The best instant coffee in 2022

Chemists around the world have long tried to invent instant coffee. As a result, at the turn of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, two developments were patented. However, they did not gain popularity – the drink turned out to be mediocre. As a result, all batches of coffee were sent to the front: first the First, and then the Second World War. The soldiers of the US Army appreciated the invigorating effect of the drink and brought the fashion to drink instant in their families.

Instant coffee reached the general consumer for several more decades. New technologies appeared, the quality of the product grew. Now supermarket shelves are full of brands of different price categories.

What is the best instant coffee to choose in 2022 – says Healthy Food Near Me.

Editor’s Choice

Tasty Coffee: “Brazil Sul de Minas”

Professional coffee bean roaster company. She skillfully balances the advantages of a large manufacturer – prices, assortment, volumes – and humane business – friendly support, detailed information about each type of coffee, willingness to return money or replace the selected variety if the drink is not to your liking.

The company does not produce instant coffee: not a single technology for its production is now able to fully replace real grain. But when ordering, they offer to choose the degree of grinding, including one that is suitable for brewing in a cup. Of course, this is a little longer than pouring boiling water over the powder. Ideally, you should wait at least 4 minutes before drinking. But this drink will always be brighter, richer and healthier than instant.

You can start your acquaintance with Arabica from Brazil, for example, “Brazil Sul de Minas”. It has a balanced taste with notes of peanuts, cocoa powder and lemon zest. It is ideal for alternative brewing methods, including cup brewing. Tasty Coffee has detailed instructionshow to get a sample drink.

By the way, an alternative to instant coffee can also be drip packs. Everything is very simple: fix the drip bag on the cup with the help of special holders, pour boiling water into it, let the water drain completely, take out the bag along with the coffee grounds – the drink is ready.

Advantages and disadvantages

Top 10 brands of the best instant coffee according to KP

To compile our ranking, we analyzed several product criteria. We compared the price, customer reviews, the country of origin of the grain and drink, the reputation of the company, and also took into account the opinion of an expert.

1. The Welder Catherine “Costa Rica Ermano Robles”

The brand “Welder Katerina” – this is how her name is translated from English – is well known to fans of coffee beans. They buy and roast beans from the world’s best plantations. The prices, as they say, are Moscow, but the quality of the products is decent. The company-roaster is the only company in its segment that has decided to produce instant coffee. It is called “gala solution” – because of the production technology. This is already brewed coffee that needs to be reconstituted with water. Moreover, optional hot, you can experiment with cold. There are three types of gala solution in total, but for our review of the best instant coffee in 2022, we settled on beans from the San Marcos region (Costa Rica). Dark and milk chocolate on the palate, as well as tropical fruits.

Packing: pack of five sachets

Advantages and disadvantages

2. illy Classico

The famous Italian coffee brand, which is appreciated in Our Country. Especially upon returning from the resorts of the Apennine Peninsula, when the red label of the brand brings back memories of the vacation. The assortment of the company did not have instant coffee for a long time. In 2022, there are two types – “classic” and dark roast. We do not include the second one in our rating of the best instant coffee – the taste is too “burnt”. But, probably, there are lovers of such a blend. This drink has a milder taste. Fruits, tones of caramel and chocolate are heard, the addition of natural ground coffee is felt. 

Packing: cans of 95 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

3. Lavazza Prontissimo Intense

Another guest from Italy in our rating of the best instant coffee. For fans of a strong drink with a dense body, without a hint of acid. It is worth adding boiling water, as the aroma of freshly roasted grains spreads around the room. Made from Colombian Arabica in Italian Settimo Torinese or Switzerland. Customers are delighted with the dense cream – a special foam that appears at the top of the cup after brewing. Everything is like natural coffee. For the sake of fairness, we note that the cream in instant coffee is obtained through additives, and not naturally. With the addition of 10% finely ground insoluble coffee. 

Packing: cans of 95 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

4. Bushido Red Katana

It is considered good form to designate the region of origin of the grain. For this instant coffee, Mexico, the state of Parana in Brazil, and Malabar, a region of India, are indicated. Probably prepared from a mixture of grains, collecting their own blend. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not specify more precisely. But one more plus for the brand for designating the degree of roasting – here it is city, or “urban”. This is an intermediate stage between weak and medium. Maybe for instant coffee this information is not so important, but we repeat: it is good practice in coffee etiquette to give the consumer as much information about the product as possible. The taste profile of the drink is sweet-berry, with wine notes. Produced in Switzerland. 

Packing: glass jars of 50 or 100 grams, soft pack of 75 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

5. Original Black Card

coffee that nods towards French traditions. They call their roasting “fire and ice”: when the grain is at its peak, the roaster cools the cold air flow. The origin of the grain is reported vaguely: the regions of Latin America and Asia. The taste of the drink is intense, citrus notes are heard in the echoes. The taste profile meets the request of the consumer: coffee bitterness and sourness in balance. 

Packing: glass jars of 47,5, 95 or 190 grams, soft packs of 75 or 150 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

6. Moccona Caramel

Among fans of a grain drink, adding flavorings is considered bad form. Like, real coffee does not need any lotions. People are more loyal to instant coffee. This niche was occupied by the Moccona brand. Remember the 90s – then this coffee was one of the first imported products on the shelves. Then it was pushed aside by competitors, and now the company occupies its intermediate niche between the premium and democratic segments. This caramel-flavored coffee is popular with drinkers with milk. Almost like coffee with coffee shop syrup. We managed to find a decent flavor. 

