Steens Manuka Honey - UMF 24+ and MGO 1122+ - Pure & Raw 100

The Verdict

The Short Version

You’re not buying this for your toast. Steens Manuka Honey UMF 24+ is a therapeutic-grade product with verified potency — the kind of thing you take by the teaspoon for immune support, sore throats, or wound care. At this strength, it’s less a food and more a functional supplement that happens to taste like honey.

What You Actually Get

The 250g (8.8 oz) jar arrives in a sturdy amber glass container with a tamper-evident seal. The honey itself is thick — almost paste-like — with a dark caramel color and a distinctly earthy, slightly medicinal aroma. As shown in the product image, the texture is visibly dense and creamy, not the runny golden syrup you’d expect from clover honey.

The packaging includes the batch number and UMFHA license details, which matters because the manuka honey market is riddled with counterfeit and mislabeled products. Steens provides traceability back to the specific harvest, which is a meaningful trust signal at this price point.

Performance and Real-World Use

I tested this over three weeks, taking a teaspoon each morning. The flavor is intense — think molasses crossed with herbs, with a lingering bitterness that’s unmistakably medicinal. Some batches of high-UMF honey taste harsh; this one is smoother than most, but it’s still not something you’ll want to eat by the spoonful for pleasure.

Where it shines is in hot water or tea. The heat mellows the aggressive notes and the honey dissolves cleanly without leaving that greasy film cheaper honeys do. For sore throats, it coats noticeably better than grocery-store honey and lasts longer on the palate.

One practical issue: this honey crystallizes quickly. Within two weeks at standard room temperature, I noticed graininess developing. It’s not ruined — gentle warming restores it — but it’s a storage consideration that doesn’t apply to most commercial honeys.

What Buyers Consistently Praise

The Amazon reviews, 4.4 stars across 220 ratings, repeatedly land on two themes. First, authenticity. One verified buyer wrote: “I’ve been burned by fake manuka before. This one came with paperwork and matched the UMF certification exactly.” Second, effectiveness. Multiple reviewers report it’s the only thing that helps their seasonal allergies or persistent coughs. The consistency of these claims across dozens of reviews is hard to dismiss.

Where It Falls Short

The price is the obvious hurdle. This is a luxury purchase, not an everyday staple. At roughly $1.50–$2.00 per teaspoon, you’re paying for verified potency, not volume.

The taste is polarizing. Several 3-star reviews mention the bitterness as a genuine deterrent, and one reviewer noted their kids refused to take it. If you’re planning to use this daily, sample a smaller jar first — the UMF 15+ version is a more approachable entry point.

Who Should Buy This

• Chronic sore throat sufferers who want something that actually coats and soothes
• Supplement users who want verified, batch-traceable manuka potency without flying to New Zealand
• Gift buyers looking for a premium health product that stands out

Skip It If

• You just want honey for cooking or sweetening — this is overkill and overpriced for that
• You’re sensitive to strong, bitter flavors
• You’re on a budget — the UMF 12+ or 15+ grades deliver most benefits at half the cost

FAQ

How is UMF different from MGO? They measure the same thing — antibacterial potency — but UMF is a licensed, independently audited certification. MGO is a direct chemical measurement. Steens lists both, which is the gold standard. The UMF 24+ / MGO 1122+ pairing means this is genuinely high-grade.

Does it expire? Honey doesn’t spoil, but the bioactive compounds degrade over time. Steens recommends using within three years of harvest, and each jar is batch-dated. Buy from a seller with high turnover to ensure freshness.

Can I take this daily? Yes, a teaspoon a day is a common therapeutic dose. But at this potency, more isn’t better — stick to the recommended amount and consult a doctor if you’re diabetic or on blood sugar medication.

The Verdict

Buy it if you want the real, certified thing and understand you’re paying a premium for verified potency and traceability.

Skip it if you’re not committed to daily use or if the price-per-teaspoon makes you wince. A lower UMF grade will serve you fine.

Rating: 4.2/5 — Premium pricing and polarizing taste keep it from perfection, but for what it claims to be, it delivers exactly as promised.

Where to Buy

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Last updated: 2026-08-06. Ratings and prices current as of review date. Verify on Amazon before purchasing.