The Best Instant Coffee: Is There Such a Thing?
Starting a conversation about instant coffee on a coffee blog is a lot like starting a conversation about politics and religion at a family reunion. You need to be equal parts brave and foolish, and well prepared for reactions that are as instant and as bitter as the taboo subject at hand.
So . . . the best instant coffee. Is there such a thing?
At CoffeeKrave, we are brave and foolish enough, in the correct proportions, to tackle this topic. We try to be helpful coffee snobs, and we don’t like to leave well-intentioned questions unanswered.
And, as it turns out, the real answer is one we have given out before—“Your mileage may vary.”
{And we ask coffee aficionados to please, please be kind in the comments.}
- Various varieties of Nescafe (Clasico, Noir, Alta Rica, Gold Blend)
- Medaglia d’Oro
- Douwe Egberts
- Mount Hagen
The Basics of the Instant Coffee Debate
Our well-measured and rather conservative answer is not the one traditionally given out by the coffee community. The traditional answer is that there is no such thing as “the best,” or even decent for that matter, instant coffee. This traditional answer is often expressed with a curse word or two thrown in for emphasis and good measure.
Why?
If you remember back to our post on thermal coffee makers (in which we discussed why leaving coffee on a heat source over time is not a good thing), you will remember that delicate flavor and aroma of coffee is the result of approximately 40 key volatile compounds.
Let’s just say none of those delicate volatiles survive the process of dehydration, let alone any other alterations a cup of instant may be subject to.
And yet . . .
Whether by cultural tradition, or familial ties, or habit, or whether (perhaps in a parallel, dehydrated universe) there is actually a good brand out there, whatever the reason, there are quite a few people who are fond (or accustomed, or tolerant) of instant.
{And yes, before we are pilloried for our considered diplomacy, we are aware that there are individual brewers that produce a fresh made cup in under a minute. As we are still asked about instant, we assume the need for both is not mutually exclusive, at least in certain circles.}
With all that ever so carefully said, we offer our tips for getting the best out of instant, if you find yourself in such a situation, and review a few of the more popular brands.
Making the Best Out of Instant Coffee
Start by using really good water. This is our basic advice for any coffee, but it takes on unparalleled importance with instant, where you have little control over any other aspect of the brewing process.
Our second piece of advice is so critical we have designated it as a key CoffeeKrave aphorism/commandment: “Thou shalt only attempt to rehydrate one substance at a time.”
By which we mean, skip the brands that include milk. Close your eyes for a minute and think about your experiences with powdered creamer. Enough said. We haven’t tried this yet (translation: we aren’t likely to, any time soon), but our rule of rehydration applies to coffee with mushrooms as well.
Another, old-timey tip (straight from our Gran, truth be told) is to try adding just the tiniest bit of salt to sharpen the flavor.
To foster those generational ties, the youngsters in our family swear by adding as much fresh, organic milk and sugar as you can stand.
The Best Instant Coffee: A Few Brand Recommendations
In our bending-over-backwards attempt to be impartial, fair and unbiased, we did a lot of research. In a detailed examination of a veritable plethora of online reviews (see this one for a particularly comprehensive example), we noticed the most common adjective applied to any particular brand is “inoffensive.”
But, as we previously said, there are those that proclaim their preference for instant. And the following for particular brands can be nearly cult like.
Some of the top-mentioned picks:
- Various varieties of Nescafe (Clasico, Noir, Alta Rica, Gold Blend)
- Medaglia d’Oro
- Douwe Egberts
- Mount Hagen
In particular, Nescafe has a rather strong following. There is also a crowd who fervently council only buying instant espresso (espresso powder), rather than instant coffee.
Our recommendation? If you do have the instant inclination, try various brands, follow our tips, experiment with the preparation and . . . well, as always, be open to the mysteries of the coffee universe.
Are you an instant fan or foe? Share your view, polarizing or otherwise, in the comments below!
Main Photo: Andy Straw
Content Photo: Marisa McClellan
