Coke Zero and diet coke are the same thing.

Stop kidding yourselves otherwise.

Drink more tea.

Yours sincerely,

Rowls xx

I don't think they are. I think the diet has saccharin in and I can't stand the taste of saccharin so I drink Coke Zero. I've got that used to it now that I don't even like ordinary Coke any more.

Commy wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:41 pm

I don't think they are. I think the diet has saccharin in and I can't stand the taste of saccharin so I drink Coke Zero. I've got that used to it now that I don't even like ordinary Coke any more.

They both contain aspartame as the main sweetener. There is no saccharin in either.

They really aren’t but well done in getting the attention that you desperately crave

Yeah.
Theyre both sh!t.

My partner drinks Zero. If not available Diet, if that is all there is. I have sipped both. Not same taste. Zero better.

Both shite, Pepsi max is daddy in this field

johnnyjones wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:57 pm

Both shite, Pepsi max is daddy in this field

Cherry Pepsi max and now you're talking.

Disgusting stuff ... will stick to Beer

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:49 pm

They really aren’t but well done in getting the attention that you desperately crave

Go buy two bottles. Have somebody mix them up, then try and tell them apart. You won't be able to.

There are two ingredients that are slightly different but theyre chemical ingredients that perform the same function.

The main difference is the marketing of each product.

IanMcL wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:52 pm

My partner drinks Zero. If not available Diet, if that is all there is. I have sipped both. Not same taste. Zero better.

Next time you have a bottle of both, do yourselves a blind taste test.

Remember to report back!

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:00 pm

Cherry Pepsi max and now you're talking.

Got a sodastream recently with Cherry Pepsi Max as one of my syrups, tastes even better than the usual stuff.

Diet Pepsi trumps Diet Coke, Coke Zero and Pepsi Max for me. The pure cane sugar Pespi you can get in the States is cracking though.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:03 pm

Next time you have a bottle of both, do yourselves a blind taste test.

Remember to report back!

I drink both, a lot. I can very easily taste the difference.

I had a Dandelion & Burdock yesterday, delicious !

I vote for Tizer or Dandelion and Burdock.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:03 pm

Next time you have a bottle of both, do yourselves a blind taste test.

Remember to report back!

Coke Zero tastes of nothing, it's just flat. Caffine free.

Diet Coke has more fizz in.

I don't drink much of either anymore as I'm over 40. Far better drinks about.

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:49 pm

They really aren’t but well done in getting the attention that you desperately crave

"Craving attention" - it's remarkable what people take umbrage at.

There's something very primal that Coca Cola are tapping into with these indistinguishable drinks that appeals to a core element of our psyche. People like yourself clearly don't like that being brought into your conscious thinking but allow yourself a second or two to think what you could do with that information?

Yes, there are a couple of tiny tweaks in the ingredients between the two. The recipe for Diet Coke has changed a couple of times. Like the major brands they're constantly tweaking and looking tighten margins etc.

So when they discovered a way to make no-sugar cola taste ever-so-slightly a little bit more like the original product, why do you suppose they didn't simply improve the recipe for Diet Coke? "Diet Coke - New Improved Recipe! Tastes more like the "real thing"!"

Why didn't they do that?

OK, you might be able to assemble a bunch of crack tasters - professional food tasters with tastebuds as sensitive as a jogger's nipple - and put them in darkened room where they might be able to discern the tiniest of differences between the two products. But do you think that the average consumer could tell the difference? Do you think it would make a difference when the main purpose of the drink is to top up people's caffeine and wash down cheap fast food?

They'd quickly realise that the products are essentially the exact same product. Coca Cola would know it too. A good taster would advise that there is a tiny difference between the two products but that it's so marginal that they are essentially the same.

And yet we live in a world of binary no-sugar Coca-Cola choices. You can buy "Coke Zero" or you can buy "Diet Coke" and two things are exactly the same slop. So why do we have two of them?

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:12 pm

"Craving attention" - it's remarkable what people take umbrage at.

There's something very primal that Coca Cola are tapping into with these indistinguishable drinks that appeals to a core element of our psyche. People like yourself clearly don't like that being brought into your conscious thinking but allow yourself a second or two to think what you could do with that information?

Yes, there are a couple of tiny tweaks in the ingredients between the two. The recipe for Diet Coke has changed a couple of times. Like the major brands they're constantly tweaking and looking tighten margins etc.

