32 brands in the test
Stiftung Warentest: These are the best mineral waters
Most mineral waters achieved good results
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Stiftung Warentest tested mineral water. Inexpensive own brands did very well, there was criticism of an organic mineral water and an expensive sustainability brand.
If you want to drink very good mineral water, you don’t have to spend more than 17 cents per liter. This is the price at which supermarkets and discounters sell their own brands. Although the food chains have increased the prices for their own water in the spring – but only by 4 cents to 17 cents per liter (plus deposit).
In the test by Stiftung Warentest of 32 classic mineral waters, the own brands of the retail chains almost always scored “very well” – and thus also beat some significantly more expensive branded waters. Only the waters from Netto and Netto-Marken-Discount were only “good” among the private labels.
Overall, the testers awarded the rating “Very Good” eight times and “Good” 17 times. The laboratory tests delivered consistently pleasing results: All mineral waters are microbiologically flawless. The testers did not find critical substances such as nitrate or uranium in significant quantities.
Organic mineral water with impurities
There was only something to complain about in the laboratory results of one candidate: Manufacturer Carolinen advertises with an organic label and therefore has to meet stricter criteria. However, the testers found traces of above-ground impurities in the water, which, according to the product test, violate the specifications. In addition, Carolinen was the only water in which nitrite was detectable – although just below the limit value for organic water, according to the product test it was still an indication of contaminated water. Overall, the Carolinen water just received the overall grade “sufficient” (4.5).
Sustainable from the national park?
Even the most expensive water in the test has to take criticism. The “Untouched” brand costs a whopping 1.59 euros per liter and markets itself as particularly sustainable. The fact that the certified organic product is taken from a source in the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park is not considered particularly sustainable by the product testers in view of climate change and drought. Since the right was granted before the national park was founded, the removal is legal. In addition, the untouched water only tasted mediocre and contained less carbonic acid than stated.
The testers gave most of the other mineral waters good taste testimonials. In the 2017 test, a lot of water tasted slightly like plastic packaging, but now that was no longer a problem with plastic bottles. Only the branded water from Rheinfels Quelle tasted clearly of plastic according to the sensory assessment, which is why it only received a grade of 3.5.
You can find the full test at www.test.de