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Coconut Water


DonRocks

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Amazon has a subscription program (Subscribe and Save) where you set up shipping at regular intervals and get a 15% discount, free shipping, and of course no tax. For a 12-pack of 11-oz Zico water ... boxes (?), that's $20.40.

I have no idea how much, if anything, that's a savings off what you could find buying it in bulk here, but I know I can get some things (like almonds) cheaper than at Costco through this system.

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I've become addicted to Zico, and would drink it 'round the clock except for this one little problem: It's expensive! Does anyone know where to find this in bulk?

Don, it is good stuff. I'm pretty sure that Whole Foods carries it. They've given me a (can't recall if it's 5% or 10% ) discount on cases of bottled water (I love Iceland Spring), so I bet they'd do the same for a case of Zico.

P.S. Check here too:

http://www.bulkhome.com/aisle/beverages/

They offer free shipping on orders over $25.

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I've become addicted to Zico, and would drink it 'round the clock except for this one little problem: It's expensive! Does anyone know where to find this in bulk?

That stuff wins. I've even used it as the cooking water for rice and sent several guests through the ceiling with surprised happy. I've purchased it both in the smaller sizes all over the place but alas, have not seen a discounted option.

I recently ordered two cases of Sparkling Cucumber Water from My Organic Market, and (after the odd looks they gave me) enjoyed a 15% discount.

Perhaps a Total Beverage could hook you up as well?

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I picked up a couple of small cartons of Zico at Whole Paycheck last night. I never noticed before, but apparently the stuff is loaded w/ potassium. The box says that it has more potassium than a banana. I don't think I could drink it everyday, but I am thinking about cooking some rice with it, or maybe spiking it with rum. :rolleyes:

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In my opinion, coconut water is coconut water is coconut water. You can get great coconut water in larger containers at Latino and Korean markets, cheaper than any natural grocery store. And, of course, Shoppers that have ethnic foods. I love the stuff. I could allow myself to get addicted. My favorite has coconut pieces, too.

Did not realize it was healthy, though. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :(

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In my opinion, coconut water is coconut water is coconut water. You can get great coconut water in larger containers at Latino and Korean markets, cheaper than any natural grocery store. And, of course, Shoppers that have ethnic foods. I love the stuff. I could allow myself to get addicted. My favorite has coconut pieces, too.

Did not realize it was healthy, though. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :(

The Zico water I believe has no added sugar; 1/3 liter has either 12 or 15 grams carb. (sorry, doing this from my mostly lacking memory) The coconut water I've seen at Giant, Shoppers, and H-Mart has the coconut pieces and also has added sugar, making it less "healthy" for moi with double the carbs in the same serving size. The Zico is also high in potassium--not sure about the other brands. There is also another brand called One that is similar to the Zico.

If there is a specific brand you've seen at those stores that does not have the added sugar, please post it here so I can look for it!

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Goya offers coconut water both ways: with and without added sugar. I buy the latter at Giant in my neighborhood, and I do think it's an acceptable alternative to the more expensive Zico. Zico can be found at Wegmans for a little less than the price at WF. Wegmans also has the Goya products. I can't remember if I found the sans Azucar type at El Grande, but I have not seen it at H-Mart, ever.

Coconut water does contain a fair amount of potassium, as well as other electrolytes. It makes a great alternative to sugar-loaded sports drinks for hydration, and decades ago was used as IV fluid for hydration, being sterile straight out of the coconut. I know there are other health benefits, but that's what I remember off the top of my head.

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Goya offers coconut water both ways: with and without added sugar. I buy the latter at Giant in my neighborhood, and I do think it's an acceptable alternative to the more expensive Zico. Zico can be found at Wegmans for a little less than the price at WF. Wegmans also has the Goya products. I can't remember if I found the sans Azucar type at El Grande, but I have not seen it at H-Mart, ever.

Coconut water does contain a fair amount of potassium, as well as other electrolytes. It makes a great alternative to sugar-loaded sports drinks for hydration, and decades ago was used as IV fluid for hydration, being sterile straight out of the coconut. I know there are other health benefits, but that's what I remember off the top of my head.

