A recent tasting and rating of supermarket instant coffees has named Waitrose Duchy Organic instant coffee as the best overall. The review described it as having a roast chicory aroma, a sharp taste with a mild, sweet, straw-like finish, and a nutty-cocoa flavour when milk is added. This product is Soil Association organic and Fairtrade certified, made from 100% arabica coffee.
For those seeking value, Exceptional by Asda Brazilian instant coffee was highlighted as the best bargain. It features a herbal, cedar-like aroma, an initially sweet flavour with a medium body, and a sour finish. With milk, it becomes mellow and creamy, revealing a genuinely nutty flavour. This coffee is Rainforest Alliance-certified and 100% single-origin arabica.
The review noted that instant coffee's industrial brewing process, which involves scorching temperatures and either freeze-drying or spray-drying, strips away many volatile flavour compounds and bright aromas. This results in an earthier, muskier, and more bitter flavour profile, though familiar coffee aromas and flavours, such as chicory, bitter chocolate, and burnt sugar, can return with hot water.
Other instant coffees reviewed included Cafédirect Machu Picchu, Grind craft instant coffee, Little’s smooth Colombian, Tesco Finest Costa Rican, Morrisons The Best americano, M&S Collection Colombian, Aldi Specially Selected Colombian, and Kenco Gold indulgence. Many products were found to have a similar industrial imprint and a one-dimensional flavour profile, often improving with the addition of milk.