The Hands-Down Best Apple Juice To Pick Up At The Store Isn't Martinelli's

In terms of brand recognition, Martinelli's has other apple juice and sparkling cider brands beat. But whether you're an apple juice enthusiast or infrequently use it as an ingredient, you should know that there's more than one worthy product on the market. In fact, when Chowhound's Emily M Alexander taste tested and ranked 11 commonly available brands of apple juice, a less well known brand took the top spot. RW Knudsen Organic Apple Juice overcame the marketing awareness odds thanks to its delicious, balanced taste, quality ingredients, and reasonable price.

Alexander's initial framework was simple: The best apple juice should strike the right balance between tart sharpness and subtle sweetness and, most importantly, it should taste like apples (the lowest-ranked apple juice lost points for its unnecessary inclusion of pear). If you're a diehard fan of Martinelli's, don't worry, the brand's Gold Medal Apple Juice, which is different from its sparkling apple cider, achieved a highly respectable second place finish for its strong apple flavor and classic, nostalgic, filtered taste.

When it comes to taste tests, flavor is paramount, and RW Knudsen's Organic Apple Juice pulled out all the stops. Emily M Alexander notes that this brand has a uniquely layered taste: Expect a hint of sweetness to start that's then rounded out by a layer of tartness — very similar to the sensation of eating a slice of apple. However, because this juice isn't made from concentrate, there is a fine deposit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Alexander, who hails from apple orchard country and prefers unfiltered apple juice, enjoys the added heft this lends to the juice's mouthfeel.

Straightforward ingredients are also key. An organic product, RW Knudsen Organic Apple Juice was also rated highly on our list of juice brands with the best ingredients. The company has built strong relationships with growers along the Pacific Coast who produce their fruit without GMOs and in as sustainable a way as possible. RW Knudsen never adds sugar, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or preservatives when bottling their juices.

Made from such quality, organic ingredients, you'd expect this brand to cost an arm and a leg, but it's relatively affordable at $4.99 for a 32-ounce bottle. Try it yourself to see if RW Knudsen Organic Apple Juice ranks first for your palate.