Head to head
Perrier vs San Pellegrino
Published analyses side by side, then an honest verdict.
| Perrier | San Pellegrino | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Sparkling | Sparkling |
| TDS (mg/L) | 475 | 853 |
| Calcium | 150 | 175 |
| Magnesium | 4 | 47 |
| Sodium | 9 | 30 |
| Bicarbonate | 390 | 235 |
| Sulfate | 33 | 430 |
| Chloride | 22 | 53 |
| Silica | not published | not published |
| Nitrate | 7.3 | 2.8 |
The classic aperitif-versus-table rivalry. Perrier is the lighter water (TDS 475 vs 853) with almost nothing to taste behind its famously aggressive bubble. Calcium-bicarbonate, 9 mg/L sodium, built to be cold, neutral and loud. San Pellegrino carries real flavor: more than double the minerals, a third of them sulfate (430 mg/L), which gives it that dry, faintly saline finish under a much finer, softer bead.
Pick Perrier for the fizz itself. Highballs, ice, lemon, aperitivo hour. Pick San Pellegrino when the water has to stand next to food: the dry sulfate edge does the palate-cleansing work a big bubble can’t.
Full profiles: Perrier · San Pellegrino. All values mg/L from the analyses cited on each water’s page.
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