Review of Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein Powder

There are a lot of casein protein powder products on the market today. Is the Optimum Nutrition product the best casein protein powder?

Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

Welcome to this review of the Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein Powder product. Optimum Nutrition is one of heavyweights in the sports nutritional supplement space and a very well respected company that produces a full line of muscle building supplements.

They offer a full gambit of protein powders (their staple), bodybuilding supplements for amateurs and professional bodybuilders, strength & recovery, diet, and specialty nutritional products as well.

Let’s now get into this offering by Optimum Nutrition and their casein protein powder supplement.

Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein Powder Product Features

One of the distinguishing features about Optimum Nutrition is that all their products are created in its own in-house manufacturing operation has been registered under the NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Program.

Pharmaceutical cGMP compliance – this is the highest standard possible, but this NSF Certified for Sport registered GMP certification is highly desirable and a key indicator of quality.

In practical terms, this means that the entire process from raw ingredient selection to purity testing, to mixing and creating to bottling is overseen by strict GMP-compliant procedures. It also means that banned substances are not included in the ingredient mix, something professional athletes especially are very concerned about.

Let’s talk about casein protein for a moment. This is a specialized protein. About 80% of the protein in milk is from casein. It is a time released or slowly digesting protein that gives sustained amino acid release into the bloodstream. So, if you are looking for a more optimal, inclusive protein, you should try a whey protein powder such as you can see reviewed at this site here.

Let’s talk about its nutritional profile.

24 grams of protein per serving
120 calories with 10 from fat
Made from high quality, refined and processed micellar casein protein powder
5 grams of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) per scoop
Nearly 5 grams of Glutamine and Glutamic Acid per scoop

How about flavors? It comes in the following flavors:

It also comes in 2 and 4 pound canisters.

ON Casein Protein Powder Prices

What are its prices? Below are the following price ranges for the 2 and 4 pound canisters:

2 pound — $32.00 to $113
4 pound –$49.99 to $119.95

Is The ON Casein Protein Powder Product Guaranteed?

Optimum Nutrition guarantees all its products, but defers to the online or offline retailer who sold you the product. If you buy on Amazon, which offers a tremendous guarantee to all their products, which you can view here,

Consumer Reviews

On Amazon, this product has a rating of 4.3 out of a possible of 5.00 spanning 605 reviews, as of this writing. On another bodybuilding supplement site, this product rates an 8.7 out of a possible 10.00 (8 or above is good) from an astonishing 2,179 reviews. Here are a few testimonials regarding this product.

What makes ON Casein Special?
By Sumer on September 12, 2011
Flavor Name: Chocolate Supreme
Size Name: 4 Pound

Yes I am science Guy so I would like to bring some scientific viewpoint, trying to keep my review Jargon free, or very simple for the least.1. Do I need Casein Supplement.Almost every Human being can benefit from Casein, however everyone DOES NOT need a Casein supplement. I would recommend this supplement to only someone who is at intermediate or advance fitness levels (rest will do good with cottage cheese- provided you relish it). If you are a beginner, than please stay away from pure Casein supplement for a while, its not the starting point by any mean and you will not get much benefit out of it. Beginners are better off with Whey only or blend supplements.2. Hey is Casein better than Whey?Yes and No. The big question is compared to What. If one is looking for a general protein source, then NO way. Caesin is not a well rounded and balanced protein, it is a specialized protein. In other words, its Amino Acid profile is not balanced. Its inclined towards recovery ( high Glutamine and Anti Catabloic properties). Lastly its Biological value is only 77 compared to 104 of Whey.However, what it does for the body, no other protein can. It digests very very slow and release rich amount of Glutamine and other Amino acids which helps you recover and stay Anabolic.

3. What is Special about ON Casein

First and foremost, its not exactly the most delicious and consistent protein by nature. Nothing that ON can do to change it, this is the nature of Casein. But, what ON does is that it gives you the best of Casein, the Micellar Casein. Making it the best Casein protein supplement in the market.

4. Whats the heck with Casein and Why is Casein protein more expensive than Whey?
This is a fair question since, out of all the protein in Milk, 80% is Casein and 20% is Whey. This means Casein should be cheaper. …Not exactly, out of the total casein, only limited amount of Casein is Micellar Casein. The one which is ideal for a protein supplement and definitely the most effective. The cost of extracting Micellar Casein is way more than Whey.

Therefore as a rule of thumb, never go with a brand, in which Casein and Whey are priced at same. As per ground economics, Casein will always be more expensive than Whey.

5. What do I do with the taste and Clumps.

Reports have suggested that the best way to make a Casein shake is to mix it with 1 cup of skimmed milk and the rest can be water. You will find a a better taste and lesser clumps if you just mix a bit of skimmed milk. Secondly, always use a electric blender whenever available. Lastly, add Casein powder after you add Milk/Water as it has a high tendency to stick to the base of the container.

Decent Protein Powder
By Kimbo on August 26, 2013
Flavor Name: Creamy Vanilla
Size Name: 2 Pound

EDIT: I previously gave this product a poor review based on the fact that Amazon states that it does not contain artificial sweeteners when it in fact does. While this is true, a good point was made (in response to the above) that I should be reviewing the product itself, and not Amazon’s ability to display precise information about a product. Since I have used this product in the past I will give a fair review of it.The product tastes good. It’s thick and filling, and makes for a nice shake before bed time. It’s also not chalky like some other casein products I’ve used. I would often mix this product 50/50 with Optimum Gold Standard Whey.

Blueberries & Cream = Best flavor for Casein Protein!
By musicreview9999 on February 6, 2012
Flavor Name: Blueberries & Cream
Size Name: 2 Pound Amazon Verified Purchase

Since I read someone else’s review about this flavor before trying it and I’ve struggled with protein flavors in the past and have simply given up (except for BioRhythm’s Afterglow Watermelon, which is the best post-workout shake in my opinion and the opinion of the personal trainers at my gym), I decided to add a review. I will preface this by saying I am not a fan of chocolate or vanilla flavored protein drinks. Many are, and chocolate is always a top seller. I decided to venture out and try the Blueberries and Cream flavor. It is amazing! Taste is a personal preference, but if you aren’t a fan of the standard flavors like me, you may want to give this a try. It tastes similar to a blueberry muffin. Of course it doesn’t taste exactly like it, since this is a supplement after all and healthy, but it’s pretty darn close and I am very pleased I have found a good flavor I will actually drink. I’m just one person, but I read these reviews all the time and I hope this will help someone else who reads these. Good luck in your hunt for a flavor you like, just don’t give up or settle for something you can’t stand.

Where Can I Buy It?

You can buy it here. But you are free to choose. Is the Optimum Nutrition casein protein powder the best on the market? It is certainly a well-made product and sells very well. It also has tremendous acclimation in the marketplace as well. One thing for sure, it is a superb, quality product.