Apple cider vinegar has been making a splash in health circles for years. But you have to be careful: Not all ACV is created equal.
We know the subject intimately.
Not satisfied with recommending average ACV, we compared features like purity, strength, the presence of preservatives, and whether the product contains a mother of vinegar. Mother of vinegar is an important mix of bacteria that enhances the health benefits and prolongs the shelf life of ACV.
During our research, we discovered several companies with bad shipping procedures. They sent some customers leaky jugs, and we will not recommend them to anyone.
We want you to get the apple cider vinegar for your health. While analyzing the brands and products, we kept in mind the many possible uses our readers may use the ACV for:
- Blood sugar control
- To lower cholesterol
- As a weight-loss aid
- To boost the immune system
- As a digestive aid
- For skin ailments
- And much more…
You see how great it can be for your well-being. Are you ready to find high-quality apple cider vinegar?
Best Apple Cider Vinegars
1. Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Most people who shop for health supplements like ACV want a product that is as close to nature as possible. This is organic, unfiltered, and has no genetically modified ingredients.
It doesn’t undergo any pasteurization, either. This is important because the heat will kill off the mother of vinegar bacteria. The result would be a less effective product. Its five percent acidity is standard, but the taste is more bearable than other vinegar.
Features
- Never heated
- Not filtered
- No preservatives
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Kosher
- Contains a mother of vinegar
This ACV carries generally positive reviews. Everyone likes the flavor. It doesn’t taste that strong. But many have mentioned that it is too clear to contain useful amounts of mother of vinegar. This is odd, as Bragg is the apple cider vinegar brand.
This ACV has everything that today’s health-conscious consumer is likely to look for. It’s free of chemicals and natural and organic.
It’s unclear if it contains enough mother of vinegar. You may want to make another choice if this is an issue for you.
2. Lucy’s Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Here’s a great-tasting and healthy apple cider vinegar made by a respectable company.
Lucy’s is family-owned and uses a Good Manufacturing Process, or GMP, in all of its operations, from growing the apples to bottling the vinegar.
It’s a basic ACV that has all the benefits of other single-ingredient vinegar. You can taste the simplicity in every teaspoon.
Features
- Non-GMO
- Organic
- Not filtered
- Unpasteurized
- Family-owned business
- Made with certified GMP practices
Everyone likes the simple way in which the product is made and presented. It’s just apple cider vinegar. Those who are conscious of ethical business practices like the way Lucy’s conducts itself. They appreciate the honest craftsmanship and fair dealings of the company.
This is a good, honest ACV made by an ethical company with high standards. Do you want apple cider vinegar? Here it is, pure and simple. You’ll find no gimmicky sales tactics. And perhaps best of all, you’ll know that all of the farmers, laborers, and employees involved with the production of your ACV have been compensated well and treated fairly.
3. Dynamic Health Organic Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
This ACV has all the certifications you are looking for.
It’s made with no chemicals or artificial ingredients of any kind.
It’s easy to make claims about how naturally a product like this is produced, but the bottling facility has to have the same mindset to avoid contamination with GMO or non-organic ingredients. But this vinegar is bottled in a certified facility, so you can be sure of its purity.
Aloe is added as a healthy bonus. Some people hate the flavor of aloe. Don’t worry: The sharpness of this vinegar masks the aloe very well.
Features
- Organic
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Halal
- Non-GMO
- Not pasteurized
- Not filtered
- Contains aloe vera
Customers seem to love the aloe, which makes this possibly the healthiest apple cider vinegar. They like the cloudiness. That guarantees that the product is truly unfiltered and unpasteurized and has a healthy colony of mother of vinegar.
You can rest assured that this ACV is all-natural. Everyone can enjoy its benefits, regardless of any special religious or healthy diets they may be on
4. Kevala Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Kevala’s entry here is a plain and delicious product. It has all of the benefits without the overpowering tartness.
It still has the standard five percent acidity, and it does have a sharpness, but it’s just not too intense.
The only thing missing is the jaw-locking, sometimes metallic taste that is present in harsher apple cider vinegar.
Features
- Unfiltered
- Unpasteurized
- Certified organic
- Bulk size
- No additional ingredients
- Made from USA-grown organic apples
A few people have complained about the clarity of this vinegar, thinking that it contains no mother. This is a trick of the plastic jug. It may be hard to see at first, but the mother will settle to the bottom of the jug after sitting for a while.
According to people who buy and use it regularly, this is the great-tasting apple cider vinegar. Now here’s a great value. You get a restaurant-sized jug for a fair price.
