NECTRESSE Natural No Calorie Sweetener, 140 Serving Canister

PROS:
Very nearly like sugar
Works great in cold beverages
Okay for hot beverages (see cons below)
No 'cooling effect'
Worked reasonably in a baking application
No synthesized, chemical ingredients

CONS:
Contains trace amounts of sugar and molasses
"Natural" but not necessarily non-GMO
Not exactly zero calories (greater than two servings likely greater than 5 calories)
Very slightly bitter aftertaste in hot beverages
Slight honey-like overtones added to the sweetness
The 'natural' moniker is relative: it contains some refined sugar and is not necessarily from non-GMO sources

NOTE: Please realize that when reviewing any food item, including sweeteners, I can only give my opinion. Everyone's taste buds are different and everyone's perception of what tastes good in a sweetener is different. I have done my best to describe this product, but in the end you will have to taste it yourself and see what you... Read more

"Hello, my name is David, and I'm a sugar addict." "Hello, David." True, I love my sweets, but my sweets do not love me. Hence, I tend to rely on sugar substitues (perhaps a little too much) to stave off those sugar cravings. My go-to has always been stevia, in one form or another, whether liquid extract, powder, crystalized (Truvia), or organic ground, as I think stevia is an excellent sweetener. But, always willing to try something new, I was happy to indulge in Nectresse, a new natural sweetner from the makers of Splenda.

The primary source of sweetener in Nectresse is monk fruit (aka luo han guo), which I have eaten as an additive in other foods, and have always found to be tasty. This was my first opportunity trying it as an actual sugar substitute, so I tried to utilize it in several different applications.

First, on its own, Nectresse is great. I initially thought there was a slightly off aftertaste, but I realized it was hints of the monk fruit itself,... Read more

I used 2 of these packets in tea and got rid of the rest. I found the taste to be unpleasant - didn't seem sweet, more tart and fruity than sweet. And, I sensed a metallic like aftertaste. I thought it was terrible. But, I recognize that everyone's taste is different. You may like this just fine and you may have an entirely different application for it than mine. I also don't like Splenda, so you may like this product better if you're a Splenda fan. I just wouldn't buy a truckload of it before you sample it.

While everyone can have their opinion, the scientific justification and logic in some of the arguments are without reason or merit.

It is not monkfruit, it's a sweetening product which has monkfruit. Comparing it to stevia the herb is not plausable. Apples to apples.

150 times sweeter than sugar is not the same as 150% sweeter than sugar. 150% is 1.5 times sweeter than sugar. While this is a common mistake, like your vs you're, this should not be a mistake when doing an analysis or making an argument.

The total calories is unknown and not calculable. The listed 1 gm and <1grm when it's itemized means it is non-zero. In fact 1 gram of sugars from Erythritol is 0.2 kcals so if there is 0.1 grams, that's it's only 2 one hundredths of a single calorie (2/100th). Calories is non-zero and less than 5 but any other attempt at calculating the calories without knowing the exact contribution between 0 < x < 1gm of each ingredient is... Read more

I like this product, but you have to look at the ingredient list to see what you are really getting. Despite monk fruit being prominently displayed on the front, it's actually the 3rd ingredient, behind sugar. Now, monk fruit is sweet for it's weight, so it may be contributing a reasonable amount of the sweetness that the product has. But the first ingredient is erythritol. Amazon sells pure erythritol, and it is cheaper on a per ounces basis (though erythritol is not as sweet as sugar or monk fruit, but the flavor is fine). Also the pure erythritol, obviously, contains no sugar, unlike Nectresse. So, I like Nectresse, but I like pure erythritol even better.

The thing that I like best about this product is the container. It is a compact, convenient way to use loose sweetener at home rather than all of those paper packets. The downside of the container is that measuring 1/4 tsp. can become more cumbersome and inaccurate than convenient. As for flavor, there is little advantage over other sweeteners on the market. Sugar is a significant ingredient along with erythritol. This sugar alcohol has minimal impact on diabetic blood sugar levels but can cause problems for people with IBS or sensitive guts. Other reviewers commented on the extreme sweetness but that was not my experience when using it with oatmeal. 1/4 tsp. of Nectresse was not discernable while 1 tsp. of sugar added just a touch of sweetness with no aftertaste. This product left a decidedly unpleasant residual taste when added to coffee. All in all there was little about Nectresse that would get me to consider buying it or to recommend it to anyone else. I suspect that... Read more