# What's the difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [May 1, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258 "2007-05-01T03:37:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/1 "2007-05-01T03:37:09Z")
They’re both made with aspartame, and both taste the same. What’s going on? Also, some diet coke is made with splenda, but most of it seems to be the old aspartame recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Olive\_The\_Other\_Reindeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olive_The_Other_Reindeer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/2 "2007-05-01T03:41:38Z")
What’s the difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke? Around here, about $2 a twelve-pack ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/3 "2007-05-01T03:42:45Z")
Coke Zero is supposed to taste more like Coca-Cola than Diet Coke does. I haven’t tried it though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/4 "2007-05-01T03:49:00Z")
Coke Zero is supposed to be based on the standard coke formula, but Diet Coke is an entirely different formula. Or so they say. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/5 "2007-05-01T04:06:39Z")
They taste nothing alike. C0 has aspartame, but it also has Ace K. It has a flavor more similar to Coke Classic, whereas Diet Coke has a flavor closer to New Coke / Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/6 "2007-05-01T04:10:55Z")
Coke Zero tastes a lot more like regular Coke than does Diet Coke. Diet Coke is foul, but Coke Zero is quite drinkable- not my first choice most of the time, but I wouldn’t refuse it the way I’d refuse Diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/7 "2007-05-01T04:12:08Z")
Diet Coke is drinkable, but Coke Zero is drinkable and enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/8 "2007-05-01T09:05:39Z")
I just assumed that Coke Zero tastes manly, while Diet Coke is girly, causing office workers to leer at manual labourers. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/9 "2007-05-01T09:39:32Z")
The main difference as was mentioned is the use of Ace K and Aspartame as its sweeteners and Diet Coke uses only Aspartame. Neither use the evil High Fructose Corn Syrup though. – IG ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/10 "2007-05-01T10:25:47Z")
Coke Zero - Diet Coke = -Diet ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/11 "2007-05-01T11:06:42Z")
God, I’m glad someone finally asked this! I’ve idlly wondered, but never really pursued the matter. Now I’ve got to try Coke Zero! ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/12 "2007-05-01T12:00:07Z")
I hate Diet soda, but recently made the switch from Regular Coke to Coke Zero. Now, I still can’t drink Diet but Regular tastes WAY too sweet. Oh, I lost 15 pounds since the switch and a lot if it has to do solely with the calories lost in this switch. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/13 "2007-05-01T13:02:02Z")
And now I’m seeing a product called “Coke Zero Plus”, the plus being – I’m not kidding – _Vitamins!_ and _Minerals!_. I’ve never relied on soft drinks to supply my nutritional needs before, but now my eyes have been opened. (Didn’t they finally stop those stupid “Just for the taste of it” Diet Coke ads? The slogan should have been “You’ll get used to it.”) ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/14 "2007-05-01T13:08:02Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > And now I’m seeing a product called “Coke Zero Plus”, the plus being – I’m not kidding – _Vitamins!_ and _Minerals!_. I’ve never relied on soft drinks to supply my nutritional needs before, but now my eyes have been opened. I actually just bought some Coke Zero Plus yesterday. I rarely drink carbonated beverages myself (save for my daily bottle of beer, in the warm weather), but my daughters drink it. I wouldn’t rely on soft drinks to supply their nutritional needs, either, but my feeling is, if they’re going to drink soda, it won’t hurt to get some extra vitamins in there. They both think it tastes pretty much like Coke Zero. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/15 "2007-05-01T13:57:28Z")
What **Martini** said. I’ll drink Coke Zero. It’s not bad at all. Diet Coke is repulsive. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/16 "2007-05-01T14:00:09Z")
Coke Zero is okay, but only in cans and only ice cold. Much better than Diet Coke, though. You know what’s good? Diet A&W Root Beer. Really doesn’t taste diet at all. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/17 "2007-05-01T14:01:11Z")
according to the Coke guys I know, Coke Zero is for men that want a diet Coke but don’t have balls enough to ask for Diet Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/18 "2007-05-01T14:03:47Z")
[QUOTE=aktep] They taste nothing alike. C0 has aspartame, but it also has Ace K. It has a flavor more similar to Coke Classic, whereas Diet Coke has a flavor closer to New Coke / Pepsi. [/QUOTE] Diet Coke is its own flavor. New Coke was the Diet Coke formula sweetened with sugar. Coke Zero is the Coke formula sweetened with aspartame and Ace-K. It’s otherwise identical. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/19 "2007-05-01T14:07:09Z")
I am a total convert to Coke Zero, but I didn’t realize that I didn’t have the “Balls” to ask for a Diet Coke. I just think it tastes better. Try Diet Mug root beer as well. It also does not taste like a diet drink. No caffiene either. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258/20 "2007-05-01T14:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=China Guy] according to the Coke guys I know, Coke Zero is for men that want a diet Coke but don’t have balls enough to ask for Diet Coke. [/QUOTE] This is why I am sticking with Diet Coke. I have huge balls. 😃 I thought at first that it was exactly the same product, but after reading the labels I found out that Coke Zero is not as light (in calories) as Diet Coke. Since I have completely switched from regular Coke to Diet Coke, I am so used to the taste that I see no point in changing. But, by George, does regular Coke taste disgusting when you normally only drink the Diet stuff. I cannot believe I ever drank that vulgar, sweet concoction, yech !! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-coke-zero-and-diet-coke/402258.md?page=2)