It's Just! - 100% Monkfruit Extract Powder, Keto Friendly Sweetener, Monk Fruit, Sugar-Free, Non-GMO, Non-Glycemic (25% Mogroside V, 1.5oz / 42g)

I have not tried other allegedly pure monkfruit extract products, but I notice that other such products are said to include a small scoop, and reviewers are talking about much larger amounts being equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar, so I wonder why that is. THIS product - It's Just - 100% Monkfruit Extract Powder, Keto Friendly Sweetener, Monk Fruit, Sugar-Free... - is SO EXTREMELY CONCENTRATED and sweet that if you were to even THINK about using quarter of a teaspoon of it in your coffee, you would find it unbearably sweet. I literally use just a pinhead amount to sweeten coffee like 2 teaspoons of sugar would - and I am not talking about those pins with the big spherical coloured plastic heads, I am talking standard pins! I use a sharp pointed knife and just take a pinhead speck on the point of the knife to sweeten coffee. I took a photo of a standard teaspoon with a tiny pile of this extract (so small I needed to add an arrow to show you where it is on the spoon!). That is the amount for a LARGE cup of coffee for someone with a sweet tooth. This stuff is so powerful a sweetener that if you get it on your hands even in amounts you don't notice, and then, say, eat a piece of lettuce (picking it up using your hand that has the not-noticeable amount of this sweetener on it), the lettuce will taste sweet! I keep the bag in a sturdy freezer bag to try to avoid the sweetness getting everywhere. The other fabulous thing about this sweetener is that it is not cooling (like erythritol - no weird peppermint sensation), and is not bitter (like I find Stevia), and has none of the horrible aftertaste of several other sweeteners.

I can't find pure monk fruit powder in my local grocery stores--they only carry brands that are mixed with erythritol. Since a recent study found erythritol to be linked to a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, I have quit using it. So far, there have been no dangers to health associated with monk fruit. The chief difficulty is knowing how much to use since it is so much sweeter than sugar. This is explained on the package, and a tiny measuring spoon that is the equivalent to a teaspoon of sugar is helpfully provided. I have not tried baking with monk fruit yet, but I find it wonderful in cereal and smoothies. To me, it tastes better than Stevia. Some people complain that it's messy to use, which is true unless you carefully transfer the powder from its package to a container with a wide, secure lid. I also store its plastic spoon separately. As for complaints about it being expensive, I don't find that the case given how little one uses per serving.

I have been using the Splenda Monk fruit with erythritol but wanted to try this pure monk fruit. I've been trying to lose some weight and wanted a safe alternative to sugar (I hate artificial sweeteners.) I should have paid more attention to some of the negative reviews but didn't.I wanted to like it - I really did. I got a 1/8 teaspoon and filled it halfway (which, at 1/32 = 1 tsp., 1/16 - half of a 1/8 = 2 tsps.) This stuff is nasty tasting...literally has an aftertaste of artificial sweetener. I thought maybe I got it too strong, so I tried less...did not help. I finally started adding some of the erythritol monk fruit to mix with it. But that literally voids the whole purpose of using the pure monk fruit. I also want to add that this is not a white powder. I saw in one of the reviews, a woman mentions this fact. I didn't think much of it but perhaps that's the problem - I really don't know. I just cannot stomach the aftertaste it leaves in my mouth... a lot of money wasted on a nasty product.Lastly, when I ordered, I double checked that I could replace or refund this before I ordered it. However, when I tried, I received a quick message stating that this product IS NOT REFUNDABLE OR RETURNABLE!

Review updated 6/11/2022 to reflect other products. This is now a composite review of three monk fruit products.Amazon.com : It's Just - 100% Monkfruit Extract Powder, Keto Friendly Sweetener, Monk Fruit, Sugar-Free, Non-GMO, 25% Mogrosides, Non-Glycemic, 1.5oz : Grocery & Gourmet FoodI have purchased this product 12 times since 2020. I was looking for a low/no glycemic sweetener that also was not harsh on the gut biome. Only pure monk fruit and stevia seem to fit those requirements. Many of the monk fruit and stevia sweeteners available in stores are mixed with erythritol, which can have a negative effect on the beneficial bacteria in one’s gut. I did also try the drops, but the package and dispensing was just not user friendly. Also required a lot of drops to taste any sweetness.This powder does take some getting used to using. I really only use it to sweeten my brewed cacao drink. It mixes better in warm or hot liquids. I usually let it sit and brew in the french press with the ground cacao.I dislike the packaging. The zippered bag is never zipped properly therefore not sealing the powder below the tear off point, so when you open it the first time there is sticky powder that goes everywhere. I also dislike leaving it in the original packaging because it’s a pain and a mess to deal with. I now transfer this into a dark tinted wide mouth half pint jar. I also think the little measuring spoon sent in the package is an annoyance and a waste. This would be better off in a container like the Clabber Girl baking powder.Appearance is fine, pure white powder.Overall, 4.5 stars for the product itself. 2.5 stars for packaging.This is currently priced at $15.30 per oz—-----------Amazon.com: NOW Foods, Certified Organic Monk Fruit Extract Powder, Zero Calorie Sweetener, Large Bottle for Serving Scoop, Certified Non-GMO, 0.7-Ounce : Grocery & Gourmet FoodI decided to give this product a try. Just the listing alone gave me hope that the packaging would be friendlier. The container is almost exactly the same as what you would find in the herbs and spice aisle at a grocery store. Flip top cap with a pour and a sprinkle option. I disliked that my measuring spoons were a little awkward getting in and out. I would like a shorter container with a wider lid, or a bigger size all together. This would almost be worth carrying in your purse if you wanted to have a monk fruit sweetener with you.Taste was excellent. To my palette it was twice as sweet as the “It’s Just” product, so less goes further.Appearance is fine, pure white powder.5 stars for the product. 3.5 stars for the packagingThis is currently priced at $29.71 per oz, so value is roughly equal to the “It’s Just” brand—--------Amazon.com: Smart Monk - 100% Monkfruit Extract, Non-Glycemic, Zero Calorie, Sugar-Free Monk Fruit Sweetener (3oz / 85g) : Grocery & Gourmet FoodPackaging for the win! This is the perfect leave at home on the counter or in the pantry package. No spills in shipment, and no difficulty getting to the monk fruit powder. Container is a tub with a screw cap, 3.5” in diameter, 2.75” tall.Taste is definitely not as good as either of the other products. It is about as sweet as the “It’s Just” monk fruit, but it has a bit of an aftertaste. I will finish the container, but I will not buy it again.Appearance is fine, yellowish powder.2.5 stars for the product. 5 stars for the packaging.This is currently priced at $13.71 per oz. This product has the best value for weight.