If you're reading this you're likely in my position, knowing you don't drink enough water but hoping for a sweetened alternative that isn't filled with artificial stuff like aspartame. I'll leave all the subjective debate over the taste of stevia itself to other reviews. If you're buying these products I'm going to assume you are already familiar with how stevia tastes as a sweetener compared to other sweeteners out there.
The purpose of my review was to test the flavor of all the Stur and Sweet Leaf Water Drops and find the best tasting ones from the bunch. In the photos you will see that I purchased the variety pack for both brands which included a total of 11 flavors. Each flavor was added to an equal amount of cold water, 8 oz with an attempted similar squeeze to each glass of the flavor drops. This is the suggested amount for both products.
Between each drink I drank regular water to try and cleanse my palette. Please keep in mind that everyone has a different idea of what tastes good. Your results may vary drastically from mine. Below are my notes.
Stur Flavors
Tropical O-Mango - Too artificial. The orange note is too floral.
Boldy Blue Blackberry - Very mild in flavor compared to all others. Might be good for someone who wants a very subtle flavor but I found that you would have to add more of this one than the others to get the same strength.
Pomegranate Cranberry - After learning how to spell pomegranate correctly... ok... this one had just an odd flavor and to me didn't evoke either fruit. Possibly more cranberry than pomegranate. This one might appeal to those looking for something with a bit of a sour note.
Fruit Punch - Good. A fairly predictable flavor if you are familiar with fruit punch from other artificial drinks but this one tastes more subtle and natural.
Strawberry Watermelon - The best of all the Stur flavors and the best out of all the flavors of both products. A very sweet pleasantly smooth flavor with the brightness of the strawberry hitting at first then the earthy watermelon trailing after.
Sweet Leaf Water Drops
Lemon Lime - Not so great. The lime left a bit of a soapy aftertaste.
Mixed Berry - Very light flavor with too much floral aftertaste
Peach Mango - This one had a very artificial taste. Reminded me too much of peach gummies.
Raspberry Lemonade - This one was decent but would have preferred strawberry instead of raspberry. The raspberry flavor was too floral.
Tropical Punch - Great. It was complex in a good way with not any strange aftertaste. The pineapple came through in a pleasant way. The best of the Sweet Leaf flavors.
Strawberry Kiwi - The second best of the Sweet Leaf flavors. A great level of sweetness for the amount of drops added. The strawberry and kiwi are equally in concert here with very little stevia aftertaste and no artificial qualities.
To summarize and rank the top four among both brands they are:
1st - Stur Strawberry Watermelon
2nd - Sweet Leaf Tropical Punch
3rd - Sweet Leaf Strawberry Kiwi
4th - Stur freshly Fruit Punch
That's it folks. I hope you find the review helpful. Try the top four I'm sure you'll find one in the bunch that hits the right spot.
I was a little hesitant to order these since there were a couple of flavors I hadn't tried yet. But I really wanted to try the cranberry pomegranate so went ahead with the order and thankfully they were almost all good.
Breakdown of the flavors, at least by what I liked. Just a note: I don't like things overly sweet or with a super strong flavor. I drink unsweetened ice tea, unless it's been brewed that way.
Orange/Mango: A little too sweet for me, even when using less of the product. I prefer my orange drinks to have a little tartness. I find that the Stur orange flavors are too sweet for me.
Cranberry/pomegranate: I liked it, not overly sweet. I did end up having to use a little more of the product to get a decent flavor, but not too much. Would use again.
Strawberry/watermelon: Very nice light flavor. Good balance of flavors. Would use again.
Fruit punch: Also a very nice balance of flavors with a little bit of tartness, just a hint. Would use again.
Black and Blueberry: One of my favorites. It has a nice sweet flavor with good balance. Easy on the ratio of water to product. Would use again.
I hope that this helps anyone who is looking to order these wonderful water enhancers. I love that they're all natural and no aftertaste that is present in so many of these types of water enhancers.
I can’t stand water and we have a hard time getting our 3 yr old to drink enough water. He is chronically constipated. I needed something to make water more bearable that didn’t contain aspartame or sucralose. I used one squirt in 300ml and he said yummy and downed it all right away without a fight. Win!
