Taste Test: Best Greek Yogurt – Chobani vs. Fage vs. Oikos!

Recently my friends, Jhiane & Anu, were hanging out at my place and I was discussing doing a taste test on the Best Greek Yogurt.  Anu who was 6 months prego at the time had no issues with the taste test and quickly agreed.  🙂  That was quick!  By this point I was sooooooooooo excited, I ran over to the refrigerator and got my 3 yogurts… the top 3 commercial brand Greek yogurts I could think of… Chobani, Fage, and Oikos.  

In order to be completely fair, I selected a flavor that was common to all 3 brands, and I went with blueberry since I love it.  The other issue was making sure I selected all low fat yogurts, however Chobani Blueberry and Oikos Blueberry only come in 0% Nonfat, whereas Fage Blueberry comes in 2% Low fat.  There really wasn’t much I could do here, but close enough.

I performed one set of taste test amongst my friends, and the other set of taste test amongst my family members which covered all age groups.  In addition, I had each individual close their eyes, describe the yogurt flavor, and let me know which one they liked best without disclosing the brand being tasted.  Now before I start I must tell you, I loved Fage, but you’ll be surprised how I was easily fooled. 

NUTRITION – keep in mind Chobani’s nutrition is based on 6 oz. versus Fage’s and Oikos’ nutrition are each based on 5.3 oz.  In order to be completely fair, I had to perform some calculations in order to get Chobani’s nutrition down to 5.3 oz.  The grid below clearly represents Chobani’s nutrition at 6 oz. (left most) versus 5.3 oz. (right most) – get it?  Hopefully I made myself clear.  

From a nutrition standpoint based on 5.3 oz., it appears Stonyfield Oikos Blueberry Organic 0% Yogurt is the overall healthiest yogurt, however it is highest in sodium compared to Chobani and Fage.  Chobani seems to have the most amount of calcium and sugar.  Fage provides the least amount of calcium and protein, and also has the least sodium.  It would be totally unfair of me to compare the fat, saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol since I am comparing 2 nonfat yogurts and 1 low fat yogurt. 

INGREDIENTS

PURCHASED FROM
A&P.  

You can purchase these yogurts at any grocery store across the United States.   

APPROXIMATE COST
Chobani – $1.39
Fage – $1.79 
Stonyfield Oikos – 1.99

NUMBER OF TASTERS = 13
Breakdown By Age:
  5 tasters (under 15) = 38%
  4 tasters (30s+) = 31%
  4 tasters (40s+) = 31%

 = 13 tasters = 100%

MY REVIEW
Chobani Blueberry 0% Yogurt – Based on the taste test, Chobani was the winner amongst those in their 30s, and was tied amongst those in their 40s.  It wasn’t a favorite amongst the kids, however it was close; 2 out of 3 kids chose Chobani.  

Chobani Blueberry Yogurt would be described as smooth, thick, and creamy.  Most tasters said there was an initial burst of blueberry flavor and it wasn’t too sweet or too sour, it was just perfect.  Furthermore, most tasters said there was barely an aftertaste, however I felt there was a slight aftertaste in the Chobani.  Even so, I still voted Chobani as my favorite.  3 of the 5 kids complained this yogurt had a slight sour taste, however the other 2 mentioned it was sweet with a bold blueberry flavor and no aftertaste.  

Fage Total Blueberry 2% Yogurt – Fage 2% Yogurt came in second and was most popular amongst the kids, and was tied amongst those in their 40s.  

Fage Total Blueberry Yogurt would also be described as creamy, thick, and smooth.  Many participants found this yogurt to be sweeter than Chobani with a slight artificial taste of blueberries.  A few mentioned the blueberries almost tasted like jam, and others mentioned it had a more subtle blueberry flavor.  In addition, many tasters mentioned there was no aftertaste in the Fage, no bitterness, and no sour taste.  This makes sense since most tasters thought Fage was sweeter than Chobani.  Based on the nutrition above, Chobani is the sweetest amongst the 3 yogurts though, however almost all tasters mentioned Fage was sweeter, and Chobani was just right.  Weird, huh?  I certainly thought so!   