So when they discovered a way to make no-sugar cola taste ever-so-slightly a little bit more like the original product, why do you suppose they didn't simply improve the recipe for Diet Coke? "Diet Coke - New Improved Recipe! Tastes more like the "real thing"!"

Why didn't they do that?

OK, you might be able to assemble a bunch of crack tasters - professional food tasters with tastebuds as sensitive as a jogger's nipple - and put them in darkened room where they might be able to discern the tiniest of differences between the two products. But do you think that the average consumer could tell the difference? Do you think it would make a difference when the main purpose of the drink is to top up people's caffeine and wash down cheap fast food?

They'd quickly realise that the products are essentially the exact same product. Coca Cola would know it too. A good taster would advise that there is a tiny difference between the two products but that it's so marginal that they are essentially the same.

And yet we live in a world of binary no-sugar Coca-Cola choices. You can buy "Coke Zero" or you can buy "Diet Coke" and two things are exactly the same slop. So why do we have two of them?

TLDR

Yes I can tell them apart, quite easily as well

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:11 pm

Coke Zero tastes of nothing, it's just flat. Caffine free.

Diet Coke has more fizz in.

I don't drink much of either anymore as I'm over 40. Far better drinks about.

Coke Zero has caffeine in it.

But yes, there are far, FAR better drinks out there.

No.1 has to be a cuppa tea.

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:13 pm

TLDR

Yes I can tell them apart, quite easily as well

I know. A whole paragraph!

Hope you manage to give it another go when you have a whole minute to spare.

CoolClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:13 pm

TLDR

Yes I can tell them apart, quite easily as well

And remember to do a blind taste test.

No reason not to put your tastebuds to the test. Go on - challenge yourself!

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:13 pm

Coke Zero has caffeine in it.

But yes, there are far, FAR better drinks out there.

No.1 has to be a cuppa tea.

I've just checked because when it first came out it was caffeine free, the zero was marketed for Sugar and Caffeine.
Now it looks like you can have Coke Zero with Caffeine or without it.

I did say I didn't drink much of it anymore, but like you say I can't see there being much difference if the caffeine is in.

Here's how I'd recommend doing a blind taste test if anybody has waaaay too much time and wants to challenge their taste buds.

1. Buy a bottle of both Diet and Zero coke.
2. Set up about 10 to 12 glasses underneath pieces of paper marked with individual numbers
3. You leave the room. You shouldn't see any of the next steps until you come back into the room.
4. Your spouse/partner/captive tosses a coin for each glass. Heads = Zero. Tails = Diet. It doesn't matter if they're all heads or all tails. The heads/tails thing ensures decent randomness in the samples.
5. They mark a piece of paper (kept well out of your sight) which number glass has which drink
6. The bottles are put back in the fridge, out of your sight
7. You come back into the room and take a sip of each, determining which is which.

I remember a while back, someone was doing one of those blind taste tests they do for wine (the sort that ends up with the £6 bottle from Aldi winning). But then they also did one (not blind) where they dyed the white wine as red. Some of the wine buffs tasting it actually reviewed it as a red wine. Amazing what your eyes will convince you of.

I'm probably with Rowls on this.

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:20 pm

I've just checked because when it first came out it was caffeine free, the zero was marketed for Sugar and Caffeine.
Now it looks like you can have Coke Zero with Caffeine or without it.

I did say I didn't drink much of it anymore, but like you say I can't see there being much difference if the caffeine is in.

I recall it used to be caffeine free too. Wasn't sure about that as I read the ingredients in the supermarket last night.

Flammable and inflammable are the same thing, but overlook and overlook mean the opposite of each other.

NottsClaret wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:22 pm

I remember a while back, someone was doing one of those blind taste tests they do for wine (the sort that ends up with the £6 bottle from Aldi winning). But then they also did one (not blind) where they dyed the white wine as red. Some of the wine buffs tasting it actually reviewed it as a red wine. Amazing what your eyes will convince you of.

I'm probably with Rowls on this.

It's fascinating stuff.

The wine industry knows all this and they now avoid blind taste competitions, especially international ones. There's so much psychology to it that is completely distinct from the actual taste of the product.

One of the interesting things about this (what I presumed harmless thread) was one of the prickly responses it got.

I suppose, in hindsight, the OP prompted it by implying people are being conned or duped. People don't like to imagine that might be the case.

distortiondave wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:26 pm

Flammable and inflammable are the same thing, but overlook and overlook mean the opposite of each other.

I once had a crazy stay at the Overlook Hotel.

