Diet Coke vs. Coca-Cola Zero: What's The Difference?

When it comes to Coca-Cola products, people tend to be die-hard fans. Many of us know someone who can't go a day without a Diet Coke (or two or three). And while Diet Coke has been a leading sugar-free soft drink since it was first released in 1982, it came to light that young adult males shied away from this beverage -- identifying diet cola as a woman's drink. The company's answer to that predicament came in 2005 -- in the form of a shiny black can -- with the release of Coca-Cola Zero.

While Diet Coke was created with its own flavor profile and not as a sugar-free version of the original, Coca-Cola Zero aims to taste just like the "real Coke flavor." Despite their polar opposite advertising campaigns, the contents and nutritional information of the two sugar-free colas is nearly identical. With that information in hand we at HuffPost Taste needed to know: Which of these two artificially-sweetened Coca-Cola beverages actually tastes better? And can you even tell the difference between them?

Before we get to the results of our taste test, here are the facts:

Diet Coke

Motto: Always Great Taste

Nutritional Information: Many say that a can of Diet Coke actually contains somewhere between 1-4 calories, but if a serving size contains fewer than 5 calories a company is not obligated to note it in its nutritional information. Diet Coke's nutritional information reads 0 Calories, 0g Fat, 70mg Sodium, 0g Total Carbs, 0g Protein.

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzonate, natural flavors, citric acid, caffeine.

Artificial sweetener: Aspartame

Coca-Cola Zero

Motto: Real Coca-Cola Taste AND Zero Calories

Nutritional Information: While the label clearly advertises this beverage as a zero calorie cola, we are not entirely certain that its minimal calorie content is simply not required to be noted in the nutritional information. Coca-Cola Zero's nutritional information reads 0 Calories, 0g Fat, 70mg Sodium, 0g Total Carbs, 0g Protein.

Artificial sweetener: Aspartame and acesulfame potassium

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, potassium benzonate, natural flavors, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, caffeine.

The Verdict:

Twenty-four editors blind-tasted the two cokes, side by side, and...

• 54 percent of our tasters were able to distinguish Diet Coke from Coca-Cola Zero
• 50 percent of our tasters preferred Diet Coke to Coca-Cola Zero, and vice versa

Here's what our tasters thought of the two sugar-free soft drinks:

Diet Coke: "Tastes fake right away." "Much fresher brighter, crisper." "Has the wonderful flavors of Diet Coke's artificial sweeteners."

Coca-Cola Zero: "Has more of a sharply sweet aftertaste I associate with diet sodas." "Tastes more like regular coke, less like fake sweetener." "Has an odd taste." "Tastes more like regular." "Very sweet."

Overall comments: "That was a lot more difficult than I though it would be." "Both equally palatable." A few people said Diet Coke tasted much better ... unbeknownst to them, they were actually referring to Coca-Cola Zero.

IN SUMMARY: It is a real toss up. There is not one artificially-sweetened Coca-Cola beverage that outshines the other. So how do people choose between one or the other? It is either a matter of personal taste, or maybe the marketing campaigns will influence their choice.

Which sugar-free Coca-Cola product do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH: See the difference between Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero commercials.

Comments

[Kitten Lyric]

11:17 PM on 04/25/2013

I love LOVE Cherry Coke Zero. I never thought i'd be able to drink a diet soda as they all had an awful after taste. I love Cherry Coke Zero. I only wish they made a decaf version.

[myrtt]

06:50 PM on 04/13/2013

I read an artical that promoted Coke zero as being made with Stevia. I have drunk it twice but after reading here that is made with Aspatme I will not drink it again. I thought it tasted very b land..Why not use stevia it grows like a weed is sweeter than sugar and has no side effects.

[saremks]

08:59 AM on 04/24/2013

Many people who have allergies are allergic to Stevia. It is related to ragweed, my husband and my personal physician are two people I know off hand that cannot use it. I think that is why companies are hesitant to put it in their diet drinks, they would have to post a warning label of some sort.

