Diet Coke Vs Coke Zero

[Rick Potter]

What is the difference between Diet Coke and Coke zero?? When it first came out I assumed that Zero had no caffeine, but it does have it. To avoid the caffeine, you need to find Caffeine Free Diet Coke. Why do they need both Diet Coke and Coke Zero?

I ask this, because my local burger joint dumped Cherry Coke so they could put in Zero alongside Diet Coke. I like to put a splash of the cherry in a Diet Coke, it sort of kills the diet taste a bit.

Yeah, yeah. You are probably wondering why this life altering news in not being investigated by 60 minutes. Me too:confused:.

Rick Potter

[Greg Portland]

They have significantly different flavors. Coke Zero is sweeter and IMO tastes closer to Diet Pepsi. If you want 'sweet' go with the Coke Zero. I'm not a fan of Diet Coke unless I can put some flavor in it (splash of lemonade, etc.).

[Moses Yoder]

I personally am a Dr. Pepper freak. When I saw a Coke Zero I tried it and told my wife I was thinking I could switch. She looked at the ingredients and saw it had aspartame in it. She forbid me to drink it any more, threatening divorce. Real sugar is not nearly as bad for you as aspartame. Diet Coke I think still uses Nutra Sweet as a sweetener. Now I only drink Coke Zero once in a great while when my wife is out of town. Everyone needs their cheap life defying thrills once in a while.

[glenn bradley]

Seriously? Sodas taste different? I never noticed; they are all just fizzy flavored water to me :)

[Charles Wiggins]

It's mainly about the flavor, as Coca Cola claims that Zero tastes more like regular Coca Cola, but the main chemical difference is that Zero adds potassium citrate, a flavor enhancer, and an additional sweetener, acesulfame potassium, that Diet does not. Both have the sweetener aspertame, and yes, both have caffeine.

[Kevin Bourque]

You ask a lot of questions about soft drinks Mr. Rick Potter.

The legal staff here at Megaglobalcorp are deeply concerned about your obvious attempt to undermine 2 of our fine products.

The differences between Diet Coke and Coke Zero do not concern you.

Just let it go.

[Steve Meliza]

I like my Diet Coke straight up, though I can remember back when I first had it and how bad it tasted. I should probably be worried that I now think it tastes good.

To me Zero is sweeter like regular Coke, but still nasty so I may as well drink Diet Coke. I'd drink caffeine free Diet Coke if only they could make it taste like normal Diet Coke. Say what you want about aspartame, it may not be good for me, but neither would be the weight I would have put on from drinking regular Coke and a mouthful of teeth rotted away.

[David Helm]

Wouldn't drink either one!

[Rick Potter]

Wow,

Is there anything you guys don't know the answer to?

Thanks for the info. Years ago my Dentist told me to drink diet, saying it wasn't good for your teeth, but better than the sugared drinks. Back then it tasted ok and used sacherine, which was later dropped because a barrell full could kill a lab rat.

My choice is Diet Dr. Pepper, but they don't have it in most places I frequent. I have found Diet Dr., caffein free, in cans at certain Wall Marts, and get some whenever I go near, but that's not too often.

Rick P

[Harold Burrell]

You ask a lot of questions about soft drinks Mr. Rick Potter.

The legal staff here at Megaglobalcorp are deeply concerned about your obvious attempt to undermine 2 of our fine products.

The differences between Diet Coke and Coke Zero do not concern you.

Just let it go.

OK...that cracked me up! :D

[Belinda Barfield]

Hey, another splash of Cherry Coke in the diet fan. At a chain of stores we have around town they have the soda machines with flavor dispensers. When I'm feeling a little wild and crazy I have a Vanilla Cherry Diet Coke. Woooo, living life BIG!!! I like Chic-fil-a because they serve caffeine free diet coke. I drink CFDC when I'm at home . . . yeah, I know, just carbonated colored flavored water.

[Prashun Patel]

Taste-wise Coke Zero is a diet soda designed to taste close to real Coke. Diet Coke is designed to taste like a diet cola from the 80's which is when it came out and many people like that taste.

Marketing-wise, Coke Zero was designed to appeal to men who think Diet Coke is a 'girly' drink, but still want a diet drink.

[curtis rosche]

Forget coke. Monster Rehab either green tea or lemonade is where its at

[Art Mulder]

Seriously? Sodas taste different? I never noticed; they are all just fizzy flavored water to me :)

Then there is bottled vs fountain.
Dunno about coke so much, but I can sure tell that A+W root beer from the restaurant tastes much nicer/creamier than root beer from a can.

[Roger Newby]

Barley pop..............no excuses.