All work and no play makes Rowls a dull boy.

distortiondave wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:30 pm

All work and no play makes Rowls a dull boy.

Precisely!

Nonayforever wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:09 pm

I had a Dandelion & Burdock yesterday, delicious !

Top tier pop!

I spoke to the head of UK Coca Cola at an event where they launched Coke Zero a few years back (it was at a work event on our site). He told us (as there were a few listening) that Coke Zero is formulated to taste more like full fat coke and it is definitely different to Diet Coke. The plan back then was to merge the marketing colours over time (from black to red - which has happened) to the point where they can withdraw Coke original from sale and Zero will become regular Coke.

I suspect the sugar tax meant that plan changed their plans a little, but Coke Zero is not the same as Diet Coke

Diet Coke is for girls and women who are watching their weight.

Coke Zero is for real skydiving, motor-racing, snowboarding (but not skiing) MEN (who are watching their weight).

Disclaimer - I don’t like / drink cola of any type

Rick_Muller wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:36 pm

I spoke to the head of UK Coca Cola at an event where they launched Coke Zero a few years back (it was at a work event on our site). He told us (as there were a few listening) that Coke Zero is formulated to taste more like full fat coke and it is definitely different to Diet Coke. The plan back then was to merge the marketing colours over time (from black to red - which has happened) to the point where they can withdraw Coke original from sale and Zero will become regular Coke.

I suspect the sugar tax meant that plan changed their plans a little, but Coke Zero is not the same as Diet Coke

I'd take what they said with a pinch of salt. Not to say that might not have been true, just that there's almost certainly a lot more to it than that.

They even openly acknowledge the binary marketing strategy aimed at men/women these days.

It reminds me of Penn and Teller doing the cup and balls trick with transparent plastic glasses - knowing how it's done doesn't stop it working.

I never touch the stuff, in any of it's guises. It's utter junk /crap and so bad for you. I'll stick to my real ale thanks, as I know what's good for me. It's almost a whole food.

next week: tap water and bottled water are both water.

or something equally captivating.

Carling versus Urine? They’re the same thing aren’t they?

Budweiser verses urine following eating sugar puffs?

yTib wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 2:43 pm

next week: tap water and bottled water are both water.

or something equally captivating.

That IS equally captivating!

Think about it: Mankind has created an ingenious system of underground pipes that pump clean and safe drinking water into our homes.

It's clean, efficient, it tastes brilliant (especially in Burnley) and the cost is piddling. Think about how many of our ancestors spents large portions of every day lugging water around - only for it to end up poisoning and killing them.

It's a modern day mirable that, if your average pre Victorian Briton could see it, they wouldfall to their knees in astonishment and gratitude, weeping tears of joy.

And what do we do?

We buy water in tatty plastic bottles that litter the environment and we willing pay hundreds of times the price of the tap water for the privilege. It's another insight into the human psyche that tells us more about ourselves than the product we're buying.

It's truly fascinating.

The red button on the US Presidential desk has been removed

NRC wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:23 pm

The red button on the US Presidential desk has been removed

Replaced by a red chord in case the new incipient "has a fall"?

(I just hope the next one is better than the last two)

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 12:38 pm

Coke Zero and diet coke are the same thing.

Stop kidding yourselves otherwise.

Drink more tea.

Yours sincerely,

Rowls xx

Both taste like crap

That's like saying all tea bags taste the same when prepared the same, simply not true.

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:40 pm

That's like saying all tea bags taste the same when prepared the same, simply not true.

How do you "prepare" your cola???

edit -

KRBFC wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:40 pm

That's like saying all tea bags taste the same when prepared the same, simply not true.

Oh but tea bags are remarkably consistent. Another modern day miracle that most people aren't even aware of, let alone take for granted.

4midable wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:36 pm

Both taste like crap

Tea tastes crap or both kinds of cola taste crap?

Tea is nectar.

Rowls wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:52 pm

Tea tastes crap or both kinds of cola taste crap?

Tea is nectar.

All 3

4midable wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:54 pm

All 3

Boooooooooooooooooooooo

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 08, 2023 1:11 pm

Coke Zero tastes of nothing, it's just flat. Caffine free.

Diet Coke has more fizz in.

I don't drink much of either anymore as I'm over 40. Far better drinks about.

Coke Zero isn’t caffeine free. Coke Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine is, as the name suggests, caffeine free.

I could tell the difference in a blind taste test between Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke and Coke Zero - I have no hesitation in making this claim.