Top Best Instant Coffee in 2022
What is Instant Coffee?
It’s obvious that the instant stuff is just different than the standard coffee beans used to make coffee. The ground-up kind may look somewhat similar, but it certainly doesn’t function the same way.
Instant coffee is typically created using one of two different routes— the first way is made with a traditional cup of brewed coffee. It’s sprayed in a fine mist with incredibly hot and dry air. When those coffee droplets finally land, they’re the familiar flakey flecks we know and sometimes like.
The second route is freeze-drying, which results in a shelf-stable coffee powder with just-add-hot-water directions. It’s a reconstituted drink.
Frozen dry drinks or food are the easiest to reactivate – just need water. If anyone else has dreamed of their morning instant barley cup as a zombie coffee bean, the lazy Saturdays would have been much more exciting.
There are advantages to instant coffee powder, though, mainly when it comes to shelf life. Instant coffee can last several months pre-ground or more than coffee.
If you’re not a daily drinker or would like to have something in hand if you feel the urge, a well-sealed container of instant coffee can last for years (although we’re not saying it’s yours anymore.) Will be the best cup. Tasted).
How to Make Instant Coffee Taste Better
Like anything that’s reconstituted, it’s just not going to have the complexity, the subtle notes, or the brightness of a fresh cup brewed with a French press coffee maker or single-serve machine. This is especially true if you don’t choose the right brand—which is totally where I come in. Before we get to listing the best instant coffees, though, let’s talk about the act of actually making the cuppa.
Like everything else in the 21st century, there are a number of hacks to make the best tasting instant coffee humanly possible. One of the easiest ways to enhance the flavor of your reconstituted brew is to put a teaspoon or two of cold water in your cup first. Mix up the grounds in this dash of H20 very well, and then throw in the hot water and enjoy as per usual. This helps the granules brew more gently, resulting in a decent cup of the good stuff.
Okay. We’re going to start this list now, which ranges from simple and economically-friendly to more ‘specialty’ options, but all are well-rated and ready for you to have a go at!
Here are the best instant coffees of 2022.
Best Instant Coffee Blend: Verve Streetlevel Instant Craft Coffee
Colombia’s Best Instant Coffee: Waka Quality Instant Colombia Coffee
Best Single Servo Power on Instant Coffee: Kuju Coffee Single Servo Ethiopian Pur Over
Best Budget Instant Coffee: Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place Roast Coffee
Best D-Coffee Instant Coffee: Tandem Coffee Rooster Sun Lamp D-Coffee
Best Instant Coffee Subscriptions: Swift Mainstay Blend Subscriptions
Best Flavored Instant Coffee: Copper Cow Coffee Vietnamese Power Over Coffee Filters, Vanilla
Best Adaptogen Instant Coffee: Four Sigmatic Instant Mushroom Coffee with Chaga and Cordyceps
Here’s another all-in-one option for those who can’t live with older children and can’t drink their morning caffeine black. This coffee powder is imported directly from Malaysia, is halal certified, and it takes 30 seconds to steam hot coffee on your back and call.
These beets are in the shape of a stick, which is great for a frivolous, non-measuring lifestyle, but they only allow 6 oz. A cup of coffee If you are drinking 2+ in a day, you will burn very fast with 28 sticks. It provides nifty tips for cold-brewed coffee, perfect for hot, humid days.
Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee
Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee
It’s always nice when you can feel good about what you’re putting in your body, and Mount Hagen’s offers just that. Processed in Germany, Mount Hagen is 100% organic and fair trade
Mount Hagen is a more mild coffee. It’s quite smooth and doesn’t have the bitter and acidic taste often found in cheaper instant coffee. That being said, this not going to be the best option for those that like a strongly flavored cup of coffee.
It’s in a glass jar to ensure freshness, though that jar is a tad on the small side. It makes about 60 cups of 6 oz. mugs, so bear that in mind if you choose this one as your caffeine source. Frankly, we think it’s better to make one cup with two servings. Each serving contains 50-60 mg of caffeine, so that will give you a well-caffeinated 12 oz. beverage. It also dissolves quite easily, requiring only a few stirs in hot water.
When coffee lovers hear the words “organic coffee” or “free/fair trade”, we assume that means it will be expensive. But that’s not always the case! Mount Hagen was by far the winner in terms of the overall value. It tastes great and doesn’t break the bank.