like coconuts”, “Not as sweet as the others”, “Refreshing”. “Expensive for Trader Joe’s”

Can of Maui & Son's Coconut Water

10. Maui & Sons: Cardboard container. Product of Vietnam (seems a bit deceptive to have Maui prominently in the name). 100% coconut water – not organic, but no preservatives. $0.08/Fl Oz. I’m getting some surprising waters as friends have started sending them to me. This, from Home Goods, was a surprise for all of us.

  • Comments: “Very easy drinking”, “Not a lot of character and no toasty notes, but refreshing nonetheless”. “Not too sweet”, “I could drink this on a regular basis – especially as coconut water cost keeps rising”, “I’m surprised how easy this goes down”.

9. Obrigado: cardboard container. No additives/sugar. Water is processed without exposure to light or air, which is supposed to make it better.

  •  We were surprised it didn’t place higher on this list, but the two samples we bought had a slightly off taste, with hard edges. Comments were all over the place: “Tastes more like home than most”, “a bit one dimensional but still good”, “doesn’t taste very coconutty”.

8. Zola: Metal container, non-organic, <1% sugar, $0.24/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “Too sweet”, “Very toasty”, “Good coconut flavor”, “I actually could drink this daily”, “Complex”, “Layered”, “Like toasted almonds”, “Refreshing”, “Best of the bunch”

Best Choices:

Real Coco Organic Coconut Water bottle7. Real Coco Organic – Cardboard container. Organic. From Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. 100% coconut water, no additives. $0.15/Fl Oz. I’ve seen this frequently at Costco’s in the California Bay area.

  • The jury is still out on this one; only two of the tasting panel have tried it because of Covid-19. When cold, it’s quite refreshing with a light rounded flavor, good body. It easily belongs in the top 10, however, when it warmed up a bit as it might if you were drinking it through a meal, it takes on the slight aroma of a damp rag. The other taster said I was crazy, but, after I pointed it out, he said it was all he could think about. Unfortunately, I’ve got a crazy good nose for picking up subtle odors. We’ll get back to this when we can get 10 people in a room again, but for now, I’m putting it at #7.
  • Comments to come.

6. Purity Organic: Paper container, organic, water/coconut concentrate, flash pasteurized, $0.18/Fl Oz.

  • Comments: “A bit syrupy, but very nice taste”, “Refreshing x 4”, “Quenching”, “Crisp”, “Nice finish”, “A little too sweet”.

5. Original Villager Natural Coconut Water: Paper container. No added ingredients.  Certified USDA Organic. 33.8 oz. The Philippines $0.15/Fl Oz. Note: This company may have gone out of business – it doesn’t seem to be available and the website is offline.

  • We received this directly from the manufacturer. As of now, it is only available in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Comments: “Crisp”, “Refreshing”, “Better than I expected”, “Nice toasty flavor”, “No off processing tastes”, “Not too sweet”.

4. Harmless Harvest Coconut Water: never heated, sold in the cold case. Plastic container, organic, no additives, cold high-pressure processed. $0.31/Fl Oz., the most expensive on our list. From Thailand. This water varies from an almost clear color to very pink, which they claim is from the antioxidants interacting with light. Note: This was number 16 during our test in 2015. Multiple tastings showed it seemed to vary widely from batch to batch. Though the company used to call their product “raw”, they have discontinued the phrase due to issues with the FDA. In 2016 the company was sued by a group claiming they were not really using organic coconuts, which they settled but denied any wrongdoing.

  • 2015: “Excellent”, “bright”, “toasty flavor” – our number 2 pick.
  • 2016: “Unpleasant aftertaste”, “No! No!”, “Horrible”, “Too sweet”, “Toasty coconut, but a bit much”,  “Nutty”, “Tastes very green (not in a good way)” – our 16th pick.
  • 2017: “fresh”, “balanced”, toasted coconut” – 3rd place.
  • 2018: nice full body, but way too sweet.
  • 2019: This is much more similar from bottle to bottle than it used to be. However, after being given a case of this and drinking some every day, I found it rather heavy, something I hadn’t noticed before. Over time I got tired of that heaviness.

