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The best tomato juice should be refreshing and have a deep tomato flavor. It should also strike the perfect balance of being not too thick (this ain’t soup, pal) and not too thin (I don’t want Tomato Gatorade). Good tomato juice is all about nuance, quality tomatoes, and a wonderful, natural texture. It’s savory, salty, sweet, and delicious. 

Maybe it’s the Italian blood on my father’s side, but I’d happily drink marinara sauce in a mug every morning. Tomato juice has a similar vibe to red sauce—it’s tart, seasoned, spiced, and deliciously vegetal. But tomato juice has never really resonated with me in my adult life, maybe because the only thing I’ve really paid attention to was V8. While V8 is just fine, this taste test enlightened me (per usual), introducing me to a bunch of other brands doing great work in the official field of tomato juice research. Peep the list; I’m happy with it.

Best of the Best

I believe this is the first time an O Organics product has taken the number one spot, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with their tomato juice. It’s deeply refreshing and has a delicious, sweet and savory tomato flavor that feels natural. After having several disappointing tomato juices that were overly tart and acidic, O Organics felt natural, smooth, and, well, organic. It’s got far less salt than its competitors, and only 6 grams of sugar per serving. It’s all tomato flavor, and I’m here for it. It’s the best tomato juice for our money.

Credit: Merc/Vons

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for Soup

Boy, I’m a big proponent of this giant container of tomato juice from Kroger. Kroger’s tomato juice is just thick and lovely. It borders on soupy, but it doesn’t cross the line. Instead, it’s viscous and creamy without being too much. It’s also deliciously seasoned. The flavor itself is salty, so much so that it’s slightly addicting. It’s a little bit like drinking marinara, which for me, is a dream. I love the tomato flavor here, too. Use this for a soup or just drink it straight up. Kroger’s tomato juice is delightful and narrowly missed being the best tomato juice overall.

Credit: Merc/Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Tomato Flavor

Maybe it’s the textured glass bottles they come in, but I love Knudsen’s juice products. But, packaging aside, this R.W. Knudsen has the best pure tomato flavor of the tomato juices we tasted. It’s tangy, slightly sweet, bright, and flavorful. It tastes like actual tomatoes that have been blended up into juice form, not a flavorless concoction of tomato juice concentrate and water. That said, this is actually made with tomato juice concentrate (and lemon concentrate for tanginess), but it somehow doesn’t taste like it. Perhaps it’s the use of organic tomatoes. Regardless, there’s truly no replacement for pure, unadulterated tomato flavor. And that’s why Knudsen’s makes this list of the best tomato juice.

Credit: Merc/Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Seasoning

Target’s products are sneaking up on more lists lately, and Market Pantry’s tomato juice makes the list because it has the perfect combination of salt and sugar. Market Pantry’s tomato juice is balanced, flavorful, and deeply red in color. This has the great thickness we’re talking about, too. It’s not tomato “drink” but rather tomato juice—something a little thicker and more natural tasting. If you’re shopping at Target, you should pick this up. It’s a surprisingly high quality juice that I’d put up against other grocery store brands. 

Credit: Merc/Target

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best for Bloody Mary’s

Clamato juice is so effing salty, but I’m all the way into it, man. It also has high fructose corn syrup and MSG in it, so it’s extra savory and tasty. More than anything, though, I was surprised at how not clammy Calmato juice was. Clam juice is way down on the list of ingredients, which would explain why there isn’t very much clam flavor in Clamato at all. If anything, it tastes vegetal like celery. Clamato also uses garlic, onion, and spices. All those ingredients combine to create a great flavor that’s ready to go for Bloody Marys. Or, if you’re a freak like me, just drink the stuff straight because it’s salty, savory, and satisfying. Clamato rules.

Credit: Merc/Amazon

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: V8, Signature Kitchens, Sprouts, Wild Harvest, Campbell’s, Great Value, Simple Truth

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