instant coffee travel packs

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• Instant Coffee Travel Pack, including both Classic Roast and Classic Decaf, 42 Single Serve Packets

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About this item.

• Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Packets - 24/Count
• Made with 100% pure coffee, this medium roast offers a well-rounded and balanced flavor profile that will satisfy even the pickiest coffee drinker.
• Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee Packets - 18/Count
• Decaf allows guests to enjoy the taste of coffee without the unwanted side effects of caffeine.

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Product Description

Experience the rich taste of coffee anytime, anywhere with this Instant Coffee Travel Pack. This pack includes two popular products - Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Packets (24/Count) and Folgers Classic Decaf Instant Coffee Packets (18/Count). Made with 100% pure coffee, the Classic Roast Instant Coffee offers a well-rounded and balanced flavor profile that satisfies even the most discerning coffee drinkers. And for those who want to enjoy the taste of coffee without the unwanted effects of caffeine, the Classic Decaf Instant Coffee is the perfect choice. Whether you're at home, at work, or on the go, this Half & Half Travel Pack is a convenient and delicious way to enjoy a great cup of coffee.

Product details

• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches; 8.64 ounces
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ J.M. Smucker Company
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CNNKXGR2
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• #890 in Instant Coffee

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Important information.

To prepare, open one packet and pour it into your cup. Add 8 fl. oz. of hot water or milk, stir, and enjoy!

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Instant Coffee Packets: The 12 Best for Camping & How It's Made

A helpful guide to instant coffee for camping and backpacking, including what varieties are available, our top picks, and tips for the perfect cup

Field Mag Editors

Image courtesy Alpine Start

Field Mag may receive a minor commission from purchases made via affiliate links.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of enjoying a fresh cup of coffee in the great outdoors. But doing so can often feel easier said than done. There’s no shortage of coffee-related paraphernalia marketed at campers—and some of it’s good stuff! (Shout out the Snow Peak titanium french press coffee maker and VSSL JAVA grinder .) But you don’t need a bag full of gadgets and grinders to enjoy a cup of quality coffee on a camping trip.

Instant coffee can offer the same great coffee taste—and pack the same caffeinated punch—that you get from regular coffee. You just gotta know what to get (not Folgers, not Maxwell House, not Nescafé Taster's Choice) and how to prepare it (not boiling water) to get the best results.

Read on as we nerd out and break down the ins and outs of instant coffee packets, how they’re made, and what different types of instant coffee you can buy. Before that though, we’ve selected the 11 top picks for the best instant coffees for camping, backpacking, and travel in general.

The 12 Best Instant Coffees for Camping & Backpacking

Partners Instant Coffee

Relatively speaking, NYC-based Partners is late to the instant coffee ball game. But only because it's been perfecting its bean juice know-how for over a decade at its speciality coffee shops (which are worth a visit if you're in the area). Its recently released instant coffee packets follow the same winning formula of sustainably sourced coffee beans roasted by hand. Then the coffee is brewed and dehydrated so that you can mix it into hot or cold water and have an excellent cup of coffee whenever, wherever.

Price: $16 per 6 pack

Alpine Start

A very solid camp coffee choice, Alpine Start is directly marketed towards us outdoor folk who prefer to leave the camping coffee maker at home. Their hero product, good old instant coffee, is available in both jar and individual packets and is made with 100% Colombian Arabica coffee beans. And if coffee isn’t for you, check out their mushroom-infused instant matcha , which we enjoy at FM HQ as an afternoon pick-me-up. ( Use code "FIELDMAG" at checkout to get 10% off your order. )

Price: $9 per 8 pack

A San Francisco mainstay, Equator is well known for expertly roasted coffees, and their instant coffee offering lives up to that reputation. With great flavor and plenty of kick, a morning cup of Equator will please even discerning coffee drinkers with its delicious balance of acidity and coffee flavor. Equator is another go-to for us, especially when we want specialty coffee. (You can brew it cold too, if you're running low on cold brew.)

Price: $15 per 5 pack

Wildland Coffee

Wildland Coffee is a newer instant coffee brand and, technically, it isn't instant coffee—it's just coffee. The whole beans it uses are sourced from Brazil, ground, then nitro-flushed for freshness longevity. And unlike instant coffee poweder, it comes in a teabag—just heat up some water and steep for eight minutes and your cup of joe is good to go.

Price: $23 per 10 pack

Black Coffee Roasters

Based in Missoula, Montana, this hometown hero brand sources organic coffee beans grown around the globe. As a small, family run business, they've poured all their R&D into making just a single, dang fine instant coffee with just the right caffeine content to get you ready for a day of hiking, paddling, or lounging around camp.

Price: $13 per 8 pack

Fancy packaging doesn't always make a fancy product, but in Verve’s case, it does. And by that we mean, it makes a really good product. Based in Santa Cruz, California, Verve is a real specialty coffee maker that cares about quality. Its Farmlevel Initiative, for example, entails partnering with farmers in Colombia and elsewhere to ensure their livelihood is secure. The result of it all is coffee you can count on.

Swift Coffee

Made in Lancaster, PA, Swift is purely focused on specialty instant coffee. Order their three box sets to sample a variety, or opt for the bulk option which packs 48 cups of instant coffee into a single jar.

Price: $11+ per 6 pack

Supr Coffee

Supr is another new brand exclusively offering specialty instant coffees. While their regular instant coffee sticks are worth a taste for sure, their instant coffee with CBD is another intersting, and perhaps counterintuitive choice. But who wouldn't want a buzz sans jitters?

Price: $15 per 10 pack

Allawake Coffee

If you’re attached to your pour-over ceremony each morning, Allawake is for you. These little pour-over coffee kits may not be instant but they are single serving. A bit bulky for backpacking, but nice for an elevated coffee experience while car camping or just traveling in general.

Price: $13+ per 5 pack

Kuju Coffee

Another handy pour-over packet, Kuju is an outdoors-focused coffee maker that's earned trust among outdoorists while maintaining a dedication toward coffee culture. Its high-quality line of light, medium, and dark roast instant coffee beats the Nescafé Clásico you'll find at the grocery store any day, and Kuju also produces a line of single-origin coffee that comes from Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and West Sumatra.

Price: $15 per 6 pack

Starbucks Via

What Starbucks Via lacks in taste, it makes up for in accessibility and affordability. It's arguably burnt and generally not great, but it's also extremely reliable, available everywhere from gas stations and super markets to actual Starbucks cafes, and of course, has caffeine so it'll do just fine in a pinch.

Price: $7 per 8 pack

BONUS: Velty Uncaffeinated Coffee

This newly launched, woman-owned coffee brand is determined to reimagine the power of decaf. Their “uncaf” coffee packets are made with prebiotics, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and spices for a rich, velvety, crash-proof cup. Tasting notes are buttery and smooth with a hint of sweet chocolate.

Price: $28 per 8 pack

OK, so by now you know which coffee you want to try. But that still leaves the curious question of how said coffee is actually made. Below, we'll dive into the actual process of making instant coffee. Plus share some advice on how to make it taste even better.

How Is Instant Coffee Made?

Instant coffee is made from whole coffee beans that are roasted, ground, and brewed. The water is then removed from the brewed coffee, leaving dehydrated crystals. There are a couple different methods used to make instant coffee blends, but they all start off with this same process of removing moisture from the brewed coffee extract to create solid coffee powder, or granules, behind.

One of the most common ways that moisture is removed from the coffee extract is through spray-drying, why sounds a bit like an oxymoron but here us out. The liquid is sprayed into a stream of scorching air, causing the liquid to evaporate, and the coffee to drift down in a powder form. Sometimes this powder goes through an additional process to form it into granules. Because the extract dries very quickly during the spray-drying process, much of the aroma and flavor is preserved.

Another way to remove the moisture is by freeze-drying the coffee extract. In this process the extract is frozen at around -40°F and broken into crystals. These are then slowly dried using low heat in a vacuum. The low temperatures and slow drying process lock in the flavor in freeze dried coffee.

Making decaffeinated coffee involves a few more steps before the roasting process. First, green coffee beans are swollen either by steam or by being soaked in water. More water, a solvent, or activated carbon is then used to extract the caffeine before drying the beans again. Instant decaf coffee will then follow the normal spray-dry or freeze-dry processes.

Different Types of Instant Coffee

Powder, granules, or crystals.

This is the most common form of instant coffee. Instant coffee powder or granules (sometimes called coffee crystals) usually come in a cylindrical waterproof paper or plastic packet, or glass jar if you’re going the OG Nescafe or Foldgers route (not recommended, it tastes like burned dirt and will take up a lot of space among your camping gear). Instant coffee packets contain one single serving-sized portion in each packet.

They sometimes even come premixed with creamer and sugar, like this Alpine Start option . The drawback of a single serve packet is the packaging waste and that you cannot easily adjust the strength of your coffee. However, they are convenient to carry in your pack, take up virtually no space, and weigh as little as 0.14 ounces. Just be sure to pack out every little bit of trash you make in the backcountry, even the little tops of the packets that wear off.

Coffee cubes

Coffee bags are like tea bags, a hybrid between freshly ground and brewed coffee and instant coffee, giving you the taste of freshly brewed coffee without the hassle. Simply place the bag in a cup and pour in hot water for a freshly brewed, instant cup of coffee. You could also place the bag over the opening of your cup and pour the water through it, similar to the pour-over style packets KUJU makes. These bags (along with the coffee grounds that they contain) do retain some moisture, making them heavier and messier, and need to be disposed of correctly to avoid any animals getting hold of them.

What Makes Instant Coffee Good for Camping and Outdoorsy Travel

Instant coffee is easy to carry, easy to make, and leaves little trash..

One of the biggest attractions of instant coffee for a backpacking or camping trip is the convenience it brings to early mornings. Simply empty the contents of the packet into a mug, add water, and stir for a proper cup of coffee.

Instant coffee is extremely lightweight.

Equally as important is the lightweight portability of instant coffee—you don’t need to bring any additional brewing gadgets like a coffee pot, v60 pour over, french press, or percolator. All you need is a container to heat water in, like an aluminum kettle or a single-wall titanium mug . Instant coffee sticks or packets also eliminates the need to pack out spent coffee grounds. While packets make the most sense for fast and light hikers, having a resealable container of loose coffee granules, like offered above by Alpine Start and Viola, allow car campers buy in bulk to save cash, and to make coffee to their preferred strength–shout out all you espresso lovers.

Instant coffee has a super long shelf life.

Due to the processes involved in making instant coffee, the product has a longer shelf-life than freshly ground coffee. Still, you need to store it correctly. The best place to keep instant coffee is in an airtight container, packed away in a cool dark cupboard or gear closet. Direct sunlight or heat could negatively affect the flavor of your instant coffee. Instant single serve packets often have an inner aluminum or plastic layer to keep your instant coffee from being exposed to moisture or heat. When packaged like this, your instant coffee could stay tasty for up to ten or even twenty years.

You can also make instant coffee with cold water.

A clever thing about instant coffee is that it can be prepared with cold water, too, making a nice reprieve during a hot day of hiking. Make iced instant coffee by simply dissolving the coffee crystals in cold water. It might take a tad longer to dissolve than if you were using hot water, but still, it is the quickest way to make iced coffee out in nature—ideal for you fast and light thru-hikers .

Tips for Making a Great-tasting Instant Coffee

When camping, the first step to making an excellent cup of instant coffee is to buy the good stuff . The next step is properly preparing the good stuff to make it even better. First and foremost, let your freshly boiled water cool for a few seconds before pouring it over your packets' contents to avoid burning the coffee crystals.

It’s all about the beans

Because instant coffee is essentially brewed coffee that has been dehydrated, it should, theoretically, taste nearly as good as the real thing. Buying instant coffee from reputable roasters and small-batch makers is the easiest way to come close to achieving this.

It is true that some of the flavor and aromatic compounds are lost during the brewing and drying processes that instant coffee goes through. Still, there could be another reason for instant coffee’s bad reputation: the beans used in the original brew. Cheaper instant coffee is made from less-expensive Robusta beans instead of their more premium coffee family members, Arabica coffee beans. Robusta coffee beans contain more caffeine, but they also offer a stronger and more bitter aftertaste. On the other hand, coffee (even instant coffee) made from Arabica beans is sweeter and smoother with more flavor and aromatics. Though preference depends on which is “better,” if the original coffee is burning in the roasting or brewing process, prior to being dehydrated, the quality of the original bean won’t save it.

Just as the type of bean affects the flavor of your coffee, so does the region where the beans were cultivated. Weather conditions, geographic location, and even the soil that coffee beans are grown in affect their flavor. Coffees farmed in Africa are generally sweeter and slightly fruity. South America produces coffee that is more spicy and earthy. Smooth and well-balanced coffees usually come from Central America.