I guess my Giant and Shoppers only carry the kind with added sugar. I know because I've turned each item on the shelf around to look at the ingredients, when I was searching for a larger, less expensive version. Knowing that it's out there, though, I'll keep looking!

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We had a United flight this week and the in-flight magazine actually had a small article on the growth of the coconut water industry. Besides ONE and Zico they mentioned Vita Coco as a less expensive alternative. I have no idea where it can be found in the area, though.

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Last time I was in Miami Beach, I noticed locals picking up coconuts off the ground and drinking them.

Ah, but Zico comes in resealable paper cartons and can be chilled to the desired 54 degrees. :(

Actually, sun-warmed coconut juice is delightful, even on a hot day. When I lived in SoFla, we loved to grab the just-fallen coconuts, peel the outer bark (peel not really being the right word, because you usually needed a hammer and chisel), and drill in to get the "milk". Seriously; we would bring the toolbox to the beach - and a box of straws.

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Saw it at the Silver Spring Coop for $1.89 a small (11 oz.)box. They also had the One brand in small (~$1.95) and large boxes (~$5.95). Is that on the high or low end of the price range?

The Amazon subscription is 12 11-oz boxes for $1.70 each, if that helps. :(

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Apparently at noon today, Amazon is putting Zico coconut water on sale, as part of some "Cyber Monday and Black Friday" promotion (even though today is neither :(). The price is $16 for a dozen 11-oz containers, so $1.33 each, and eligible for free shipping. If you go to the main page and scroll horizontally through the "Cyber Monday Lightning Deals," you'll see it.

Edited by Rhone1998
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Found the sugar free stuff at Rodman's. I imagine if you ask nicely you can buy a case. I had Frutta mango and passionfruit concentrates, so I added a splash of both of those the way Vita Coco does. Yum.

Delish! and sooooo good for a hangover!

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Is anyone still seeing Vita Coco at any of the Asian grocery stores? I used to get cases of 12 at Grand Mart for $11.88 but they've not had them in a while. I haven't ventured to H Mart to look.

I looked at the Super H Mart in Annandale last weekend and didn't see it.

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I cross-tasted the Zico and the late-comer Naked brand today. Nutritional content is virtually identical, yet the Zico tastes much better to me - it has much more sweetness despite having no sugar added. I still haven't found a brand that I like as much as Zico.

Coming soon: CoCo-Xtreme from PepsiCo - the healthful benefits of natural coconut water plus 150 mg of caffeine.

Okay, I'm lying about CoCo-Xtreme, but can it really be far behind?

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Is anyone still seeing Vita Coco at any of the Asian grocery stores? I used to get cases of 12 at Grand Mart for $11.88 but they've not had them in a while. I haven't ventured to H Mart to look.

It's gone from the Grand Mart in Sterling. :lol:

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I cross-tasted the Zico and the late-comer Naked brand today. Nutritional content is virtually identical, yet the Zico tastes much better to me - it has much more sweetness despite having no sugar added. I still haven't found a brand that I like as much as Zico.

Coming soon: CoCo-Xtreme from PepsiCo - the healthful benefits of natural coconut water plus 150 mg of caffeine.

Okay, I'm lying about CoCo-Xtreme, but can it really be far behind?

I recently tried Naked's coconut water too and agree that Zico's tastes better. I've also tried Vitacoco. I like Vitacoco's coconut water with pineapple, but didn't find the plain water to be better than Zico.

As for a caffeinated product, instead of adding caffeine, they could just add guarana to Zico, which would make for a great natural energy infusion. :lol:

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I recently tried Naked's coconut water too and agree that Zico's tastes better. I've also tried Vitacoco. I like Vitacoco's coconut water with pineapple, but didn't find the plain water to be better than Zico.

As for a caffeinated product, instead of adding caffeine, they could just add guarana to Zico, which would make for a great natural energy infusion. :lol:

I bought a Naked coconut water from a Whole Foods in Massachusetts and dumped it out after two sips. I thought it tasted like over the hill coconut water, it was really awful. My friend drinks a lot of Zico and Vitacoco and agreed that it was a far inferior product.

