Last year I wrote about Amul vs Haryana Fresh ghee — and so many of you read it. Customers started walking in saying “bhaiya, aapka blog padha, Amul le lete hain.”

But the follow-up question never stopped: “Nestle Everyday kaisi hai? Gagan ghee sahi hai ya nahi? Ananda try karein kya?”

Fair enough. Those brands sit right on my shelves at GharStuff. So I spent time reading through every real customer complaint on Flipkart, Amazon, and MouthShut — and combined it with what I’ve seen at the store over the years. No lab test, no sponsored review. Just what I’ve actually noticed.

One thing before we start — and this is important.

First: Desi Ghee and Vanaspati Ghee are Not the Same Thing

I keep seeing customers pick up Gagan from the shelf thinking it’s desi ghee. It’s not. And that confusion causes a lot of disappointment at home.

Here’s the difference, as simply as I can put it:

Vanaspati looks like ghee, smells faintly like ghee, costs much less — but it’s a completely different product made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. The WHO has flagged trans fats in vanaspati as a heart risk with long-term daily use.

Now let’s talk about each brand honestly.

1. Gagan — Vanaspati Ghee, Not Desi Ghee

Gagan is manufactured by Bunge India Private Limited, one of the large agri-commodity companies operating out of Rajpura, Punjab. The product is sold as “Gagan Vanaspati” — it says so clearly on the packaging, but many people miss it because it looks almost identical to regular ghee in the tin.

At our store, I’ve had customers return saying it “smells different” or “tastes like dalda.” That’s because it is dalda — just under a different brand name. Dalda, Gagan, Rath, Panghat — these are all vanaspati products made the same way.

So why do people still buy it?

Price. Vanaspati costs roughly 40-50% less than desi ghee. For commercial cooking — halwai shops, roadside dhabas, large events — vanaspati makes economic sense for frying and high-quantity cooking. It has a high smoke point and long shelf life.

For daily home cooking, especially for children and elderly, I personally advise against it for regular use given the trans fat content. That’s my honest opinion as a store owner. Use it for occasional frying if budget is a constraint — but don’t substitute it for desi ghee in your daily dal and roti.

2. Nestle Everyday Shahi Ghee

Nestle Everyday Shahi Ghee is one of the most misunderstood ghee products in the market — not because it’s bad, but because people buy it with the wrong expectations.

The confusion around this one

On Flipkart, I’ve read reviews calling it “mixture of ghee and dalda” and “doesn’t look like cow ghee — it’s white.” Others call it the best ghee they’ve tried. Both camps are right — they’re just expecting different things.

Here’s the key fact: Nestle Everyday Shahi Ghee is not cow ghee. It’s made from mixed milk — mostly buffalo — at their Moga factory in Punjab. Buffalo ghee is naturally white or cream-coloured. That’s normal. That’s not adulteration. But if you opened it expecting the golden colour of Amul or Haryana Fresh, you’ll feel misled.

Nestle themselves don’t claim it’s cow ghee anywhere on the label. The confusion is a buyer expectation problem, not a product quality problem.

Where it genuinely shines

For festive cooking — biryani, pulao, sewai, kheer — Nestle Everyday performs really well. The aroma holds under high heat. The richness it adds to festive dishes is noticeable. Customers who specifically want it for Eid biryani or wedding cooking come back for it.

After 76 quality checks at the Moga plant, it’s a consistently produced, clean product. No complaints about hygiene or adulteration — just about buyer expectation mismatch.

MRP (1L): ~₹630
Best for: Festive cooking, biryani, halwa
Milk source: Mixed / buffalo milk
Colour: White/cream (confirms buffalo base)

Browse Ghee at GharStuff →

3. Ananda Pure Ghee (by Gopaljee Dairy)

Ananda is made by Gopaljee Dairy Foods, a company that’s been running since 1989 in UP/Delhi NCR. They rebranded as Gopaljee Ananda in 2012 and have steadily built a loyal customer base across North India.

What makes Ananda worth talking about

It’s actual cow ghee — and you can see it the moment you open the pack. The colour is a proper golden yellow. The texture is granular (danedar). The aroma is mild but present.

Where Ananda wins is the price-to-quality ratio. At around ₹490 for 1L at our store, it sits below Amul (which is closer to ₹570-580) but delivers a comparable everyday experience for dal tadka, sabzi, roti.

