But if you're looking for a mild and easy-drinking instant coffee with low acidity and plenty of caffeine, Café Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee could be a perfect fit for you. Also, the coffee taste doesn't come with layers there's an overall flavor that makes you think "yeah, that's coffee," but you won't find anything more nuanced than that general impression. The instant version does feature coffee-like flavors and traces of bitterness, but it lacks the strong coffee aroma that you'll get from regular Café Bustelo. As a result, Café Bustelo coffee is well-known for a deep, intense flavor and a powerful caffeine kick. While neither of our runners-up provide the same level of coffee flavor as Starbucks VIA, both Café Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee and Nescafé Clásico Dark Roast Instant Coffee represent palatable options at gentle price points.Ĭafé Bustelo markets its non-instant coffee as "espresso coffee," meaning that the beans are roasted and processed in the same style as espresso beans. But if you're determined to replicate your standard coffee-drinking experience with a far lower time investment, the VIA Instant Pike Place Roast is your best bet. Starbucks VIA does come at a high price for eight packets of instant coffee crystals (each of which will make one six-ounce cup), you'll pay over $5. The caffeine content in Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place is formidable Starbucks reports that their instant coffees contain anywhere from 130mg to 140mg of caffeine per packet. After adding milk to the beverage, we could still taste coffee and hints of bitterness. This instant coffee delivers low acidity, making it a smart choice for drinkers with sensitive stomachs. While the drink's taste doesn't feature much dimension or nuance, you will be able to detect clear notes of bitterness (but not an abrasive level). These crystals will emit a coffee-like aroma (albeit a faint one) when you pour hot water over them, and the flavor of coffee is present from the first sip. When it comes to instant coffee that tastes like regular coffee, the top contender is Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place Roast. After taste-testing the "black" instant coffee, we added a light stream of whole milk and determined how the dairy influenced the taste and acidity. We first sampled the instant coffee without any additional ingredients, which gave us the opportunity to evaluate the flavors and aromas minus potential obstructions. Instant coffee crystals can be dissolved in water at any temperature, but because the majority of instructions on the packages themselves recommended hot water, we made each instant brew using water that was freshly boiled, then allowed to cool for one to two minutes to prevent burning. Price: Instant coffee can be a smart move for budget-conscious drinkers, so we compared the size of each container to its retail price to find the instant coffee that offers the greatest value. Some of the specific characteristics that we looked for included acidity, bitterness, and multiple taste layers.Īroma: One of the most attractive aspects of brewed coffee is its fragrance, so we evaluated the aroma of each instant coffee to see if it reminded us of the scents we love from coffeeshop coffee or home-brewed coffee. Runners-Up: Café Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee, Nescafé Clásico Dark Roast Instant Coffeeīest Bargain: Signature Select Instant Coffee Crystalsīest for Travel: Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Crystals What We Looked For When Ranking Instant Coffeeįlavor: Because flavor is the most commonly criticized trait of instant coffee, we paid particular attention to how well each brand's crystals delivered an appealing flavor profile with similarities to brewed coffee. We tried five popular (and widely available) instant coffees to find the ones that pack the greatest punch in terms of flavor, aroma, and caffeine content.īest Overall: Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee in Pike Place Roast In these situations, instant coffee can seem like a total lifesaver. Plenty of coffee aficionados choose to brew their own java from pre-ground beans or from whole beans that they grind themselves, but a hurried, gotta-get-out-the-door morning doesn't leave room for full-scale coffee making. While swinging by a favorite coffeehouse for a quality to-go cup is an option, budget and time constraints can make that challenging. For many workers, students, and adults in general, a cup of coffee is a non-negotiable must-have in the morning (and, for some, throughout the day).
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