Choose the roast carefully

The roast indicates how long the coffee beans have been roasted before being processed and that influences the final taste. Coffee beans are commercially roasted to four levels:

• Light roast: The beans are roasted for the shortest amount of time. A light roast coffee contains the most caffeine, aromas, and flavors. On the other hand, coffee made from lightly roasted beans could taste slightly acidic.
• Medium roast: The beans are slightly darker than light roast beans. Medium roasted coffee beans have marginally less caffeine but offer a rich aroma without the acidic taste you may find in light roast coffee beans.
• Medium-dark roast: The beans have a small amount of caffeine but have a strong ‘heavy bodied’ and slightly spicy taste.
• Dark roast: The beans are, well, dark in color and contain the least amount of caffeine. Dark roasted coffee beans produce coffee described as ‘full-bodied’ but could taste bitter or burnt.

Instant coffee can also bloom

You can transform an ok cup of coffee into a great cup of coffee by letting the coffee bloom at the start of the process. When coffee blooms, it releases carbon dioxide that was trapped in the beans during the roasting process. This carbon dioxide restricts the aromas and flavors of the coffee from dissolving in water. Ironically, you can encourage the release of carbon dioxide (and bloom your coffee) by adding a small amount of cold water to your instant coffee granules and making a paste before pouring in hot water. This releases the carbon dioxide and allows the natural flavors of the coffee to be released.

Instant coffee is a less expensive and more convenient option for camping. It makes it possible to have a fresh cup of coffee in no time. Choosing the right product and preparing it well is sure to satisfy even the most devout coffee lovers’ need for a caffeine kick.

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The Best Travel-Friendly Instant Coffee

By Andrea Whittle

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I noticed a trend in my email inbox recently. Over the course of a week, I received a slew of pitches about "travel-friendly" coffee, each of them in a different form: a ready-made espresso shot, a fancy-sounding instant coffee, a combination French press thermos, a vacuum-sealed cold brew pitcher, even a portable single-serving pour over device. And since I've had my fair share of lukewarm, metallic-tasting airplane coffee over the years, I was intrigued. What is "travel-friendly" coffee? Would it be worth taking on my next trip? And is it actually... good ?

To find out, I arranged a taste test with a group of Condé Nast Traveler staffers. We limited ourselves to coffee products that are truly simple, small, and lightweight enough to add to a typical backpack or tote—no overly complicated, bulky, or heavy options allowed. Still, there was a huge variety of travel-friendly options: Forto espresso shots, Dripkit pour over packets, and even a Nescafé instant latte that's made in Malaysia and is a top seller on Amazon. Here, the highly unscientific but undeniably useful results of our deep dive into the best travel-friendly coffees.

The All-Around Winner: Joe Specialty Instant Coffee

How does it taste? We tried it both hot and iced (the crystals dissolve instantly no matter the water temperature) and both versions were better than most of regular coffee you would encounter anywhere. It was a perfect analogue to the real deal, served at Joe locations around New York City: Bright, a little fruity, and very strong. We were honestly floored by how delicious it is.

Would you travel with it? Absolutely. It comes in thin brown paper sachets—which one editor noted were the only biodegradable option of the bunch—and they're basically weightless. You could easily throw a week's worth of these in your bag and not notice the difference.

Could you make it on a plane? Yep, easily. I could see myself adding a sachet to one of those mini water bottles they give you, shaking it up a little, and pouring it over ice.

Is it better than airplane coffee? Far superior. By orders of magnitude.

What situation is it ideal for? Airplanes, hotels with crappy coffee machines, bus trips, train rides, you name it.

Buy it: $19 for a pack of six, amazon.com

The Millennial-est Option: Dripkit Pour Over Packets

How does it taste? Very good! This portable pour over kit packs flat but folds out into a filter pre-filled with ground coffee. It makes a delicious, smooth, not-at-all bitter cup, though it's a little on the weaker side in terms of flavor. Dripkit will offer a rotating selection of single-origin beans every couple of months; the one we tried out was from a family farm in Guatemala.

Would you travel with it? Yeah! Each pre-filled filter comes in a slim packet about the size of a ten-pack of wet wipes.

Could you make it on a plane? No, unless you’re willing to ask the flight attendant to hang around your seat to pour three rounds of boiling water over your little cup. (Please don’t do that.)

Is it better than airplane coffee? Yes—but you can't really make it on a plane.

What situation is it ideal for? It's solid option for coffee snobs who end up in a hotel room without a coffee machine.

Buy it: $28 for a pack of 10, dripkit.coffee

The Amazon Bestseller: Nescafé Malaysia 3 in 1 Instant Coffee Sticks

How does it taste? This one stumped us all. This imported Malaysian variety of Nescafé is the best-selling instant coffee on Amazon, but it barely tastes like coffee; it's somewhere in between Ovaltine and a very weak latte. One editor called it "comforting," but the consensus was that it's sweet, slightly malty, and thick.

Olivia Morelli

Caitlin Morton

Stacey Lastoe

Would you travel with it? Sure. Easy to throw a few sachets in a backpack.

Could you make it on a plane? Yes, all you need is hot water and a stirrer.

Is it better than airplane coffee? If you like your coffee milky and sweet, absolutely.

What situation is it ideal for? Airplanes, or anytime you need something that tastes like a warm hug.

Buy it: $13 for a bag of 28, amazon.com

The Most Understated: Tandem Coffee Time and Temperature

How does it taste? Truly delicious. It's hard to believe how good this coffee tasted after just adding water.

Would you travel with it? Absolutely.

Could you make it on a plane? Yep, just ask for some hot water.

Is it better than airplane coffee? 100 percent.

What situation is it ideal for? It's great for making a quick cup of coffee on the airplane or in a hotel room, but it's also good to keep on hand for whenever you need a caffeine boost (and hot water is nearby).

Buy it: $15 for a box of six, tandemcoffee.com

The Goop -iest Option: Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee

How does it taste? Like coffee that you made in a vessel that you had previously used for miso soup. Funky. But not... terrible either? Another Amazon bestseller, it's a combination of organic instant coffee and powdered Cordyceps and Chaga mushrooms, which are very in as supplements right now.

Would you travel with it? Yes, if I were Gwyneth Paltrow.

Could you make it on a plane? Yes, all you need to add is hot water.

Is it better than airplane coffee? No.

What situation is it ideal for? Wellness fanatics in transit.

Buy it: $12 for a box of 10, amazon.com

The Mass Appeal Pick: Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place Roast

How does it taste? Like your average cup of Starbucks: not amazing, but solid. Works as well iced as hot, too.

Would you travel with it? Yes.

Could you make it on a plane? Yes!

Is it better than airplane coffee? It's maybe a tiny bit better.

What situation is it ideal for? Since it tastes about as good as an average cup of airplane coffee, I'd say this would be good for long bus rides or train rides.

Buy it: $6 for a box of eight, amazon.com

Uncategorizable: Forto Espresso Shots

How does it taste? It comes in regular (sweetened and unsweetened), vanilla latte, mocha chocolate latte and Hershey’s chocolate latte. The regular is potent, and the rest are so cloyingly sweet that they pack more punch than a Frappuccino. One editor's scathing take: "It tasted like it was coffee made in a lab, if the only materials the scientists had on hand were various grades of jet fuel."

Would you travel with it? Maybe? Each pre-prepared shot comes in a two-ounce plastic cup, with a rigid plastic lid and a peel-off seal. (Each is also stamped with a perky, coffee-related slogan like “expresso yourself” or “take your best shot.”) At two ounces each, they do meet TSA restrictions on liquids, though you'd have to pack them in the same plastic bag as the rest of your toiletries.

Could you make it on a plane? Trick question: They're already good to go.

Is it better than airplane coffee? If you like your coffee very strong and very sweet, yes.

What situation is it ideal for? Whenever you're on the move with no access to hot water and you need a sugary caffeine kick.

Price: $12 for a pack of six, amazon.com

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The 13 Best Instant Coffees of 2024

These options will make your morning

The Spruce Eats / Amelia Manley

Instant coffee has a bad rap. Many coffee lovers will only drink it in dire straits with no other source of caffeine in sight. But there is a wide range of quality options out there—plenty of which taste better than freshly brewed coffee, depending on what beans and brewing device are used, of course—and we've rounded up our favorites below. These instant coffees are not only convenient but taste great too.

• What to Look for

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Best overall, mount hagen instant coffee.

Mount Hagen

Smooth taste

Widely available

Sold in jar and single-serve sticks

A little pricey

Mount Hagen earns our top spot for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it's one of the smoothest and most flavorful instant coffees you can find. I first tried it on a road trip and didn't even mix it with hot water like the brand recommends; nonetheless, I liked the taste so much that I now keep a jar in my kitchen for when I'm not in the mood to brew a full pot of coffee. Like most instant coffee, Mount Hagen is also handy to bring camping . The flavor itself is somewhat generic but in an appetizing and palatable way. It balances a mild acidity with fuller, roasted notes for a well-rounded cup that's not harsh like many instant coffees.

Mount Hagen sells its instant coffee in jars, pouches, and boxes of single-serve sticks. The variety is really convenient. It's pricier than some of the budget brands we associate with instant coffee, but I think the flavor makes up for the difference in cost. One 3.53-ounce jar—the option I buy—yields about 60 servings. Mount Hagen Instant Coffee is also Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified .

Roast: Medium | Size: 3.53 ounces | Packaging Options: Glass jar, single-serve sticks, and pouches | Available In: Instant

Best Single Serve

Intelligentsia instant coffee house blend.

Intelligentsia

Strong, unique flavor

Easy to travel with

Dissolves well in hot or cold water

Not many servings per box

For this coffee, Intelligentsia took its popular House Blend, which was only sold in whole-bean form at first, and made an instant version. It received one of the highest ratings out of nearly 20 instant coffees that we tested. The taste really stands out compared to other brands, blending sweet notes like brown sugar and caramel with fruity ones like apple and pear. Despite all the flavors going on, it remains smooth and balanced. Plus, none of the flavors are artificial.

The only downside is the price. It's one of the most expensive instant coffees per serving on this list, so the cost adds up if you plan on drinking more than one cup a day. The boxes also don't come with many servings—just five coffee sachets per purchase—which means you might need to buy a couple boxes to get through the week.

If you place a premium on taste and quality, though, Intelligentsia's Instant House Blend might be the best option out there. The single-serve packets are easy to travel with as well and eliminate the hassle of having to measure scoops.

Roast: Medium | Size: Five-count box | Packaging Options: Single-serving sticks | Available In: Instant, whole bean, and ground

Best Organic

Four sigmatic think with lion's mane and chaga.

Available in multiple flavors

Low caffeine content, no jitters

Little mushroom taste

Not the best aroma

Mushroom coffee has grown in popularity in recent years. Some people gravitate toward it because it has a lower caffeine content, others because of mushrooms' anti-inflammatory properties. And plenty of people just prefer the taste, especially over other instant coffees.

Four Sigmatic takes all these benefits and wraps them into one with its "Think" variety. It's an especially great option for those new to mushroom coffee. It's a medium roast made with arabica coffee beans and lion's mane and chaga mushrooms. Even people who don't like mushrooms in food might like this coffee because, well, it doesn't taste like mushrooms. The flavor is rich and nutty with a hint of dark chocolate. If you did a blind taste test, you'd think it was just strong drip coffee made with nothing but beans. The aroma is different than regular coffee, however. It's a little more vegetal than the typical roasted smell you associate with a fresh brew.

Roast: Medium | Size: 10-count box or 2.56-ounce jar | Packaging Options: Single-serve packets | Available In: Instant, ground, and pods

Best Budget

Maxwell house original roast instant coffee.

Brand makes flavored options too

Not the strongest flavor

Established in 1892, Maxwell House is one of the oldest and most trusted U.S. coffee brands for a reason: It gets the job done. Hot, dependable coffee when you need it.

Like its regular coffee, Maxwell House’s instant coffee is one of the most affordable on the market, comparable to large brands like Folgers and Chock Full o’ Nuts. Reviews on taste do vary: Some customers swear by Maxwell House’s instant coffee, calling it undervalued and just as good as more expensive blends, while others say that the taste leaves something to be desired. What every coffee drinker can agree on, however, is its affordability.

Maxwell House is also easy to find in-store and online, and if its classic medium roast doesn’t excite you, the company also offers a variety of instant coffee flavors, like French Vanilla, Toasted Hazelnut, Pumpkin Spice Latte , and more.

