If you’re making several curries, sauces or desserts during the week, start by choosing coconut milk for cooking, then divide the amount you need between containers that suit your recipes. A 1 L carton of coconut drink is better suited to drinking: Bjorg’s contains 4% coconut, compared with 60% in its 3 × 200 ml multipack of coconut milk for cooking. If you’re aiming for 2 L in total, check the product description and the storage instructions after opening for each product before opting for a larger container.
You’re planning curries, sauces, soups or desserts and need to divide your shopping between several recipes. For these dishes, distinguish coconut milk for cooking from coconut drink before comparing pack sizes.
If you mainly use coconut to make drinks, coffee or smoothies, a 1 L carton of coconut drink serves a different purpose from coconut milk for cooking.
You want to match the amount used in each recipe to the pack you buy, then check the coconut content, nutritional information and product-specific storage instructions.
For your weekly shop, first decide whether you need a product for cooking or drinking. Then choose the volume based on the recipes you have planned and the storage conditions after opening.
Choose this for: curries, sauces, soups and desserts that call for coconut milk intended for cooking.
Bear in mind: match the container size to the amount you’ll use, rather than assuming you’ll finish a large pack once it’s open.
Choose this for: drinking, or adding to coffee or a smoothie.
Bear in mind: don’t use it as a direct substitute for cooking coconut milk in a recipe where the coconut content matters. The two Bjorg products compared contain 4% and 60% coconut respectively.
| Factor | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Read the product description and ingredients: choose coconut milk or cream for cooking in a recipe, and coconut drink for drinking. | When I’m making a curry, I want to avoid picking up a drink intended for a glass or coffee. Around 33% of consumers put this distinction first. |
| Weekly quantity | Match the amount needed for your planned recipes to the packs available, including 200 ml, 400 ml, 500 ml or multipacks of 3 × 200 ml. | If I have several dishes on the menu, I’d rather buy the right amount in suitable pack sizes than aim for one single volume. This is the main concern for around 27% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and texture | Compare the coconut content, whether it’s described as “fluid” or “semi-thick”, and the fat and saturated fat content using the same measure. | For a sauce or dessert, I look for the texture I want while checking the nutritional information for the product I choose. This is a priority for around 20% of consumers. |
| Storage | Check the instructions for after opening and choose a pack size that your recipes will let you use within the stated conditions. | When I’m cooking small amounts, I want to avoid opening more coconut milk than I can use. Around 20% of consumers prioritise managing leftovers. |
The word “coconut” alone doesn’t mean the products are interchangeable. Bjorg’s 1 L drink contains 4% coconut, compared with 60% in its 3 × 200 ml multipack of coconut milk for cooking.
For a curry or sauce, look for a product described as suitable for cooking and check the ingredients. Choose a drink for the uses stated on its packaging.
The volume shown doesn’t tell you by itself whether a product is suitable for curries or desserts. The product description and ingredients are what determine whether it’s the right choice.
Before aiming for 2 L, check the product type and work out how much your recipes will actually use. Several smaller containers can also help you spread out opening packs during the week.
Ingredients vary between products intended for cooking: Suzi Wan’s 200 ml coconut milk contains 56% coconut extract, while Auchan’s 200 ml semi-thick coconut milk contains 88%.
Check the coconut content, the stated texture and the nutritional information for the specific product. To compare nutritional values, use the same basis: per 100 g or per 100 ml, as shown on the label.
Auchan’s 200 ml semi-thick coconut milk says to refrigerate it and use it within 48 hours of opening. This instruction applies to this product, not to all coconut milk.
Read the packaging for each product and plan your recipes accordingly. Smaller individual packs may be a good choice if you only use a little coconut milk at a time.
The brand offers coconut milk and cream for cooking, including 200 ml packs.
Bjorg offers both coconut milk for cooking in a 3 × 200 ml multipack and a 1 L coconut drink.
Aldi France offers Asia Green Garden coconut milk for cooking in a range of sizes.
These products are suitable for cooking recipes spread across the week. They range in size from 400 ml to 1 L. Compare the amount your dishes need with the instructions on each pack if you’re looking to buy 2 L in total.
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Coconut milk for cooking to consider if your recipes for the week need a 1 L container.
The product name states that it contains 17–19% fat. If you need 2 L in total, plan for the extra amount and check the instructions for after opening on the packaging.
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This 1 L bottle of coconut milk for cooking could be part of your shop for several recipes planned during the week.
The container is listed as a PET bottle. Before choosing this size, compare the nutritional information and the instructions for after opening on the label.
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This 400 ml cooking-size pack is a good option if you’d rather buy the amount needed for a recipe than open a 1 L container straight away.
For several dishes, add up the amounts you need and check the storage instructions for each opened container.
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This carton of coconut milk for cooking lets you set aside 500 ml for recipes that call for this amount.
The product name states that it contains 18% fat. Once opened, follow the packaging instructions for refrigeration and storage time.
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This 400 ml pack of coconut milk for cooking can be chosen to suit the amount needed for a dish.
The product name states that it contains 19% fat. If you’re buying several packs for the week, check the storage instructions for after opening.
Not if you’re looking for the same coconut content: Bjorg’s 1 L coconut drink contains 4% coconut, while its 3 × 200 ml multipack of coconut milk for cooking contains 60%. If your recipe calls for coconut milk for cooking, check the product description and ingredients before choosing a carton based on volume alone.
Start with the product description, ingredients list, net quantity, nutritional information and stated date. The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control lists these among the details on food labels. When comparing two products, also pay attention to their storage instructions.
Follow the instructions for the product you’ve bought, as storage times for one product don’t apply to others. Auchan’s 200 ml semi-thick coconut milk says to refrigerate it and use it within 48 hours of opening.
No. Check the volume in litres or millilitres on the product, then make sure it’s coconut milk for cooking if that’s what you need. For your weekly shop, compare the volume with the total amount your recipes call for, whether it comes in one container or several.