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I've been drinking the unsweetened Goya brand to try to stay hydrated while sick. With a price point of 99 cents a can at Rodman's it is cheaper than a regular can of soda and tastes just fine. At this point I can't really tell the difference between Goya, Zico or Vita.

I used it to make ice cubes to suck on to sooth my throat. They worked beautifully. I'm thinking the ice cubes will be a good addition to iced tea this summer.

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The bad news: The P Street Whole Foods is apparently no longer carrying Zico.

The good news: They now have O.N.E., and (although I haven't compared the two side-by-side) it's the only other brand I've tried that I enjoy as much as Zico.

The only reason I want to be a billionaire is so I can drink a gallon of coconut water every day (while getting my 90-minute massage). Is it really so much to ask?

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The bad news: The P Street Whole Foods is apparently no longer carrying Zico.

The good news: They now have O.N.E., and (although I haven't compared the two side-by-side) it's the only other brand I've tried that I enjoy as much as Zico.

The only reason I want to be a billionaire is so I can drink a gallon of coconut water every day (while getting my 90-minute massage). Is it really so much to ask?

The good news: The Tenleytown Whole Foods stlll has Zico.

The bad news: Zico just came out with plastic bottles and apparently has changed the formula. They say it's now from concentrate and that the taste is different:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/zico-goes-plastic-let-coconut-water.html

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/coconut-water-update-zico-defends-brand.html

Other Zico-related news:

Rocks is in good company. Super-model Gisele is a Zico fan (I actually first noticed the plastic Zico bottle when I saw these pictures):

http://www.ourvanity.com/news/gisele-bundchen-zico-coconut-water-fan/

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The good news: The Tenleytown Whole Foods stlll has Zico.

The bad news: Zico just came out with plastic bottles and apparently has changed the formula. They say it's now from concentrate and that the taste is different:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/zico-goes-plastic-let-coconut-water.html

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/05/coconut-water-update-zico-defends-brand.html

Other Zico-related news:

Rocks is in good company. Super-model Gisele is a Zico fan (I actually first noticed the plastic Zico bottle when I saw these pictures):

http://www.ourvanity.com/news/gisele-bundchen-zico-coconut-water-fan/

I love Zico's coconut water, too!

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The bad news: The P Street Whole Foods is apparently no longer carrying Zico.

Now I regret not buying the Zico in bulk when they had it one sale the other week! O.N.E. had been at P St for several months, but it was always the most expensive options so I never bit. I was at the WF on Rockville Pk the other week and got a can of plain coconut water, no sugar added; regretfully do not remember the brand, but it was at least 16 oz.and looked Goya-ish. It was no more than $1.30. If anybody sees generic or off-brand coco water in The District let us know. I have a daily hankerin' but a budget that can't support that ...

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Quite a bit of Zico tonight at the Yes! market on Columbia Road, both in the fridge and on the shelf. I resisted buying it because it looked like it could be one of those stealth $6 drinks (which kind of made me want to try it more) (damn marketing).

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Trader Joes in Reston now has Zico in boxes at $1.49 each. The ingredients list says "100% natural coconut water," but it wasn't quite as delicious as I remembered.

I'm starting to shy away from my favorite daily beverage, because the Nasty Versions (of which Zico is now one) are elbowing out the good versions, and coconut water right now seems like a crap shoot, at best. I still like the unflavored O.N.E., but Zico was purchased (or at least partially so) by Coca-Cola Co. about a year ago, and the quality has gone to hell. It's very sad what mega-corporations have done to a nice product. The metal-can crap they're selling at Whole Foods is awful.

Why anyone would buy any flavored coconut water is beyond me; the appeal is the delicate taste which is completely obliterated by flavoring agents.

Cheers,

Rocks

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Vita Coco (my favorite thus far) can be found at Yes! Markets for $1.69 for 11 oz.; 500mL size as well, slightly cheaper per mL, They also carry Harvest Bay which I've seen on sale for about the same, regular price is $2+. I thought it was a little too mild in flavor, but that's better than overly sweet. I think Zico and O.N.E. are crap.