Roast: Medium | Size: 8 ounces | Packaging Options: Jar | Available In: Instant, ground, K-Cup, and single-serve filter bags

Best Cold Brew

Cusa tea & coffee cold brew.

Unique brewing method strengthens flavor

Great for traveling

Bulk option available

Some flavors stronger than others

No jar option

Standard cold brew needs 12 to 24 hours in the fridge before it's ready to drink, the longest brewing time of any coffee-making method. But these instant cold brew packets from Cusa Tea & Coffee shorten the process to seconds.

I received a free sample of Cusa's Coffee Variety Pack to test and enjoyed its blend of convenience and quality. The flavor is smoother and less bitter than other instant coffees. This is largely due to the brand's signature Cold Brew Process, which uses room-temperature water instead of harsh hot water. One downside, however, is that the individual sticks make it difficult to brew extra-bold coffee, as they are designed for a specific portion size. Ways to strengthen the coffee include using less water or opening another packet when brewing. That said, the individual sticks make a terrific companion when camping or traveling.

Cusa sets itself apart from other brands by offering a variety of flavors. There are light, medium, and dark roasts (already a wider range than many instant coffees), as well as Mocha, Dirty Chai, and Lemon Dark Roast. The sweetness of the Vanilla Dark Roast pairs especially well with soy milk .

Roast: Sold in light, medium, and dark roasts | Size: 7, 10, 30, and 100 sticks | Packaging Options: Single-serve sticks | Available In: Instant only

Best Frozen

Cometeer medium/dark box.

Tastes better than normal instant coffee

Variety of roasters and blends

Recyclable capsules

Dissolves smoothly and easily

Thinner mouthfeel

Even though Cometeer's coffee takes just seconds to prepare, it isn't technically "instant coffee." Standard instant coffee is made by brewing coffee like normal then dehydrating it. With Cometeer (pronounced "comma-teer"), the coffee is brewed 10 times stronger than normal and immediately flash frozen for maximum flavor. Cometeer also works with a number of well-known roasters like Birch, Counter Culture, and Red Bay to provide an array of flavors and ensure the highest quality.

Cometeer sent me a couple samples to test and I was immediately impressed by the taste, how easy it is to prepare, and that the capsules are recyclable. To make hot coffee, simply rinse a capsule under warm water for a few seconds, empty the frozen coffee puck into your mug, and pour 8 ounces of hot water. Making iced coffee may require a little foresight, as it’s recommended to let the capsules thaw for a couple days beforehand; however, I was able to melt the pucks under warm water and stir them with ice water until they completely dissolved.

Boxes typically contain four types of coffee with eight capsules each, making for a count of 32 total servings. Options range from light, medium, and dark roasts to decaf and single origin. While the price shouldn't be compared to that of other instant coffees on this list, as Cometeer is a much different product, the boxes can be a little costly. That said, it's worth the price for coffee that's just as fast as instant but tastes even better.

Roasts: Available in light, medium, and dark | Size: 32-count box | Packaging Options: Recyclable coffee capsules | Available In: Frozen only

Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Decaf Coffee

Sold in different packaging options

Pricier than some brands

Many have faced the conundrum of wanting afternoon or late-night coffee but also wanting, at some point, to sleep. The answer is decaf. That’s where Mount Hagen comes in with its freeze-dried instant decaf coffee.

If you’ve ever sipped a cup of decaf and found the taste to be weak and watery, you’re not crazy. The decaffeination process can drain coffee beans of certain chemicals that provide the rich flavors and aromas you love. As a result, decaf coffee, like instant, is often maligned. But this product shows that together, both decaf and instant coffee can be strong and tasty. It is made without chemicals, resulting in a pure and flavorful coffee. Like Mount Hagen’s other products, this coffee is organic, Fair Trade Certified, and reasonably priced.

Roast: Medium | Size: 3.53 ounces | Packaging Options: Glass jar, single-serve sticks, and Doypack bag | Available In: Instant only

Best Splurge

Canyon coffee instant coffee.

Canyon Coffee

Excellent taste

Only sold in single-serve packets

It sounds like an oxymoron: luxury instant coffee. But Canyon Coffee is precisely that. The company packages one cup’s worth of top-quality grounds into individual packets, ensuring the freshest tasting cup and making for a great travel companion. 

The beans are hand-picked and freshly brewed in the Yirgacheffe region of southern Ethiopia —an area that grows some of the most delicious and distinct coffee in the world. Every sip will burst with sweet notes of honey, jasmine, and peach. 

Canyon even teamed up with Swift Cup Coffee, a company that specializes in instant coffee, to produce one of the best ready-to-go cups you can buy.

The only downside is that Canyon can roast a hole in your wallet. Each box contains six packets and costs roughly $3 per cup, which is basically the going rate in an actual coffee shop. But customers return to this boutique roaster because of its coffee’s unbeatable taste.

Roast: Medium | Size: 6-count box | Packaging Options: Single-serve packets | Available In: Instant only

Laird Superfood Mocha Instant Latte

Courtesy of Laird Superfood

Chocolaty but not too sweet

Blends well

This latte mix from Laird Superfood is a great option for those who want all the convenience of instant coffee with more body and sweetness in their cup. The brand offers multiple varieties of these mixes, including a matcha latte option and one with reduced sugar. Each mix is dairy free and made with a blend of adaptogens and coconut milk powder. I recommend starting with the Mocha Instant Latte variety, which I tried firsthand, because the chocolaty flavor takes precedence over the mushroom and coconut. It lets you wade into the world of mushroom coffee rather than diving headfirst.

I also appreciated how well the powder blends, even when I used a spoon instead of a handheld frother. No sludge in the last sip was a pleasant way to finish each cup and left me wanting more. The Mocha Instant Latte is sold in two sizes: 8 or 16 ounces, which respectively yield around 8 and 16 servings. It's pricier than standard grocery-store instant coffee, but if you're willing to spend a little more the flavor is worth it.

Roast: Medium | Size: 8 or 16 ounces | Packaging Options: Pouch | Available In: Instant only

Best Dark Roast

Starbucks via instant french roast dark roast coffee.

Strong flavor

Multiple serving size options

Too bitter for some people

Depending on your taste buds, Starbucks is either famous or infamous for its strong, distinct coffee. But the signature robustness is exactly what makes Starbucks VIA Instant French Roast so popular. Bold and smoky, this is one of the most reviewed and most purchased instant coffees on the market.

Even though Starbucks’ in-store prices are on the higher end , its instant coffee is surprisingly affordable, and you can order it in a variety of sizes, from an 8-pack box to a 50-pack.

And if you’re a dark coffee lover but prefer a sweeter undertone to the smokiness of French roast , Starbucks makes an instant Italian roast, rich with notes of sugar and caramel.

Roast: Dark | Size: 8 or 50-count box | Packaging Options: Single-serve sticks | Available In: Instant, whole bean, ground, K-Cup

Best Dirty Chai

Alpine start dirty chai latte.

Courtesy of Alpine Start

Combines different flavors well

Pricier than standard instant coffee

A dirty chai latte comes from steeping masala chai tea in milk and adding a shot of espresso. Alpine Start put its own spin on the rich and fragrant drink with these instant single-serve sticks. The ingredients include black tea and chai spices to replicate masala chai, soy milk to make it dairy free, and instant coffee instead of espresso .

I received a sample of Alpine Start's Dirty Chai Latte and was impressed with the results. The powder blends into hot water with just a spoon; some sediment lined my mug, but it didn't affect the taste or texture of the drink. As for the flavor, I found that the different elements stand out but don't overpower one another, leading to a tasty cup. There are roasted notes from the arabica instant coffee, a gentle fragrance from the chai mix, and sweetness in every sip. The soy milk powder gives it a creamy, latte-like body as well. Keep in mind that each packet contains 10 grams of added sugar .

Boxes contain five sticks each. The product is expectedly more expensive per serving than normal instant coffee but won't break the bank.

Roast: Medium | Size: 5-count box | Packaging Options: Single-serve sticks | Available In: Instant only

Best Fair Trade

Café altura organic freeze dried instant coffee.

Smooth and easy to drink

Decaf option

No single-serve packets

Café Altura can not only take pride in its coffee’s taste but in its Fair Trade certification as well. To receive this certification, companies must meet several requirements, all of which guarantee that no unfair labor practices occur during the coffee-making process .

On top of that, this coffee is organic, GMO-free, and downright tasty. Café Altura also freeze-dries its grounds for maximum freshness and taste. Take a spoonful of coffee out of the 3.5-ounce jar, mix it with hot water, and enjoy instant caffeinated goodness.

Roast: Medium | Size: 3.53-ounces | Packaging Options: Glass jar | Available In: Instant only

Best with Creamer

Bubs naturals instant coffee + halo creamer.

Courtesy of BUBS Naturals

Rich and slightly sweet

Portion of proceeds are donated

Convenient when traveling

Creamer makes dissolving less smooth

If you're tired of acerbic instant coffee with the body of, well, hot water, then BUBS Naturals has a solution. The brand packs this coffee with an MCT-oil-based creamer to create a richer and smoother cup of joe. I tried the coffee firsthand and found it more enjoyable first thing in the morning than most other instant brands. It would also make an excellent travel companion for people who take their coffee with milk and sugar but don't have those ingredients on the go, like when camping. The creamer can be slightly clumpy when mixing, so it takes some extra stirring to fully dissolve. I typically used an electric handheld frother , though, which was more effective than a spoon.

BUBS Naturals sells its Instant Coffee + Halo Creamer in boxes that contain seven single-serve sticks each. The brand also donates 10 percent of proceeds to charities that support veterans.

Roast: Medium | Size: 7-count box | Packaging Options: Single-serve packets | Available In: Instant only

Those looking for reliable instant coffee should turn to Mount Hagen's Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee first. It's widely available both in-store and online, and the freeze-dried crystals smoothly dissolve into a tasty cup of coffee. For a high-end option with a flavor closer to specialty coffee, check out Intelligentsia's Instant House Blend .

What to Look for in Instant Coffee

Single serve vs. jar.

Walk into your local grocery store or search online, and you'll find instant coffee sold in either single-serve packets and sticks or in jars. The advantages to single-serve instant coffee include that it's easier to travel with, and the proper amount of coffee crystals per cup is measured out for you. On the other hand, buying instant coffee in a jar usually saves money, allows you to buy more coffee at once, and jars can be stored in a bag or suitcase if you're traveling.

Tasting Notes

Identifying the type of roast you like—light, medium, or dark—is a great place to start when trying a new coffee. But it can get even trickier than that. Keep an eye out for a blend's tasting notes, usually written somewhere on the packaging. With a dark roast, for instance, you might like one that has notes of chocolate but not notes of smokiness, or vice versa.

Instant coffee is generally less expensive per serving than regular coffee. In fact, many people choose instant over the real thing to save money and because they don't mind the difference in taste. However, instant coffee can vary in price, from very cheap little packets to more expensive products from boutique brands. Experiment with a few different options. Just because a coffee is more expensive doesn't mean it's the right one for your taste buds.

How is instant coffee made?

Instant coffee is produced by one of two methods: freeze drying or spray drying. Both methods start the same way. Raw coffee beans are roasted , ground, and dissolved with pressurized hot water until they become a coffee extract. In the freeze-drying method, the coffee extract is immediately frozen and dried until it looks like the familiar granules of instant coffee we know and love. This is generally considered the best way to make instant coffee, as it yields more flavor and aroma. The downside is that freeze-dried instant coffee is more expensive. In the spray-drying method, the coffee extract is sprayed from a tall chamber with hot air. As the droplets fall, they dry into granules of instant coffee. Spray-dried instant coffee is usually more affordable but not quite as flavorful as freeze-dried instant coffee.

Is instant coffee real coffee?

The phrase "real coffee" can be a little vague, but the answer is yes, instant coffee is considered real coffee. There are a few more steps involved before instant coffee makes it to the grocery store than whole-bean or ground coffee, but instant is made from real coffee beans that have been roasted, ground, and brewed.

How do I prepare instant coffee at home?

Instant coffee is known for being easy to make. All you have to do is scoop the coffee granules into a mug, add water, and stir. Sweeteners and creamers can be added before or after you pour the water; it doesn't make much difference either way. A common ratio is 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee per 8 ounces of water, but brands typically include brewing instructions on the jars, boxes, or single-serve sticks. Feel free to tinker with the ratio to suit your taste.

Does instant coffee have caffeine?

Yes, instant coffee contains caffeine, unless it's labeled decaf (although, keep in mind that even decaf has trace amounts of caffeine ). The amount of caffeine can vary, especially depending on how many scoops of coffee you add, but one serving of instant usually has around 60 milligrams of caffeine, which is less than standard coffee.