I put two squirts in my 20 oz of water and it was just enough to add sweetness and flavor. I noticed negative reviews said you had to use half a bottle to taste it. That wasn’t the case for me. Now if I wanted “Koolaid” type flavor, then yes I would need to squirt half the bottle. I’m only wanting light flavor and sweetness so that I don’t feel like I’m drinking cold spit. It does have an artificial sweetener taste and this is because it is not sugar and I’m putting it in water. I think if you’re looking for something to replace sodas or sugary drinks and taste just like it, this product won’t work for you. If you’re looking for something to “enhance” the water with natural ingredients this product is awesome. I’m very pleased.
I don't agree with the negative reviews. First, taste is highly subjective. If someone is used to drinking overly sweet sugary drinks (like lemonade from a restaurant which I dilute with one equal part water), then these are going to seem understated if you squirt one part to 8 Oz water. I do 3 squirts to 32 Oz water which works good for me. I agree the price is slightly high, but I don't find it cost prohibitive. Depends on your income I suppose. If you're tight with money, get Stevia yourself and mix with some lemon. Or squeeze an orange into water. This probably is a 4 to 5 star product. I don't find there's an after taste. If you think about it, what possible thing could you consume that doesn't have an after taste? Almost everything does. I recommend not using too much. Wean yourself off the incredibly sugary path that the US industry has conditioned us. They put high fructose corn syrup in everything. Most people have no idea how disgustingly sweet our modern sodas are.
Love the flavor of this product! There are lots of choices, so everyone will be able to find one (or more) they like. There are a million companies offering flavored water enhancers, so why pick Stur? I was searching for a way to stop drinking diet sodas, which were about the last unhealthy food/drink I continued to use. I also wanted to drink more water. I wanted to avoid sugar, aspartame, and Splenda. I was also concerned about the chemicals in products. I did an exhaustive search and the Stur products were the healthiest, most guilt-free option I could find. In addition to the taste, healthy ingredients, and ease of use I also like being able to control the intensity. I prefer just a hint of flavor, so I just put a few drops in each glass. Be careful about putting these little containers in your purse, however. I tried 2 and they both leaked. I am going to decant mine into a dropper bottle and carry that instead for use in restaurants, movies, etc.
Feature Product
- 5 Delicious Flavors-- Fruit Punch, Strawberry Watermelon, Blue & Blackberry, Orange Mango, Pomegranate Cranberry
- 0 SUGAR, 0 CALORIES, 100% VITAMIN-C PER SERVING, KOSHER, KETO FRIENDLY - Whatever your health goals are, Stur can help you cut sugar and chemicals out of your diet, and stay hydrated which to support your diet and overall wellness.
- MAKES 100 8oz FLAVORED WATER DRINKS-- conveniently use at home, at work, on-the-go. Add as much flavor as you want and notice the great value compared to bottled flavored water brands. Stur Liquid Drink Mix or Water Enhancers as they are referred to, mix instantly into water, unlike powder drink mix.
- NATURAL - Unlike traditional drink mix brands that use chemicals for flavor, color and sweetness, Stur is made from real, delicious fruit extracts, sweetened with uniquely steeped Stevia, and colored using tiny amounts of fruit and vegetable juice.
- SATISFACTION GUARANTEE-- If you are not totally satisfied, just message us directly and we will refund your order. Stur was created by a father to help his family to love water naturally. What're you waiting for?! Trying Stur is risk-free!
Description
Available in a variety of delicious fruit flavors, Stur water enhancers are the liquid drink mix for consumers looking for natural ingredients. Delicious, naturally flavored water can now be made at home or on the go with our portable liquid drink mix bottles.
To use, flip-open the cap. Point downwards directly into your water. And squeeze 1 second per serving in 8-ounces of water (squeeze longer to add more flavor)! Each portable bottle of Stur makes 20 8-ounce drinks – with 0 sugar, 0 calories, and 100% Vitamin C per serving.
The Stur brand is about helping others to love water naturally. Stur was born while my wife was pregnant with our twin girls. The doctor had recommended she drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. But like most Americans, she wasn't drinking even half of that! So I started looking for healthy ways to flavor her water. I went to the store and searched the drink mixes, but found that they were all made with artificial chemicals that we didn't feel comfortable putting in my wife's body. Finally I asked a food scientist friend to help me create a liquid blend of natural fruit flavors and natural stevia leaf extract to squeeze in water. It took us over a year and hundreds of different formulations to land upon a blend that tasted better than most bottled sugary drinks (and we're still tinkering to perfect it)! I called our special blend "Stur" and proudly wrote on our hand-drawn label that it had 0 calories, 0 sugar, essential vitamins, and NO artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors. (That initial label was hand-drawn by yours truly, and by popular demand, it has since been replaced with a more professional one!). Just like so many others, I hope you love Stur as much as we have put love into making it. If for any reason you aren't satisfied, just let us know --- we will make it right.