What’s inside is a simple and flavorful ACV. Don’t worry if you can’t see the cobwebby mother of vinegar when you get it. It’s there, but it’s hard to see through the translucent plastic jug.
5. Clarke’s Apple Cider Vinegar Raw Unfiltered
One of the things that stands out about this brand is how cloudy it is. That’s a sure indicator of a high concentration of that awesomely healthy bacteria.
It undergoes a long natural fermentation process that starts with the juice from organic apples. Why is a natural process better for fermentation? Not only are you assured that there is plenty of mother bacteria in it, but you also know that the bacteria is healthy. It will survive long periods of storage.
Features
- Not filtered
- Certified organic
- Non-pasteurized
- Kosher
- Non-GMO
- Naturally fermented
The glass bottle is a big hit. Many ACV companies have started to go with recyclable plastic bottles to reduce costs. But glass preserves that unique and tangy vinegary flavor.
It’s hard to find a murkier vinegar. This must be full of mothers. That’s probably due to the natural fermentation. If the flavor is a bit too much for you, just dilute it a little more than usual. You’ll still get all of the health benefits.
All in all, this is a good apple cider vinegar at a fair price.
6. Spectrum Naturals Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Unfiltered
This mild-tasting apple cider vinegar is made from organic apples grown in one of the leading apple-growing areas of the world, New York.
New York apples have a very complex flavor. During fermentation, that complexity morphs into a subdued tanginess that is hard to find elsewhere. This healthy ACV is tasty enough to cook with.
You can save some money by purchasing multi-packs like this. Keep the ones you not going to use right away in a cool, dark place.
Features
- Organic
- Unpasteurized
- Not filtered
- Value pack
- Kosher
Overall, everyone is pleased with their purchase decision. Most enjoy the flavor. It’s not too strong or too weak. There have been some complaints about the bottles themselves. They aren’t very strong. They can shatter easily. Just be careful with them.
Overall, people like the mellower flavor. Sometimes you just need a nice apple cider vinegar at a good price. Who doesn’t want a good value? The glass bottles protect the delicate flavors present in the premium vinegar. But they can break if you drop them. Amazingly, some people have just now figured that out!
7. Amazon Exclusive. Shire City Herbals, Fire Cider Tonic, 16 oz plastic bottle, Wildflower Honey
This isn’t just apple cider vinegar. It’s a non-alcoholic tonic with many health benefits. Let’s look at some of the ingredients:
- Natural apple cider vinegar
- Raw honey
- Whole organic oranges
- Horseradish
- Black pepper
- Ginger
- Tumeric
- Lemons
- Habanero peppers
It has a mildly spicy, pungent flavor with an underlying sweetness.
All of the ingredients are paleo-friendly. They’re all organic and sustainably sourced. All have known and well-researched health benefits.
This may be a good choice for you if you are ready to move beyond ACV and combine all the great benefits of natural citrus fruits and spices.
Honey is a natural preservative, which gives this vinegar a longer shelf life. The good bacteria are protected from the invasion of other, less friendly strains.
Features
- Raw and unfiltered
- Unpasteurized
- Organic
- Non-GMO
- Tasty
Healthy consumers are impressed with the flavor of this product. It’s truly unique.
Many people who cannot tolerate the flavor of raw, unfiltered vinegar can take this by the shot glass. The other ingredients make it more palatable for some.
Not everyone enjoys the intense flavor of this apple cider vinegar. But those who do enjoy it very much!
If you want the health benefits of ACV but are looking for something different, you may want to consider this.
8. Vermont Village Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
You’ll notice that unique ACV pang as soon as you open the glass bottle.
This vinegar is packed with mother, yet it still retains the apple aroma and flavor. You can cook with this and use it as a health supplement. That kind of flexibility makes for a good value.
Since you can cook great meals with it, you may want to buy some extra. Luckily, Vermont Village offers a two-bottle value pack.
Features
- Organic
- Unpasteurized
- Not filtered
- Glass bottles
The active strain of mother bacteria in this ACV sometimes forms a jelly-like layer on the top or bottom of the vinegar. Many people have been surprised or confused about this, but it’s just the natural colonization of friendly bacteria.
Some have complained that the flavor is salty, but most love the taste.
This particular ACV seems to have a very active strain of mother in it. That’s a great feature for most health benefits.
Being in a glass bottle, it retains all of that sharp tartness that ACV users learn to love.
It’s a good choice for your health and cooking as well.
9. Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother Unpasteurized and Unfiltered
Trader Joe’s apple cider vinegar is pasteurized. That kills all of the bacteria, including the desirable mother of vinegar kind.
