Instant coffee is known to be incredibly popular in the majority of areas in the world. The consumption of instant coffee might even account for more than 50 percent of all coffee consumption in many countries in the world. In addition to this, instant coffee is also known to be a cheaper, faster, and easier alternative to regular Arabica beans or coffee grounds.
With that being said, regular Arabica beans are linked to offering a variety of health benefits. Yes, instant coffee is an excellent alternative to regular bean coffee. However, is it really sacrificing the superb quality associated with usual coffee for an acidic and bitter-tasting instant coffee product? Well, the truth is that you don’t need to choose between regular and instant coffee anymore because we have provided a list of the most high-quality instant coffee brands that are bound to satisfy your caffeine craving.
We have provided this list because we understand that instant coffee brands are more of a guilty pleasure that customers mainly use when wanting a boost of caffeine without the hassle of going through the trouble of brewing a coffee cup. For this reason, we have provided some of the best instant coffee brands that are bound to provide you with top-notch quality that can be compared to brew coffee without the inconvenience of using Arabica coffee.
What Is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee is classified as being a type of coffee that originates from dried coffee extract. The process of making instant coffee is similar to the process of brewing regular Arabica beans. The extract of brewed Arabica coffee is used in a more concentrated form when producing instant coffee. After brewing this Arabica coffee, the water is essentially removed from the extract to provide dry fragments or coffee powder, which can both be disavowed when hot water is added to the instant coffee. (More about what is instant coffee)
Instant coffee is made by using two different methods. These are:
- Freeze-dried instant coffee creation. This process is made up of coffee extract that’s frozen and then cut into small fragments. These tiny fragments are then dried at a low temperature when placed under vacuum conditions.
- Spray-drying. When creating instant coffee through spray-drying, the coffee extract is sprayed into hot air. This results in the coffee extract quickly drying into droplets and turns these droplets into the small granules or fine powder that’s commonly associated with the appearance of instant coffee.
These methods are used to preserve the flavor, aroma, and quality of the coffee extract. With this being considered, the best and most common way of preparing instant coffee is to add hot water with these instant coffee granules. A great advantage of using instant coffee is that you can quickly and effortlessly adjust the coffee’s strength by simply adding more or less to your coffee cup.
What Are the Advantages of Having Instant Coffee?
Drinking regular coffee has been known to offer a variety of health benefits. Because instant coffee provides the same antioxidants and nutrients supplied in regular Arabica coffee, the contains of instant coffee are generally known to offer the same advantages. Some of these benefits include:
Enhance Your Brain Function
When drinking instant coffee, you may improve your brain’s functionality. The caffeine content commonly found in coffee is known to improve brain function.
Boost Metabolism
When drinking instant coffee, one of the best benefits gained from sipping this beverage is that the caffeine included in the contains of instant coffee might increase your metabolism and aids in burning more fat.
Reduce Disease Risk
Instant coffee, and coffee from Arabica beans in general, is known to be one of many products that can be used to reduce the risk of experiencing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Workings to Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
When drinking instant coffee, one benefit that isn’t known by many coffee drinkers is that the consumption of this beverage aids in reducing the risk of developing type two diabetes.
Aids in Improving Liver Health
Your liver’s health is something that isn’t commonly considered. However, drinking one of your favorite beverages, coffee, can work to improve the health of your liver. Instant coffee, and caffeine in general, might be a product that works to reduce the risk of liver diseases, such as liver cancer and cirrhosis.
Improve Mental Health
It’s widely known that the ingredients available in instant coffee can work to help lower the risk of suicide and depression.
Aids in Promoting Longevity
Many doctors and medical professionals believe that drinking instant coffee can aid in helping you live longer. This comes from the ingredients included in instant coffee.
Important Considerations
With all this being said, it’s also crucial to understand that many of these studies were done on an observational basis. It’s for this reason that these types of studies can’t necessarily prove that coffee can’t reduce the risk of disease, even if habitually coffee drinkers start to notice these properties.
