Customer Reviews

O.N.E. Coconut Water, 11.2-Ounce Aseptic Containers (Pack of 12)

5 star:		(131)
4 star:		(52)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(40)

 

 

My family has been adopting a raw foods diet for the last year, and one of the things we have been able to enjoy is eating young green coconuts.

A young green coconut looks like a woody white cylinder with a point on the top of it. In order to open it, you take a heavy cleaver type knife and you strike it in four sides around the point of the coconut.

You then take off the top and inside you get anywhere from 1/4 to a full cup of coconut water- a clear sweet nectar with subtle coconut flavor.

Drinking this type of juice is a delightful experience, however, it does take some work to get at and is not always convenient- until now.

When I first saw the 11 oz aseptic container of O.N.E coconut water, I was not sure what to expect. I know that I expected it to be flat tasting and probably nothing like I was used to from having fresh green coconut water.

I was wrong.

This coconut water might not be fresh and raw, but it is the closest thing to it that I have come across so far.

The foil wrapped box has about a 5/8" opening (slanted square) that is covered with foil. You peel that off and it forms a slight spout for easy pouring.

It is best served cold, so I kept in the refrigerator.

The water/juice inside is a slightly cloudy clear liquid which has the delightful taste of young green coconuts. There is a refreshing coconut flavor that is not at all overwhelming, but just right.

It has no added flavors or sugars to it, which is delightful. It has only 60 calories which is also a nice feature.

I have compared it to fresh coconut water, and although I do prefer raw fresh water, I am very happy with this as a substitute.

I can say this, my family all fought to taste this stuff- so it made a big hit here.

If you are into raw foods and need to have a beverage which is close to what you are used to and is not cooked to death and sweetened in a package to take on a picnic, trip, or even to work, this is definitely a great item to have handy.

You might like it even if you are not into raw foods, but like the fragile coconut flavor in coconut water- you should give this a try.

I do want to mention that this is NOT the kind of water that comes out of very dark brown dried coconuts- that tastes very different than young green coconuts.

I have tried just about every coconut water company out there (Zico, Harvest Bay, Vita Coco, etc.) and this by far is the best and the closest to the coconut water out of fresh young coconut. Nothing will be beat drinking it right out of fresh coconut but O.N.E comes the closes.

The coconut water is supposed to taste like fresh refreshing, slight sweet water with just a hint of coconut flavor. If you taste strong flavor of coconut, it is probably over ripe or aged. This container also doesn't have any package smell as some of the other coconut water packages have.

Just remember to buy them fresh and chill them before you drink. The flavor is much better when chilled. Highly recommend buying this over the other brands.

Coconut water is the liquid inside an unopened coconut. It is not "coconut milk," although there is often confusion about that. Coconut milk is made from the meat of the coconut after it is opened and the water poured out. Inside the coconut, the water is sterile and very benign to the human body - it has been safely used in emergencies as IV fluid! (Straight out of the coconut, that is, NOT from a Tetrapak.)

Coconuts in general are very healthy items. In the South Pacific the coconut palm is called "the tree of Life," because it provides so many things for a healthy life: food, water, shelter, medicine, etc. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils on the planet, but has been the victim of intense propaganda campaigns by corporate vegetable oil cartels and other evil critters.

Coconut water tastes (to me) a bit like very watery, unsweetened tapioca, with just a hint of sourness. It is quite bland by itself, but mixes easily with fruit juices, etc. It has great health properties and is rapidly becoming popular with athletes as a superb isotonic drink, because it has great electrolyte and mineral properties, and is a natural food with no harmful side effects or hideous chemical garbage masquerading as food.

Good organic coconut water is very hard to find, but there are many brands of non-organic like this one on the market. I checked out the package info and vendor's web site, but could find only general information on coconut water and its benefits, nothing specific about this exact product - where and how it is grown and harvested, the quality of the land and processing, etc. That is not a good sign.

