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I tried supermarket own brand orange juice – and a budget version was more refreshing than Tropicana

YOU could save over £114 a year simply by changing what orange juice goes in your shopping trolley.

Many of us will reach for our favourite brands without thinking, but Tropicana's Smooth Orange Juice costs £2.75 compared to Lidl's Simply Orange Juice, which is just 55p.

Lynsey Hope pitted own-brand orange juice against Tropicana to find the winner
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Lynsey Hope pitted own-brand orange juice against Tropicana to find the winner

If you buy one carton a week for a year, swapping to Lidl juice could save you a whopping £114.40 on your grocery bill. And it might just taste better too.

Our latest taste test reveals big brands are not always the most delicious.

Writer and mum-of-three Lynsey Hope, 40, from West Malling, Kent, compared supermarket label juice to market leader Tropicana. Here she shares her verdict:

The Lidl juice was our winner
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The Lidl juice was our winner

Lidl's Simply Orange Juice

  • 55p (5.5p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 13.8g

Lynsey says: "Wow, the Lidl juice was a winner. At just 55p it's £2.20 cheaper than the branded juice and it tasted delicious.

"It's refreshing and had a nice smooth feel on the tongue, with a pleasant aftertaste.

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"This is a real win and could save you a packet on your annual grocery bill especially if you have a big family like mine and get through a lot of juice.

"The only downside was the carton. You had to cut off the corner and it was harder to store and occasionally leaked a little in the fridge."

Taste: 9/10

Value: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

Total score: 29/30

You'd expect the Waitrose juice to cost more, says Lynsey
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You'd expect the Waitrose juice to cost more, says Lynsey

Essential Waitrose Orange Juice Smooth

  • 90p (9p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 15.3g

Lynsey says: "I was a big fan of the Waitrose juice and price wise, even though you might expect it to cost more, it was on a par with many of the other big supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda.

"It had a lovely colour, smell and a smooth pleasant taste in the mouth. I'd definitely buy it again."

Taste: 9/10

Value: 7/10

Overall: 9/10

Total score: 25/30

Refreshing taste and a pleasant aroma
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Refreshing taste and a pleasant aroma

Smooth Orange Juice by Sainsbury's

  • 90p (9p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 12g

Lynsey says: "Quite a yummy option from Sainsbury's. It had a lovely colour, refreshing taste and pleasant aroma that made you want to take a sip.

"It felt lovely and smooth in the mouth. It's reasonably priced too and the lowest sugar per 150ml so a healthier choice too."

Taste: 9/10

Value: 7/10

Overall: 9/10

Total score: 25/30

Nothing not to like about the Asda juice
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Nothing not to like about the Asda juice

Asda Orange Juice Smooth

  • 90p (9p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 13g

Lynsey says: "The Asda juice was on a par with most of the others. Nothing stood out about it but there was nothing not to like.

"It was slightly darker in colour and didn't look quite as appealing, but the taste was good. Very little difference in taste to the branded juice."

Taste: 6/10

Value: 6/10

Overall: 6/10

Total score: 18/30

Morrisons juice was tasty but didn't have much pulp
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Morrisons juice was tasty but didn't have much pulp

Morrisons Orange Juice with bits from concentrate

  • 89p (8.9p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 13.8g

Lynsey says: "Refreshing and tasty but it didn't have a great deal of pulp if you like your juice with bits. It was thin and looked the same as all the smooth juices.

"I was impressed by the Morrisons juice taste, texture and aroma though and it's reasonably price at 89p or 8.9 per 100ml - a fraction of the price of Tropicana."

Taste: 5/10

Value: 6/10

Overall: 6/10

Total score: 17/30

Tesco juice had a more sugar than its rivals
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Tesco juice had a more sugar than its rivals

Tesco Orange Juice Smooth

  • 90p (9p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 23.7g

Lynsey says: "I found the Tesco juice quite sweet and when I checked it had a lot more sugar than all the others with 23.7g in a 150ml serving.

"That's more than the 15.9g in the same amount of Coca-Cola! That would put me off drinking any more of this one."

Taste: 3/10

Value: 6/10

Overall: 5/10

Total score: 14/30

Tropicana was tasty but pricey
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Tropicana was tasty but pricey

Tropicana Smooth Orange Juice

  • £2.75 (31p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 13g

Lynsey says: "Tasty but pricey. Nearly £2 more than most of the own label brands and you only get 900ml - alll the others come in 1litre cartons.

"It's nice with a refreshing orangey flavour but far too pricey when you consider the ingredients - orange and water - are the same."

Taste: 7/10

Value: 1/10

Overall: 3/10

Total score: 11/30

The Aldi juice was bright and artificial looking
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The Aldi juice was bright and artificial looking

Aldi The Juice Company Orange Juice Smooth

  • 75p (7p per 100ml)
  • Sugars: 13.8g

Lynsey says: "Aldi's juice was my least favourite. The orange colour was quite bright and artificial looking.

"It packed less of a flavour punch than the other varieties and I found it quite bland.

"This didn't stop the kids lapping it up at breakfast time though and it's a great price."

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Taste: 3/10

Value: 4/10

Overall: 4/10

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Total score: 11/30

*All sugars for 150ml serving

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