Instant coffee isn’t the first type of coffee that comes to mind when people think of great coffee. These 10 best instant coffee brands might change your mind.
Coffee roasters saw an opportunity to fill a void of convenient coffee on the go (traveling and camping being examples) without sacrificing quality. I have seen an uptick in quality instant coffees since Starbucks introduced their line of VIA instant coffees in 2010.
Instant coffee brands have come a long way since Sanka. Let’s talk about why people might turn their nose up at instant coffee.
If you’re in a hurry here are the top 3 best instant coffee brands:
- Best Overall Instant Coffee – Joe Coffee Company, The Daily House Blend
- Best Budget Friendly Instant Coffee – Lavazza Prontissimo! Intenso
- Best Cold Brew/ Iced Instant Coffee – Javy Coffee Microdose 30X Liquid Coffee Concentrate
Can Instant Coffee Be Good?
Instant coffee boomed when it was first introduced in the 1890s in New Zealand. As the industrial revolution and factory jobs took over the developed international workforce, instant coffee became more prevalent in the hustle and bustle of life.
The quick and easy way to make instant coffee is to grind it fine and throw it in a teabag. This doesn’t work as well as a more time-intensive brewing process like a pour over or even auto-drip coffee makers.
Some innovation was made with freeze dried coffees, but manufacturers used lower quality robusta beans to save money. So piling on mass produced, poor quality beans in an inferior brewing method results in a crappy cup of coffee like sludge. No, thank you. This was the perfect storm for this coffee formate to get a bad reputation.
For obvious reasons, drinkers started to turn up their noses at instant coffee. Instant coffee became associated with cheap coffee that was far inferior to its traditionally brewed big sister.
As time passed, the 3rd wave coffee movement began to take hold of the coffee industry, and a slower approach to gourmet and artisan coffee became more popular. If you weren’t getting your morning americano from a coffee shop, then was it even worth drinking?
This left a hole in the craft-roasted coffee market. This brings us to today and the boom of quality, slow roasted instant coffee.
Best Overall Instant Coffee – Joe Coffee Company, The Daily House Blend
Joe Coffee’s The Daily House Blend
is my number 1 pick for best instant coffee. The single serve medium roast packets is the closest you’ll find to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. I especially like the single serving format because it makes it easy to throw into your camping pack or computer bag. This coffee has saved me on more than one road trip with a screaming toddler.
The roaster has made a name for themselves in Red Hook, Brooklyn coffee scene with their roastery and shops across the city. Knowing that they did the research and then developed an instant coffee gets them some serious street cred.
The medium roast is “pre-brewed,” making it taste just like you pulled a gourmet cup of coffee out of thin air. The chocolate and caramel notes make it approachable for most palates. If you’re on a group trip, it will satisfy almost all coffee drinkers’ tastes.
The single serve sachets are 100% arabica beans sourced from Central and South America and rainforest-certified. The paper packaging also is entirely compostable, making this an environmentally friendly choice as well.
The biggest downside to this instant coffee is its cost. A box of 6 single servings costs about $20.00. That’s about $3 a cup. If you’re looking for a more budget friendly choice, this might not be the one for you.
You can buy a box of 6 single servings of Joe Coffee Company’s The Daily House Blend on Amazon.
Best Budget Friendly Instant Coffee – Lavazza Prontissimo! Intenso
Maybe it’s because I just wrote a post about the best Italian coffees, or perhaps the Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso is just excellent coffee. The Italian brand does a great job with instant coffee, and the price is hard to beat.
Each tin contains about 60 cups of instant coffee. The price for Prontissimo is about $10.00. That’s about 60 cents a cup. That’s as cheap as you’re going to find good coffee these days.
The Italian coffee brand keeps with the tradition with its Intenso coffee roast. This is a dark and smoky espresso roast. If you like espresso coffee drinks but want instant coffee, this is the one for you. Add some frothed vanilla creamer, and you’ve got a quick cheater’s version of a vanilla latte.
What sets this coffee apart from its budget friendly competitors is that it tastes like coffee. This is because they use a combination of freeze dried coffee granules and finely ground coffee of Columbian beans.
I noticed other reviewers who were probably brewing this coffee with water that was too hot. Make sure you’re using water between 195 and 205 degrees F when making any coffee. The biggest problem with boiling water (212F) with instant coffee is that you will scorch the coffee, creating an incredibly bitter brew.
The 100% arabica beans are roasted in the Lavazza Italian facility and packaged in an airtight tin before shipping. This is another win for this price performer instant coffee has over the more traditional lower priced instant coffees. It’s a far superior instant coffee to what our grandparents drank.
You can buy a tin of Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso instant coffee on Amazon. Click on the link to check the current price.
Best Cold Brew/ Iced Instant Coffee – Javy Coffee Microdose 30X Liquid Coffee Concentrate
I love cold brew. When I found Javy Coffee’s microdose 30X liquid coffee concentrate, I lost my mind. I saw it advertised on TikTok but scrolled past it. A friend of mine gifted me a bottle for my birthday, though, and I’ve been in love ever since.
