New Product Reviews: Green Tea, Spring Water & More
With over 40,000 products in the average supermarket, people don't have
time (or the money) to test every product on the shelves - so we do it
for you! (Points system explained below the products!)
Each week we will post the latest reviews and I hope you will log in to see what's hot...and what's not!
Watch Phil's New Product Review video
Each week we will post the latest reviews and I hope you will log in to see what's hot...and what's not!
Zhena's Gypsy Tea Biodynamic Caramelized Pear Green Tea
One of the best innovations in tea bags was using these sachets that actually allow the tea leaves to expand. That translates into more flavor, a smoother sip and more antioxidants in each cup. The good thing about a caramel pear flavor is that for non-green tea drinkers it masks the flavor of the green tea. This product is certified organic, fair trade and biodynamic - which simply means the soil is constantly nourished without chemicals. This is the green tea for non-green-tea drinkers; and by the way... one sniff will remind you of a Kraft candy caramel.
Retails for $9.95.
Royal Gypsy Tea Company, Inc
Ojai, CA
800 448 0803
www.GypsyTea.com
Nuu Rainforest Spring Water
Just when you thought you'd seen it all in the water aisle - now comes spring water from Panama - Noriega would be proud! The water itself is spring water "pours out of thundering storm clouds, flows through layers of volcanic rock, naturally rises and is bottled at the source" - unlike some other waters there are no naturally occurring minerals. I guess the only thing that does occur is the shape of the bottle, which, for whatever reason is designed to look like a dumbbell. Certainly not the most efficiently shaped, or appealing packaging.
Retails for $0.79 - $1.79.
Next Generation Water
770 425 1679
www.nextgenerationwaters.com
Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks Tropical Treat
This product is a HIT!
Good for Annie! I fell in love with Annie's Cheddar Bunnies - and now their Bunny Fruit Snacks. Certified organic with 100% daily intake of vitamin C, these are gluten free and taste terrific - no artificial anything, but just one pouch is 10 g of sugars in less than an ounce. Retails for $4.99 for 5 pouches.
Annie's Homegrown, Inc
Napa, CA
800 288 1089
www.annies.com
Sunsweet Antioxidant Blend
Sunsweet has put blueberries, cherries, cranberries and plums all together as one of the tastiest, healthiest snacks I've had in a long time. Now remember, these dried fruits are naturally high in sugar and they've added more sugar - this 5 oz package has 88 g of sugar - so make sure you don't eat the whole thing in one sitting... I also love that on the back of the package they show you the antioxidant score for these as well as other fruits.
Retails for $3.99.
Sunsweet Growers Inc
Yuba City, CA
800 417 2253
www.sunsweet.com
| Taste | Value | Health | Ingredients | Prep | Appearance | Packaging | Sustainability | Total | |
| 24 |
15 |
13 |
13 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
84 |
One of the best innovations in tea bags was using these sachets that actually allow the tea leaves to expand. That translates into more flavor, a smoother sip and more antioxidants in each cup. The good thing about a caramel pear flavor is that for non-green tea drinkers it masks the flavor of the green tea. This product is certified organic, fair trade and biodynamic - which simply means the soil is constantly nourished without chemicals. This is the green tea for non-green-tea drinkers; and by the way... one sniff will remind you of a Kraft candy caramel.
Retails for $9.95.
Royal Gypsy Tea Company, Inc
Ojai, CA
800 448 0803
www.GypsyTea.com
Nuu Rainforest Spring Water
| Taste | Value | Health | Ingredients | Prep | Appearance | Packaging | Sustainability | Total | |
| 25 |
15 |
13 |
15 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
80 |
Just when you thought you'd seen it all in the water aisle - now comes spring water from Panama - Noriega would be proud! The water itself is spring water "pours out of thundering storm clouds, flows through layers of volcanic rock, naturally rises and is bottled at the source" - unlike some other waters there are no naturally occurring minerals. I guess the only thing that does occur is the shape of the bottle, which, for whatever reason is designed to look like a dumbbell. Certainly not the most efficiently shaped, or appealing packaging.
Retails for $0.79 - $1.79.
Next Generation Water
770 425 1679
www.nextgenerationwaters.com
Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks Tropical Treat
| Taste | Value | Health | Ingredients | Prep | Appearance | Packaging | Sustainability | Total | |
| 30 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
93 |
This product is a HIT!Good for Annie! I fell in love with Annie's Cheddar Bunnies - and now their Bunny Fruit Snacks. Certified organic with 100% daily intake of vitamin C, these are gluten free and taste terrific - no artificial anything, but just one pouch is 10 g of sugars in less than an ounce. Retails for $4.99 for 5 pouches.