Are K-Cups instant coffee?

Even though K-Cups only take a few seconds to brew, they are not considered instant coffee, nor are they made with instant coffee. K-Cups are filled with ground coffee beans that have not been dried, like instant coffee, and Keurig machines pour hot water through them, similar to drip coffee. In contrast, instant coffee has been dried out beforehand and fully dissolves in water.

Can you make iced coffee or cold brew with instant coffee?

You can easily make a refreshing glass of iced coffee with instant coffee. One way is to prepare the instant coffee with hot water like normal, then add ice. It's also possible to mix instant coffee granules with cold water for a faster cup. Just make sure to stir before adding ice because instant coffee doesn't dissolve as well in cold water.

Cold brew is a little different, though. For coffee to be considered cold brew it can't be exposed to hot water. Most instant coffee is brewed hot, then cooled and crystallized. There are brands that sell cold-brewed instant coffee, but they are less common than brands that use traditional methods of producing instant coffee.

Can you put instant coffee in a coffee maker?

Definitely do not put instant coffee in a drip coffee maker or espresso machine. They are designed to brew traditional ground coffee, and adding instant will not only make a bad cup of joe, but it could also clog or damage your machine. Instant coffee can be prepared in a French press if need be, but the added step of plunging would lead to little difference in taste. It's best to make instant coffee in a mug as the instructions recommend.

This piece was written by Derek Rose , the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. He researches a variety of products, from measuring scoops to commercial espresso machines, and interviews field experts for their insight. Before recommending these products, he gathered information from customer reviews and third-party articles. He received an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and a BA in Communications from Marist College.

United States Department of Agriculture. Labeling organic products .

Fair Trade Certified. Fair Trade Certification .

Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?

Ramalakshmi K, Raghavan B. Caffeine in coffee: its removal. Why and how? .  Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr . 1999;39(5):441-456. doi:10.1080/10408699991279231

Food and Drug Administration. How GMOs are regulated for food and plant safety in the United States .

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Instant Coffee Is Fancy Now: The Best Travel-Friendly Coffees to Take With You

By Maggie Hoffman

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

I woke at dawn, and it took a minute to remember where I was: Crappy airport hotel. Everything’s loaded on the truck. Just catch the flight. My daughter and husband had already headed toward our new home on the East coast, and my last morning in California wasn’t exactly a poetic goodbye. The coffee dispenser in the empty hotel breakfast room was broken. My head was pounding. Just catch the flight.

After a closed-road delay (because the crappy airport hotel wasn't even that close to the airport), I raced to the gate, collapsing sweatily into my airplane seat and trying to shake off the mounting pressure between my temples. It was then that I remembered: I’d bought myself a parting gift at Sightglass , the coffee roaster down the street from our old house. Six packets of their fancy new instant coffee. As the beverage cart (with its urns of acidic roastwater) passed by, I tore one open and mixed the powder with the contents of my water bottle and a cup of ice. I took a sip. I may have said aloud: I’m a genius.

My name is Maggie, and I’m a coffee snob.

The elixir had the punch of espresso and a robust cocoa flavor. I’d been skeptical of the new generation of instant coffees (and other travel-friendly options from high-end roasters around the country) that I’d been hearing about. Who needs instant coffee that costs as much as a cafe cup? But with each lifesaving sip on that cross-country flight, I let go of doubt and vowed to explore all the options.

And now, after spending this fall tasting cup after cup, I know I can bring the good stuff with me wherever I go.

If you’re traveling on planes, trains, or automobiles this winter, you need the coffee situation to be easy, and that’s where dissolving granules of much-better-than-old-school instant coffee come in. Most of these instant coffees are made through a partnership: Your favorite roaster sends their beans to a producer like Swift Cup in Lancaster, PA. Though the precise details are proprietary, they basically grind the coffee and brew it into an intense concentrate, which is then freeze-dried so that you can easily carry around a single-serving pouch. All you need is water to bring the coffee back to life. Swift Cup produces their own instant coffees as well as making the stuff for more than 50 different roasters, including Sightglass and Joe .

As grateful as I was for those granules of coffee on the plane, there are some downsides. The dehydrated coffees I’ve tried reconstitute into a rich, bold cup, with an intensity that I like best on ice. Matt Scottoline of ReAnimator Coffee Roasters in Philadelphia says they’ve noticed that the instant coffees have “lowered acidity and a higher concentration of sugary flavors,” though he notes he’s happy with their clean, sweet character. In a post on their blog, the Counter Culture team explains that they found a molasses note that sometimes veered toward oxidation in some of the dehydrated coffees they sampled from various producers, which is why they chose to go a different way.

That different way is essentially coffee in a tea bag, and it’s not just Counter Culture that went there: the company Steeped produces the bags for 75 different roasters including Victrola and Alabaster Coffee . The bags feel a bit weird to use, but it’s an easy process: You pour hot water over the bag into your cup, lift it up and down for a few seconds, and then let the bag steep for five minutes. What you’re left with has the brightness of pourover and some of the richness of French press. The Steeped tea bag model captures more of the coffee’s high notes: the tart cherry, the lemon rind. I’m into it, and I’ll be taking a few to drink at my inlaws’ house this Thanksgiving. (Love you guys! But hate your coffee!)

True coffee nerds can even take real-ish pourover on the road, and several of the companies making them say they're working toward launching a 100% biodegradable product soon. I felt a little funny jiggering the flimsy cardboard wings of a single-use filter setup over my cup—and several of my office mates stopped to stare—but the Kuju Ethiopian is pretty good. Of these portable pourovers, I liked the setup of DripKit’s offerings best: The sturdy cardboard contraption’s notches slide onto the rim of your cup to make it more stable, and their single origin coffee from Verve is delightfully bright and juicy. Though I’m not sure I’d want to risk knocking it over on a plane. For that, I’ll keep my Sightglass granules handy.

All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Lauren Joseph

Liz Clayton

Allison Considine

The Best Instant Coffees Make On-The-Go Sipping so Much Better

In a rush? You don’t have to settle for an average cup of joe.

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In addition to the classic “just add hot water” varieties, you can now find instant coffee tucked into tea bags or placed in fold-out pour overs for your fastest-ever cup. Grocery store favorites are raising the bar with higher-quality brews, while specialty roasters are bringing us single-origin blends in an instant, literally.

After nearly two weeks of caffeine-fueled taste tests by our editors, family, and friends, we rounded up the best brands of instant coffee to make your hassle-free morning brew even better. Our top picks are perfect to take on your next backpacking trip or hiking adventure, or to whip into Dalgona whipped coffee. Consider this your quick guide to better instant coffee ... that you just might want some extra time to enjoy.

Joe Coffee The Daily

The reason kids don’t drink coffee isn’t just because they don’t need the caffeine, it’s also because coffee can be bitter. And that’s precisely what we love about it. This cup of Joe has that bitter edge that we look for in our daily brew, with a citrusy, slightly nutty flavor and sweet, chocolate-pecan aroma to balance it all out. This blend also held up well to dairy add-ins, which is great news —because the other thing we love about coffee is that extra splash of cream.

RELATED:  8 Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers of 2020, According to Kitchen and Coffee Pros

Steeped Coffee Single-Serve Packs

Open a packet of this instant coffee and you might think you accidentally tore into a pack of Earl Grey. This single-serve specialty coffee comes in tea-like bags that yep, you guessed it —  steep in hot water like tea. Our tasters loved the slightly nutty, citrusy flavor of the California Blend medium roast, but you should try the well-balanced Odyssey Blend if you prefer dark roast. To enjoy your café without the caffeine, their Eventide Decaf option is single origin and boasts mellow flavor with low acidity and hints of molasses.

Cafe Altura Fair Trade Freeze Dried Organic Coffee

One of the few organic, fair trade instant coffees on the market, this roast resulted in a balanced, smooth cup without any overpowering flavors or bitterness. Pick up a jar of their decaf blend to enjoy after dinner ( best served with dessert ). At just around $0.17 per cup, it’s also an incredible value. Many of our tasters preferred this cup over the pricier brands. 

Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee Medium Roast

The strong, pleasant, freshly brewed coffee aroma of this option smelled like walking into … well, a bustling Starbucks. What’s more, the smooth, balanced cup looked and tasted as good as it smelled, with a dark chocolate color and toasted nut flavor. Instead of braving the morning commute crowd, we’d happily enjoy a cup of this instant instead, right at home. 

Nescafé Clásico Dark Roast Instant Coffee

For those who prefer to greet the day with a mild roast rather than a kicked up cup of coffee, this mellow blend is perfect. Low acidity and flavors of black tea make this easy drinking joe a great way to start your morning. Plus, each jar only costs about $5 and contains 100 cups of coffee … yep, that’s just 5 cents a cup.

Tandem Coffee Gute Sodu - Instant Coffee

The deeply chocolatey aroma of this coffee, straight from the packet, cues you right away that this isn’t your average (cup of) joe. The fruity, nuanced flavor of their Gute Sodu medium roast might just turn you into an instant coffee convert, or try their Stoker blend if you prefer dark roast. Made from a specialty roastery in Portland, ME, this is our worth-it upgrade pick.

Hub Coffee Roasters Single Origin Instant Coffee

Forget everything you think you know about instant coffee — this complex cup exceeded our expectations in almost every way. The sweet, milk chocolatey smell gave way to a strong, citrusy flavor that was zingy but not overwhelming. Some tasters detected a mushroomy flavor with some molasses, while others tasted hints of fresh fruit. It’s definitely a cup that’ll keep you curious until the last sip.

Equator Coffees Equator VOILA Instant Coffee

If you love a drop of cream or sugar in your morning cup, this full-bodied blend holds up to any of your favorite add-ins. The complex, citrus-forward flavor, milk chocolate smell, and smooth finish of this brew shines through any dairy extras and tastes just as delicious on its own.  

Intelligentsia Illumination Blend Instant Coffee

Tasters loved the full-bodied and citrusy character of this instant coffee blend, and hints of coconut and fresh berries left us savoring every sip. Be sure to take some time to enjoy this option— one serving costs more than your average latte. But we think a little extra caffeine TLC is worth it if you’re traveling or camping where there’s not a coffee shop in sight. 

Voila Discovery Box

This instant coffee lives up to its name— and its Instagrammable packaging. Thanks to a new roaster partnership with Flight Coffee (based in Wellington, New Zealand), the coffees in every “Discovery Box” are sourced from all around the world. Enjoy a nutty, balanced cup from Rwanda, or sip on a bright, fruity coffee from Colombia. There’s truly something to discover— and savor— in every 100% compostable packet.

Swift Cup Coffee Ethiopia - Agaro

If you’re brewing for two (or you just need a hefty cup for yourself), this option yields 10 ounces of coffee in every single-serve packet. We were worried that the high water-to-coffee grounds ratio would produce a weak cup, but every ounce was strong, full-bodied, and compelling with citrusy, bright flavors. If you’re an iced coffee drinker, this option tastes great hot or cold. 

Reanimator Coffee Instant Coffee: Colombia Tablón

At around $3 per cup, this instant coffee isn’t cheap to steep. But its rich, full-bodied texture and strong, nuanced flavor could pass for a coffee-house cup at a comparable price. Our tasters were blown away by the fruit-forward, citrusy flavor of all the blends we tried. Instead of a quick and convenient caffeine fix, this option offers a luxurious coffee break.

Ferris Coffee Day Break Instant Coffee

This specialty instant coffee was made with campers, hikers, and adventure-seekers in mind; the evergreen trees and canoeing couple illustrated on each pack says it all. Each tube of coffee grounds yields a strong, well-rounded, toasty cup. It’s perfect for someone who prefers sleeping under the stars, and waking up to a campfire-warmed cup of joe. 

Treeline Coffee Roasters GEO Pour Over

This brand boasts the best setup — by far. A single-serve, pour-over filter comes in an individual packet that unfolds to sit perfectly on top of your mug. The filter comes filled with toasty coffee grounds ready to be brewed with hot water. We wouldn’t call this coffee truly “instant”— it’s more like pre-packed coffee grounds — but it’s perfect for pour-over enthusiasts who want something just as good on the go. 

Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.

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Move Over Pour-Over: Instant Coffee Is the New Travel Essential

Instant coffee has come a long way, and current offerings are perfect for camping, road tripping, or your next hotel stay.

Perhaps I have an anxious attachment style when it comes to espresso, but I’m a firm believer that a proper cup of coffee is as much of a packing essential as a decent toothbrush. And these days, there’s no need to settle on quality when it comes to your morning joe—regardless of whether you’re backcountry camping or overnighting at a hotel —because top-tier specialty coffee brands have recently launched instant versions of their roasts. 

