Over the years, I have tried most instant coffees on the market and been excited about only a few. Overall, instant coffee is not a great food product. It’s often bitter and not high in the oils, making a good cup worth it.
The last big jump in a decent instant was Starbucks VIA Instant, which debuted in 2009. It had two main issues: price-wise, it wasn’t cheap, and it came in single-serving packets (which, yes, did have a great point in that you could take a single packet with you, but it was wasteful if you were packing up trail mochas at home). Its price varies by how big a package of packets you buy, but each single is around $1 on average. That isn’t cheap.
For years, my go-to has been Medaglia D’oro espresso instant coffee. It comes in glass jars, at 2 ounces each, and locally, it costs me $6.69 a jar.
In larger stores, it can sell for $5. A serving is 1 teaspoon, the same as the Starbucks below.
I was picking up more instant espresso when I noticed the metal tins of Starbucks Premium Instant Dark Roast. At $12.29, it isn’t cheap, yet it is only 35 cents a serving (compared to $1 for a VIA packet).
It is far cheaper at big box stores, such as Target or grocery stores, where it can be as low as $8.
The metal can is 3.17 ounces, over 1½ times the other brand.
Medaglia D’oro has a fine texture and a crisp sound when you scoop it out. Its mild, middle-of-the-road aroma is not too strong or weak, and it isn’t acidic either, so it works well in trail mochas. Overall I don’t taste the espresso due to how mild it is.
The thing is, the jar has no ingredient list (like what kind of beans are used) or information about the number of servings. I never really thought about that until I compared it to Starbucks.
Starbucks. The aroma in the opening is strong and very pleasant. I was surprised by how good it smelled on opening. It’s a strong coffee; you can taste it in mixed drinks. I am not a huge Starbucks fan, but this instant coffee knocks it out. It is well worth the cost. It will most likely become my go-to for now on.
Either works well in recipes and gives options on what to buy, depending on where you shop.
Three Recipes To Try:
~Sarah
By far the best instant coffee I’ve had is Intelligentsia Black Cat. Not cheap at all, but it is nearly espresso.
https://www.intelligentsia.com/products/5-pack-black-cat-instant-coffee
I usually have Starbucks Via French. I’m a dark roast guy because I grew up in South Louisiana smelling that.
I’ll have to check that out! Thanks!
~Sarah
The other excellent instant coffee was from Coava. I think it is a different bean than what they have available right now, but it was very good.
https://shop.coavacoffee.com/collections/shop-instant-coffee