You can see why had trouble rating Harmless Harvest. Because of these differences from year to year, we feel this brand varies greatly between batches and is difficult to rate. Your experience may vary. Tip: you can get this at Costco in boxes of six (larger size) for <$13. It hides in the refrigerated foods area.

3. Taste Nirvana Real Coconut Water. A best buy: Metal or glass containers, non-organic, no additives Note: as of 2020 the ingredients list <1% fruit sugar, no GMO’s. $0.16/Fl Oz. Thailand Nam Hom coconuts. Instead of pasteurized, they use “HPP” – Cold water high-pressure processing which supposedly preserves the largest amount of taste, nutrients, etc. In 2015 the FDA banned products using this method from sale in the United States. This ban has now been lifted. Prices are steadily climbing on this brand (lately up to $3.29) but it is frequently on sale for around $2.00 a can – (I scored some at $1 a can in 2021. Thailand. Re-tasted 8.20)

  • Comments: “Would be great over ice”, “Toasty coconut”, “Nutty”, “Pleasant, smooth and balanced”, “Smooth”, “Nice mouthfeel and body”, “Smooth coconut without the oily aftertaste”.

2. (Note: this no longer seems to be available outside of the UK. The old URL now goes to Vita Coco, which is way down our list). Coco Community Organic Coconut water: Plastic container. From Thailand. Fair Trade, organic, no GMO. This coconut water is made by the same company behind Vita Coco, also on this list. That is where the similarities end. The coconut water is processed with a high-pressure process like Harmless Harvest and shipped cold.

There was quite a bit of debate as to the placement of Coco Community in the rankings. All agreed it was in the top three. In the end, the similarity between two different lots pushed it to the number one spot, as Harmless Harvest tends to vary quite a bit. Taste Nirvana drops one place, but still does well because of the taste/price ratio – it’s possible to find it for $2 a can, whereas Harmless Harvest and Coco Community cost much more. I haven’t been able to find this water in Portland, but it is available in the California Bay Area.

  • Comments: “Very refreshing with nice toasty flavors”, “Salty and sweet”, “Great balance”, “Odd finish with a syrupy sweet note”. “Best we’ve tasted”.

1. Water from a real coconut.

Water still in the coconut.A few markets in our area recently started carrying several brands of whole refrigerated coconuts. Both have the husk removed and one has been stripped back enough that you can puncture it with a little straw that is attached. It’s like a natural juice box. The other one was like a bank vault and I pulled out the power drill to get into it. They both tasted the same. Keep in mind they don’t hold very much water.

  • Comments: “This reminds me of home, but not quite as good”, “Much better than all of the others”, Expensive for what you get, I’m not sure it’s worth it”, “Tastes like real coconut”, “Oily, but in a good way”, “Wow, I could drink a ton of this”.

Update history:

Updated 1.2021 – many prices, a few new comments.

Updated 8/27/2020 – First impressions: CoCo Joy coconut water – only two tasters due to issues getting the full panel together during Covid-19. Updated Festival. Updated Taste Nirvana.

Updated 8/2020 – First impressions: CoCo Joy.

Updated 7/2020 – added first impressions of Real Coco Organic

Updated 5/2020 – re-tasted Festival, Taste Nirvana (canned), Simple Truth. Added Kirkland, added water from real coconuts. Coco Community discontinued in the USA.

Updated 5/2020- added Kirkland, added “real coconut water”, re-tasted Simple Truth, Taste Nirvana, Festival. Full change list at the bottom.

Updated 9/19 – added Full Circle Market, Foco, Blue Monkey bottled, CocoCoast, Maui & Sons. Revamped listings format.

Updated 5/19 – Added Festival Coconut Water

Updated 4/19 – added Wild Harvest, Thirsty Buddha, Kroger Simple Truth. Re-tasted Amy & Brian’s, Taste Nirvana, C20 and Cadia waters.

Updated 12/18 – prices and a few comments

Updated 2/18 – added Original Villager, Trader Joe’s King Coconut Water, update prices.