How Can You Make Instant Coffee Taste Better?
Alright, we know that instant coffee doesn’t have the best reputation for tasting the greatest. Many people prefer the taste of regular Arabica coffee. However, there are a few hacks that can be used to improve the taste of instant coffee, and we’re going to show you how.
One of the benefits you gain when using instant coffee brands is that you don’ need a single-serve coffee machine or French Press coffee maker when you wish to make instant coffee. All you need to do is add one of the best instant coffees listed in this article and some hot water, and you’re good to go. With that being said, the flavor received from doing this isn’t the best.
Our hack involved in making instant coffee taste better is used to enhance the overall instant coffee flavor. This hack takes a few mere seconds, which means you don’t have to waste time going through useless procedures. You start this hack by adding the amount of instant coffee you would regularly put in your coffee. After doing this, you’re going to want to add one to two teaspoons of cold water to the instant coffee and thoroughly mix this together in your coffee cup.
Once you have mixed the two ingredients together, you can go ahead and add some hot water to your coffee cup like you usually do when making coffee. When mixing cold water with instant coffee, you help these instant coffee granules brew more gently, which results in a more prosperous and tasty cup of instant coffee.
What Are Our Top Picks for the Best Instant Coffee Brands?
There’s no doubt that instant coffee is a convenient alternative to Arabica coffee. When looking at standard coffee making, Arabica coffee comes with more complex procedures, which means that instant coffee can be used as an alternative when you’re not in the mood to go through these processes but still have a craving for a coffee that you can’t shake. It’s for this reason that instant coffee is an excellent addition to any household.
However, instant coffees are generally low-quality variations of the real thing that many people turn their noses up to. That’s we have developed this list that details our top picks for the best instant coffee brand to help make your purchase decision less tricky. Here’s what we found:
#1 Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee
Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee, made from freeze-dried Arabica coffee, is one of the best if you’re conscious about what you put in your body. The Coffee Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee made from high-quality medium roast coffee that’s free trade, making it one of the best instant coffee brands on the market.
The instant coffees available from the Coffee Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee range is processed in Germany and only uses 100 percent single-origin Arabica coffee. It offers a medium roast flavor that provides a strong coffee flavor that’s well-balanced, smooth, and rich without an acidic or bitter taste. This is unlike other instant coffees available at the same price point. In fact, the flavor of this instant coffee can be compared to the flavor of single-serve coffee beverages.
Not to mention, these instant coffee granules are presented in a glass jar, which enhances the freshness of the product. The jar includes enough instant coffee for 60 cups of six-ounce coffee. Additionally, each serving of this instant coffee contains between 50 and 60 mg of caffeine, so you’re bound to satisfy your caffeine craving with this Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee.
#2 Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Decaf Instant Coffee
This Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Decaf Instant Coffee is one of the best known instant coffee options on the market. In addition to this, the quality of this Coffee Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee makes it one of the best decaf options currently on the market today. There are many things to like about this Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Instant Coffee, including the single origin house blend Italian roast brewed coffee made into the freeze-dried coffee we know as the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew.
One fantastic feature about the well-balanced Coffee Starbucks VIA Ready Brew is that the product is presented as individual packets that offer added convenience when it comes to making your coffee. The Arabic coffee included in the brewed coffee making this Starbucks VIA freeze-dried coffee is ethically-sourced and is micro-ground to make sure that these instant coffee granules dissolve quickly in hot water. Not to mention, the dark roast of this Starbucks VIA instant coffee provides a well-balanced, rich, and bold flavor with a strong aroma.
#3 Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee
The Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee offers a medium roast flavor and is one of the best instant coffee brands with a rating of five stars. The overall quality of the Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee is undoubtedly impressive. This instant coffee offers a consistent taste and flavor that’s been provided for more than 250 years. The Dutch brand that makes Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee is committed to providing a smooth and slightly nutty-tasting coffee that’s freeze-dried and available in a glass jar for enhancing freshness.