Packing: glass jars 95 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

7. Starbucks MEDIUM Roast

The famous coffee house also resisted the release of the instant drink for a long time. But in the end I made up my mind, and it turned out quite well. Note that Nestle is responsible for the product itself, and Starbucks seems to allow the use of its brand. In the ranking of the best instant coffee 2022, we included a medium roast product. There is also a light roast, but there are more complaints about it in terms of taste. MEDIUM has classic notes of nuts and chocolate. With the addition of ground coffee – 3%. Grain is bought in South America and processed in France. Attractive jar, can become a mini-present.

Packing: cans of 90 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

8. Mozart Coffee Premium Intensive

Previously, this instant coffee was sold only in duty-free or shops that specialized in assortment from abroad. Now the products of this brand began to appear in supermarkets and on Internet sites. It is produced in Germany. Under a similar name, famous candies with marzipan are produced. Note: These are different brands. We praise the manufacturer for honesty: it is indicated that it contains 90% Arabica. The rest is probably robusta. Marketers have firmly invested in consumers the idea that there is nothing cooler and more premium than Arabica. That’s how it is, only Arabica Arabica is different. And Robusta adds to the coffee the same creamy foam and characteristic coffee strength. 

Packing: glass jars 100 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

9. Mount Hagen

The grain is harvested in Papua New Guinea or Latin America. Soft roasting is used, due to which the drink receives an exquisite sourness. There are many markings on the packaging that are incomprehensible to s. The bottom line is that the manufacturer focuses on the naturalness of the product and … fair trade! This is when they do not act as the market dictates, but help farmers in distant countries and continents to develop and exist. But this is already politics, and here we are talking about the best instant coffee. As such, many consumers call it in their reviews. Previously, it was ordered in American and European marketplaces. In 2022, coffee began to appear in our stores. True, premium networks. It is better to search in domestic online stores in order to choose a more acceptable price. Because, frankly, she’s head and shoulders above average.

Packing: glass jars 100 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

10. UCC 114

Japan has its own idea of ​​great coffee. In Europe and Our Country, a more bitter, rich drink is preferred. In the land of the rising sun, the palm is given to a less intense and slightly more sour taste. But not as acidic as low-grade instant coffee samples, but more noble notes. You can get acquainted with coffee as it is seen in Asia thanks to the Uesima brand – this is how the abbreviation in the name stands for. By the way, this is the largest Japanese coffee company. Grain for this drink is purchased in Brazil and Ecuador. Produced using the “freeze dry” technology – freezing drying. 

Packing: glass jars of 90 and 135 grams, soft pack 180 grams

Advantages and disadvantages

How to choose the right instant coffee

How to choose a product among the whole variety of brands, will tell former roaster, commercial director of a coffee supplier Evgeni Malkin.

Types of coffee

In supermarkets, you can find three types of instant coffee.

Freeze-dried. Now the most common. It is considered the most expensive and high quality. Therefore, many brands strive for just such a production technology. Its essence is that an extract is isolated from coffee beans and subjected to shock freezing. Then all the moisture is removed in a special installation and the resulting raw materials are broken into crystals, which then fall into the jar.

Powder. Appeared at the dawn of instant coffee. Today it is produced mainly by the most budgetary brands. At the factory, grain is ground, brewed, and then excess moisture is filtered. The result is a powder: looks less neat and retains less flavor.

Granulated. The same as powder, only it is given a marketable appearance with the help of hot steam.

Ground coffee in instant

Now it is the peak of marketing fashion. Each brand of instant coffee has its own designation. But the essence is the same for everyone: ground coffee is mixed with sublimated coffee. This adds flavor and aroma to the drink. But, strictly speaking, not so much.

Flavours

Where flavors bring a greater range of flavors. No instant coffee is prepared without them. However, some brands use artificially synthesized fragrances, while others use natural ones. Unfortunately, the law does not oblige to indicate this on the packaging. It is also impossible without flavorings – otherwise such a drink would have almost no flavor.

How to understand that you have good instant coffee in front of you

The best marker is visual. If the jar is transparent, you can already evaluate the quality of the product in the store. Even granules with a uniform color are an indicator that the company strictly follows the production technology. Sticky lumps mean that there were violations. 99% that the coffee will be mediocre.

Which package is better

It is definitely cheaper in packages than in banks. But the content is the same. Store, of course, better in a tightly closed glass jar. So if there is one, just pour it. Be careful with metal cans. Rust and bruising are evidence of improper transportation and the company’s desire to save on packaging.

Instant coffee according to GOST

There is a document¹, which standardizes the drink. It describes an interesting test that speaks about the quality of the product. First you need to pour the granules or powder with boiling water. A teaspoon of coffee should completely dissolve without sediment in 150 ml of hot liquid. Then you need to pour another teaspoon of instant coffee, but already with cold water (18-20 degrees Celsius). In three minutes, it should completely dissolve.

Sources of

1. GOST 32776-2014. Interstate standard. Instant coffee. General specifications https://docs.cntd.ru/document/1200112662