[Brian Elfert]

Ingredients list from the Coca-Cola UK website:

Diet Coke: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), phosphoric acid, citric acid. Contains a source of phenylalanine.

Coke Zero: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), acidity regulator (E331). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

The ingredients list is nearly identical between the two. They both have aspartame. If you don't like aspartame you shouldn't drink either one.

[Harold Burrell]

Ingredients list from the Coca-Cola UK website:

Diet Coke: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), phosphoric acid, citric acid. Contains a source of phenylalanine.

Coke Zero: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), phosphoric acid, sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K), flavourings (including caffeine), acidity regulator (E331). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

The ingredients list is nearly identical between the two. They both have aspartame. If you don't like aspartame you shouldn't drink either one.

So it looks like Coke Zero has a bit more phosphoric acid than Diet Coke...whick would make it a better rust remover. :cool:

[David Helm]

Haven't drank coke since they stopped putting cocaine in it. That is where the name came from: coca (coca leaves extract).

[Jason Roehl]

I just hope you folks aren't kidding yourselves that drinking diet soda is somehow healthier for you than regular soda. The reality is that both are very bad for you, particularly if you drink them as a habit. For one, carbonated drinks stretch one's stomach, which causes one to eat much more later. As a treat once in a while, I say go ahead (all things in moderation!).

Of course, barley soda is much better for you. ;) :D

[jim vancampen]

The difference is that zero is marketed for men and diet is for women. they're both worse for you than regular coke. I indulge in the mexican coke (sugar, glass bottle) with my tacos.

[Joe Angrisani]

Oh look.....

Cool refreshing water!

Yum yum.

[Fred Perreault]

Until my stomach developed caramel diet soda rot, I drank nothing but Diet Pepsi. Now
I just drink Pepto-Bismol..........

[Pat Barry]

Never had it, never will!

[Leo Graywacz]

Zero tastes nothing like original. I like zero better.

Zero is marketed to men. It is not stated as a "diet" soda.

[Stephen Cherry]

High Fructose Corrn syrup, we don't need no stinking high fructose corn syrup.

Ah, Mexican Coke! It tastes like, ... Coke.

[Charles McKinley]

Jason,

It has been a long while but as I recall you had to chew your barley soda. So it also provided fiber! all around healthier and tastier beverage!

[Jason Roehl]

Jason,

It has been a long while but as I recall you had to chew your barley soda. So it also provided fiber! all around healthier and tastier beverage!

:D I have recently renewed my commitment to making chewable barley soda! In fact, I just installed a 2-tap system for Cornelius kegs in my second fridge last month. I had the first keg filled at a local brewery, but I'll be putting a home-brewed batch of smoked porter into the second keg probably this weekend. I don't like sugary drinks--unless yeast have gotten to them first! ;)

[John Pratt]

I like my soda fermented in large vats minus the high fructose corn syrup, carmel coloring, and caffeine, but add barley, hops, and yeast. If I can't have that I just enjoy a nice tall cold glass of water.

[John Coloccia]

Diet Mt. Dew for the win!

[Curt Harms]

High Fructose Corrn syrup, we don't need no stinking high fructose corn syrup.

Ah, Mexican Coke! It tastes like, ... Coke.

I think there's lots of speculation and little fact when it comes to non-natural food additives. I did hear/read that high fructose corn syrup is metabolized differently than cane & beet sugar or other natually occuring fruit sugars and that the difference is not beneficial. I spoke with our family doc one day - she pays more attention to diet and life style related stuff than some - and she felt that Splenda is probably the best choice as a no calorie sweetener right now. SWMBO uses Stevia, I find it okay but prefer Splenda. Dilute battery acid tastes the same as diet Coke to me and it's cheaper:p. Pepsie One for me, anything with Aspertame can stay on the shelf.

[John Coloccia]

I just don't like the taste of HFCS. I don't like sweet things as a rule, but I do like ketchup, and we've switched to Simply Heinz because it uses sugar instead of HFCS. It tastes like the ketchup of our childhoods instead of this slightly bitter/acidic ketchup they serve today. Incidentally, the ONLY reason we use HFCS is because it's cheaper than sugar, and the only reason it's cheaper than sugar is that the US has massive tariffs on sugar imports. I don't recall seeing HFCS anywhere near as prevalently anywhere else in the world. I'm sure it's used, but in the US it seems like it's used in EVERYTHING, and sugar is used in practically nothing.

[Art Mulder]

, anything with Aspertame can stay on the shelf.

... I hope you're reading the labels on your other foods. For instance, try buying yogurt these days that does NOT have some sort of artificial sweetener in it. Around here you have to look hard.