[Julietta E]

02:23 PM on 03/31/2013

I love Coke Zero and I can't stand Diet Coke. My top favorites in low calorie sodas are Coke Zero and Pepsi Max. Both diet coke and diet pepsi are icky in my opinion, but I would say diet coke is worse out of the two. Regular Coca Cola is amazing, it has a nice rich caramel kick to it. Unfortunately, every time I drink regular soda with corn syrup, I get terrible heartburn. However, imported cokes that have cane sugar instead of corn syrup do not do that to me, so I would have one imported coke once in a while. Otherwise I stick with Coke Zero or cherry or vanilla. I also love Dr. Pepper Ten, but it's not really popular everywhere, Diet Sunkist, and Diet Mtn Dew.

[mdril217]

05:52 PM on 11/05/2012

I tasted Coke Zero today and it has a distinct lemon taste. I don't like lemon in my Cola. Diet Coke has none of that. I don't know how your tasters could have missed it.

[jps76]

12:18 PM on 10/15/2012

Here I am at a coffee shop/lunch spot. I usually drink Diet Coke. The Diet Coke on the fountain drink machine is broken. There's also Coke Zero. I take the plunge to Coke Zero.

As a diabetic, I've been drinking diet sodas for the last 16 years. Diet sodas usually taste sweeter. I can always tell the difference between Diet Coke and regular Coke. After years of drinking Diet Coke, regular Coke just tastes bitter in comparision.

Diet Coke tastes sweeter than Coke Zero. I added 2 packets of Equal to my Coke Zero drink which added some sweetness comparable to Diet Coke. The only difference now is that Coke Zero has a carmel flavor nudge at the end (I wanted to use the word "kick", but that's too strong).

Interestingly enough, I prefer the taste of Coke Zero Cherry than I do Diet Cherry Coke.

My favorite drinks in order: Coke Zero Cherry, Diet Dr Pepper, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Coke,

[Tiggerik]

02:40 PM on 09/25/2012

Coke Zero is great. It does not taste much like a diet drink!
Rick

[visconti24]

02:22 PM on 08/29/2012

Anything containing Aspartame (Nutrasweet) will give me a splitting headache. I have tried a little bit of Diet Coke and it was vile. Normal Coca Cola is not that much better. My favorite soft drink is
Brazilian Coca Cola. Slightly stronger than American Coca Cola and sweetened with sugar cane sugar and not corn syrup.

[Shell71]

07:40 PM on 01/08/2013

I used to get migrains alot my dr. told me to stop drinking things with artifical sweetners in them.
It worked now if I have a soda or tea its only with real sugar I just watch how much I drink.

[ampdriver]

04:33 PM on 08/04/2012

I choose Zero over Diet

[Old enough to remember]

04:13 PM on 06/27/2012

My favorite is Diet Dr. Pepper. I prefer it to either Diet Coke or Coke Zero. I never liked Fresca much and truly hated Tab.

[derzahlaludba]

02:20 PM on 05/30/2012

Just a thought, what were the age and sexes of the reviewers in the blind taste test?

[Mary Blumreich]

07:42 PM on 05/08/2012

Readers, please check out Betty Martini on the internet. If you read about Aspartame on Wikopedia you will find her name mentioned as well. She is part of a group that spreads undocumented and false information about this product.

[MsIrisMG]

03:34 AM on 02/24/2012

Coke Zero hands down. And something the article didn't mention was that Coke Zero seems to have half again as much sodium as Diet Coke. At least going by the bottles of each that I had today. Can't stand Diet Coke, and maybe the salt content is one of the reasons why.

[mstshc]

01:48 PM on 01/18/2012

I like Coke Zero, because it doesn't have that fake taste.

[mmhrjh]

07:26 AM on 01/17/2012

After years of drinking diet coke, I tried coke zero when it came out and was hooked from the first sip. It doesnt have that after taste that diet coke has. More resturants need to offer zero!

[JgbIntBass]

07:23 AM on 01/17/2012

While not carbonated, one might want to check out the Sobe LifeWaters which have Reb A (stevia extract) that Coca Cola and Pepsi did a joint venture on years ago. Look carefully at the Nutrition Facts to verify 0 grams of sugar and enjoy. Also good are Sobe Lean Green Tea and Sobe Lean Cranberry Grapefruit. All Sobe LifeWaters and Sobe Leans are regularly on sale at 10 for $10.