Annie's Homegrown, Inc
Napa, CA
800 288 1089
www.annies.com
Sunsweet Antioxidant Blend
| Taste | Value | Health | Ingredients | Prep | Appearance | Packaging | Sustainability | Total | |
| 30 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
83 |
Sunsweet has put blueberries, cherries, cranberries and plums all together as one of the tastiest, healthiest snacks I've had in a long time. Now remember, these dried fruits are naturally high in sugar and they've added more sugar - this 5 oz package has 88 g of sugar - so make sure you don't eat the whole thing in one sitting... I also love that on the back of the package they show you the antioxidant score for these as well as other fruits.
Retails for $3.99.
Sunsweet Growers Inc
Yuba City, CA
800 417 2253
www.sunsweet.com
Quaker Tortillaz Zesty Gaucamole
I love the idea of Quaker making air-baked rice and corn snacks, but what's with the MSG, added sugars, artificial flavors and colors? The flavor is zesty guacamole, but all I taste is a little salt, a little onion, a little pepper and no guacamole... oh maybe that's because there's no guacamole.
Retails for $3.29.
The Quaker Oats Company
Chicago, IL
800 856 5781
www.quakerRiceSnacks.com
Phil taste-tests and judges each product based on the following 8 criteria:
1. Taste (30 points): the most important attribute of any food
2. Value (20 points): is it worth it?
3. Health (15 points): based off the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?
4. Ingredients (15 points): what's in it, how natural is it?
5. Preparation (5 points): when applicable, how accurate or good are the directions *
6. Appearance (5 points): is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description
7. Packaging (5 points): Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as resealability, added freshness, better storage, etc.
8. Sustainability (5 Points): is the packaging biodegradable, is it wasteful, is the company endeavoring to offset their carbon footprint?
*products that do not have any preparation will have the full value of these points included in their total score.
| Taste | Value | Health | Ingredients | Prep | Appearance | Packaging | Sustainability | Total | |
| 24 |
16 |
13 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
76 |
I love the idea of Quaker making air-baked rice and corn snacks, but what's with the MSG, added sugars, artificial flavors and colors? The flavor is zesty guacamole, but all I taste is a little salt, a little onion, a little pepper and no guacamole... oh maybe that's because there's no guacamole.
Retails for $3.29.
The Quaker Oats Company
Chicago, IL
800 856 5781
www.quakerRiceSnacks.com
Phil taste-tests and judges each product based on the following 8 criteria:
1. Taste (30 points): the most important attribute of any food
2. Value (20 points): is it worth it?
3. Health (15 points): based off the nutritional information, is it nutritionally balanced?
4. Ingredients (15 points): what's in it, how natural is it?
5. Preparation (5 points): when applicable, how accurate or good are the directions *
6. Appearance (5 points): is it appetizing and does it resemble its photo or description
7. Packaging (5 points): Is it appropriate for the product and does it have any benefits such as resealability, added freshness, better storage, etc.
8. Sustainability (5 Points): is the packaging biodegradable, is it wasteful, is the company endeavoring to offset their carbon footprint?
*products that do not have any preparation will have the full value of these points included in their total score.
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Regarding your review on Nuu water by Next Generation Waters, you say:
"Just when you thought you'd seen it all in the water aisle - now comes spring water from Panama - Noriega would be proud!"
I'm from Panama and can tell you that Panama is about many things other than Manuel Noriega, and yes, spring water can be, and in fact is one of those things.
Noriega is today only an entry in history textbooks an a punchline. He today only embodies a period in our history we're not particularly proud of. His rule ended in one of the most disgraceful moments in our history: the US invasion of Panama in 1989. Ironically and thankfully, this event also marked he beginning of a new era for Panama where US political influence has dissipated to the point of today being almost unnoticeable.
Interest in all that Panama has to offer has however become more and more noticeable - from tourists, second-home buyers and investors from the US and everywhere else and we as Panamanians encourage that.
I understand that the comment was uttered in a comic tone, and I happen to be a great fan of humor. But the fact that 20 years after Noriega his name pops into someone's mind the minute Panama is mentioned is to me the real joke. I am sure that deep down you are not the narrow-minded, ignorant biggot your comment would make you seem. I thus encourage you to get to know more about Panama and all it has to offer, and discover the wonderful country it really is.