The Best Orange Juice, No Squeezing Required (Now with Tangerine Juice, Too)

What is the best orange juice? It’s not always fresh-squeezed. I’ve had plenty of disappointing oranges in my life. Some are dry. Some aren’t sweet enough. Some are way too sweet. And that’s when we turn to Big Orange Juice. Say what you will about mass production, but you can rely on it for consistent quality—as long as you choose the best orange juice brand. Don’t worry, we got you. Over the course of two separate tastes tests, we tasted over 20 different orange juices to find the best orange juice brands. 

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In my search for the best store bought orange juice, I looked for a balance of citrusy tang and sweetness, body (even pulp-free orange juice shouldn’t have a watery consistency), and overall freshness (some OJ can taste cooked—you don’t want that). I looked for the best orange juice for Mimosas, the best orange juice with pulp, the best low acid orange juice, and more. Here’s the best tasting orange juice from the grocery store.

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Bonus: Best Tangerine Juice

Evolution Fresh Tangerine Juice

Sprouts

We found this tangerine juice during a recent taste test, and it’s so fresh and zesty and delicious we just needed to add it to our ranking of the best orange juice—even though it’s not made of oranges, per se. We were SURE tangerine juice would be too sweet, but this stuff isn’t—it tastes like an entire tangerine, pith and all, in juice form. If you want to try something just a little bit different, give this a shot. —Gwynedd Stuart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Nostalgic

Disney Donald Duck Outrageous Orange

Instacart

Ralphs

I did not expect to like a Disney-branded orange juice. But why not? I like pretty much everything else Disney-branded, for better or for worse. Still, I didn’t expect the company to put much thought into their juice division. But this orange juice is good in a very specific, artificial way. Sporked senior staff writer Jordan Myrick said it tasted like “airplane orange juice,” and it does—but the best possible airplane orange juice. It’s much tangier than you’d expect. It’s not straight up sugar water—but it does have a decent level of sweetness. If you want sweeter, pulp-free juice that tastes like it’s related to an orange but not an immediate family member, or you just love Donald Duck, this is the best brand of orange juice for you.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best for Smoothies

Florida’s Natural with Pulp

Walmart

Instacart

This is grown-up orange juice. It tastes like they shook some orange zest into the mix. There’s a slight tinge of bitterness and a ton of tang. It’s also packed with pulp. For me, it’s the best orange juice for a smoothie—a perfect foil for sweet fruits like strawberries and bananas and a handful of greens (you’re a grown-up, after all). Plus, Florida’s Natural is an agricultural cooperative, meaning it’s owned by the farmers, which always seems like a positive to me.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Low Acid

Simply Low Acid Pulp Free

Instacart

If you can’t remember any of the specific labels from this ranking, just keep Simply in mind. With three different bottlings on the list, it’s the best orange juice brand out there. Even Simply Low Acid is worth purchasing—and that’s coming from someone who prizes tang in orange juice above all else. Even though it’s low acid orange juice, it still has zip. It’s definitely sweeter and mellower than the other juices, though. If you’re sensitive to acid but still craving classic orange juice flavor, this is one of the best orange juices to buy.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Pulp (Runner-Up)

Simply Orange High Pulp

Target

Though it wasn’t the absolute best orange juice with pulp, Simply’s High Pulp OJ still deserves a spot on the list. While 365 was better thanks to its more balanced flavor, Simply’s will appeal to those of us who like to mix our orange juice with grapefruit. The bounty of pulp within the juice gives it a slight bitterness—almost like grapefruit juice. I’m a fan of this one and really love how dang much pulp there is in the mix.

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best with Pulp

365 Organic Orange Extra Pulp

Whole Foods

I love pulp. I want to know I’m drinking juice that came from a real orange, and pulp is the evidence I need. Pulp’s not for everyone, I get that. But if you’re like me, 365 is the best orange juice with pulp you can buy. And, as with all pulpy orange juices, you do need to shake it, which results in fruity froth. I love a fluffy orange juice. Jordan appreciated it too, noting that the froth makes it seem extra fresh. They also appreciated the balance of sweet and sour saying, “It’s not going to give me violent heartburn.”

Credit: Liv Averett / Whole Foods

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best for Mimosas

Uncle Matt’s

Target

This isn’t Uncle Matt’s first Sporked rodeo. We gave his sugar-free lemonade the number eight spot in our ranking of the best lemonade and the number five spot in our best grapefruit juice ranking. His orange juice is also great—a blend of sweet and sour that is refreshing and light. Jordan commented that it almost tastes like an orange juice/lemonade blend. That extra hit of acidity makes it the best orange juice for Mimosas or other cocktails like Screwdrivers or Jungle Birds. Fun fact: Uncle Matt’s was founded by a real-life uncle!

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Budget

Great Value with Pulp

Walmart

Upon first glance, you might think that Walmart-branded OJ would be sweet and artificial tasting. But, as Great Value has proven to us time and time again, generic brands are often extremely good. While Great Value’s Original orange juice left us wanting more, their pulp-filled store-brand OJ was aces. It’s much better than Minute Maid (gasp!). It falls on the sweeter end of the spectrum but has some nice orange zest notes and almost a tinge of grapefruit on the finish. For the quality, it’s also the best OJ deal on this list at just over $3 for 52 ounces.

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Splurge

Evolution Cold Pressed Organic Orange Juice

Instacart

At two to three times the cost of some of the other orange juice brands on this list, Evolution better be good. And, annoyingly, it really is. It tastes extremely fresh, practically like you’re biting into an orange wedge after soccer practice. It has a wonderfully zesty flavor as well. And there’s just so much flavor in general—it’s rich and vibrant and truly tastes like a sunshine-y day in a citrus grove. What can I say? I love it. It’s a special orange juice for a special occasion—or an everyday orange juice for a rich person.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Simply Orange Pulp-Free

Walmart

Target

Tart, tangy, but not too acidic, this is the best orange juice to gulp down by the glassful. It’s truly a part of this balanced breakfast—the platonic ideal of store-bought orange juice. Other tasters agreed saying it was “delicious” and “bright” and “not as sweet” as many of the others. Indeed, it’s not an orange juice for someone with a serious sweet tooth. But if you’re looking for something that approximates fresh-squeezed juice, this is the best store bought orange juice. 

Credit: Merc / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Other orange juices we tried: Kirkland, Tropicana Homestyle Some Pulp, Tropicana No Pulp, Minute Maid, Sunny D, Great Value Original, Sprouts No Pulp, Naked, Kroger No Pulp, Nature’s Nectar, Trader Joe’s, Tropicana No Pulp Calcium Vitamin D, Simply Orange Calcium Vitamin D Pulp Free, Simply Light