Javy is a 30X concentrated syrup of 100% arabica beans that tastes like it’s been slow brewed on your counter for the last 18 hours. Cold brew is messy and inconvenient. With Javy, all you have to do is add 1-2 teaspoons to water or dairy of your choice, plop in a couple of ice cubes, and boom, instant cold brew coffee.
Most other cold brew concentrates have to be refrigerated from the store until you use them. Javy is shelf stable for 6 months and then good for 4-6 weeks after opening. This is going to save room in camping coolers and road trips.
I have also found that other store bought cold brew concentrates tend to be bitter and sour. I prefer a smooth, low acid, cold brew.
Each bottle of Javy has about 30 servings and comes in a variety of flavors. I like the unsweetened, unflavored, so I can sweeten and add almond creamer to my liking. This also can be added to hot water to make a great cup of hot coffee.
The company has built a cult following. You can buy Javy coffee concentrate on Amazon Click on the link for the latest price. You’re not going to find a cup of cold brew at a lower price anywhere.
Best Medium Roast Instant Coffee – Waka Coffee, Medium Roast
Medium roast coffee might be the most palate-neutral coffee roast. The medium roast is appetizing to almost all coffee lover’s Waka’s medium roast is the best medium roast instant coffee.
The single-serve packets are sold in boxes of 8 servings and have 1000+ 4-star ratings on Amazon. The 100% arabica beans are sourced from Columbia. The famous instant coffee company takes pride in its product, and it shows in each cup of excellent coffee.
The innovative freeze drying process Waka uses preserves the freshness of the expert-roasted single-origin coffee to ensure a killer cup of caffeine. The coffee is not exposed to any heat post roasting, giving this groundbreaking instant coffee a rich, full taste.
The company started as a quality instant coffee company, not a roaster that wanted to hop on the instant coffee trend. You can see their quality in every cup. The medium roast brings notes of nutty marzipan that finish with a surprising citrus undertone. The rich and bold mouthfeel is a pleasant surprise; most instant coffees can be thin and watery.
Waka also donates a portion of their profits to the “Add Water, Give Water” project to bring clean drinking water to communities that struggle with clean drinking water. The company is also working on other steps to become certified organic and sustainable for the supply chain and the environment. Keep an eye out for future social work from this company.
The company says you can try this as hot or cold, making it a year round favorite. You can buy a box of 8 single servings on Amazon. Click on the link for the latest price.
Best Organic Instant Coffee – Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade Instant Coffee
Many reputable sites tout Mount Hagen as the best instant coffee ever. I can see why. It’s super-approachable and all-around pleasing. But it’s also ethically-sourced and organic-certified. It tastes great, and it’s a feel-good buy, too.
The single-origin arabica beans are grown on small farms in Papua New Guinea. The smooth approachable, medium roast coffee has been compared to some as a coffee choice you can drink from sun up to sundown. Now that’s speaking my language.
The coffee is freeze-dried and dissolves entirely in your cup. The non-bitter, low acid flavors play well with the all day sipping, so many reviewers love this mild, smooth coffee.
You can buy Mount Hagen on Amazon in a glass jar or single serve packets. Click the link for the latest price.
Best Dark Roast Instant Coffee – Cafe Bustelo
Are you looking for an affordable but wake you up with a jot instant coffee?
Cafe Bustelo is your answer. The Cuban inspired coffee roaster has been around for over 100 years and is a staple in most Latin homes. The affordable price and its popularity among English and Spanish-speaking coffee lovers have made their mark on American coffee. Hipsters were exclusively drinking this when I was in college.
Cafe Bustelo’s coffee is strong. If you don’t like a dark, chocolatey brew, then this might not be the instant coffee for you. The famously dark espresso roast coffee is thick and wonderful, with nutty undertones that avoid bitterness.
If you’re timid, you could add some cream and brown sugar and enjoy a Cuban coffee specialty known as a cafecito.
They introduced their instant coffee in more recent years, and it doesn’t disappoint. The same beans (100% arabica beans grown in Costa Rica) are freeze-dried into single serving packets, making this coffee brand the top pick for dark instant coffee.
Let’s talk about price. This instant coffee costs about 40 cents a cup. I’m sure you’re wondering why I didn’t list it as the budget friendly pick earlier. This is a big coffee and isn’t for everyone. Your bank account and productivity will thank you for this choice in instant coffee.
You can buy Cafe Bustelo instant coffee on Amazon in a bulk jar or single serve packets. Click the link to check the latest price.
Best Gourmet Instant Coffee – Intelligentsia House Blend
Intelligentsia is a big player in the independent roster scene. I’ve even named them the best roaster in Illinois. I was excited to see they released their house blend instant coffee. This coffee is the best instant gourmet coffee.
