Why Walmart's Great Value Orange Juice Is One Of The Worst Glasses We've Ever Poured

Great Value, one of Walmart's private store brands, gets a lot of things very, very right. As a cheaper alternative to the big name brand products, there's a Great Value version of just about everything lining Walmart aisles — from pantry staples and produce to household items and frozen goods. And the brand has its fans — the line is Walmart's best seller (and discreetly features products from many big name brands you know, just sold under the Walmart label and at its prices).

But they can't all be wins; unfortunately, Great Value's orange juice leaves a lot to be desired, actually placing squarely on our list of Great Value items to avoid — an unfortunate list to be on. While taste tests are always inherently subjective, we consider Great Value's OJ to be one of the worst grocery store orange juice options due to a multitude of reasons we just couldn't get over.

You might think OJ is OJ, and how bad can even a cheaper brand really be? But unfortunately, the answer is, pretty bad! Great Value's orange juice, sold both in refrigerated cartons and shelf-stable bottles, tasted flat and stale to our reviewer. In addition to lackluster flavor — which we normally expect to be fresh, bright, and juicy — the OJ's mouthfeel was off; especially the shelf-stable version, which tasted unpleasantly thick.

There's no clear word on who makes Great Value's orange juice — either type — but it's tricky to pin down exactly what brands are behind most Great Value items. Because a wide swath of other brands and producers manufacture various Great Value food products, that might help explain why some of these affordable items are so stellar while others fall flat. 

And we're not the only ones feeling less than thrilled about this item in particular. Disgruntled customers have taken to Reddit to sound off about its unpleasant, bitter taste — which we picked up on at first sip, too. Here's hoping Walmart heeds this negative press and swaps out whatever company is behind its OJ for one that's better.

If you're grabbing orange juice to play second fiddle in a recipe, like as an addition to smoothies or other drinks, or as a secret ingredient to elevate baked goods, you can probably get away with using Walmart's store brand. However, if you're looking to start your day with a refreshing tall glass of the juice where the taste and texture will be very noticeable, you're better off reaching for one of the better known brands — like these orange juices we ranked best of all — and saving your money for different Great Value purchases.