Key Takeaways
- Diet Coke fans say Aldi's store-brand diet cola is even better than the original.
- At less than $5 for a 12-pack, the generic diet cola is cheaper than Diet Coke.
- We did a masked taste test of the two products side-by-side to determine if the store-brand version is better than Diet Coke.
When that afternoon slump starts to hit, I love to reach for a Diet Coke for an energy boost and a bit of a sweet treat to get me through the rest of the day. Because Diet Coke has become a staple in my routine—usually from the soda fountain in our office—I feel pretty confident that I can taste the difference between the diet colas on the market.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that I can tell the difference between a canned Diet Coke, fountain Diet Coke, and, of course, the best Diet Coke of all: the one from McDonald’s. So, imagine my surprise when I saw that some social media users were saying that the best Diet Coke doesn’t come from the Golden Arches—and actually isn’t even made by Coca-Cola.
According to the internet, the diet cola that beats out Coke is from Aldi.
The Internet-Loved Aldi Summit Diet Cola
Aldi / Allrecipes
The internet loves to doctor up a Diet Coke in ways that I’m just not sure I can get behind—like adding protein shakes to it or garnishing it with jalapeños. But, as an Aldi fanatic, I was less skeptical about the quality of the pop, knowing that Aldi’s copycats are usually pretty spot on.
Aldi’s Summit Diet Cola is the brand’s generic version of Diet Coke. The pop features a similar silver can with red lettering, and almost an identical ingredient label—except that Aldi’s Diet Cola doesn’t contain any sodium like Diet Coke does.
A 12-pack case of Summit Diet Cola costs about $5 at Aldi—though prices can vary depending on location—which is a couple bucks cheaper than a 12-pack of Diet Coke. Price and ingredients aside, everyone knows the most important part is the taste test.
So, I performed a side-by-side, masked taste test of Diet Coke—both from the can and a fountain—and Aldi’s Diet Cola to see if I could tell the difference and if one was better than the other. The results actually shocked me.
Dotdash Meredith/Janet Maples
Aldi Diet Cola vs. Diet Coke
In a masked taste test of Aldi’s Summit Diet Cola versus a can of Diet Coke, I preferred the Aldi version. That wasn’t too surprising, as sometimes the canned Diet Coke can get a flatter, aluminum-like flavor. So, to give the original a better chance, I put the Aldi Diet Cola to the true test against a fountain Diet Coke.
In the hidden taste test, I felt that the two sodas pretty much tasted the same, which is not something I would say when given a can of Diet Coke and a fountain Diet Coke. So, I’d say that’s a pretty big compliment for the German grocer.
The real test will be how Aldi’s Diet Cola holds up to Mickey D’s Diet Coke, but that’s one I’ll save for later. For now, I’m happy to know that my Diet Coke habit was just replaced by a cheaper—dare I say, better—option in Aldi’s Diet Cola.
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