What Is Pressed Coconut Water? - The Ultimate Guide - Foods Guy (2024)

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure to learn more.

You have seen people drinking out of coconuts on tv, in different advertisem*nts, and most definitely on vacation. Not only does it look fun drinking straight out of the fruit, but coconut water also has many great health benefits!

In recent years, coconut water has gained popularity for those health benefits, including electrolytes, and is even now endorsed by famous professional athletes. What used to be only for vacations is now a part of people’s daily routines.

However, more recently there has been a new variety of coconut water on the market: pressed coconut water.

So, what is pressed coconut water? Pressed coconut water is a drinkable liquid that is made from the pressing of the entire coconut into a creamy, cloudy, and grainy drink that is both refreshing and full of nutrients.

Keep reading to learn what coconut water is, the nutritional facts of both regular and pressed coconut water, the difference between regular coconut water and pressed, as well as the pros and cons to both types of coconut water.

What Is Coconut Water?

Coconut water is a clear liquid that comes out of a cracked coconut. No matter if the coconut is bright green or a fuzzy brown, the coconut water is the same clear liquid.

Coconut water is a very light and tropical tasting liquid that is mostly known for its hydrating qualities and its ability to replenish electrolytes.

You can drink the coconut water right from the source, or you can buy it prepackaged at many different stores or even online. Because of its popularity, it can now even be found in convenience stores and gas stations.

However, to ensure you are drinking pure coconut water it is best to drink it right out of the coconut itself.

Some pre-packaged coconut waters have added ingredients, like added sugar, so make sure to check the ingredient list to ensure an authentic taste of coconut water.

What Is Pressed Coconut Water?

Pressed coconut water is similar to regular coconut water, but instead of only using the liquid inside of the fruit, pressed coconut water uses the entire fruit.

Pressed coconut water is a darker white color and, unlike regular coconut water, it contains tiny bits of coconut flesh making it a bit grainy in texture.

Though it looks a bit like coconut milk, it is most definitely not. Coconut milk is when the flesh of the fruit is blended with water to create a smooth, white milky liquid.

So, though their colors are similar, the process of making pressed coconut water or coconut milk sets them apart from one another.

Unlike regular coconut water, the only way to consume pressed coconut water is through a pre-packaged container as it requires the entire fruit.

How Is Regular And Pressed Coconut Water Used?

Both types of coconut water can be used in a plethora of ways.

First, they can be drunk by themselves as simple refreshing beverages.

Both types of coconut water are also good to drink by themselves if you are sick, just finished a big workout, or maybe just need a heavy dose of electrolytes.

Both types of coconut water are also a great addition to smoothies. The coconut notes give a tropical feel to your drinkable breakfast.

Additionally, they also work great in co*cktails or mocktails! Try a coconut margarita or use them in a rendition of a pina colada.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Coconut Water?

There is a wide array of nutrients in both types of coconut water. Because of this, there are quite a few health benefits to the drink.

The first and most known health benefit is coconut’s ability to replenish electrolytes including potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium.

This is helpful for recovering athletes or after being depleted by the sun on a real hot day.

Compared to some other drinks that promote electrolyte replenishing, coconut water is extremely low in sodium and sugar content making it one of the healthiest ways to replenish your body.

Coconut water is also full of antioxidants that may have the potential to protect your cells from free radicals.

When too many free radicals have entered your body, there is the potential for disease. Therefore, coconut water’s ability to protect against them results in an additional health benefit.

Coconut water also has the ability to lower blood sugar, therefore it may be beneficial to those who suffer from diabetes.

What’s The Difference?

Still a bit confused on the difference between regular coconut water and pressed coconut water?

Though the two drinks are very similar in a lot of ways, there are some differences you may want to consider before deciding on which variety to drink.

Appearance

One of the biggest ways to tell the difference between pressed and regular coconut water is in how they look.

Regular coconut water is extremely clear, closely resembling water, where pressed coconut water is obviously white and cloudy resembling a very light glass of milk.

If you were to put the two varieties together, you may not even realize they are both made from coconuts as the colors of the two drinks are that different from one another.

Texture

Texture is another big difference between pressed and regular coconut water.

Regular coconut water will be extremely smooth and go down your throat as water would.

However, pressed coconut water is a tiny bit chunky or grainy due to the use of the entire fruit and the inclusion of small bits of coconut flesh in the drink.

Because some people are particular about texture (especially in a drink) this may be a big deciding factor on which type of coconut water is right for you.

Taste

The difference in taste between regular and pressed coconut water sets the two drinks apart from one another.

Regular coconut water tastes a bit bland and is extremely neutral in flavor.

Pressed coconut water tastes a lot more like the fruit itself. It is very coconut forward and it tastes much more tropical than regular coconut water.

If you are looking for something to compare it to, pressed coconut water has more flavor and can be compared to the flavor of coconut oil or the fresh juice that comes out of the fruit.

Nutrition

One last way pressed and regular coconut water differs is in the nutritional facts.

The two do have some differences, but overall the differences are relatively small.

Here is a comparison of pressed versus regular coconut water (based on an 8 oz serving):

As you can see the biggest difference between the two is in the calories and the sodium. Pressed coconut water has a higher caloric and sodium content.

Pressed coconut water also is a bit higher on fat, but everything else remains relatively the same.

This is due to the whole coconut being used in the pressed version; therefore it is no surprise it is a bit higher in some of these nutritional facts.

So that leads us to one question: which variety of coconut water is better?

Is Pressed Coconut Water Better?

It is hard to decipher if pressed coconut water is better, because it all boils down to a personal choice. Here are some ways to decide if pressed coconut water is a better option than regular coconut water for you:

• Pressed coconut water has a much stronger coconut taste compared to regular coconut water.
• Because of the coconut flavor, pressed coconut water also tends to be a bit sweeter than regular coconut water which can be a bit more subtle in flavor at times.
• Pressed coconut water does contain a higher amount of calories, so if that is of concern to you, regular coconut water might be a better choice.
• Pressed coconut water has a tiny bit less sugar, but a higher sodium content than regular coconut water, so that also might be a deal-breaker for you.

Overall, pressed coconut water would be the best choice for someone who cares more about taste than they do nutrition.

Both options prove to be quite similar in nutrition, so again it is a personal choice on what is important to you when consuming coconut water.

Which Brands Carry Pressed Coconut Water?

The number one seller of coconut water in general is Vita Coco. They also are the only brand that is currently selling pressed coconut water which can now be found online.

Vita Coco also sells flavored pressed coconut water in a variety of flavors like pineapple, strawberry banana, and mango.

Up Next: The 9 Best Egg Substitutes For Cake Mix That Work