For those of you who have been scarred by memories of Nescafe, fear not; this is far from the bitter blends you may have tried before. And bonus: All you need for a cafe-level cup is some hot water. Just open up the sachet filled with freeze-dried granules of instant coffee, pour it into a mug along with some hot H 2 O, mix, and sip your way to bliss.

A major selling point for these instant coffees is not just that they’re truly on par with pour-over, but that they come in recyclable or compostable lightweight packaging, making them packable for your next alpine adventure or the next Burning Man festival, if that’s your style.

Courtesy of the Norr Agency

“Instant coffee has come a long way,” says Lori Haughey, vice president of retail at Intelligentsia, which sells multiple instant offerings including espresso, classic house blend coffee, and an oat latte. “The stigma of freeze-dried coffee is being replaced with specialty offerings, and we’re excited by its future.”

Haughey believes that specialty instant coffee is a signifier for where the industry is headed as a whole, with on-demand yet consistently delicious brews being the new norm. After all, she adds “only the best coffees produce the greatest espresso.”

It’s taken years to get instant coffee to this level. “The flavors of unique coffees used to be muted or lost altogether through the process of brewing, then freeze-drying,” says Devorah Freudiger, director of coffee culture at San Francisco-based Equator Coffee. “Thankfully the coffee industry is full of innovators and geeks. Entrepreneurial coffee lovers started looking at the process of making instant coffee and found they could improve it. They focused on extracting a great cup from the coffee they start with, rather than focusing on simply extracting every drop of flavor from the beans.”

Krista Simmons

In the case of California-based Verve Coffee Roasters, the company roasts in small batches and precisely preserves them at sub-zero temperatures in an oxygen-free environment, ensuring that its world-class coffee can be enjoyed anywhere without compromising the nuanced flavor profiles.

Verve co-founder Colby Barr says the change has been a long time coming. “The world of craft coffee is constantly evolving, and it was inevitable that instant craft coffee was going to become an area of focus, as convenience becomes a bigger factor in everyday life,” Barr says .

It seems the stigma and snobbery is finally being stripped away from the industry, where coffeehouses that refused to serve dairy alternatives with their lattes used to reign.

“Coffee lovers should be able to have a great cup of coffee even when they don’t have access to a temperature-specific kettle, burr grinder, and scale,” says Freudiger. “Gatekeeping great coffee doesn’t do anyone along the supply line any good.”

I couldn’t agree more. Here are some of my favorites to pack on a trip: 

Alpine Start 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Alpine Start (@alpinestartfoods)

This mountain-friendly brand offers Colombian arabica beans pre-blended with powdered coconut creamer, meaning you can get a plant-based instant latte at altitude. There’s also a dirty chai option, perfect for cozying up with during the upcoming winter months.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Equator Coffees (@equatorcoffees)

Female-owned coffee roaster Equator selected coffees from small garden farms in the Lake Toba region of Sumatra and blended them together. The coffee was processed using the island’s traditional wet-hull method, creating a citrusy, woodsy blend that has notes of lemongrass, cocoa nibs, and sandalwood. The product comes in packets of five and costs $15 . There’s also a decaf option. 

Intelligentsia 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Intelligentsia Coffee (@intelligentsiacoffee)

Though Intelli is Chicago-based, the roaster made waves on the West Coast with its Silverlake outpost in Los Angeles when it first opened, and has since become a staple in the scene. Intelli’s signature Black Cat roast is now available in instant form, offering a freeze-dried espresso blend with notes of dark chocolate, raw sugar, and marshmallow based on another bestseller. 

Verve Coffee Roasters

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rumpl (@gorumpl)

Santa Cruz roaster Verve offers several instant options, but my favorite is the variety pack, which includes seven single-serving craft instant coffee sachets, each with distinct flavors, including a decaf option for those who are sensitive to caffeine. The product tastes great, and a bonus is the real value that Verve brings to everyone throughout the production process, from the farmers to the distributors to the packers.

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Which Instant Coffee Is the Best? A Blind Taste Test

By Sam Stone

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

At Bon Appétit, we love obsessing over every step of the coffee-making process: choosing  the best beans , selecting  our favorite brewing method , finding  the right travel mug , and tweaking  our techniques to get the perfect cup of joe . It might seem strange, then, to hear that we recommend instant coffee powders—you might even assume that the phrase “best instant coffees” would be an oxymoron. But don’t be so sure! Instant coffee brands have come a long way, and the market, once dominated by industry giants like Folgers, now also includes craft brands that offer a cup of instant coffee that is— gasp, pearl clutch, delicately wiping a beautiful bead of sweat from my brow —actually good. 

For the coffee purists among us, instant coffee may not be an everyday thing, but a quality instant coffee can be a lifesaver when camping , traveling, or on any particularly hectic morning. For times when it’s just not possible to get to a coffee shop, it’s an easy shortcut: A few stirs to combine hot water with coffee crystals and you’re in business. But as instant coffee drinkers know, not all are created equal—in fact they vary greatly by brand. Some instant coffee packets yield a rich, deeply aromatic cup of coffee with layers of fruit and satisfying bite, while other single-serve packets leave you with a sad cup of old-tasting, diner-quality coffee. 

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What is instant coffee anyway?

The process of making instant coffee powders typically begins in much the same way as you’d brew regular coffee. First, beans are roasted and ground, then hot water is poured over them to brew—think of it like a giant French press. That coffee is concentrated through evaporation, then freeze-dried or spray-dried and broken into granules. These granules are packaged and can be revitalized with hot water to (hopefully) create a cup of coffee indistinguishable from a typical house blend—though they will usually have a lower caffeine content. 

How we tested

To find the absolute best instant coffee, we blind-tested twelve brands, sticking to medium and espresso roasts, and focused on offerings from specialty coffee roasters as well as a few supermarket brands to keep things interesting. Our panel of tasters judged on taste and smell and the complexity of each cup to find the one that most closely resembled the flavor of freshly ground coffee. We tasted each contender twice, using hot water that wasn’t quite boiling, and no milk, creamers, or sweeteners for each sip. Here’s what we found:

What are the best instant coffees?

Partners’ Brooklyn blend, a sensible medium roast, had some subtle fruity notes that our tasters really enjoyed. Associate editor Zoe Denenberg noted that it was particularly berry-forward on the nose, but those flavors were more balanced during tasting, when a sharp zing of acidity pierced through the fruitiness. Partner’s instant coffee was a strong contender for the top spot but ultimately got points taken off for body, which our tasters felt was too weak to crown it number one. Nevertheless this was a quality instant coffee that we certainly wouldn’t mind drinking again. 

Partners Coffee Brooklyn Specialty Instant Coffee

Partners Coffee

Some thoughtful sips of Intelligentsia’s instant espresso placed it in the middle of the pack. The brewed coffee was supposed to have notes of marshmallow, dark chocolate, and raw sugar, according to the packaging, but those flavors didn’t come through for our tasters. The cup of brewed coffee wasn’t as strong as we’d have liked—more of a medium roast rather than espresso—and some tasters likened it to diner coffee. Still, it would work in a pinch—which is generally when you’re drinking instant coffee anyways. Food director Chris Morocco described it as “rough and ready,” because, while it’s not the best, you could do far worse. 

Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Instant Espresso

Intelligentsia

Almost all tasters enjoyed their samples of Canyon’s Ethiopian single-origin instant coffee. Chris found it slightly vegetal but wonderfully bright, while other tasters noticed a distinctly fruity note in addition to some of the sharper, earthy flavors that Chris described. Coffee lovers will adore the aroma, which was warm, inviting, and strong, and it was a real contender for first place, until we noticed a slightly sour note that just slightly threw off the flavor balance in our cups of black coffee. Still, we’re confident in saying that a pack of Canyon instant coffee will leave you with a very respectable cup. 

Canyon Instant Coffee

Canyon Coffee

Sightglass initially lost us at its aroma, which had an almost chemical quality. Our tasters warmed up much more after an initial sip, however, although many found it had more of an acidic bite than they wanted. A second sip revealed some lightly fruity notes of blueberry or grape. Zoe put it with a shrug, “I would drink a cup of that.”

Sightglass Blueboon Instant Coffee

Sightglass Coffee

Tasters agreed that this contender wasn’t bad—but it wasn’t great either. The consensus was that it was a bit of a nothingburger in terms of flavor and aroma, though it’s possible  Blue Bottle’s instant espresso, which is formulated for lattes , doesn’t show best with just water. In our testing it lacked the richness and depth we expected from espresso, and even fell short of the benchmark we’d expect in a strong roast coffee. We agreed that it might work as a crowd pleaser since there was nothing outright offensive about it. Chris, however, praised its middle-of-the-roadness. “To be in the clean, simple realm,” he said, “feels like an achievement.”

Blue Bottle Craft Instant Espresso

Blue Bottle Coffee (Multiserve)

Blue Bottle (Single Serve)

Cometeer isn’t like other instant coffees —they source coffee from specialty roasters like Equator and Counter Culture, brew it at ten times the strength of normal coffee, and then freeze it into a puck. When you’re ready to make a cup, you simply pour hot water over the frozen coffee concentrate. When tasting this blend from Onyx Roasters, the overwhelming note was that it was sour. First and second sips left tasters with a puckery feeling in their mouth and a dry aftertaste, which, we agreed, was not ideal. As tasters’ palates acclimated to the acidity on subsequent tastes, though, the roar of sour became more of a pleasant purr, and they enjoyed their sips of Cometeer. Still, we felt it was a touch harsher than regular coffee and that there was room for improvement here. 

Onyx Roasters Southern Weather Blend by Cometeer

A well-balanced medium roast, Verve’s Streetlevel blend is everything we want in a cup of coffee. It has a delicious, deep chocolatey aroma; a strong, dark roast taste; and a bit of an acidic bite for balance. Chris was pleased to find that this was a high-quality cup of coffee that had “character and nuance” to it. It had all the rich flavors and robust body of a beautiful pour over with the easy smoothness of a cold brew. Because it checked all our boxes and more, we’re naming Verve Streetlevel our best instant coffee. 

Verve Coffee Roasters Streetlevel Blend

Verve Coffee

Others we tested that were…not the best

Cafe Bustelo’s instant espresso fell extremely flat on flavor and aroma. Chris generously described the flavor as “vegetal,” but other tasters noticed the distinct flavor of soy sauce in every sip. It was hard to draw comparisons between a cup of Cafe Bustelo instant espresso and an actual cup of coffee made from real coffee beans—Bustelo is in its own instant coffee universe. The coffee was watery and weak, falling short of the rich, dark roast we want from any instant coffee, let alone an instant espresso powder. 

Bustelo Instant Coffee, 3.5 oz

Velty’s instant coffee powder was the only decaffeinated option we tried, but, really, Velty is more than coffee, and also the only contender that claims to improve your digestive health. It contains small amounts of ingredients like lion’s mane mushrooms, ginger, and inulin, which the brand says can aid in gut health and brain function. The flavor of those additions is undetectable, but commerce producer Alaina Chou found she enjoyed notes of “tropical fruit” while Chris said the coffee had “an inherent sweetness.” Unfortunately, Velty failed another baseline criteria: easy dissolving. Despite vigorous stirring, lots of granules remained floating around in our cups, which led to a gritty feeling sip after sip. 

Velty Uncaffeinated Classic Coffee

When we hear the words “instant coffee,” Nescafé Original is what we expect—for better or for worse—and that may just be why instant coffee has a bad rap. “Dead last,” said Zoe bluntly, after her first sip. The rest of the tasters agreed wholeheartedly. Nescafé had an unpleasant smell that some tasters described as “fishy” and others likened to a cafeteria. Either way Nescafé was not great, to put it generously, and we can’t recommend you drink it if you’re looking for a great, good, or even average cup of coffee. 

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee

“Charred,” “burnt,” and “sad” were all words used to describe the taste of Starbucks Via Colombia instant coffee, which is made with the same arabica beans used in-store at Starbucks locations. Perhaps that’s why Morocco noted that even the smell, which was acrid and stale, would be enough to turn him off from trying a cup. The crystals didn’t quite dissolve, which left us with a gritty cup of coffee, and it got low marks for taste as well. Without much positive to say, Starbucks Via ends up towards the bottom of our list. 

Starbucks Via Instant Coffee, Colombia

Amazon (13 Packets)

Costco (26 Packets)

House of Word instant coffee has a brewing process that makes it somewhat unique; instead of the French press method, ground coffee is cold brewed, then filtered and dehydrated to create, according to the brand, an especially smooth cup of coffee. But our panel found House of Word to be somewhat flaccid. After just a couple sips, Alaina noted that this was one of the most watery instant coffees of the bunch. Zoe declared, unhappily, that it didn’t “taste like much.” House of Word instant coffee wasn’t actively offensive in terms of flavor, body and aroma, but it didn’t give us much to love either. It was generally agreed upon that it had a very “instant coffee taste” which, for our tasters, wasn’t a compliment.  

