The best instant coffee

Instant coffee is often frowned upon by coffee drinkers. This is because it is often more bitter and harsh in taste than freshly brewed coffee, and is not nearly as satisfying. However, there is no denying that it is an inexpensive and easy option for those who want a hassle-free coffee.

Because of this, we don’t mind using instant coffee from time to time, and sometimes it’s even the best option available.

Another consideration is the improvements in technology in recent years. This allows the big companies to make instant coffee taste better. Meanwhile, a slew of specialty roasters have entered the instant coffee game. So which ones are worth considering?

There are many brands of instant coffee on the market, and while having so many choices is a good thing, it can be confusing when it comes to choosing what you need.

Instant coffee brands?

For this article, we selected 56 types of instant coffee from over 26 brands from around the world. These included companies from the US, Japan, the UK and Germany. We wanted to get as wide a range as possible to find out what the different brands had in common and what differentiated them.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that some of the best instant coffees are made by small companies, which means you may not find them all at your local grocery store.

Dominant global brands

Nescafе: Original, House Blend, Classico, Taster’s Choice Colombian, Nescafe Gold.

Maxwell House: Original roast, smooth blend.

Starbucks VIA: House Blend, Italian Roast, Pike Place, Veranda Blend, French Roast.

Popular brands by country

Other popular instant coffee brands in the US include:

Folgers Classic Roast and Cafe Bustelo

Best Instant Coffee in the UK:

Nescafé is the most popular brand in the UK, followed by Kenco and Douwe Egberts (Kenco’s parent company) instant coffees. Other brands include Poldermill, Inca Gold, Lavazza, Clipper, Café ETC, Café Express and Cornish Coffee.

The best-selling instant coffee in Germany:

German brands including Mount Hagen and Jacobs are also available in the U.S. and around the world. Tchibo coffee is also worth considering.

Instant coffee from Japan:

Coffee from Japan is worth trying. According to recent research, the instant coffee market in Japan is the most profitable in the world. Coffee vending machines are common in Japan, and the Japanese are big coffee lovers and know a lot about coffee.

We include the following Japanese coffee brands:

AGF Maxim: Luxurious Coffee Shop Blend, Black In Box series, Aroma Select.

8 Best Instant Coffees in 2021

We’ll go into detail about how we tested each instant coffee in the last part of the article. However, after sampling and evaluating each coffee, we narrowed the list down to the top eight. Let’s take a look at the best instant coffee options.

1. Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee

This coffee represents the best value for money of all the instant coffees on the list and offers a balanced taste. It uses a more sophisticated freeze-drying technique (as opposed to spray drying) to transform coffee extracts into coffee crystals. This ensures that the aroma and taste of the coffee are preserved during production.

The company uses 100% Arabica coffee beans grown in high altitude areas. Another plus is that the company makes a big investment in sustainability. Mount Hagen coffee is USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified. The beans are also grown organically without the addition of artificial chemicals such as fungicides, pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.

You can often find attributes like the ones described above on premium specialty coffees. Not only that, but they are also a relatively inexpensive option.

Tasting Note:

In addition to being affordable and boasting impressive quality certifications, this instant coffee also tastes great! Many find the taste to be smooth and not watery. Meanwhile, the sweetness is perfectly balanced with the acidity, and it lacks the harshness that is usually associated with instant coffee. There is also no bitter aftertaste. However, Mount Hagen is one of the mildest tasting instant coffees on the market. Heating the water to a lower temperature produces a smoother taste.

Flaws:

This instant coffee is smooth and soft. It is ideal for those who want to enjoy a nice cup of coffee without a lot of caffeine. However, if you are used to stronger coffee, this may not suit your tastes. You may even have to drink several cups at a time to get the required amount of caffeine.

2. Instant coffee of Waka Coffee quality

Waka Coffee is an affordable instant coffee brand. Plus, while many big brands produce huge quantities of instant coffee and blend different beans, Waka Coffee uses only 100% single-origin Colombian Arabica beans. This means you can enjoy the unique taste of high-quality coffee beans in your morning cup without any hassle.

Waka Coffee is a freeze-dried instant coffee, which avoids the loss of flavor and aroma during spray drying. Waka Coffee is also an ethical choice for the environment, as it donates 4% of its profits to help people in areas without clean drinking water.