If you are looking for a casein protein to take before bed then you should go with Optimum 100% Casein for sure. It is a bit more expensive than some other casein powders out there but it is well worth it. One of the reasons I used to have a hard time sleeping through the night was that I would get really hungry and have to wake up and have a snack to kill the hunger pains. Since I started taking casein at night I have not had a problem with it. I like to mix mine with half water and half coconut milk for a nice thick shake that keeps me full and anabolic throughout the night. I have never steered away from the Chocolate Peanut Butter because I really like the taste of it and have gone through two tubs of it. It still has that casein taste to it but it is the best tasting casein shake that I have ever tried and I have no intention of switching brands ever. It is great that it has only 120 calories, 1g of fat, 2 net carbs and 24g of protein making it the most ideal bedtime food ever. If you break it down the cost is really not too bad, considering you can get almost a two month supply for around 40 bucks. This has become an absolute essential to my stack and I really wonder how I ever got by without it. I take my ZMA an hour before my casein and I just feel great every morning. Highly recommend this product to anyone who is physically active no matter what your goals are.

I really cannot say enough about this. It has become my favorite protein by one of my favorite brands. When I was looking for a slow-digesting protein, I knew where to look.

I first started taking this to use before bed to keep me anabolic. I was using Blueberries & Cream. It was a bit sandy and grainy textured, but it was thick and tasted great. After I finished the tub, I actually didn't buy again for a few months.

Next, I bought the big 4lb tub in chocolate peanut butter, and WOW. I find this tastes better than Optimum's regular 100% Whey. It definitely is much thicker. Doesn't taste like you are drinking "chocolate water". Some people don't like it and say it's like "slime", but I actually enjoy it. Almost like a Reese's PB Cup, but not as good as Syntha-6's. You could always add more/less water or milk to adjust how thick it is.

One of my favorite things to do with this is get a bowl and throw in 1 scoop and then 1 table spoon of natural peanut butter. Then I slowly add milk and stir it, trying to get all the powder mixed up with as little liquid as possible. And the result is this über-thick pudding that tastes like Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream, I kid you not.

I haven't cheated once in my diet since I've used this (not even a cheat meal) and I don't feel obligated to.

I'm on the go and busy a lot, so more often than not I need something when I'm going longer than 3 hours without food. And this stuff works perfectly.

I've gone through several tubs of the chocolate peanut butter and I can't get enough of it. If you are looking to add a slow-digesting protein either before bed or to keep you full during the day for a few more hours, this stuff is awesome. Two thumbs up!

I bought this a LONG time ago when I first started working out. I bought the Vanilla flavor, which was a HUGE mistake! I really hope that the chocolate and other flavors taste better because the Vanilla was GOD AWFUL. I know supplements aren't supposed to be taken for the taste, and I powered through the entire tub nonetheless, but this product was the only one I had ever contemplated taking back due to the taste. Other than that, I take absolutely no problems with this supplement. It has a great profile as do all of the Optimum Proteins: 5 g BCAA, 5 g gluatmine and precursors, and the casein lasts for up to 8 hours. Can't argue with that. I origionally took 1 scoop with 1 scoop whey postworkout, but then I caught wind of the benefits of taking it before bed. I liked the added recovery in both instances, and taking it with the whey actually helped out the flavor a bit. The days I took it prior to bed, I felt much more "refreshed" the following morning and much less sore in the muscle group I worked the day before. I also really like the versatility of this product. Not only could it be used pre bed and postworkout, it can be taken whether on a bulk or a cut because of it's low calories/fat/carbs. I really like how 1 tub lasts about a month (four weeks straight @ 1 a day) and it's very competetively priced. As usual, not many quams with an Optimum product. Thumbs up, keep it goin! Just make sure to take the CHOCOLATE flavor, you'll save yourself some misery!

After finishing my second 4lb jug I thought it was time for a review. This has become my favorite Optimum Protein. Just like all other Optimum Proteins it has a great amino acid profile. 1 scoop contains 5g of BCAA's and 5g of glutamine. Whats amazing, is that the total release of amino acids can last up to 7-8 hours making it extremely valuable for bed time.
-Taste 9/10: Being casein its the best I'v had. 6oz of water gave it a nice rich chocolate taste.
-Mixability 9/10: I like the thicker texture it makes you feel fuller.
-Effectiveness 10/10: Definitely helped aid with recovery and new muscle growth.
With only 2 net carbs its perfect for running a low-carb diet or a healthy night time snack. This is by far the best casein Protein availible(IMO). Optimum just continues to impress me!

I have just finished off one tub of the chocolate peanut butter casein protein. One thing I noticed first off was how thick the shake was once it was all mixed. Casein shakes are at least twice as thick as traditional whey proteins.
I did like the feeling of having a light low carb casein protein right before bed and I noticed better recovery time when I would use this protein pre-bedtime.
The price is a little more than whey but its superior to alternative casein choices such as cottage cheese, milk, etc...
This casein protein is a step above the rest because of the time spent on development and Optimum Nutritions attention to detail and fine tuning in the taste and texture departments.
I cant wait to try some more flavors and appreciate any feedback for recommendations.

This product does what it's suppose to do. I love this when I don't feel like having cottage cheese. Or if I would rather have something "tastier" than plain cottage cheese.

Gold Standard Casein Protein is not the best tasting CASEIN protein I've ever tasted. But it definately works.