House of Word Original Blend

House of Word Coffee

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Best Instant Coffee Packs

• By Cyndi Mathews
• January 6, 2022

The instant coffee market is growing by billions of dollars a year, to reach around $36 billion in 2020. That’s because coffee packets give you a tasty cup of coffee in as little time as it takes to heat the water.

Instant coffee is popular around the world, surprisingly even in traditional tea-drinking regions like China, Japan, Europe, and Turkey. If you’re looking for the simplest coffee solution for home, office, college dorm, or campsite, grab a few of our favorite instant coffee sticks for convenience any time of the night or day.

Ethically sourced

Coffee is enjoyed across the globe, but since the 2000s, the coffee industry has boomed: from the popularity of coffee shops, to the grocer’s bottled blends, to individual coffee cups, and the fastest way to a rich cuppa – instant sticks. Starbucks’ most popular medium blend, Pike’s Place Roast, combines nutty notes with hints of chocolate. Not only do these instant coffee packets give you a great cup of coffee, but they are also the secret weapon of many a chef who appreciate how easy it is to add the flavor to ice cream, mousse, cakes, and frostings. This 50-count package gives you enough to put a few in your camping crate or RV.

Instant coffee has come a long way from the days of clumpy coffees many of us recall. Today’s coffee sticks are actually made from real coffee. There are two processes for producing today’s instant coffee. One is where the coffee is spray-dried. This is a process where coffee is cooked down to a concentrate and then sprayed into a 480 degree F. area that evaporates all the water, just leaving instant coffee crystals. Or it can be freeze-dried, where it’s chilled to lower and lower temperatures, making pieces of frozen coffee that are dried to remove the ice. All that’s left is instant coffee. These five House Blend packets by Intelligentsia contain a rich instant coffee with notes of chocolate, mandarin, and apple.

Espresso style

Crafted in Korea for decades, these cof f ee packets still are all the rage. Made from freeze-dried coffee, these complete coffee sticks have depth of flavor and aroma. You can appreciate all those coffee notes with the espresso-style packets that only use 2.5 ounces of water to enjoy. We love that the packets are divided so you can add as much sugar or non-dairy creamer as you desire. The creamer is crafted from coconut oil, known for containing healthy fatty acids and antioxidants. Enjoy a rich, creamy espresso on the go or on the couch with this package of 100 coffee sticks.

Not sweetened, just flavored

From pour-over, French Press, or a countertop coffee maker, traditional coffee grounds are a mess to deal with. With 50 coffee sticks in five flavors, let Beanie blend instant coffee sticks take coffee brewing off your to-do list. Choose from Hazelnut, Amaretto Almond, Caramel, Double Chocolate, and Irish Cream flavors. Or grab one out of the box and surprise yourself with a flavored coffee each morning or an afternoon treat. Containing just a little less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, with instant coffee packets it’s easy and fun to have a cuppa on the road, at the office, or on the couch.

Pour, stir, and enjoy

Are you a morning person? Is making coffee a tough task first thing in the morning? Then you’ll love these light-to-medium House Blend instant coffee packets . With 72 cups of coffee just hot water, a spoon, and a mug away, your morning routine has just gotten easier and neater. In only ten minutes you can even make a whipped coffee. All you need is two tablespoons each of instant coffee, granulated sugar, hot water, and one cup of milk or milk alternative. Simply whip the water, coffee, and sugar until frothy then spoon it over a tall glass with ice and milk. Stir it up and sip your own incredible smooth and sweet coffee drink, and you can skip the coffee shop.

Cyndi Mathews is a contributing writer to Florida Travel & Life, an online brand that inspires active, affluent travelers, providing them with insider information on discovering the best of Florida. Informative and engaging, the website showcases travel destinations, arts and cultural venues, vibrant dining scenes, recreational activities, the great outdoors and the revitalized real-estate market. Cyndi recently published her first book and enjoys traveling to Florida in her sailboat.

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I Tried Dozens of Instant Coffees Over the Past Year. These 12 Are the Best.

I don’t own a coffee machine and I have no interest in getting one. It’s not that I don’t like coffee — I very much enjoy it. But when I drink it, I only drink one cup, which has never seemed enough to make investing in even a cheap coffee-maker worthwhile. Last year when everything closed down, I was forced to quit my habit of picking up a latte at the café down the street. Not willing to give up my routine or caffeine, I took a chance on Jot , an instant coffee that, to my surprise (and delight), tasted comparable to what I was used to from my coffee shop. Even non–coffee snobs like me know that instant coffee has always had a reputation as sort of the Franzia of the coffee world: a cheap (and cheap-tasting) imitation of the real thing. But my love for Jot — which my coffee-snob boyfriend also approved of — got me wondering if there were other instant varieties that are just as good.

The short answer? Yes. After spending more than a year trying more than two dozen kinds of instant coffee , I now consider myself a bit of a connoisseur. For those who haven’t had it in awhile — or ever — instant coffee now comes in lots more forms than the chalky powder you might think of. That’s not to say there aren’t good powdered instant coffees — there are — but my favorites also come as single-serve bags, concentrates, and even latte mixes (none of which made me react like Ross and Chandler when they tried instant lattes on Friends ). Each style has its strengths. Single-serve bags work best for those who seek precise brew strength because you can control how long they steep for. Concentrates work best for those who want a strong cup. And if you’re short on time or particularly lazy (or both), a mix or powder are generally the easiest to prepare without much effort. My 12 favorite instant coffees below should include a variety for most anyone — including the dairy-free, because I’m lactose-intolerant.

Best instant coffee for every kind of palate

Swift Cup Coffee actually produces the instant coffee for many brands, including some that are on this list. According to the company, the proprietary technology it uses to roast and freeze-dry coffee as a powder is why other brands seek it as a production partner. But after trying Swift’s own powder instant coffee along with varieties it makes for other companies, I would say Swift’s is better. The texture is the smoothest of all the instant coffees on this list and every cup tastes café-quality, whether black or with a splash of milk. You really can’t tell it’s instant.

Best instant coffee for people who like their coffee black

I used to stop into Joe Coffee for black coffee at least once a week when I commuted to the office. The coffee was always so rich and smooth that I never needed to add anything to it. I’m happy to say the brand’s powder instant coffee, served black, tastes just the same. Joe Coffee is actually produced in partnership with Swift Cup Coffee, which explains why it’s of such high quality. Even though it is clearly not fresh — it is freeze-dried coffee powder — somehow this tastes like it was just roasted.

Best instant coffee for people who prefer decaf

Sometimes I want the taste of coffee but not the caffeine. Decaf coffee of course has its stigmas , one of which is that a lot of it tastes off. I’ve felt this way about both instant and machine-brewed decaf coffees, but Voila is an exception. I’ve tried the brand’s caffeinated coffees, too, and the decaf tastes so similar that I sometimes forget which variety I’m drinking. There’s no weird aftertaste and the powder dissolves seamlessly.

Best instant coffee for people who like light roast

I spoke to Emma Chamberlain last year after she rebranded her coffee company. Her team sent me samples in preparation for our interview and, despite my preconceptions that she maybe was just slapping her name on anything, I really liked the coffee. I drank it so much that once my samples were gone, I bought more of the single-serve bags myself. I’m typically a medium-to-dark-roast person, but the brand’s Early Bird, a light-roast, is what I enjoyed most, especially on days I didn’t get a lot of sleep. It has the highest caffeine content of all of Chamberlain Coffee’s blends and definitely wakes me up. The taste is crisp, not heavy or rich — another reason why I prefer it on mornings when I’m feeling more tired.

Best instant coffee for people who like medium roast

I first heard about this instant coffee from Tan France , who to be fair partnered with Starbucks to promote it. Again, the brand sent me some to try — but they did not send some to my dad, whom I gave a cup to one day when he came over to hang some pictures. He is a loyalist to Maxwell House and uses his Cuisinart coffee-maker to brew it, but when he tried this, he couldn’t believe it was instant. Tan, meanwhile, described it as “exactly like the medium roast you get at a Starbucks store,” and I’d have to agree. Of all the powder instant coffees on the list, this is also the easiest to blend. I only need to stir it for maybe five seconds before it’s good to go.

Best instant coffee for people who like dark roast

Steeped Coffee offers all sorts of instant-coffee blends, from French roast to light roast. Of the two I’ve tried (medium and dark), I recommend the dark for its chocolatey, caramel-y notes. The instant coffee comes in single-serve bags and, to me, tastes a bit fresher than other bagged varieties. Apparently this is due to a patent-pending process that involves nitro sealing each bag to preserve the freshness of the grind, according to the brand. Each bag is also sealed without glue or staples, elements that prevent other single-serve tea or coffee bags from being compostable. So this instant coffee is a bit more environmentally friendly, too.

Best instant coffee for people who prefer lattes

This one bugged me at first because each time I made it, it tasted bitter and almost burnt. I wrote it off as just a bad instant mix until my sister and sister-in-law told me that the temperature of the water you use to brew matters. Not being a coffee snob, I didn’t yet know this. But once I did, I gave the latte mix another go with 200-degree water instead of the 212-degree temperature I usually let it rise to. The lower temperature made all the difference: That cup, and each one since, has tasted like a real latte. Because this is a latte mix, you don’t have to add any milk — it already has oat powder in it that turns very creamy as soon as the water touches it. It foams a little on it’s own through stirring, but you won’t get any intense froth. You also have to vigorously stir it for longer than the few seconds the brand suggests to make sure it doesn’t clump (or use a frother if you have one). Even so, it’s worth the extra effort for those who love their lattes.

Best instant coffee for people who prefer frothy lattes

A lot of instant latte mixes require you to foam your milk outside of the latte if you want real froth. The best part about this mix from Clevr is that you don’t need to add anything to it to get a frothy latte. You do, however, need a frother — but given how perfectly foamy this mix gets each time, buying one would probably save you money on coffee-shop lattes in the long run. Just add eight ounces of water to three tablespoons of the mix, blend it with a frother for ten seconds, and the included oat milk and coconut cream make it foamier and creamier than any other instant latte I’ve tried. To those who don’t have (or want) a frother, I’ve also stirred this together and it works. But the resulting latte isn’t as foamy.

Best instant coffee for people who prefer cold brew

You usually have to plan ahead in order to make cold brew because it has to sit for at least 12 hours. Lucky Jack solves that problem: Because it’s a concentrate, you just mix it with water and you’re done. I’ve tried it hot, but I think this really shines when served cold. They also have different varieties, like vanilla and caramel, if you prefer your cold brew with a little flavor.

Best instant coffee for people who switch between hot and cold brew

Jot, the instant coffee that got me hooked on instant coffees, still holds a place in my lineup. It’s a concentrate like Lucky Jack, but I think it’s slightly more versatile because it tastes as good brewed hot or cold. I’ve determined this is due to the consistency; Lucky Jack is thinner than Jot, which makes it taste kind of weak served hot. Because of its thicker consistency, Jot also requires less of the concentrate in order to get a strong taste.

Best instant coffee for people who use creamers

I normally don’t love creamers. They often have an awful aftertaste that can instantly ruin a cup of coffee. The reason I gave this powder instant coffee that includes a creamer a shot is because Strategist editor Maxine Builder wrote an ode to the brand’s creamer years ago; if she liked it, I figured I might like the coffee. I’m happy to say that Maxine did not lead me astray. The instant coffee is creamy without being heavy and, more importantly, does not have a bad aftertaste. When you add water, don’t be alarmed if unappetizing clumps of powder float to the top: An intense stir (you really need to stir this one) blends it all into what tastes like a normal cup of coffee.

Best instant coffee for people who prefer flavored coffee

Flavored coffee can often taste too sweet and leave my stomach feeling uncomfortably heavy after drinking a full cup. To be honest, I saw this brand on Amazon and took a chance. I liked that it contains no chemicals and is sweetened by monk fruit, which is subtler and less saccharin than sugar. And I love chocolate. This is by far the best of the handful of mocha-latte-type instant coffees I tried. The powder instant coffee is rich to be sure, but not heavy enough that I feel queasy after drinking it. The chocolate and sea-salt flavors taste natural, too. I like it so much that I plan to try the brand’s salted caramel and vanilla varieties when I finish this bag.

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The 6 Best Instant Coffees for Your Next Camping Trip

Are we in the golden age of instant coffee?

