The Worst Store-Bought Apple Juice Tastes More Like Sugar Than Fruit

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While there's nothing better than fresh, cold-pressed juice, store-bought brands make an effort to mimic the flavor at a fraction of the cost at your local juice bar. Apple juice is certainly a recipe that'd be painstakingly laborious to make at home, even with a juicer. And since it's a favorite for all ages, there's an overwhelming selection of store-bought apple juice brands to choose from. We tasted and ranked eight store-bought apple juice brands to find the most delicious option, but we also found the brands to avoid.

According to our ranking, Signature Select apple juice is the worst-tasting bottled juice of the bunch. The store brand for Safeway and Randalls, Signature Select may edge out the competition in terms of cost, but its taste — or lack thereof — also stood out in the worst way. We based our ranking on color, mouthfeel, and taste, specifically the balance of sweet and acidic flavors and the intensity of apple flavor. Signature Select had a promising golden amber hue in the jug, but looks can be deceiving. It had a thin, insubstantial mouthfeel. But the worst part of all was the cloying, overwhelming sweetness without even a hint of acidity, let alone apple flavor. 

If we were blindfolded, we wouldn't have even guessed this was apple juice at all. Signature Select apple juice is simply sugar water with a golden hue. You should spare an extra dollar or two for an apple juice that actually tastes like apples.

While there are plenty of reviews from satisfied customers on Albertsons and Safeway's websites, there are also one- and two-star reviews that feel the same way we do. Negative reviews called the apple juice watered down, mediocre, and decidedly not tart. Many enjoyed the sweetness but also noted a "waning" apple flavor. Others said they preferred Mott's, which certainly ranked higher on our list. One review stated, "[W]ould spend more money on a name brand just to have the better taste."

If you want to save that extra buck, we have a few suggestions for how to make store-bought apple juice more delicious. For a flavorless profile like Signature Select, you can add a shot of apple cider vinegar to intensify the apple flavor while also brightening the juice with some much-needed acidity. Plus, since drinking an apple cider vinegar shot has touted health benefits, mixing it with a glass of apple juice is a better way to drink it. You can also make cran-apple juice with one of the many cranberry juice brands we likewise tasted and ranked. An ultra tart product like this Lakewood Organic Cranberry Juice will balance an overly sweet apple juice perfectly.