For an item that is very health oriented, the only reasons I can see for hiding that information are pure marketing ignorance, or knowing that the truth would not paint a good picture. Rain forests are reportedly being cut down for coconut palm plantations, especially those dedicated to unhealthy corporate factory farming practices. It would be vital for a company to distance themselves from that kind of activity by using only properly grown plants on healthy, environmentally sound plantations, and making that a very prominent part of their marketing.

It would also be vital to play up everything possible that points to a healthy product by specifically mentioning those things about this specific product, not just general properties. This company doesn't do any of that, so I can only assume that this product is not produced in a way they want me to know about. That is the kiss of death for a product in my eyes. Granted, I am fussier than most in this regard.

Don't be misled by the "100% Natural" marketing hype. That means virtually nothing. It is not a strict, legally defined standard, as is "USDA Organic," for example. Virtually anything found in "nature," i.e. toxic heavy metals, MSG (yes, it occurs in nature), animal manure, etc., can be considered "natural" and can legally be included in a product labeled "100% Natural." Granted, USDA organic standards are very weak as organic standards go (compared to say, Oregon Tilth), but they are still better than nothing.

While I love coconut and want to give this product 4 or 5 stars, the complete lack of honest information about its origins and processing make me VERY, VERY suspicious. Without more information about how safe/healthy the product actually is, I can only give it 3 stars and a serious "caveat emptor." It is probably much better than any ordinary "sports drinks," but there are too many unanswered questions to be sure. One's health is not something to be treated lightly.

UPDATE July 2009:

After continued searching, I still have not been able to locate a consistent source of organic or Fair Trade coconut water. While the manufacturer of this coconut water still does not give out any real information about the growing, harvesting, or other relevant details of production, neither do any of their competitors.

So far, this is still the best coconut water I have been able to find, and I continue to drink it, even with the questions I have.

Each of these three products has a number of reviews. I don't have much to add to any of the individual reviews. Coconut water is great, if you are in the market for a case of it you already know this. But which of these three is the best?

I went around town and found 5 boxes of each of the three brands (15 total) each, with no two boxes of a the same brand coming from the same supplier. The goal was to get a wide range of product batches. This I am happy to report was pointless. All three brands produce an internally consistent product.

I then ordered a 12 pack of all three brands from Amazon. The only significant difference in packaging is that O.N.E. glues a little telescoping straw to each individual box, the other two brands do not. If you are a straw person this is a feature if not this is just more trash, you decide. The amount per container varies slightly by brand but given the price fluctuation on Amazon I don't consider the 0.1 Oz differences an important factor.

All three are made in Brazil, O.N.E. mentions that it is pasteurized the other two do not (nevertheless, I suspect all three are).

On pure taste, at refrigerator temperature, I found Zico to be the best (say 5/5), but only nominally better than O.N.E. (4.5/5), Vita was a distant third (3/5). Both Zico and O.N.E. taste almost exactly like drinking right from a fresh green coconut. Vita, on the other hand, has a grape aftertaste which I did not like. At room temperature the order remained the same; however, the differences in taste became more obvious: Zico (5/5), O.N.E. (4/5), Vita (2/5). Obviously all of this is subjective.

I observed the price of three on Amazon over the course of a month. Zico (~$24) was consistently more expensive than the other two (~$18-21) which traded places as the least expensive.

Considering the price and quality, O.N.E. is my choice and the brand to which I now subscribe. I consider Zico an excellent, but over priced, product and Vita an inferior product. If, however, I preferred my coconut water at room temperature I would give strong consideration to paying the extra money for Zico. If I used my coconut water as a mixer I would buy which ever one is cheapest at the time.

All three products are better than nothing (the previous option) and I am happy to see them on the market.

My mom recommended to me ONE coconut water, and it's great. Great tasting, full of electrolytes, and relatively healthy.