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Making coffee is perhaps the most sacred camping ritual. This simple luxury adds magic to your already special backcountry morning. There’s nothing like sitting back, watching the sunrise, and inhaling the crisp morning air with a mug of fresh brew.

That said, too often, I have lugged my Aeropress—a brilliant concept and product—into the wild, only to stare at it with brewing contempt as I foresee the faff that awaits me if I’m to get my caffeine hit. After fiddling with my stove in the cold and finding a comfy-ish spot to stoop, I just want my fingers to be warmed and my heart rate to accelerate without any unnecessary admin. And so, forsaking the Aeropress in my pack to allow for precious gnocchi/wine real estate, I’ve become an instant coffee* convert. So far, I’ve been relying exclusively on Starbucks Via (don’t judge me), once a dominant force in the instant category. However, as boutiquey outlets are taking instant coffee to the next level, I’m delighted to say that is no longer the case.

*In case you’ve been living under a rock, instant coffee is basically dehydrated or freeze-dried coffee that’s “reactivated” by water. It’s the perfect enabler for those of us suffering caffeine addiction in an age where convenience is king. 

While warming up for a summer of backcountry adventures, I tried a variety of instant coffee offerings to determine which ones are the tastiest, and those that might have you running to the outhouse. For consistency, I made each with 10 ounces of water and tested them all without milk , cream, or sugar. Despite instant coffee’s predisposition to be terrible (after all, its production process usually involves cheap beans, mass brewing, and bulk dehydration), gone are the days when instant grounds were merely a means to a caffeinated end. I’m happy to report that I’ve found six standouts that are here to be enjoyed, not endured.

First Place

First Ascent Ethiopian Blend , $19.99 for a pack of 8

This bright and brilliant coffee is made by a specialty coffee roaster in the Rocky Mountains and it is the clear winner. This is shockingly good instant coffee with excellent strength and no bitterness. It felt full-bodied on the tongue and tasted like a true cup of joe—I’d drink this over my French Press at home any day. Even more impressive was the lack of telltale silty residue in the bottom of my cup. First Ascent’s coffee is freeze dried in the same facility the beans are roasted, ground, and brewed. Its only real limitation is price and availability—it’s not as widely available as the others (and not yet available in Canada for our friends up north). 

Waka Coffee Colombian Blend , $11.99 for a pack of 8

I was immediately impressed with the variety from Waka Coffee. Of the five available (ranging from a medium roast Papua New Guinean to a dark Ethiopian), my favorite ended up being the Colombian medium blend. Other than First Ascent, Waka was the only other brand that truly didn’t taste like instant coffee, rather it tasted like excellent diner drip coffee (which I love). This coffee would stand up well to milk, cream, and sugar, but is also excellent black. Even if you don’t care about which instant coffee you’re drinking, Waka donates 4% of its profits towards providing clean drinking to more than 26 countries.

Honorable Mentions

Verve Coffee’s Wilder Blend , $18 for a pack of 6 

In the Venn diagram between instant coffee and the real thing, Verve’s Wilder blend sits firmly in the middle. While I wouldn’t say that the “bright and juicy notes of pomelo are balanced with a sweet sipping experience reminiscent of peach tea,” as the packaging promises, my cup offered richness and an excellent coffee drinking experience. Wilder will resonate well with those who crave knock-your-socks-off style coffee—and even so, there’s an impressive lack of bitterness. This coffee would be perfectly complemented with cream, milk, or sugar but hits all the right notes black, too. 

Alpine Start Original Blend , $9.99 for a pack of 8

This was a solid, smooth, and well balanced cup of coffee. Alpine Start’s Original had good strength, and while it had no notable flavor profiles, it also didn’t offer any astringency. If you’re someone who consumes coffee as fuel and cares less for complex tasting notes, this is the cup for you. I was also a fan of the instant Dirty Chai Latte, though I would have preferred it a bit sweeter, and those packets are about double the size and weight of the Original Blend packets. 

Four Sigmatic Think Organic Coffee , $15 for a pack of 10

Although Four Sigmatic was the weakest of all the instant coffees I tested, it boasted a tasty, earthy, flavor profile that I enjoyed. It’s the perfect blend if you want to consume cup after cup without risking a sprint for the outhouse. As a bonus, the ingredient list includes functional mushrooms like lion’s mane and chaga for enhanced mental focus.

Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee , $1.99 for a pack of 10

As with most things TJ’s does, the grocery chain also does instant coffee well. This cuppa is not only well priced, it’s also great for when you want something a little naughty on the trail. These 3-in-1 packets of cream, sugar, and coffee are a smooth and delicious treat for your camp mornings. They don’t pack the same caffeinated punch as the other instants in this category, but they are a pleasure nonetheless. 

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Home » Gear » The Best Travel Coffee Makers • Make Delicious Coffee On the Road

The Best Travel Coffee Makers • Make Delicious Coffee On the Road

But first, coffee.

Does this saying ring true for you? If yes, then an awesome travel coffee maker is the best purchase a caffeine-loving nomad like you could make. Not only will a portable coffee maker save you money by letting you ditch your dependence on café-purchased coffee drinks, but you can be sure to always have a cup of joe within reach even in the most isolated of destinations.

I personally never travel (if I can help it) without some sort of coffee making device.

So if you’re in the market for the perfect portable coffee maker – whether you’re an espresso, press, or drip brew enthusiast – you’ll get all the information you need with this ultimate guide to finding the best coffee makers for travel that meets your needs and budget.

Let’s talk coffee…

Quick Answer: These are the Best Travel Coffee Makers of 2024

#1 – overall best travel coffee maker, #2 – most portable travel coffee maker, #3 – best travel coffee maker for a single cup, #4 – best portable coffee maker for large groups, #5 – best portable coffee maker for solo travel, #6 – best travel coffee maker for espresso lovers, #7 – best travel coffee maker for a jetboil, #8 – best portable coffee maker for backpackers, #9 – best car camping french press, #10 – best travel coffee maker for commuters, how to choose the best travel coffee maker, faq about the best travel coffee makers, final thoughts on the best travel coffee makers.

• Overall Best Travel Coffee Maker – GSI Outdoors Java Press
• Best Lightweight Travel Coffee Maker – Sea to Summit X-Brew Coffee Dripper
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for a Single Cup – AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for a Large Groups – GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Steel 14-Cup Percolator
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for Solo Travel – AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for Espresso Lovers – GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso Set
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for a Jetboil – Jetboil Grande Silicone Coffee Press
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for Backpackers – GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker
• Best Car Camping French Press – Snow Peak Titanium French Press
• Best Travel Coffee Maker for Commuters – GSI Outdoors Commuter Java Press

GSI Outdoors Java Press

• > Mug-within-a-mug construction
• > Spill-resistant lid

Sea to Summit X-Brew Coffee Dripper

• > Collapsible
• > Eco-friendly

AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press

• > Versatile and convenient
• > 350 paper micro-filters

GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Steel 14-Cup Percolator

• > Made of high-grade stainless steel
• > Up to 14 x 8 oz. cups of coffee
• > Weighing only 11.5 ounces
• > Has a drinking cup built

GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso Set

• > Lightweight
• > Double-wall stainless-cup

Jetboil Grande Silicone Coffee Press

• > Compatible with Jetboil MiniMo, SUMO and SUMO TI
• > Improved silicone ring

GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker

• > Drip cone with legs

Snow Peak Titanium French Press

• > High-quality stainless steel coffee press
• > Weighing 6.3 ounces

GSI Outdoors Commuter Java Press

• > No need for a plunger
• > Flip-top, spill-resistant lid

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GSI Outdoors Java Press is our top pick for the best travel coffee maker

• Liquid capacity: 30 fl.oz.
• Best Use: Camping
• Style: French Press
• Weight: 10.3 oz.

We love this thing! In fact, Epic Backpacker Tours (a TBB partner company) uses these for our group tours. It’s not the smallest unit, but it makes consistently delicious fresh-brewed coffee that you can count on to get your day started right.

The GSI has a silicone-ringed plunger and double-walled construction that not only keep your brew hot during and after brewing but also makes for a very durable java press. It’s perfect as an everyday coffee maker for digital nomads or for long camping trips. Getting your coffee fix – and having enough to share with friends – has never been easier with this epic coffee maker for travel.

• Large enough to serve 2-4 people
• Press mechanism produces very little coffee silt
• Too bulky for shorter backpacking trips

The best portable coffee maker on our list is Sea to Summit X-Brew Coffee Dripper

• Best use: Backpacking
• Style: Drip
• Weight: 4 oz
• Volume: 16.2 fluid oz.
• Materials: Food-grade silicone/nylon/stainless steel

Collapsible, eco-friendly, light, economical…just about everything a java lover needs for the trails. While not ideal for brewing coffee for a whole group, you can count on a tall, 2-cup brew just by using coffee grounds and hot water.

Another plus is that it’s made from food-grade silicone and has a reusable stainless steel double-mesh filter so there’s no need for paper filters – less to carry, less waste. It fits comfortably on most mugs and wider water bottles for enjoying warm coffee on-the-go. 

Sometimes the best travel coffee makers are the simplest.

This unit is perfect for ultralight backpacking .

• Lightweight and minimally designed for maximum utility
• No paper waste
• Budget-friendly
• Does not work well with very fine coffee grounds

Top pick for the best coffee maker for a single cup is AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press

• Liquid capacity: 8 fl.oz.
• Weight: 11.5 oz.

You’ll love how versatile and convenient this travel coffee maker is. It effortlessly brews a delicious cup of espresso, cold-brew or American style coffee. Not only that, but it’s designed as an all-in-one mug and carrying case that makes it ideal for efficient portability. 

Filters are needed; 350 paper micro-filters are included. This makes it easy to use and clean. All you need is some hot water and within 1-2 minutes, you have a delicious cup of coffee to kickstart your morning.

To have the freshest coffee possible, we also recommend purchasing the GSI Outdoors JavaGrind to go with the AeroPress . The java mill features an adjustable and lightweight conical burr grinder that packs down easily and lets you have a high-quality cup of coffee every time. It’s the ultimate travel coffee power duo for one!

• Easy to clean
• Built-in drinking cup
• Portable and lightweight
• Not enough for those that want more than 8 oz at once

GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Steel 14-Cup Percolator is one of the best travel coffee maker for a large groups

• Liquid capacity: 112 fl.oz.
• Style: Percolator
• Weight: 2 lbs. 2 oz.

Made of high-grade stainless steel, this durable coffee maker is perfect for brewing a perfect cup of joe for every member of your camping posse. It’s designed to be used on a camping stove or hung over a campfire for a delicious pot of coffee every time.

The GSI Outdoors Percolator will brew up to 14 x 8 oz. cups of coffee to accommodate the caffeine needs of a large group of super-sized needs of a smaller group all in one batch. Because of its larger size, it’s preferred by trailer campers or for campers who take longer trips and are used to hauling plenty of equipment. 

• Sturdy stainless steel design will last a long time
• Glass knob lets you assess the coffee’s strength
• Doesn’t fit stably on all camping stoves

Meet the best travel coffee maker for solo travel: AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press

As a solo traveler, going to a cafe for your morning cup of coffee can be a regular part of your travel schedule. But, if you’re camping in a remote location or just maximizing the idea of solo time, a Go Travel Press is the perfect solution for getting your coffee fix – anywhere, any time.

Weighing only 11.5 ounces, it’s a breeze to pack away and to make one of your travel gear essentials. And no need to take up extra packing space with a mug because the AeroPress has a drinking cup built-in that also serves as a carrying case. Just add hot water to coffee grounds, drink, and go. Cleaning requires just taking out the filter and a quick rinse – it’s a solo travelers’ coffee dream! 

The Aeropress is a staple in the Digital Nomads’ tool kit.

• Very portable and lightweight
• Built-in drinking cup/carrying case
• Limited to brewing 8 oz of coffee in one batch

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Our top pick for best travel coffee maker for espresso lovers is GSI Outdoors Mini Espresso Set

• Liquid capacity: 2.5 fl.oz.
• Style: Espresso
• Weight: 11 oz.

If you’re all about espresso for your caffeine fix, the GSI mini espresso set is a godsend for travel. Lightweight, portable, and easy to use, this little travel kit includes everything you need for the perfect serving of espresso.

The stainless-steel, mini stove-top espresso maker includes a double-wall stainless-cup that makes an on-the-go coffee supply that much easier. Want your espresso pronto? All it takes is 90 seconds to have a 2.5oz double shot ready to go. Rinse, disassemble and pack up into its compact case – it’s that easy.