So glad I found this! Stur adds just the right amount of "extra" to plain water without it tasting sugary/ syrupy like a lot of other products. My finicky 5 year old even tried the Strawberry Watermelon flavor and gave it two thumbs up!
Deciding the right amount is personal preference, but I found the guideline of one-squeeze/ 8 oz. is a good starting point. The variety of flavors in this package is fantastic. So far we've tried blueberry, strawberry/ watermelon and pomegranate/ cranberry. Love them all!
Last but not least, it's nice to know that this product was invented by a regular family with little kids. It makes the product seem more personal and is why I'm bothering to review it. :)
I love to eat yogurt for breakfast, but a while ago I decided to get away from the flavored ones since they have so much sugar. I'm not a fan of eating plain yogurt by itself so I decided to try Stur. I bought this product and started using Stur in my plain yogurt each morning. It's been great. I don't feel like I'm missing anything by not having the pre-flavored yogurts. Stur mixes well with yogurt, and there hasn't been a flavor I've come across that I didn't like, although I am partial to the coconut ones. I just bought some more since I was running out of my previous pack.
I love Stur...with some exceptions. The flavors which I like taste "natural" to me. I ordered two variety packs. The one referenced here was very good. Like some other posters, I tend to favor berry flavors so I love the Blue & Blackberry, Pomegranate Cranberry, and Strawberry Watermelon. I also like the Fruit Punch but feel you have to add more to get an intense flavor which I don't do with the three others. Tropical O-Mango tastes like mango...but I'm not a huge fan.
I ordered the second variety pack because I thought I would get the Lemonade flavor. The pack arrived with different flavors. I loved the Grape (of course!). I would have liked the Black Cherry except I don't want added fiber because I simply don't need it, and Black Cherry (currently) only comes with the added fiber. I again received Fruit Punch. The two flavors I did not like were Peach and Coconut Pineapple. Maybe people who love these flavors may well like these last two. I'm afraid that the only way I'll be able to get the Lemonade flavor, which everyone seems to love, will be to order a pack of five (hope I like it!). I love having a faint hint of flavor to ice-cold water during the summer, and Stur certainly provides the flavor.
Some of the flavors I like, some not so much, but this is a great way to find out which ones work for you and which ones don't (And 3 out of 5 ain't bad. Especially when my husband liked one of the ones I didn't)
The flavors I preferred were the Mango, the Blueberry, and the Fruit Punch. My husband also liked the Cranberry, which I found too earthy to enjoy. The Strawberry had to get kicked out of our house because Stur uses all natural flavors and husband is allergic (not their fault and I gave it to a newly diagnosed diabetic friend who loved it). The best thing we all had to say about them is that there is NO aftertaste with the stevia, my husband's number one complaint every time we've tried anything that has had it.
Overall, I would say that the 3 squeeze rule is about right for most people and most flavors. If you like intense flavors in your water, that isn't going to cut it, but for me that was perfect.
I bought a SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker Starter Kit, Black and after trying the plain carbonated water, I decided to try some flavorings. After looking at all the available products and reviews, I decided to first try the Stur line of syrups. I purchased the variety pack, the cocoanut-pineapple and the strawberry-watermelon. I am very happy with the product. I do not add the syrup to the SodaStream liter bottles - I keep those for water only. When I pour a glass of SodaStream carbonated water, I usually add some Stur syrup to the glass. My only complaint is that it is difficult at first to get the right amount of syrup. I like my carbonated water with just a hint of flavor, the minimum (as it turns out) that I can squeeze from the Stur containers. When I squeeze the Stur container, if I'm not careful, I end up with way too much syrup. The squeeze requires some pressure and you have to start very gently, then let up immediately when the syrup starts squirting out, kind of tricky. I would really like to have the syrup come out as drops rather than as a squirting stream. Otherwise, the flavors are quite good (except for the fruit punch, which I gave away), and I am happy to have them. Oh, I should also say that these are easily carried around in a briefcase or purse - just be sure that the cap is firmly in place!
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