Wondering about the differences between cider vinegars, and which product to choose based on your cooking or wellness needs? To help you see things more clearly, we've organized the match of the year .
On our left: classic supermarket cider vinegar, a good old companion to mustard.
On our right: an organic, unpasteurized cider vinegar containing the mother, designed for health as well as taste.
Round 1 – The Prize
“But your vinegar is three times more expensive than the one I buy in supermarkets!”
A recurring argument... but one that doesn't compare equivalent products. Manufacturing methods, apple quality, origin, natural fermentation... Everything separates them, except the name.
That said, price remains a criterion for accessibility. This round therefore goes to the supermarket product.
Supermarket 1 – Premium 0
Round 2 – Cosmetic use
For hair, regular apple cider vinegar may be enough: the acidity does the job. But for (more sensitive) skin, it's a different story.
An organic, unpasteurized vinegar containing the mother (like Archi'v) respects the skin's microbiome and offers a pH close to that of the skin. Pesticide-free and sourced from a recognized terroir, it is much safer and more effective for a healthy beauty routine.
Supermarket 0 – Premium 1
Round 3 – Taste
The difference is immediate: premium cider vinegar is complex, aromatic, and rounder . It reveals the richness of the terroir, the care taken in fermentation, and the quality of the apples used.
The supermarket one, often pasteurized and made from standardized blends, is a quick fix. But it never surprises.
Supermarket 0 – Premium 1
Round 4 – Environmental impact
Supermarket vinegar is making progress with the use of glass bottles. But it is still produced in large quantities, often from apples of uncertain origin, with a significant carbon footprint.
Opposite, Archi'v:
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Apples from a single Normandy orchard , without treatment
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Bottles made in France , unvarnished wooden stopper
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Recycled labels , vegetable ink
A reasoned, transparent model, anchored in the local area.
Supermarket 0 – Premium 1
Round 5 – Health benefits
This is where the gap widens.
Quality apple cider vinegar still contains the “mother,” the good bacteria that are so valuable for digestion, immunity, and intestinal flora. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized , naturally fermented, and produced from untreated apples .
The one from the supermarket is often pasteurized, artificially aged, and drained of its living richness.
It's a bit like comparing an organic sourdough baguette to industrial sandwich bread: the ingredients may seem similar, but the result is completely different.
Supermarket 0 – Premium 1
Final verdict
Supermarket 1 – Archi'v 4
Supermarket cider vinegar remains a good staple for an evening salad.
But if you're looking for a lively, tasty, healthy, and environmentally friendly product , then premium apple cider vinegar makes all the difference.
And if you want to find the one that ticks all the boxes, you know where to find us.
