Clean affair - Stiftung Warentest distributes grades in mineral water testing
The water from the rooster enjoys a excellent reputation in Germany. The quality is good, the price is competitively low. However, many prefer Mineral waters. On the one hand, they prefer the slightly acidic taste over the often perceived bland taste of tap water, on the other hand they appreciate the refreshing carbonic acid bubbles. Natural mineral water comes from underground sources and must be filled directly at the source practically untreated. Contaminants are a no-go. The Stiftung Warentest has carried out a large mineral water check and tested 29 products with a high carbonic acid content, among them 27 natural mineral waters and 2 spring waters.
The good news: The testers had little to criticize. "Microbiologically, everything was flawless," they write. Only 4 of the 29 waters had "unwanted environmental contaminants". However, no harmful substances were detected in any mineral water. No nitrates, no uran, nothing – a clean affair. Therefore, there are many top ratings. A total of 11 mineral waters are "very good", 14 are "good", and four are still "satisfying". And that at discount prices. For 19 cents a liter, you already get good quality. Among others, the own brands of Lidl "Saskia Classic" and Norma "Surf Classic", both with a score of 1.4, can keep up with the test winner from the Saxonia Quelle "Classic" (score 1.3). However, the water from the Saxonia Quelle costs 32 cents a liter for that – about a third more. A supposed small price difference that adds up over the course of a year.
Stiftung Warentest has little to criticize about mineral water
The Stiftung Warentest shows, based on example calculations, how the respective purchasing decisions become noticeable on the balance sheet at the end of the year. Consumers who drink 1.5 liters of water a day have spent a total of 104 Euros if their choice fell on a 19-cent water. However, those who decided on the priciest product in comparison, the "Classic" from the Rheinsberger Preussenquelle, which costs 2.23 Euros per liter, spent approximately 1220 Euros. That's almost twelve times as much. The cheapest option remains tap water. At the estimated 39 cents for 100 liters, the annual consumption amounts to a mere 2.14 Euros. And that is high-end. The Statistical Federal Office assumes an average price of 0.02 cents for 100 liters of tap water – that is only 1.10 Euros.
Who values many minerals in their water, recommends the Stiftung Warentest the Classic Water from Alb-Perle. It also scores "very good" in the test, costs the same as the test winner from the Saxonia Quelle, and is the mineral-rich water in the comparison.
Read the complete mineral water test here on test.de
After conducting a thorough analysis, Stiftung Warentest found that many discount brands like Lidl's "Saskia Classic" and Norma's "Surf Classic" perform exceptionally well in their mineral water test, even outperforming some pricier options. In fact, these discount brands are among the top-rated options, proving that you don't always need to pay a premium for high-quality mineral water.
It's worth noting that Foundation Test highly recommends the "Classic Water" from Alb-Perle for those who value a high mineral content in their water. Interestingly, this water also scores "very good" in the test, is as affordable as the test winner from Saxonia Quelle, and boasts a rich mineral content, making it a great value for money.