I take it just before bed. When I wake up. I can always feel the difference in my muscles and stomach. 99% of the time when I take this, I can eat a hearty and healthy breakfast. Normally I cant eat very much when I wake up, not sure why but I feel bloated and full when I wake up after only dinner.

Just some really GENERAL info for those of you that don't know what casein is, here you go. It is a slow digestive protein, meaning, that when you ingest it, it delivers "energy/nutrion" to your muscles throughout the night. This way, you're not feeding off your muscles during your 8 hour fasting phase while you're sleeping for energy. In other words, its like your still eating, every 2-4 hours even while you're sleeping.

In Optimum Nutrion's 100% Casein Protein, there is 24g protein, 120 cal, 1g fat, 3g carbs. A pretty decent amino acid profile on the label and only 10mg of cholesterol.

Taste 7/10:

Tastes really thick even with 12oz of water, anything past 12oz just makes it watery and chalky. Not too bad once you take it for about 2 weeks. Also, I use just a shaker cup for about 25 seconds.

Effectiveness 8/10:

Compared to cottage cheese, definately can replace it, it amps up appetite upon waking, but it is way more expensive in comparison. tase better than cottage cheese too. Definately works though.

Value 7/10: Not as pricey as others compared to effectiveness. But when you compareit to cottage cheese, its pricey.

Mixability 8/10: Other than the chalky taste, it mixes well with just a shaker cup. After all, it is casein. It is to be expected. (thickness, chalky taste)

Overall 9/10: mainly because, if you find the deals ON offers, you can really get this for a great price and it works. I would highly recommend this as a SUPPLEMENT to anyone who's looking for something other than cottage cheese, and a higher protein profile along with good aminos.

I do feel better when I wake up in the morning after taking this for whatever reason.

This was the first casein I decided to try, and it was well worth it. Certainly a big fan of the slow digesting proteins, particularly when you know you aren't going to eat for a while. For mine, I would take it before bed and sometimes upon waking in between eating and going to work or uni.

Taste: 8/10
It became an acquired taste. At the beginning, I wasn't a huge fan of the taste. I mixed it with mainly water at the start. About a quarter way through, I really started to enjoy taking it. I got Chocolate Peanut Butter and whilst it didn't taste like PB, it had a smooth flavour. It's a better taste than ON Pro Complex. When I started mixing it with milk, I really enjoyed chugging it down. Even when I went back to water a few times after, I still liked it. So whilst it took me a while to get used of the casein taste, I have to say, it is pretty good.

Mixing: 9/10
Bare in mind it is a casein, so it is not going to mix as well as whey. However, despite that, I found that this one mixed really well. Yes -- there were a few clumps, but they were VERY small and certainly no inconvenience whatsoever. The funny thing is, it mixes a lot better with milk than it does with water. With milk, it's a really nice thick consistency. With water, it's more clumpy, but again -- it isn't something that would deter me from buying this product.

Effectiveness: 9/10
I tend to snack a fair bit at night, so the casein was a great alternative and it made me feel full upon going to bed. I woke up feeling refreshed, and not lethargic or weak or overly hungry. It worked well on a 7-8 hour sleep, as I'd then make breakfast and usually have another. The versatility of this casein is good -- as I said above, I used it when I would be going without food for a prolonged period. Recovery was solid -- I woke up less sore when I took it. As for gaining muscle? I can't really say definitively. It's hard to gauge with casein, HOWEVER, I will say this. I've never been in better shape than I am right now, and I would be confident in saying that this product has helped me achieve this.

Value: 8/10
Quality product and you get around 54? servings. It lasted me a while, definitely good value for money.

Overall:
I'm a big fan of Optimum Nutrition. I would definitely buy this product again. I have found a couple of cheaper alternatives that are from 'bulk' sellers in Australia so I am gonna try these out. It'll be interesting to compare the two; both have good reputations despite one having a 'promoted' name, and one not.

If you are contemplating a casein for the first time, then you can't go wrong with buying GS 100% Casein. It's solid value, it's a really quality product that tastes great and it's effective. That's all you can ask for in a supplement, and as always, ON delivers.

I got it for a reaonaable deal and gave it a try. I prefer whey because this clumps too much and doesn't taste too good. The advantages are that it does take longert to absorb so taking the product at night will enhance recovery and cut back catabolism. I wouldn't but this product again, but I do love the whey protein by optimum. Double Milk chocalate is the best!

Tastes nasty and doesn't mixes well.(banana split)
I won't decide again.
makes you fart and pee all night.
Helps to recover and you will see that you didn't loss the muscles in the morning :)
I really wonder other floavurs

For anyone who wakes up throughout the night and ravages their kitchen, Casein is the answer! I have been lifting for 4 years and have always been a terrible "night eater". Never getting a good nights sleep because i wake up 2 to 3 times every night to eat and it was usually sweets like cookies and cakes. Terrible i know, and it prevented me from gaining muscle and getting the most out of my training. 2 months ago I started using 100% Casein by ON and it has really been the greatest supplement i have ever bought. I sleep through the night and wake up feeling energized and recharged. I wish I would have found this supplement much sooner and i hope people with the same problem as me can fix it like i did.
Since I started using 2 months ago( scoop and a half every night before bed) i have gained 10 pounds and have better workouts, probably because i actually sleep like a normal person now. It taste like a milkshake, i drink the creamy vanilla; havent tried anything else. It mixes great in a cup of water with a spoon, dont need a shaker. great great great. Tad expensive per serving though, gotta buy it on sale!!