I tried oat milk from Asda, Aldi and Lidl - 1 was creamier and cheaper than Oatly

Eating a plant-based diet may not be as trendy as it was a couple of years ago, but it's still the reality for lots of people. I avoided dairy for years when I was younger, and while that's not the case any more, I've continued to buy one very popular plant milk that tastes great in a coffee.

Oat milk is creamy, sweet and delicious, so it's no wonder that it's a go-to coffee order for many. At home, it's no different, and my brand of choice is always Oatly. But it's no secret that this can be on the pricey side, so I decided to put three budget supermarket oat milks to the test to see if any of them could compare.

Because I only ever drink oat milk in coffee or tea, a barista-style drink is always what I reach for. These are often made to foam up better when you heat it up due to a higher fat content, making them perfect for adding to your at-home latte or cappuccino.

I managed to pick up three own-brand barista oat milks from Aldi, Lidl and Asda. Aldi and Lidl's varieties were the same price at £1.25, with Asda a little more expensive at £1.45.

However, with a litre of Oatly Barista costing £2.20 from Tesco and Sainsbury's, it's still a significant saving. But how did they taste, and could they compare to my beloved brand?

I made three cups of coffee and tasted each to find out. Two I'd probably never buy again, but one of them was delicious, giving Oatly a real run for its money.

Aldi

I began with Aldi's ActiLeaf oat milk, priced at a very reasonable £1.25 for one litre. It foamed up promisingly well, so I had high hopes when I took my first sip.

But sadly, this is where the optimism ended. It had quite a bitter taste - not the sweet, creamy oat milk I'm used to. It was also very thin, and had an unusual aftertaste that seemed to linger for ages.

I probably wouldn't pick this one up again, but I guess for that low price it's not the worst option in the world.

Rating: 2/5

Lidl

Next up in the taste test was Lidl's variety, which is the exact same price as Aldi's at £1.25.

I've had the regular oat milk from here before, and I quite enjoyed it. However, for some reason the barista-style didn't hit the mark at all.

It didn't really foam up at all, which I'd say is a pretty crucial factor in a barista milk. It was also fairly watery, a lot more so than I remember the regular version being, and had a strange aftertaste not a million miles away from the Aldi one. Disappointing.

Rating: 1/5

Asda

Finally, Asda's barista oat milk, coming in at £1.45 for one litre - so 20p more expensive than the others.

First impression was that the carton is the most visually appealling out of them all, which obviously doesn't affect the taste, but definitely worth a mention. It had a promising pour, and frothed up nicely too.

In terms of taste, this blew the other ones out of the water. It was creamy and sweet, and very similar to Oatly. Maybe even better, given its lower price.

This is definitely worth a shot if you're trying to cut your spending. If I hadn't bought it myself, I honestly wouldn't have known it was any different to my usual.

Rating: 5/5