Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Ice Cream, 2LB

Why it's worth it

Gold Standard blends whey isolate, concentrate and peptides to put 24 grams of protein in a 31-gram scoop. It dissolves in cold water in about 15 seconds, it comes in more than 30 flavors, and it's the easiest powder here to find on an actual store shelf.

The blend is a design choice, not a cost-cutting move. Each 31-gram scoop gives you 24 grams of protein from whey isolate, concentrate and peptides. The isolate absorbs quickly and carries little lactose or fat. The concentrate rounds out the texture and flavor, so your shake doesn't taste like watered-down chalk. You also get 5.5 grams of naturally occurring BCAAs and 11 grams of EAAs, leucine included, which is the part that actually drives muscle repair.

It mixes in a shaker bottle, and that matters more than you'd think. The powder is instantized, so it disperses in cold water after about 15 seconds of shaking. No blender, no clumps welded to the lid, no gritty sludge left at the bottom of the glass. If your shake gets made at a gym sink or in the car, that's the difference between a daily habit and a tub you quietly stop opening.

From our review of 5 protein powders, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +The blend is a design choice, not a cost-cutting move
• +It mixes in a shaker bottle, and that matters more than you'd think
• +The safety paperwork is batch-level, not a one-time audit
• +You can buy it almost anywhere, in almost any flavor

What to know

• –The sweeteners are artificial, and that's a dealbreaker for some people
• –The whey concentrate brings lactose with it
• –Flavor quality isn't perfectly even from batch to batch