[Jason Roehl]

The typical American diet is so chock full of highly refined additives now, and the prevalence of all kinds of disorders in this country is exploding--whether it's ADD and ADHD, celiac disease, Crohn's, IBS, diabetes, autism, etc. Is there a link? Who knows, but I have a hard time believing it's just coincidence. I recently developed/discovered lactose intolerance, so for the first time in my life I have to start reading labels (at first I just had to avoid milk straight up, but now other things that contain lactose are causing me issues). Thankfully, I had somewhat of a head start in that I mostly kicked soda 10 years ago and over the past couple years have been trying to eat more natural and homemade foods. I just have to take it to another level now.

[Mac McQuinn]

Can't get into that new wave stuff.......I only drink Double Cola and Ale-8
Mac

[Darius Ferlas]

Can't get into that new wave stuff.......I only drink Double Cola and Ale-8
Mac
New wave???

Water and milk had been here before anybody even fathomed cola and other plastics.

[Jason Roehl]

New wave???

Water and milk had been here before anybody even fathomed cola and other plastics.

Beer has been around a very long time, too. In some locales, it's probably safer, too, and definitely safer in undeveloped countries.

[Stew Hagerty]

OK, here is what I don't understand. Why put out multiple diet colas that are very similar and that all have the exact same artificial sweetener? A lot of people do not like aspartame. It leaves a terrible aftertaste in my mouth.

In fact why are there so very few diet soft drinks that use something other than aspartame? Pepsi does make a diet version that uses sucralose (Splenda), it's called Pepsi One. Ever heard of it? Most people haven't. Thats because Pepsi never advertises it, even though they spend millions promoting the aspartame laden ones. To me, it tastes almost exactly like real Pepsi, while Diet Pepsi doesn't taste anything like the real thing. Maybe more people would drink diet sodas if they tasted more like the non-diet ones, and Spelnda makes that possible. I just hope that Pepsi One doesn't go the way Yellow Coke (at least that's what I called it). From 2005 to 2008 Coke had one that they called "Diet Coke", not to be confused with "Diet Coke". Confusing? Wal-Mart pressured Coke to make one with Splenda because the artificial sweetener was becoming so popular, so they did. But instead of giving it a new name, they just called it Diet Coke then in small print added the words "sweetened with Splenda", and they put it in cans with yellow stripes and then proceded to never put out a single advertisement about it. Hmmm, I wonder why it didn't take off?

On a side note, saddly as of January 2012 the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company, the oldest Dr Pepper Bottler and the only one that still used the original formula by using pure cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, stopped production of their extremely popular "Dublin Dr Pepper". The reason, some other bottlers complained because the Dublin product was too popular. Apparently people would buy from Dublin instead of from them.

Attention soft drink manufacturers. Dublin Dr Pepper was so popular because... SUGAR TASTES BETTER THAT HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! You dopes!


You could get via mail order. I ordered a case for my wifes 50th birthday party. It was a smash hit.


A couple years ago Pepsi introduced Pepsi Throwback and it's very good, although personally I don't think that the difference was as astounding as with the Dr Pepper.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Splenda all the way!!!!!

252422252424252423

[Brian Elfert]

I've found that I can't stand to drink regular Mountain Dew since I started drinking diet Mountain Dew. The regular tastes way too sweet. I really should stop drinking it altogether.

I did check the yogurt I buy from Aldi and no artificial sweeteners in it. It does have both sugar and HCFS which seems a little strange to me.

[John C Lawson]

I have drunk Coke as a habit for close to 50 years. A bad habit, too, about a 2-liter bottle per day. Always regular Coke until about two years ago, when I forced myself to tolerate Coke Zero. I lost over 20 pounds and have kept it off with just that one change to my diet. And, in case you are interested, I never drink coffee or beer. Now I wish there was a caffeine-free version of Coke Zero.

[Curt Harms]

... I hope you're reading the labels on your other foods. For instance, try buying yogurt these days that does NOT have some sort of artificial sweetener in it. Around here you have to look hard.

I must confess I don't read labels. I'm not sure all artifical sweeteners are cause for concern. Aspertame though has raised some flags.

[Rick Moyer]

The typical American diet is so chock full of highly refined additives now, and the prevalence of all kinds of disorders in this country is exploding--whether it's ADD and ADHD, celiac disease, Crohn's, IBS, diabetes, autism, etc. Is there a link? Who knows, but I have a hard time believing it's just coincidence. ......
I have no empirical evidence to support that statement, but I agree 100%. I would be also interested to see how cancer rates compare to certain diets that use way less artificial stuff than our current American diets in general. Obviously too much of anything isn't good (fats,sugar,etc.) but I really wonder about our "lab-made improvements" to our diet. "All things in moderation" is a very wise phrase in general, and I think applies to food in particular.