I like instant coffee. .. Nay,.. I LOVE instant coffee. I love that there is less waste because we are a family that loves to live clean. I also love the time it saves me!! I am a busy mom. I don’t have time to make coffee. Even in this modern age of Keurig single serve coffee machines, and automated drip coffee pots, I’ve still found nothing is easier than boiling hot water and adding in some instant freeze-dried coffee grounds. Boom – voila – done! No mess. No fuss.
Not all Instant Coffee is created equal. I found this out early in my quest for decent coffee, fast, any time I want it without a mess to clean up. Here are the criteria in which I judged all of the instant coffee I tried out.
- It has to taste good!
- It must truly be quick and no mess. In other words, the coffee needs to actually dissolve in the water.
- No chemicals
With my parameters clearly defined I set out to find the best instant coffee — and I did — but I also found some of the worst. Check it out.
Supreme by Bustelo
The price point of this coffee intrigued me at just ___ on Amazon. After testing it out, I quickly realized how this coffee is so cheap.
Taste – The smell of the coffee is very off-putting. It is a strong smell and does not smell like coffee. It smells like nothing you’d want to drink. The taste is even worse. It doesn’t taste like any coffee I’ve ever had. The off-putting taste is so strong I couldn’t even mask it by adding maple syrup (my normal flavoring of choice) or honey to it.
Quick, No Mess, No Chemicals – I will say though it did meet my other two parameters. it was quick with no mess and it did not appear to contain any chemicals.
It just tasted so bad. Bummer
Additional Note: This is the coffee I rated the worst
Mount Hagen
Organic Fair Trade Coffee
Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade Coffee is a little bit more expensive at around $13 per jar. The jar lasts about a month.
Taste – I was delighted that this coffee didn’t taste bad. However, I will say it hardly tastes at all. I even put in twice the amount as recommended on the jar and still the taste was really faint. There is hardly any smell with this coffee either.
Quick, No Mess, No Chemicals – This coffee is quick with no mess, it dissolves very well in any liquid hot or cold. There are no added chemicals.
Four Sigmatic
Smart Coffee
I was truly excited when I discovered instant coffee could be blended to have added combined nutrients – as is the case with Four Sigmatic Instant Coffee.
There are numerous varieties claiming different benefits. I purchased the ‘Balance’ blend which is said to have calming properties mixed with the coffee. I also purchased the ‘Think With’ blend which is suppose to promote greater clarity of thought.
Taste – Both coffee blends tasted great. The Balance blend had a hint of cinnamon which I enjoyed first thing in the morning. They both tasted like coffee, and smelled like coffee, which was a big bonus.
Quick, No Mess, No Chemicals – This area is where the coffee fell apart for me. It was quick to make with little mess, but it had added chemicals. In fact, ont he side of the packaging in very tiny print, there is a warning. It basically says “consuming this product can expose you to chemicals known to cause cancer in the state of California.”
Honestly, I was so mad that this information wasn’t shared before I purchased the product. I double checked the Amazon listing, and also searched elsewhere online. No where is this even mentioned, but it is on the packaging of the actual product.
Buyer beware
Modere Logiq
Smart Coffee with Tetra Blend
Smart Coffee – round two! After my bad experience in finding chemicals in Four Sigmatic Instant Coffee,.. I was delighted to be introduced to another Smart Instant Coffee that was guaranteed no bad chemicals.
Taste – This coffee was by far the instant coffee that tasted the MOST like actual coffee – so that was a huge win for me. It also smells like coffee – which again, another big win.
Quick, No Mess, No Chemicals – I love that this coffee comes in the single serve packets. That made it very easy to always have the correct serving size and no mess.
There are also no harmful chemicals that I can see.
Bonus – This coffee says it has Tetra Blend which basically means it can enhance mood, brain function as well as provide anti-aging benefits.
Additional Note: This is the coffee I rated the winner! This is the best instant coffee I have tried so far to date.