Although Fage was my favorite in the past, I also thought the yogurt was sweet and creamy with no aftertaste and no bitterness; however I felt there was not a prominent taste of blueberries, and it was mild.  Based on this I ended up choosing Chobani as my favorite and Fage as my second favorite. 

Stonyfield Oikos Blueberry Organic 0% Yogurt – Out of the 3 yogurts, this was the least favorite amongst all 3 age groups… hmmm.  Oikos was as creamy as the other 2 yogurts, however it wasn’t as thick.  Quite honestly, I was really hoping to love the Oikos simply because it is organic.  Albeit that word alone will get more and more people leaning towards Oikos.  Having said that, I personally thought Oikos initially tasted really good, however it ends with a very bitter aftertaste.  Although Oikos had a sudden explosion of blueberries, most tasters mentioned Oikos was simply not sweet and way too bitter, sadly I have to agree.  Only one person mentioned Oikos tasted more homemade and natural then Chobani and Fage.  This would make sense considering it is organic.     

Based on the results, here is what I conclude:

Keep in mind that both Chobani and Fage were pretty close in results. 

Chobani is well suited for those individuals who enjoy a burst of fruity flavors, and those who like sweet yogurt that is perfectly balanced.  In the image above, notice Chobani is the darkest amongst the 3 yogurts which could possibly be why there is a more prominent blueberry flavor. 
Chobani was a favorite amongst those in their 30s.
Chobani was tied with Fage amongst those in their 40s.
Chobani was a second favorite amongst the kids.
Overall, 62% of the tasters enjoyed Chobani Blueberry 0% Yogurt the best.
It’s crazy to think Chobani is the cheapest amongst the 3 yogurts and contains NO GMOs or rBGH.

Fage is a good choice for those who prefer mild fruit flavorings and enjoy sweeter yogurts.
Fage was a favorite amongst the kids.
Fage was tied with Chobani amongst those in their 40s.
Fage was a second favorite amongst those in their 30s.
Overall, 38% of the tasters enjoyed Fage Total Blueberry 2% Yogurt the best.

Oikos is well suited for those who strictly looking for an organic yogurt.  It would be a good choice for those who don’t care for too much sweetness in their yogurt and those who can handle some bitterness as well.
Oikos was the least favorite amongst the kids and those in their 30s & 40s.  Sorry guys!
Overall, 0% liked Stonyfield Oikos Blueberry Organic 0% Yogurt.

WOULD I PURCHASE AGAIN 

Although I would love to see Chobani have an organic version of their yogurt, it is not going to hold me back from purchasing the yogurt knowing their yogurts are made without GMOs or rBGH.
 
After this taste test, I definitely LOVE Chobani more than Fage, however I would still purchase Fage every now and then.  When it comes to baking though, I would probably use Fage simply because it tastes sweeter than Chobani.  Fage would serve as a good substitute for sour cream or yogurt in baked goods.  Most of all, I would love to try it in a frosting.  Fage should really consider making their flavored yogurts in 0% which would give Chobani some competition.  In addition, it would be nice to see more than just 5 flavors of yogurt.  

In the meantime, I’ll be purchasing lots and lots of Chobani yogurts.  I absolutely love how they have so many different flavors, including raspberry, pomegranate, pineapple, and more.  I did question them on how they decide which flavors are 0% and which ones are 2%.  Again, Emily at Chobani mentioned they base the flavor decisions solely on what tastes best.  The extra fat makes all the difference in the Strawberry Banana 2% and the Pineapple 2%.  The inside scoop that I’m in on is Chobani is coming out with a new MANGO flavor 2% Chobani Yogurt.  I can’t wait!  Other flavors I would love to see are Banana, Pineapple Coconut, Mango Peach, Chocolate, or even a combination of all the antioxidant berries.  Take a guess on what I’m doing here, I’m thinking of all my favorite cocktail flavor combination, hence why I need yogurt in my life to stay healthy & fit!  🙂 

Tell Me: What’s your favorite Greek Yogurt and why?