If there is one bottle of juice that every household in Scotland is bound to have in their cupboards, it is a good'ol bottle of diluting juice.
Another thing we Scots can most definitely agree on is that it absolutely is not called squash - but that is a another argument for another day.
Whether you prefer orange or blackcurrant flavour, there's no denying that it is the perfect drink for anyone who is looking to jazz up their plain glass of water.
Personally, I prefer the orange flavour, mainly because it has got a bit more of a tang to it. That and I am a huge fan of anything citrus flavoured, so blackcurrant immediately gets smoked out the water when I am grabbing a bottle.
Also, is there a drink more worthy of being known as the ultimate summer refreshment?
Of course, when it comes to the perfect glass of diluting juice, everyone knows Robinsons is arguably one of the brands to have on hand. But, at over £1 for one bottle, I have often wondered if there is a cheaper alternative worthy of replacing the well-known brand.
And with summer finally on its way - hopefully - I decided that there was no better time to find out if Robinsons really is the be all and end all of diluting juice.
A bottle of Robinson's can cost up to around £2, depending where you shop, while most supermarket's own bottles come in at under £1. It made me wonder if I could really save a bit of pennies every time I headed to the shops for my favourite bottle of orange juice.
This was the question I wanted to answer when I headed to M&S, Sainsbury's and Tesco to pick up their own-branded orange diluting juice, as I compared them to the iconic Robinsons.
The process
Now, you'd think that trying out diluting juice would be simple. Just pour a small amount, fill up with water and you are done.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple, as each bottle demanded a different juice to water ratio, depending on their overall strength.
Robinsons was arguably the simplest, as it only required one part juice with four parts water. Both Sainsbury's and M&S were double strength, so it was one part juice and 9 parts water for both of them. Tesco was the strongest as it needed one part juice and a whopping 19 parts water!
So, I grabbed myself a glass and decided to indulge my diluting juice love by finding out what supermarket brand could offer that refreshing taste of summer.
Here were the bottles I tried:
- Robinsons orange squash 1L - £2
- M&S double strength orange squash 750ml - 90p
- Tesco quadruple strength orange squash 750ml - £1.75
- Sainsbury's double concentrated orange squash 750ml - 95p
- Asda Smart Price Orange Squash 750ml - 41p
Overall thoughts
Robinsons
Starting out with the O.G for diluting juice lovers. I also needed something to set the standard for the rest of the test, seeing as every other supermarket would be compared against them.
Marketed with slogan "real fruit in every drop", it is the refreshing bottle of juice that we all remember from our childhood. With it's fruity taste, it is hard not to understand why it is the go-to choice for many.
In terms of taste, each sip was like the juiciest of oranges and it's never overpowering or to subtle, which can be the problem with many other versions.
It also needs the least diluting, meaning that a little really does go a long way with this bottle.
Robinsons was also by far the most well coloured glass of juice and does genuinely look taste when compared to the rest.
Overall, a great start.
Rating: 5/5
M&S
The first supermarket diluting juice up on the list was the retailer that has become synonymous with quality - M&S.
I am usually impressed with M&S' own-brand versions and genuinely think that they are worth the extra pennies that you spend. In this case, it was only 90p for a 750ml bottle of juice, which was well cheaper than the £2 I spent on Robinsons.
So, already a win on the price front.
But what about the taste?
As far as a glass of diluting juice goes, it was actually very refreshing. Despite having a synthetic yellow appearance, it did taste really fruity and had the right amount of citrus that made your cheeks slightly pinch.
I did find that it was slightly stronger than Robinsons, which I wasn't necessarily complaining about, but I did feel that one glass made my mouth tingle just slightly.
Overall, not bad. Not bad at all.
Rating: 4/5
Sainsbury's
Next up was Sainsbury's, which came with packaging that was arguably the most colourful of them all. Considering most own-branded products have basic packaging, it was fairly nice.
Packaging aside, I have to admit that Sainsbury's slightly let me down with their own orange diluting juice.
Despite being the same strength as M&S, I didn't really get that sweet and fruit flavour that comes with a good glass of diluting juice. Also, it was 5p more expensive than M&S' bottle, which came as a surprise and adds to the let down.
Even though this says "made with 20% fruit", I struggled to get that citrus-y taste, which was barely there.
Overall, this one could have been a lot better.
Rating: 2/5
Tesco
I'll admit that I was most intrigued about trying out Tesco's quadruple strength orange diluting juice, mainly because I have heard about it through the grapevine. Also, it was the only bottle they had in stock, so I take what I can get.
Now, with it being so high in strength, I expected to leave a vibrant zing after each sip. What I didn't expect, was that my whole mouth would tinge after just one sip.
Overall, in terms of both taste and appearance, this one seemed the most artificial out of them all and it slightly ruined the experience for me.
Diluting juice is supposed to be refreshing and a drink to cool down with. This one was, unfortunately, just a little too strong for my liking. I don't think I would finish a bottle, which is a shame as it was the most expensive of the supermarket bottles.
Rating: 2/5
Asda
Last up on my challenge was a bottle from Asda's popular budget Smart Price range. And at just 41p a bottle, it was the cheapest of the lot.
After just one glass, I kind of understand why it was so cheap.
As soon as I filled up my glass, I did notice that this one had the palest colour out of them and that was sadly an indicator of its taste.
Like the appearance, Asda's orange diluting juice resembled water more than a glass of fruity orange juice. There was no hints of citrus to give that fruity taste.
Unfortunately, this budget priced bottle had lots of areas that needed improving before I would buy it again.
Rating: 1/5
Overall verdict
All in all, it looks like Robinsons is still the big boy of diluting juice, as I struggled to find a bottle that really resembled that refreshing and fruity taste of summer.
That being said, I won't knock M&S for being arguably the best out of the bunch. That slightly stronger taste is actually worth it, considering it would cost you less than a £1.
Sainsbury's would be the next choice, only out of default, as Tesco offered a drink that was just a bit too overpowering and wouldn't be refreshing to drink.
Asda, however, was similar to drinking a glass of water, which really defeated its purpose in the end.
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