The Dutch brand offers many other options to choose from, including the brand’s infamous dark roast coffee. With that being said, we believe that this Douwe Egberts Pure Gold product is worthwhile and a perfect house blend that can make your morning better. Nonetheless, this Douwe Egberts product is on the pricier end of the spectrum, but you can purchase it knowing you’re gaining a first-rate product for your money. Not to mention, when buying this Douwe Egberts instant coffee, you can rest easy knowing that this is one of the brands that’s committed to sustainability, which means that a lot of care goes into this Douwe Egberts coffee and the farms that the blend is harvested from.
#4 Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee
The Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee actually consists of coffee crystals that are known to make your mornings seem a whole lot more extravagant. When purchasing these instant coffees, you know that you’re buying from a reputable and well-established instant coffee brand, as this Folgers coffee brand has been making instant coffee since 1850. One of the many objectives set up Folgers is to producing instant coffee in a more sustainable way. Additionally, this instant coffee from Folgers is only made from organic ingredients and is one of the most popular types of freeze-dried coffee currently on the market.
The main reason for this popularity is that these Folgers Classic Roast instant coffees are inexpensive but still offer customers a full body and well-balanced flavor that doesn’t have any bitterness. Not to mention, these Folgers instant coffee freeze-dried crystals dissolve rapidly when placed in hot water. These Folgers instant coffee crystals are also made from a house blend of pure Arabica brewed coffee that is single-origin. Finally, the jar-size this instant coffee comes is plentiful as it provides enough instant coffee to make 45 cups when using six ounces for each serving. Nonetheless, you might find the serving size to be too weak or strong, in which case, you’re able to fiddle with the strength of your coffee. This is because the Folgers instant coffee comes in a large glass jar instead of single-serve packets.
#5 Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf Instant Coffee
The Nescafe Taster’s Choice Decaf Coffee is a house blend coffee Nescafe prides itself on providing. When making this coffee, Nescafe Taster’s Choice includes a light roast brew to offer a mild yet flavorful taste that doesn’t have any acidic commonly associated with most instantly-made processed coffee. Not to mention, this coffee Nescafe Taster’s Choice is a decaf alternative for coffee-drinkers who are cautious about their caffeine intake.
With all that being said, this decaf coffee Nescafe product might turn many customers away from purchasing it. This is because it’s no secret that decaf coffee has a terrible reputation for being flavorless. Nonetheless, this Nescafe Taster’s Choice is equipped to contradict this stigma completely. This is because it offers a powerful punch of flavor that provides the same taste as fully-caffeinated brewed coffee options. It’s for this reason that it’s an excellent freeze-drying option to choose if you want a decaf option that tastes like a typical coffee beverage but provides the benefit of less caffeination.
#6 Trung Nguyen G7 3-in-1 Instant Coffee
The next best instant option coffee beverage is the G7 3-in-1 Instant Premium Vietnamese Coffee. We have included this as one of the best instant options because we understand that you might have a coffee craving and a sweet tooth simultaneously, and you require these both to be satisfied. This Trung Nguyen G7 coffee product can quickly satisfy your caffeine need while providing that your sweet tooth isn’t forgotten.
The G7 coffee brand is known as one of the best instant options and coffee brands in Southeast Asia. Something incredibly unique about this coffee is that it isn’t made through the sprayed or freeze-dried methods that have been discussed in this article. The process is entirely unknown, but it offers an incredible flavor that can’t be found in other processed coffee options on the market.
#7 Jacob Kronung’s Instant Coffee
Jacob’s Kronung’s Instant Coffee offers a rich and flavorful coffee option that can be made instantly. For this reason, it’s one of the best additions to your kitchen pantry. This freeze-dried instant coffee provides a medium roast that has the reputation of providing excellent flavor. This coffee option is made in Germany and includes 100 percent medium roast single-origin ground coffee that has a taste entirely untainted by any milk or sugar.
