Why Walmart's Great Value Chai Concentrate Is The Worst On The Market

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Walmart offers plenty of food and drink finds, many of which are underrated products you should absolutely throw into your cart next time you visit this superstore. It's no secret that the chain's private label brand, Great Value, has won us over with its frozen meals over the years, but when it comes to its chai concentrate, we were far from impressed. In our ranking of eight store-bought chai concentrates, we found that Walmart's offering was one that should be left on store shelves. As we tested out different products, the questionable ingredient list of Great Value's Classic Chai Latte Tea Concentrate stood out for all the wrong reasons.

While Walmart describes the product as a "delightful fusion of robust black tea and sweet spices," including "cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and black pepper," those spices weren't listed on the label. Instead, the concentrate mix was made up of water, cane sugar, and 2% or less of black tea extract, citric acid, and natural flavor. We can only assume that the latter includes the traditional chai spices that were noticeably absent from the list. "It was so far from what a chai should be," our reviewer noted as they signaled an overwhelming sweetness and lack of authentic flavor.

Customers on Walmart's website agreed with our assessment that its Classic Chai Latte Tea Concentrate was ultimately "way too sweet." In fact, one reviewer even mentioned that it was "a lot sweeter than" any of the other brands. Additionally, others complained that the chai flavor isn't balanced unless the exact right amount of milk was added. "[I'm] not a fan," another user noted.

Although many had negative things to say about the product, there were some who liked it. According to them, the Great Value offering is "absolutely delicious," with others applauding it as a good value for the price (under $4 for 32 ounces). "It is much cheaper than the other brands and it tastes as good or better," one commenter added. "I go to two different Walmarts to get it. If one is out, I go to the other."

For something better, check out one of our top three picks. Some of our favorites included Rishi Masala Chai Concentrate, Bhakti Chai Tea Concentrate, and Trader Joe's Spiced Chai offering. For a more authentic taste, these are your best bets.