Updated 11/17 – added Columbia Gorge, Harvest Bay, restest Harmless Harvest, Coco Community, Obrigado]

Updated 7/17 – Zico has a new formula. Updated 4/17 – Taste Nirvana changed the label, so we retested and found it the same. Also retested Harmless Harvest and found it better – it moved from #16 to  #2, but it proves our point that it tends to vary widely from bottle to bottle. We moved it up with a comment.

Updated 9/16 – added Tasco. Updated 2/16 – added Cadia. Updated 10/15 – downgraded Zola due to a noticeable slip in quality]

 

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Category: Product Reviews, Product/Business Reviews, Spotlight. Filed Under: Coconut Water

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelene says

    March 7, 2016 at 9:29 am

    Thanks for the review on coconut water. I have been drinking it lately because it is helping me stay very hydrated. I hated the taste of Zola. It was like drinking “the liquid in a can of corn”. Horrible taste. So far my favorite one and it is very satisfying is “Vita Coco”.

    • Terence Carr says

      March 15, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      Sorry Michelene, but Vita Coco is not the real deal as far as Coconut Water.

      • Christina Gudaitis says

        June 26, 2017 at 7:18 pm

        What do you mean Terrence?

  2. John Marris says

    May 21, 2016 at 12:31 am

    Coconut water has grown in popularity over the past couple of years, boasting health benefits and becoming the new “healthy” replacement for sports drinks. Everyone’s drinking it.It has VAST uses.

  3. Al says

    May 28, 2016 at 9:16 am

    I like to drink Naked

    • Sharon says

      May 23, 2017 at 12:34 am

      Naked brand or just “naked”?

  4. Daniel William Giles says

    May 31, 2016 at 8:09 am

    Thanks for the post. I’m from Barbados and grew up drinking coconut water fresh from the coconuts off of our trees every morning. Whenever we would travel to other tropical locals, we would drink coconut water there out of habit. In my experience, coconut water straight from the fruit varies greatly depending on several factors.

    There are several different varieties of coconut. Just as you would expect a Granny Smith apple to taste different from a Honey Crisp apple, each variety of coconut has its own unique flavor. Within the same variety, coconuts tasted differently depending on where they where grown. I’m guessing the soil they grow in, the amount of sun and water they get even air temperature and humidity can affect taste. Lastly, the maturity of the coconut when harvested affects the taste. I’ve had water from coconuts from the same tree that was pink one week then opaque white the next or sweet then nutty.

    The store bottled brand that most closely replicates cutting the top off of a coconut and enjoying whatever variation you end up with is Harmless Harvest hands down. None of other I’ve tasted are even close.

    • EDITH Morales says

      May 19, 2017 at 12:33 pm

      Totally agree. A little expensive but worth it.

    • Irma Stone says

      February 27, 2019 at 7:23 am

      I agree 100%

  5. That One Guy says

    June 6, 2016 at 6:42 pm

    I just tried the Refreshe brand and it’s completely garbage. It almost has a sour sort of taste to it and at the beginning I thought it was spoiled but realized after reading various reviews it’s just plain horrible, overly processed and manipulated. It tastes almost nothing like real coconut water. Avoid this stuff like the plague.

  6. susie penque says

    June 25, 2016 at 10:51 am

    for me their are none that can compare to the taste nirvana with pulp..absolute fav!

    • PDX Food Dude says

      June 25, 2016 at 2:45 pm

      My favorite too.

  7. CoconutHunter says

    June 29, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    You should try out Obrigado Coconut Water. It is a Brazilian brand that is definitely superior to all brands I have tried, if not better than every brand currently available

    • PDX Food Dude says

      June 29, 2017 at 2:50 pm

      Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll see if I can track it down.