On DesiDime and Amazon, regular users consistently rate it as one of the best value cow ghee options — specifically calling it out as better than budget brands while costing less than premium ones.

One thing I’d mention honestly

Ananda isn’t as widely stocked as Amul everywhere. In some parts of Haryana, you’ll find it easily; in others, availability can be hit or miss. At GharStuff we stock the 1L tetra pack — but if you’re planning around it, check availability first before making a family recipe depend on it.

Price at GharStuff (1L): ₹490
Best for: Daily cooking — dal, sabzi, rotis
Milk source: Cow milk
Colour: Golden yellow ✓

Buy Ananda Ghee at GharStuff →

4. Britannia Pure Danedar Ghee

Britannia is a name every Indian household trusts — mostly for biscuits. Their ghee division is smaller but has been growing steadily in North India.

What the reviews actually say

This one has a split verdict online, and I’ve seen it reflected at our store too. On Amazon and Flipkart, many customers say it’s better than Amul — richer aroma, great texture, pure. On MouthShut, it rates around 1.78/5 with people saying it “doesn’t smell like real ghee.”

After seeing this pattern a lot, I think the same explanation applies here as with Nestle. Britannia themselves call their ghee “Danedar” and describe it as “creamy white” — which points to a mixed or buffalo milk base. Customers expecting cow ghee’s golden colour are disappointed. Customers who want rich danedar texture for North Indian cooking are satisfied.

My observation at the store

Customers who specifically ask for “danedar ghee for roti and paratha” are generally happy with Britannia. The granular texture is real, the price is fair, and Britannia’s quality control is tight given their decades of FMCG experience.

But if you’re expecting it to taste like your nani’s ghee — no packaged brand will. For that you’d have to find a local dairy.

MRP (1L): ~₹545
Best for: North Indian daily cooking — rotis, parathas, dal
Milk source: Mixed/buffalo
Colour: Creamy white (as Britannia themselves describe it)

Buy Britannia Danedar Ghee at GharStuff →

All Four — Side by Side

Prices are approximate MRP. Actual store prices may vary slightly by pack size.

Which One Should You Actually Buy?

Here’s how I break it down for different kinds of customers who walk in:

“Bhaiya, daily use ke liye kuch dena cow ghee mein, Amul se thoda sasta”
→ Go with Ananda. Genuine cow ghee, golden colour, ₹490. Does the job well.

“Eid biryani ke liye kuch rich chahiye”
→ Nestle Everyday. The richness it adds to festive cooking is real. Just don’t expect it to look golden.

“Danedar texture chahiye rotis ke liye”
→ Britannia or Ananda — both give proper danedar texture. Britannia at ₹545, Ananda at ₹490.

“Gagan le lo — sasta hai”
→ Only if you specifically need vanaspati for commercial frying. Not as a daily desi ghee substitute. Please read the label first.

Quick Home Tests (Works for Any Ghee)

These won’t replace lab testing but they give you a feel for what you’re dealing with:

Heat test: Put a small spoon of ghee in a hot pan. Pure desi ghee melts fast, turns slightly brownish. Vanaspati may look oily without the browning.

Palm test: A small amount of pure desi ghee melts from just your body heat within seconds. Vanaspati stays solid longer.

Colour check: Golden yellow = cow milk ghee. White/cream = buffalo milk ghee or vanaspati. Both desi variants are fine — but if you expected cow and got white, now you know why.

Smell check: Pure desi ghee has a warm, nutty aroma. Vanaspati has a flatter, sometimes slightly chemical smell if you know what to look for.

Final Word

The biggest confusion in the ghee aisle isn’t about brand quality — it’s about what product you’re actually buying. Vanaspati looks like ghee, costs less, and sits next to ghee on the shelf. But it’s made from vegetable oil, not milk.

Of the three actual desi ghee options here — Nestle, Ananda, and Britannia — each has a clear use case. Buy based on what you’re cooking, not just the brand name.

If you want to read about Amul and Haryana Fresh, I’ve covered those separately: Best Ghee Brand in India — Part 1

And if you want to pick up any of these without stepping out, we deliver across Hisar: Browse all ghee brands at GharStuff →

Questions? Drop them in the comments — happy to answer.

— Rahul Saini, GharStuff, Hisar, Haryana