It is not advised that pregnant women and children younger than two consume unpasteurized ACV. There is too much risk of other bacteria being involved. However, women with children and toddlers may be able to take this pasteurized vinegar.
Features
- Organic
- Not filtered
- Heat pasteurized
- Contains no mother of vinegar
Some are surprised about the absence of the mother of vinegar. Sometimes this is a desirable trait. You just have to know what you need. That’s why we’ve included a buyer’s guide in this post.
Many people who have bought this use it as a cooking ingredient. That’s a good use because this is a delicately flavored and nuanced ACV.
Don’t get this if you want a mother in your ACV.
It’s unclear what the health benefits of pasteurized ACV are, but it surely has many of the same healthy attributes as the raw kind.
You can cook with this. It has a wonderful tart flavor.
You don’t need a mother for cooking, cleaning, or using it as a hair rinse, that’s for sure.
Things To Consider
It may seem like all apple cider vinegar is the same, but it isn’t.
To make a good choice, you have to have a clear picture of what you want. Let’s take a good look at the different claims made by ACV makers.
Organic
To be certified by the USDA as organic, at least 95 percent of a product’s ingredients must be produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and other artificial components.
There’s quite a bit more to it than that, but that’s the main thing you have to know to understand organic ACV.
The apples used to make the vinegar must be organically grown. Any other ingredients that go into it, like aloe or honey, must also be organic. Any bacteria culture introduced to initiate fermentation must be free of chemicals and not genetically modified.
The main benefit of organic ACV is that it is pretty much free of any chemical residues.
Non-GMO
Apples that are used to make non-GMO ACV must come from trees that have no man-induced genetic modifications in their lineage.
The bacterial cultures must also come from natural, non-modified stock.
Scientists are still unsure if there are any benefits to non-GMO foods and supplements over modified products.
Kosher And Halal
ACV which carries these certifications is produced with ingredients and processes that adhere to the strict dietary and ethical food manufacturing guidelines of Judaism and Islam, respectively.
Non-pasteurized
You have to look for this if you want to be sure that your ACV contains the beneficial bacteria known as the mother of vinegar.
Pasteurization is a process that uses heat to kill bacteria. You want active colonies of bacteria for maximum health benefits.
Sometimes the term “raw” is used in place of “non-pasteurized.” Be careful. “Raw” can mean anything. Disreputable companies may try to trick you. Always verify by looking for the word “non-pasteurized” on the label or in the description.
It is not known whether the mother of vinegar can harm an unborn baby. To be safe, pregnant women should use pasteurized ACV.
The same goes for children under the age of two.
Unfiltered
Some ACV producers filter their products to make it more clear. While this makes for a prettier liquid, it removes beneficial bacteria and some solids.
It’s best to use ACV in a form that’s as close to what nature produces as possible.
GMP-certified
GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Process.
It’s kind of a loaded term that can have different meanings.
It means that the manufacturer runs a sanitary facility and adheres to ethical business standards.
You can think of this certification as a qualifier for others, like organic and non-GMO. If a company has a GMP certification, it can generally be trusted not to try to cut corners.
Glass Or Plastic Bottles
Most liquids nowadays come in plastic containers. They’re cheaper to make and use in the bottling process.
ACV that comes in plastic bottles is almost always less costly. But it loses some of its unique flavors.
If you go with plastic, make sure it is free of BPA, which is a harmful chemical that can leach out into the vinegar.
Other Ingredients
Some ACV has other things added to them to enhance their flavor or provide additional health benefits.
Some examples include:
- Honey
- Aloe
- Tumeric and black pepper
- Various herbs
These other ingredients can be useful if they provide the benefit you want. Just avoid any chemical additives. Pure vitamins and minerals count as chemicals. They’re not organic.
Beware of herbal additives as well. You don’t know where they came from or how they’ve been handled from the time they were harvested until they were added to the vinegar.
Summary
Apple cider vinegar has head-to-toe health benefits. It can treat toenail fungus and make your hair smooth and shiny.
As a tonic, it can help treat countless ailments, boost your immune system, and enhance overall health.
It cleans better than most surfactant-based cleaners and leaves a refreshing apple scent after the vinegar dissipates.
ACV can be a multi-use product that goes beyond its healthy effects. Once you see this, you’ll likely want to have some on hand at all times.
Marketers know this. Some of them are only out to make a buck. That’s why we spent so much time carefully reviewing the apple cider vinegar brands and presented them here for your consideration.
Now that you understand what to look for and have seen the ten apple cider vinegar, make a choice and get some today!
