We tested the most popular brands of orange blossom water to see which was the best for cooking and baking. Keep reading to see our recommendations for the best orange blossom water brand.
You can purchase all these brands online - they include the Spice House's Orange Blossom Water, Cortas' Orange Blossom Water, and Nielsen-Massey's Orange Blossom Water.
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What is Orange Blossom Water?
Orange blossom water is a flower water (like rose water) that’s made from the blossoms on orange trees. It’s a wonderfully floral, citrus flavor to add to baked goods, salads, and drinks.
The key to using any flower water is to not overdo it. Orange blossom water adds a lovely flavor to a dish, but it is deceptively strong.
Orange blossom water can be used in baking - like in this olive oil cake with orange blossom glaze, or in cooking like in this spicy Thai grapefruit salad recipe.
The Best Orange Blossom Water to Buy
We purchased the three most popular orange blossom waters to see which one was the best! We reviewed them based on four criteria - smell, use in cooking, use in baking, and price.
- The Best Smelling Orange Blossom Water - The Spice House Orange Blossom Water (winner). While all the orange blossoms smell great, they are very different. The Spice House water has a delightful citrus and vanilla scent, the Cortas water is highly floral, and the Nielsen-Massey water is citrusy but slightly acidic smelling.
- The Best Orange Blossom Water for Cooking - The Spice House Orange Blossom Water (winner). We loved the subtlety of the Spice House's blossom water was excellent in salads and fresh berries.
- The Best Orange Blossom Water for Baking - Neilsen-Massey's Orange Blossom Water (winner). We thought the NM blossom water offered just the right amount of flavor without overpowering baked goods.
- The Best Priced Orange Blossom Water - Cortas Orange Blossom Water (winner). At the time of publishing, Cortas Rose Water was priced at $12.67 for 10 ounces, The Spice House's was priced at $9.49 for 4 ounces, and Nielsen Massey's was $13.95 for 4 ounces.
Our Favorite Orange Blossom Waters
The Spice House blossom water was our all-around favorite. It has a beautiful, delicate smell and is wonderful in fresh salads, fruit, and cocktails.
The Cortas water is affordably priced and very floral. A little goes a long way, but it's good for large baking projects.
The Nielsen-Massey orange blossom water is wonderful in baked goods and stands up well even in dense cakes.
Conclusion
We can highly recommend any of these three brands of rose water.
The Spice House orange blossom water was our all around favorite but we loved the Neilsen-Massey as well. We found that a little of the Cortas water went a long way. So if you plan to use it, just keep that in mind!
If you're looking for bang for your buck or baking a large number of items, we'd suggest buying the Cortas water. If you're a home cook looking for the occasional splash of flower water, we'd recommend The Spice House's rose water or Nielsen-Massey's.
Laura says
I followed your link to purchase The Spice House orange blossom water, and it seems they no longer carry it, which is sad.
EW says
Oh no! I will go to the store this week and check with them to see if they are out for now or if they've fully stopped carrying it.
Michelle says
I bought a bottle of orange blossom water today at my local Harvest Market. I thought I was buying flavored water. I took a big swig of the water and thought I was going to die!! It tasted like soap water!! I cannot get this taste out of my mouth. I had no idea what I was buying. I saw there were no carbs in this drink and thought how refreshing it would be. UGH!
EW says
Oh no! It is so concentrated that must have been horrifying - like drinking vanilla extract! Sorry you had this experience, but I hope you find a nice way to use it in some baked goods or a recipe!