Intelligentsia’s house blend is one of the cornerstone roasts that made a name for the roaster. You can now buy it in an instant format that doesn’t disappoint. The light roast blend changes with the seasons to showcase their newest arrivals of beans, but you can count on some common flavors. The universal flavors of this ever-evolving blend highlight citrus, chocolate, and a sweet hint of apple and raw sugar.
The 100% arabica blend is sourced from Central American farmers that grow predominately bourbon and catuai varietals of coffee. They also have a solid direct-trade partnership with these farmers to ensure fair pricing for the farmers and the end consumer.
This inviting blend dissolves beautifully in cold or hot water for a gourmet cup of coffee on the spot instantly. This is a great starting place for a coffee drinker who’s skittish about trying instant coffee for the first time.
Try their instant oat latte if you can find it. It seems to be sold out almost everywhere. That’s a good sign of quality coffee.
You can buy a box of 5 single serving sachets of Intelligentsia house blend instant coffee on Amazon. Click the link for the latest price, but it’s usually around $3 a cup.
Best Light Roast Instant Coffee – Waka Coffee Light Roast
This is the second time Waka has appeared on this list. They make a dang good cup of coffee. Their Indian, single origin, light roast coffee is the best instant light roast coffee you can buy.
The 100% arabica light roast is surprisingly robust and low on acid notes for a lighter coffee. The notes of caramel and chocolate remind me of a darker roast but still is light on the texture. I’ve been into lighter roasts lately, and this was a lovely transition roast for me.
The company still applies all their medium roast’s quality and social standards to their Indian light roast. You can buy both in single-serve packets or in a bulk bag of freeze-dried coffee. This is a great coffee brand, and they keep shining with each new product.
You can buy a box of 8 single serve packets on Amazon. Click the link for the latest price. This is a killer cup that makes you feel good about your purchase without breaking the bank.
Best Decaf Instant Coffee – Verve Vancouver Decaf
I didn’t forget decaf drinkers. Just because you don’t like (or can’t have) caffeine in your coffee doesn’t mean you can’t hop on the 3rd wave instant coffee boom. Verve Vancouver decaf is a fantastic decaf to drink. This coffee is the best instant decaf coffee.
For this review, I turned to my in-house decaf expert, my stepmom. She has only fantastic things to say about this small batch roaster’s instant decaf. She said it’s one of the more exquisite decafs she’s had, instant or not. It’s on her authorship. They do lots of camping and backpacking, so this fits her need for great coffee while fly fishing with my dad in the backcountry.
The Verve Vancouver decaf blend is 100% arabica beans comprised of varieties from Columbia and Brazil. The decaf is Swiss water processed (no chemicals are used) and grown by farmers with direct-trade partnerships with Verve.
The instant decaf has upfront notes of nougat and chocolate followed by undertones of candied almonds and honey. This nuanced coffee is complex for a decaf roast that usually tends towards one dimensional.
You can buy Verve Vancouver decaf on Amazon in boxes of 6 single packets. Click the link for the latest price, but it’s usually less than $2 a cup, a rare deal for instant coffee that tastes great and supports the supply chain through fair pricing practices.
Best Flavored Instant Coffee – SteamCafe Bourbon Vanilla
I’m closing out the list with a flavored coffee. SteamCafe makes a line of healthy, instant flavored coffees that meet the mark for best flavored instant coffee. The vanilla bourbon is my favorite because I love vanilla and coffee. They make 2 other flavors (salted caramel and chocolate sea salt) that I encourage you to try.
The coffee is freeze-dried arabica beans flavored with natural vanilla and bourbon extracts (no booze, though) and monk fruit. Monk fruit is a sugar alternative that doesn’t have the chemical aftertaste that other sugar alternatives can have.
The medium bodied coffee is rich and satisfying with a low acid profile. I enjoyed this with some steamed almond milk the other morning. You’ll be pleasantly surprised that the flavor was so complex because even traditional flavored coffees can be overly sweet and overpowering.
This would be a great camping coffee because you can have the luxuries of flavored coffee while you’re living in the wilderness for the weekend. And the company is based out of Colorado, so maybe they have some personal experience with wanting great coffee while on the trail.
The value of SteamCafe flavored coffee was one of the bigger surprises for me. The 5.9 oz bag has about 15 servings. The bag costs around $15.00, making this instant coffee around $1.00 a cup. You can buy SteamCafe Bourbon Vanilla instant coffee on Amazon.
Conclusion
Who knew that instant coffee could rival some more traditional coffee formats?
I love throwing in a packet in my purse, glove box, and camping pack. I love coffee, and my setting shouldn’t hinder enjoying a quality cup of coffee.
Where was the excellent instant coffee when I was in college or even when I was just getting started in my professional working career?
Do you have a favorite I didn’t include on this list?
Let start a conversation about the evolution of this coffee format in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.