COCA-COLA is one of the biggest brands on the planet, a feelgood treat enjoyed by billions.
Diet Coke similar, for those worried about their sugar intake.
16
16
But before you bang a box of cola in the shopping trolley, or on the online order, it may pay to check out supermarket own-brand versions that can be nearly half the price.
Laura Stott does that and gives verdicts and marks out of five.
Coca-Cola
£2 for 1.25l, 16p per 100ml, 10.6g sugar
16
THERE’S no mistaking the unique, caramel flavour of the Original Taste cola.
READ MORE MONEY NEWS
The real thing, which is the UK’s top-seeling cola, hits the spot perfectly but is incredibly expensive and also extremely high in sugar, with a whopping 10.6gper 100ml which your teeth and your waistline won’t thank you for.
Rating: 3/5
Diet Coke
£1.79 for 1.25ml, 14p per 100ml, 0g sugar
16
STILL the top pick for most people looking to rein in their sugar habit when they feel like a fizzy drink.
Most read in Money
The original Diet Coke is made with plant extracts and chemical sweeteners instead of sugar, which keeps those saccharine levels in check.
Delicious but also pricey if compared to the own-brand buys.
Rating: 3/5
Tesco Classic Cola
70p for 2l, 4p per 100ml, 4.4g sugar
16
MADE with artificial sweeteners, not sugar, Tesco’s own brand classic cola is a very dark brown, treacle-hued colour and I unfortunately found the fizzy liquid unenjoyable to sip.
Extremely sweet and saccharine with an artificial aftertaste that left my mouth dry and my thirst unquenched.
Not very refreshing.
Rating: 2/5
Asda Cola
70p for 2l, 3.5p per 100ml, 4.5g sugar
16
A GOOD all-round Cola alternative which contains no artificial sweeteners and will save you a fortune on the family shop if you drink lots of fizzy drinks.
A very dark caramel colour and a smooth taste with plenty of gas to keep it carbonated in the glass for a while.
Good value and the deep flavour would make a useful cut-price mixer for alcoholic tipples too.
Rating: 3/5
Morrison’s Diet Cola
89p for 2l, 4.5p per 100ml, trace sugars
16
SLIGHTLY pricier than most other own-brand cola options although still easier on the wallet than the big-name original.
The flavour of this was kind of middling, it doesn’t taste exactly like the market leader but it’s an OK imitation.
I found it a bit watery but it will save a little of your hard-earned and quench the thirst.
Rating: 3/5
Lidl Freeway Cola
55p for 2l, 2.8p per 100ml, 4.9g sugar
16
IF you need to save cash on cola then this dark caramel coloured carbonator definitely compares very well as one of the cheapest own brands.
It is sugary and left my teeth feeling rather sticky but the level of sweetness and the aroma matches the market leader perfectly and I’m not sure you can really tell much difference between this and the real deal in a glass.
Rating: 4/5
Diet Cola by Sainsbury’s
65p for 2l, 3p per 100ml, 0.5g sugar
16
DECENT diet fizzy drink made with sweeteners which has less sugar than the store’s ‘normal’ cola drink so it’s better for your body.
The flavour is pretty good, my bottle was a bit flat so bubblier would be better, but while it’s not indistinguishable from the market leader when you glug from the glass it’s not far off having the same flavour.
A solid weekly shop saver substitute.
Rating: 4/5
Aldi Vive Cola Original
55p for 2l, 2.8p per 100ml, 4.9g sugar
16
ALDI’S own Cola will do the job if you simply want a big bottle of the brown stuff for the family to help themselves to without bank-rupting you on the weekly shop.
I have to say, though, this wasn’t my favourite for taste.
It seemed extremely sweet and the initial fizz in my glass went flat all to quickly.
Rating: 3/5
Aldi Vive Diet Cola
0.55p for 2l, 2.8p per 100ml, 0.1g sugar
16
I ENJOYED this diet cola from Aldi.
Not a bad substitute for the market leader at all and it will save you a lot of money, especially if you glug gallons of the stuff.
Almost half the price of the brand name so it’s definitely worth a sup to try.
Extremely fizzy so beware bubbles up your nose!
Rating 4/5
Morrison’s Cola
89p for 2l, 4.5p per 100m, 4.8g sugar
16
SORT of “not quite but almost” dead ringer cola which is costlier than some other supermarket options but I think the flavour and matching caramel colour would fool you if you didn’t know you were drinking a stand in.
Contains sugar, sweeteners, and, unusually, barley, which might be what gives such an intense flavour.
Rating: 4/5
Asda Diet Coke
55p 2l, 2.8p per 100ml, 0g sugar
16
BARGAIN-price beverage that tastes good as well as offering excellent value for money.
Ticks all the diet cola boxes with a decent amount of fizz and bubbles, a refreshing ‘almost the real thing’ taste, and isn’t too sweet or sickly.
I think your taste buds would barely notice the difference with this own brand over ice with a slice, but your wallet definitely would.
Rating: 5/5
Lidl Freeway Cola XX
55p for 2l, 2.8p per 100ml, 0g sugar
16
WITH full-fat flavour but zero sugar, this is a fine option for those who want to be a bit more nutritionally aware, or get through a lot of cola but don’t want a traditional diet version of the drink.
Very fizzy and gassy so I found once opened the contents of the bottle did go flat very fast.
But cannot argue with the super price.
Rating: 3/5
Cola by Sainsbury’s
70p for 2l, 4p per 100ml, 4.8g sugar
16
I WAS really impressed with this.
It does a very good job of emulating the taste and smell of the original, probably because it contains sugar as well as chemical sweeteners.
The flavour is also remarkably similar to the real thing and retains its fizz well.
Not the cheapest alternative version but one of the most convincing.
Rating: 4/5
Tesco Diet Cola
65p for 2l, 3p per 100ml, 0.1g sugar
16
TESCO’S own diet cola fares a little better than its full-fat offering.
Butand it left an unenjoyable aftertaste.
It is closer in flavour to a classic cola than a diet drink.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
So this is perhaps one to try if you like the richer taste but want to save a little money and be a bit healthier.
Rating: 2/5