  8. Tammy Minchew says

    July 20, 2017 at 6:44 am

    You noted that Zico is from concentrate. The past few days I have bought one a day of that brand due to convenience. It is at every gas station which is no surprise since it is a Coca-Cola product now. Anyways the label shows no ingredients other than Coconut water. Label reads no sugar added, natural 100% coconut water, not from concentrate. Now they do have a line of flavored Zico but of course it has added sugars. I do not know if this is new labeling since your findings when doing the tasting show added sugar and from concentrate. The taste to me honestly isn’t bad. With that being said I am still on the hunt for Harmless Harvest and Taste Nirvana. I wish I could also find a good coconut water in bigger sizes like quart or half gallon. So far the only way I have found is to order online. Exotic Superfoods does sell a pure coconut water and it states that it may be pink. And it also explains why just as Daniel Giles states about him having drank fresh pink coconut water straight from the coconut. It comes frozen due to shipping. So for those that can afford that brand it does seem to be the most real deal coconut water available in larger sizes. I will be checking out our local health store for better brands.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      July 20, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      Thanks for the note. You are right, Zico has tweaked the formula, and I will update our review. It is no longer from concentrate and is GMO-free. I bought a new bottle today and gave it a quick try. While I found the flavors improved, it still wasn’t as good as some of the others in the tasting, especially the finish. I’ll get all the tasters together early this Fall and we will do a new comparison.

  9. Marlucia Carvalho says

    August 20, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    Hi, being a Brazilian myself, once you drink coconut water from the source, everything else will fall short. I just tried the Obrigado brand and it is simple the best! You taste just coconut water, no can or metal taste and nothing else….

    • PDX Food Dude says

      August 21, 2017 at 1:53 pm

      Thanks Marlucia. I’ve been keeping an eye of four it and will give it a test if I find some.

  10. rebecca says

    September 19, 2017 at 9:23 am

    The best for me is the Vita Coconut water, The worst ever is the organic coconut water from member’s Mark, from concentrate…really!!!

  11. Den says

    December 17, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    Exotic Superfoods is actually shipped frozen from overseas and has no additives or preservatives. This is as pure as you can get. This also explains the variations in taste and color. They don’t add anything in order to make the taste consistent like the other brands that can chemically alter it or add sweetener or preservatives. Ever wonder why some can stay on the shelf for months without refrigeration. Why does Zico need a new formula if it’s supposed to be coconut water. Go taste some real coconut water from a fresh young coconut and compare the brands.

  12. po bao says

    January 4, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    Can you add FOCO 100% pure coconut water to your reviews. I’m curious to see what you think about it considering that it’s in most asian supermarkets.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      January 8, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      I will see if I can find it in our local Asian markets. Thanks for the suggestion.

      • Stephen Prybolsky says

        April 2, 2019 at 6:29 am

        I second this – I see it in shoprite all the time! Thanks!

        • PDX Food Dude says

          April 2, 2019 at 11:46 am

          Thanks for the reminder. If anyone in the Portland Oregon area knows where to get it, please let me know. In the meantime, I’ll keep looking.

  13. Robert Geoghan says

    January 16, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    My favorite and in my opinion the best available coconut water on the market is Cabana Coconut Water by The Pulse Beverage Corporation of Denver, Colorado. It’s not from concentrate, has no added sugar and is packaged at the source in Vietnam before shipping. It’s natural coconut water direct from young green prime coconuts.Why wasn’t it tested. Please include it!

    • PDX Food Dude says

      January 17, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      There are hundreds of coconut waters available. We add more as we come across them. I’ll keep my eye open for Cabana

  14. Elizabeth Russo says

    February 19, 2018 at 8:29 am

    I drink Coconut for health reasons, and I have tried most of them. It’s not mango juice, but the best of the bunch has been Obrigado. No metallic tast and it grows on you. I really like it but sometimes it’s tough to find.

  15. amei says

    January 22, 2019 at 1:09 pm

    Can you add Simply Organic (Kroger Market house brand) coconut water and Kirkland Organic Coconut Water to your list? Not sure how they are processed though.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      January 22, 2019 at 1:21 pm

      I will be happy to add Kroger but will have to wait for a friend with a costco card for the other. I’m also adding Thirsty Buddha Organic later this week. Thanks for the suggestion.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      January 31, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      Added to the listing. It did quite well.

  16. Tina C says

    May 30, 2019 at 9:36 am

    Found Villager Natural Coconut Water at Bilo in Greenville SC.

  17. Arthur says

    June 21, 2019 at 12:36 pm

    I’m curious why you decided not to include Mojo pure coconut water (not their flavored varieties) in your testing.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      June 21, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Arthur,
      Whenever I travel I try to pick up coconut waters to add to the listing. I haven’t come across Mojo yet so didn’t know about it, but I see it is available online so I’ll order some and check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!