That canned variety from WF is Amy and Bryan's. It was around $1.50/can when they first introduced it; that was a steal despite the, um, steel aftertaste. Not a deal at current prices.

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Vita Coco (my favorite thus far) can be found at Yes! Markets for $1.69 for 11 oz.; 500mL size as well, slightly cheaper per mL, They also carry Harvest Bay which I've seen on sale for about the same, regular price is $2+. I thought it was a little too mild in flavor, but that's better than overly sweet. I think Zico and O.N.E. are crap.

That canned variety from WF is Amy and Bryan's. It was around $1.50/can when they first introduced it; that was a steal despite the, um, steel aftertaste. Not a deal at current prices.

I've never liked Vita Coco. Amy and Bryan's is also very sweet and pulpy. What don't you like about O.N.E.? It's the only one I DO like (the unflavored version, that is (the flavored ones are terrible)), and even that I haven't had in probably two months in this rapidly changing industry).

I'm not trying to challenge anyone, or beat my breast; I just want to know ...

WHERE IS MY COCONUT WATER THAT I LOVE SO MUCH?

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What don't you like about O.N.E.?

It tasted sweeter to me than the others, and for lack of a better word: processed. Dunno, maybe it was the snack that I had to accompany it, but it never got a second shot. I'll admit since VitaCoco is my favorite AND usually the least expensive it's all I buy (Zico iff nothing else is available)

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My wife became addicted to Taste Nirvana coconut water that she purchased for a shocking sum at a shop in Williamsburg. Since then, she has tried every other coconut water she can find, but she swears by her first love. We have yet to find any Taste Nirvana locally, and it is too expensive to ship, so we make do with shipments of Vita Coco to the house through Amazon. She hates it the least amongst all of those she has tried.

Did not even know this thread existed, but now that I spend more on coconut water in a month than I do on gasoline, I am very much interested.

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Scored a 12 pack of Vita in the original paper boxes at the Sterling Costco yesterday, for just a bit over $1.00/ box. The box indicates that the juice was produced in the Philippines, and that Vitamin C has been added. This is probably a sneaky way of adding ascorbic acid as a preservative. The box now has 230% of the RDA for Vitamin C

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I just had the best coconut water I've ever tried, from Harmless Harvest (I don't know how long this has been around but I'd never seen it on the shelves until a week ago.). The package says they use pressure instead of pasteurization to kill bacteria ... have no idea if that has anything to do with the taste but this is the closest I've tasted to fresh out of the coconut. (It's also ridiculously expensive at $2.70 for an 8 oz. bottle at Yes Organic Market.)

Igr1Mt.jpg

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I guess it all depends on why you drink it, but as a hangover remedy, it is most certainly magical. :)

I buy the pineapple Vita CoCo and dilute it about 50/50 with water and a lot of ice because I find it to sweet otherwise (and nasty if it's not ice cold). I'll occasionally drink it after a particularly hard workout as well or just when I'm darn thirsty. I am really not a fan of water and don't like to drink anything with added sugars or useless calories so this works for me. I am going to try to switch to the unflavored coconut water though. I haven't tried the ONE brand - maybe I should give it a shot. I'm not a fan of the ZICO at all.

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Harmless Harvest available at Costco Fairfax this week. This is far and away the best cocnut water I've ever tasted that was not coming straight out of a young coconut. I believe it was $15.99 for a 4pk of 16oz bottles.

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Harmless Harvest available at Costco Fairfax this week. This is far and away the best cocnut water I've ever tasted that was not coming straight out of a young coconut. I believe it was $15.99 for a 4pk of 16oz bottles.

Brian, have you tried the homemade (or locally made) drinks that came stored in the refrigerated section in plastic glasses, had a little wedge of coconut in them, and were available at places like Song Que? Other than mega-expensive places like Purée (which has the most expensive juice I've ever tried - read my first post!), these are my benchmark.

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