When my Whole Foods ran out of stock, I thought I'd try the alternatives, including Zico and Vita something. Surprisingly, both weren't that great although I think in one case it may have to do with them trying to mix other juices in (i.e. not pure coconut water). Another brand I tried was worse. That's pretty sad because other than good OJ or apple juice, nothing beats coconut water and more people ought to know about it. No matter what brand you try, I wouldn't recommend non-pure coconut water like mango or other juices mixed in because it takes away from it.

I've had coconut water straight from coconuts, and this is as good as I've had. So it was a pleasant surprise when years back they started selling this stuff. In many cultures, Coconuts are a daily staple and the source of a wide range of critical nutrients. It's something people can eat and drink literally every day.

The drink is good like Gatorade after a long excercize. I hate Vitamin water and all the other sports drinks, and somewhat tolerate Gatorade. I'm surprised they don't just imitate coconut water.

Anyways, highly recommended.

Like a few of the people who wrote a review I was born and raised on a carribbean island... Barbabdos to be exact. When I came here I tried to find coconut water that actually,.. was coconut water and guess what , One coconut water is exactly that.
It taste like the young fresh coconut water that it clams to be from ... loook at the ingrediants no additives just coconut water. There is a difference between young coconuts and more aged coconuts. The older ones are much sweeter :) but the young ones are more refreshing and much healthier.
So if you dont know what you talking about..its not right to leave a negative review, because to really know the difference between coconuts you actually would have to taste the orginal product cut fresh and drink it out the nut.
One... Thanks.. I always crave coconut water during pregancy because there is nothing better than young cocnut water to keep a mother and her baby healthy and you have given me something wonderfull.

I did love the ONE coconut water but my last two shipments (case each)had numerous ones that smelled funky and were very foul tasting. As soon as you tear off the tab, you can smell it has gone rancid. Not sure if it is how long Amazon holds it in their stockhouse, if they even do that, or if it spoiled due to extreme temperatures but I have had to throw out an average of 3 containers from each case. Not sure the word Aseptic is factual when it is so rancid at times. But when they are fresh, it is good with a light taste. Not overpowering.

If I could give this product more than 5 stars, I would! Our family has tried VitaCoco and Zico Coconut Water (both were good) but O.N.E. Coconut water is our favorite because it includes little extendable straws that can be used like a juice box. The handy straw allows you to neatly poke a hole through the foil seal for a no-spill drink...perfect for car rides or letting kids carry their drink around the house. We also drink coconut water when we are ill, instead of Pedialyte or Gatorade (much more healthy). The straw is a great way to get fussy toddlers to drink the fluids they need when they're sick.

I highly recommend coconut water. The consistency can take some getting used to because it's thicker than water or juice, but the nutritional value can't be beat. It is the perfect drink for kids and athletes: an all natural, whole food....slightly sweet with fewer natural sugars than most fruit juices, no artificial colors or flavors, won't stain, packed with potassium and electrolytes, and it actually contains calcium and a little protein! Packaged in small, recyclable Tetra Pak containers (eco-friendly) that contain no PBA like some plastics. You can easily take this coconut water with you anywhere- I always keep a couple in the car and often stick one in my purse (although coconut water tastes best cold). If you have any reservations about trying this product, just go for it! If you really don't like it, you can always sell the rest on craigslist :)

Go to a asian grocery store and get a real fresh young coconut for less than a dollar. Bore a hole into it, drink it, then drink this "100% Natural" O.N.E coconut water. I think you'll write a same review just like mine. It just doesn't taste natural at all.

O.N.E is not telling the TRUTH ! ! ! The box tells the LEGAL TRUTH OF WHAT IS IN THIS PRODUCT [ CANE SUGAR ] If you are a diabetic this is not good for you - AMAZON TOLD ME TO POST THE LABEL ON THE SHIPPING BOX - see above - ALSO IF YOU READ THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION YOU WILL FIND THIS: "no added sugars, " THIS IS A FLAT OUT LIE!!!! READ THE LABEL POSTED FROM THE SHIPPING BOX ABOVE