      • Arthur says

        June 21, 2019 at 3:00 pm

        Great, thanks so much for the response! Availability via Amazon can be spotty, but it was definitely available as of earlier today – and if I may, I’m most curious how you’d rate the regular, plain coconut water – not their flavored (e.g., pineapple, I think is one of them) varieties. I’m at least glad to know you just didn’t include them because they failed some threshold qualification! In case you can’t tell, I’m a big fan, based on the taste and the cost. It’s not my favorite which is Harmless, but that one is so expensive! Thanks again for the quick reply!

        • PDX Food Dude says

          June 21, 2019 at 3:04 pm

          I’ve seen the flavored versions, but not the plain. For Harmless, if you have access to a Costco, the ones in the Pacific Northwest have a great price for them. As I recall it was around $2 a bottle for a six-pack. A medium-large bottle which I haven’t seen elsewhere.

  18. Arthur says

    June 22, 2019 at 2:01 pm

    OK. Just don’t let the flavored version prejudice a test of the plain/original version, if/when you’re ever able to get it! :)

  19. Carol Schneider says

    July 24, 2019 at 8:56 am

    Hi…I am using Coco Libre not from concentrate no added sugar in a heavy white bottle made of #5 plastic. I put it into my smoothie so I actually don’t know how the various coconut waters taste. I do notice it is yellowish in color…but it smells delicious like fresh coconut. I rely on how foods smell so I feel I can trust it, however just wonder about the color. Thank you.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      July 24, 2019 at 11:01 am

      The color varies from brand to brand. Many are cloudy and some, like Harmless Harvest, are even pink.

  20. Mandy says

    November 14, 2019 at 7:23 am

    I was spoiled and had fresh smoked coconuts in Asia when they were on sale and they were always fantastic with delicious soft, smooth sweet nutty pulp to scrape when you’re done drinking. Frankly none of the ones here can ever compare to that but the one that did poorly on your test, c2o actually tasted very close in it’s tetra packaging.

    It’s not to say i don’t like the top ones, but taste nirvana is too expensive, and harmless I drink only as an occasional treat. Maybe one of these days I’ll do a side by side comparison but I think the testers should try a real coconuts not anything pre-packaged and compare to that rather than saying one is better than the other.

    Frankly if someone doesn’t even like coconut water you can’t make a fair comparison. at that point it’s like “choose your favorite softdrink”.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      November 14, 2019 at 9:57 am

      A couple of comments for you. 1. We compare coconut waters side-by-side. 2. One of our panel members is Filippino, another is Thai; both grew up in their respective countries and their coconut water. 3. We respectfully disagree about C20 and stick by our ratings. 4. We all like and drink coconut water regularly. Finally, we’ve all had real coconut water – I did so within the last month. It’s our calibration method. However, it should be noted that every coconut is different in taste depending on where it is from, the terroir, its age, temperature, etc.

      Like everything, the only thing that is important is what you like. We offer guidelines base on our group’s preferences. It’s up to you to decide your favorites!

  21. Don says

    March 16, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    VITA COCO all day ! I dont the ” Organic approval “. taste Just right, boring, Smooth, Refreshing. You know you’re drinking a real coconut coz that’s how it should be :)

  22. Ken says

    July 29, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    Taste Nirvana has slightly changed their ingredients. All of their coconut water, regardless of container, now contain “< 1% fruit sugar". Adds only about 2g of sugar to their tall can (but thanks to rounding, per serving is still shown as 0g).

    Also, on their website, only one of their packages (Tetrapak) mention their pasteurization method — it's flash pasteurized for the Tetrapak, at least.

    • PDX Food Dude says

      July 29, 2020 at 4:58 pm

      Thanks for the comment, Ken. As this is my regular go-to, I’ve noticed a slight change in taste over the past few months but chalked it up to natural variation which occurs in all coconut waters. I’ll make sure to have the group taste it again next time we get together.

      • Ken says

        July 29, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        I look forward to any and all updates; this is a great resource. I still love the taste, just wish they hadn’t felt the need to add that small bit of fructose.

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