The inclusion of a glass jar in this freeze-dried instant coffee product is equipped to hold seven ounces of coffee. The flavor of Jacob’s Kronung is associated with having a mild and smooth flavor that doesn’t provide an acidic taste commonly associated with freeze-dried coffee. Due to this, this type of caffeine is equipped to beat any slump.
#8 Waka Instant Coffee
Waka Coffee Instant Coffee is relatively new to the market. However, that doesn’t mean that its 100 percent freeze-dried single origin house blend Colombian coffee isn’t making waves in the coffee industry. When purchasing this freeze-dried instant coffee, you gain a box of this Waka Instant Coffee, which offers eight individual packets containing five grams of instant coffee granules.
The coffee brand recommends using eight to ten ounces of hot water when using one of these Waka Coffee single-serving sticks. When drinking the Waka coffee, you’re likely to find that the authentic and bold flavor of the Waka Coffee is rich and provides flavorful tones that are smooth, sweet, and caramel-like.
The majority of instant coffee brands offer a product that boasts a ‘chalky’ taste. This isn’t the case with Waka Coffee, as it provides a high-quality taste commonly associated with brewed coffee. When tasting this Waka Coffee, you’re going to taste beautiful and flavorful tones that are smooth, sweet, and caramel-like. Not to mention, the finishing notes are somewhat fruity.
#9 Vinacafe 3-in-1 Instant Coffee Mix
The Vinacafe 3-in-1 Instant Coffee Mix is made from brew from 100 percent Arabica beans, which offers a classic roast flavor. A unique feature surrounding this Vietnamese coffee product is designed to include exceptional convenience that’s unmatched when it comes to making your morning coffee. This Vinacafe medium roast instant coffee mixture isn’t going to be the best option for those who are wanting a black java coffee product. Nonetheless, it’s an excellent option for individuals who like adding milk and sugar in their organic brew, without the hassle of always keeping milk and sugar on-hand because this mix has got all you’re going to need. When using this Vinacafe instant coffee mix, all you’re required to do is grab a packet of the coffee product and some water, and you’re good to go!
#10 Nescafé 3-in-1 Original Coffee Sticks
The Nescafé 3-in-1 Original Coffee Sticks is an all-in-1 option that’s mostly for those who don’t necessarily want to drink a black java coffee. This is yet another that offers one of the best selling prices while incorporating organic and quality ingredients in its coffee that’s fair trade. This best instant coffee is made from coffee directly from Malaysia and is HALAL certified.
This quality dark roast coffee is offered in stick form. This adds to the convenience of the product and is excellent for those people who want a no-measuring and no-nonsense instant coffee product. A fantastic feature surrounding this instant coffee is the superb addition of cold brew coffee directions on the packaging, which allows you to make a coffee-based beverage. This makes the best instant coffee that’s ideal for hot and sunny summer days.
The Bottom Line
Instant coffee is known to be incredibly easy and quick to make and doesn’t require the use of a coffee machine. In addition to this, it also comes with a long shelf life and is often cheaper than regular coffee beans of ground coffee.
Due to all of these features, instant coffee can be considered to be a convenient option when you’re traveling or simply looking for a caffeinated product that doesn’t require much effort when preparing the product.
Not to mention, instant coffee is equipped with less caffeine and is said to be more acrylamide than regular coffee. Additionally, instant coffee contains almost as many antioxidants that can be found in regular Arabica coffee beans or ground coffee.
The overall features of instant coffee are known to be a low-calorie and healthy beverage. In addition to this, instant coffee is also linked to a fair amount of the same health benefits as other types of coffee, including regular Arabica ground coffee and coffee beans.
However, with everything mentioned above, instant coffee is also commonly associated with being more acidic and bitter in flavor. Nonetheless, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Unlike the reputation of instant coffee, the instant coffee brands listed in this article provide a high-quality taste and a quality that can match up to regular Arabica coffee grounds and coffee beans.