• Ultra-lightweight and portable
• Cup and espresso maker parts disassemble and fit into a compact carrying case
• Made of durable stainless steel
• Limited to brewing just one 2.5 oz of espresso in one batch

Jetboil Grande Silicone Coffee Press is one of the best travel coffee maker for a jetboil

• Best Use: Backpacking
• Weight: 1.5 oz.

If you have a Jetboil and want the option to brew the best coffee possible while traveling, take a look at the Jetboil Grande coffee press. This press is compatible with Jetboil MiniMo, SUMO and SUMO TI cooking systems. 

Go ahead and ditch the instant coffee and give yourself the luxury of fresh ground coffee no matter where you are. With the improved silicone ring that makes for a secure fit, keep coffee grounds out and enjoy a flawless cup of brewed coffee. 

Learn More: Jetboil Flash review

• Detachable stem and basket for compact packing
• Easy clean up
• Less residue than previous version
• Only works with Jetboil

Our pick for the best travel coffee maker for backpackers is GSI Outdoors Ultralight Java Drip Coffee Maker

• Weight: 0.4 oz.

When it comes to coffee-making essential simplicity, it doesn’t get more minimal than this. The GSI java drip is simply a drip cone with legs that clips onto any mug of your choosing (mug is not included). If you’re willing to carry some coffee grounds in your pack, this near-weightless coffee maker is the best way to get a fresh cup of brew on the trails, no matter how remote you are.

The GSI Outdoors Ultralight is the perfect solution if all you’re looking for is an inexpensive, portable way to make a good cup of coffee in the morning. If instant coffee doesn’t quite cut it for you, give this setup a try for your next backpacking venture. You won’t be disappointed.

• Doesn’t require a filter
• Packs down flat for ultimate portability
• Can work with most mugs and wide-mouth bottles or flasks
• Inexpensive
• Drip process can be slow
• Plastic and not ultra-sturdy/durable

The best car camping french press is Snow Peak Titanium French Press

• Liquid capacity: 24 fl.oz.
• Weight: 6.3 oz.

The Snow Peak French Press is a portable french press coffee maker. Its the the way to go if you’re looking for a high-quality stainless steel coffee press that’s neither too big nor too small while being lightweight and easy to use. You’ll be sure to get 24 ounces of hot, great-tasting coffee every time. Say goodbye to instant coffee and wasteful paper filters.

Weighing 6.3 ounces, it’s heavier than most solo-cup portable coffee makers but is plenty compact and lightweight for most camping trips. It’s perfect for car camping stoves and will deliver the fresh brew taste you crave on the road.

• Compact stainless steel design
• Includes pot, lid, plunger, and carrying bag
• Works better by pouring hot water into versus boiling water directly into the pot

GSI Outdoors Java Press is our pick for the best travel coffee maker for commuters

• Liquid capacity: 15 fl.oz.
• Best Use: Commuting
• Weight: 9.6 oz.

If a coffee maker that fits into your cup holder sounds ideal to you, the GSI Commuter java press is for you. Simply use 2oz of ground coffee, add 8oz hot water, wait a few short minutes, push the press, and – voilà – you have hot, freshly-brewed coffee to go!

No need for a plunger like you’d find in traditional java press coffee makers – its mug-within-a-mug construction allows for a press-and-drink process that makes caffeination while commuting a breeze. The flip-top, spill-resistant lid makes it even more commuter-friendly. 

• Get a double serving of coffee in one container
• Neoprene sleeve keeps coffee warm and provides insulation for easy holding
• Non-slip base for stability and narrow enough for car cup holders
• Too heavy for easy packing

Now, you  could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.

So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

We’ve provided the above travel coffee maker reviews to help you in your search for the perfect coffee maker, but if you want to keep shopping around, here are some things to know and pointers on how to choose the best travel coffee maker. 

The first question to ask yourself is: how much coffee do I need? Second question: how many people do I need to provide coffee for? If you’re a solo traveler, getting a large travel coffee maker likely isn’t necessary. If you’re traveling in a big group – and everyone wants to enjoy their cup of coffee at relatively the same time – a small coffee maker won’t cut it. Brewing multiple batches to accommodate everyone will quickly become cumbersome and annoying.

Consider not just the size of the coffee maker itself but also the brewing capacity and weight. Obviously, the larger the contraption, the more it will weigh and the bulkier it will be to pack away. For a backpacker, this weight and space make a considerable difference. Whereas, for car camping, the weight of a medium-to-large travel coffee maker that has greater brewing capacity won’t be as big of a deterrent. 

When choosing the best travel coffee maker for you, it’s important to consider how picky you are about the taste and quality of your coffee. Drip units, espresso makers and French press produce a cup of coffee that tastes different – even if you use the same type of coffee. The quality of the beans matter too, but not all coffee makers yield the same results.

Typically, a drip unit makes a more basic, less-intense cup of joe. French press and espresso machines usually result in a tastier and overall better quality cup of coffee. Consider what you prefer and what you’re used to and choose your coffee maker style accordingly.

Toughness 

How well is the device going to do after long-term abuse on the road? Consider how long you want (and need) your travel coffee maker to last and what you’re using it for. More economical coffee makers are usually plastic or include plastic parts – and are less durable. While stainless steel units are tougher and will last longer.

If you’re a backpacker that needs a coffee-making unit that will fold down and won’t break the bank, expect to get a plastic device that will do the trick for that trip. Whether or not it survives the abuse on the road can’t be guaranteed. For camping nomads that enjoy regular and frequent camping trips, investing in a tough, durable stainless steel travel coffee maker is probably the better way to go.

Parts vs Simplicity 

Also consider this question: does the device have a lot of parts that could break? If so, can they be easily replaced? The more parts, the more likely your chances of losing or breaking a piece while on your travels.

If you’re really attached to your travel coffee maker – and finding replacement parts is fairly quick and simple – then the extra hassle of multiple parts could be worth it. But, if your travel style tends to be less organized and rugged, you should consider getting a simple device with as few extra parts as possible.

Eco-Friendly 

Does the device require filters? Many espresso units do not require filters and some coffee presses have a silicone filter built-in – however – some do require paper filters. Be sure to know what the requirements are. Take the opportunity to bash the Keurig/Nespresso pods as an extreme environmental danger.

The more dependence your unit has on paper filters, the more wasteful and less eco-friendly it is. A device that has a reusable filter – or doesn’t require a filter at all – is much better for the environment. As a nature-loving nomad, leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible is always more ideal.

Price 

How often will you use your travel coffee maker? If the answer is often, then buying a high-quality one – or the one you really want – will be worth splashing out a little extra cash for. Most travel units aren’t that expensive to begin with, and getting the quality cup of java you need to kickstart your travel days the right way will be worth it.

Also, think about the money you save by making your own coffee while traveling versus buying individual cups at cafes. With extended and frequent use, the unit will eventually pay for itself.

Power vs No Power 

Typically, one should always go for a travel coffee maker that does not require electricity – that is why there are no powered coffee makers on our list. This is especially true for backcountry campers or backpackers who enjoy spending time the most remote places possible. Not having to find or bring along an extra source of electricity to power up your coffee machine will save a lot of hassle.

There are plenty of good travel coffee makers that produce delicious, high-quality coffee that don’t require power. We highly recommend sticking to those when making your final selection.

Still have some questions? No problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

Is the AeroPress the best coffee maker?

The AeroPress is a great coffee maker for one cup of coffee, but we’re big fans of the GSI Outdoors Java Press . They both offer great value, but the Java press has a bigger capacity.

What do you need to consider when choosing a coffee maker?

Keep these key features in mind: 1. Size, Quality and Toughness 2. Parts and Simplicity 3. Price

What is the best travel coffee maker for solo travellers?

Since a single person won’t need endless ounces of coffee (at least it’s not recommended), the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press is the perfect choice for solo travellers.

What is the best travel coffee maker for large groups?

When travelling with your friends, opt for the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Steel 14-Cup Percolator . It’s got a liquid capacity of 112 fl.oz. which is plenty enough for multiple backpackers.

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That’s it, java lovers! This is all you need to know about the best travel coffee makers out there and what you need to know to find the right portable coffee maker for your adventures. As you can see, there are many styles, sizes, and features available when it comes to brewing a great cup of coffee while on the road. But getting your necessary coffee fix is important, so be sure to weigh all your options.

Remember, not everyone has the same opinion about what makes the “perfect” cup of coffee – so carefully consider your own personal tastes, travel style and needs. 

We recommend using your new portable coffee maker with fair-trade, organic coffee :).

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Aiden Freeborn

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10 Best Instant Coffees For 2024: Unlock A World Of Flavor!

Instant coffee isn't just about speed! This convenient cup of joe packs a surprising punch. Beyond the quick brew, instant coffee offers many of the same benefits as regular coffee, including boosting your mood and focus, thanks to the caffeine. So, if you're short on time but still want an energizing and potentially health-supportive drink, instant coffee is a great option.

Picking the perfect instant coffee isn't just about grabbing any jar. Here's a quick rundown:

Flavor first: Like regular coffee, instant comes in various roasts and blends. Consider if you prefer a bold dark roast or a lighter, brighter option.

Bean type: Most instant coffee uses Robusta beans, known for higher caffeine but stronger flavor. Look for Arabica blends for a smoother, more nuanced taste.

Caffeine kick: Instant coffees vary in caffeine content. Check the label to see if you need a high-octane morning pick-me-up or something gentler.

Beyond the basics: Many brands offer flavored instant coffees like vanilla or hazelnut. There are even single-serve packets for ultimate convenience.

Brewing method: Some coffee can be mixed directly with hot water, while others may need to be brewed in a coffee maker or French press.

Discover our top 10 picks for instant coffee:

1. Highground Organic Instant Regular Coffee 2. Rapidfire Ketogenic High Performance Instant Coffee Mix 3. Jacobs Kronung Instant Coffee 4. NESCAFÉ Rich Hazelnut, Instant Coffee 5. Mount Hagen Instant Coffee Packets 6. Eatifull Keto Coffee In Latte Flavor 7. Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Decaf Coffee 8. Nescafe Azera Americano Instant Coffee 9. Nescafe Original Instant Coffee 10. VitaCup Instant Coffee Sticks

1. Highground Organic Instant Regular Coffee

Highground Organic Instant Regular Coffee, a harmonious blend where taste, quality, and organic integrity unite. Appreciate the ease of preparation and balanced acidity, ensuring a delightful coffee experience every time. With its freeze-dried format, it's perfect for hot and iced coffee, ensuring a consistently satisfying experience. Elevate your coffee enjoyment with Highground Coffee, where quality and convenience meet in every cup.

2. Rapidfire Ketogenic High Performance Instant Coffee Mix

Rapidfire Ketogenic High Performance Instant Coffee Mix is a delicious blend crafted to offer both exceptional taste and numerous functional benefits. Infused with Grass-Fed Butter and MCT Oil, this creamy coffee mix is designed to support a low-carb ketogenic diet, aiding in the utilization of stored body fat as an energy source. Enjoy the convenience of an easy-to-mix powder that delivers a creamy texture and delicious flavor, whether enjoyed hot or cold.

3. Jacobs Kronung Instant Coffee

Quick and uncomplicated, Jacobs Kronung offers top-quality coffee sourced from the finest growing regions, delivering a delicious flavor. Praised for its ease of use, exceptional quality, and great taste, Jacobs Kronung is the perfect choice for those moments when you need a quick pick-me-up. Simply pour hot water onto the soluble coffee, and it's ready to enjoy. Ideal for hectic everyday situations and brief respites, as well as for travel, Jacobs Kronung ensures a satisfying coffee experience whenever and wherever you need it.

4. NESCAFÉ Rich Hazelnut, Instant Coffee

NESCAFÉ Rich Hazelnut Instant Coffee is beloved for its delightful taste and captivating aroma. Praised for its deliciously rich and mellow flavor, it boasts added sweetness that further enhances the overall experience. With a captivating aroma, this coffee is beloved despite its slightly higher price point, attributed to its exceptional taste. Indulge in the great flavor and richness of NESCAFÉ Rich Hazelnut, a premium choice for coffee enthusiasts.

5. Mount Hagen Instant Coffee Packets

Mount Hagen Instant Coffee is made from organic medium roast Arabica beans. Utilizing a unique freeze-drying process, Mount Hagen preserves the rich aromas of the coffee, delivering a heavenly taste with every sip. Perfect for on-the-go, these convenient single-serve travel sticks allow you to enjoy the rich and smooth coffee experience wherever you are. Each sip of Mount Hagen coffee is a taste of its pampered history, cultivated in the paradise of Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea.

6. Eatifull Keto Coffee In Latte Flavor

Eatifull Keto Coffee in Latte Flavor, more than just an instant coffee—it's a delicious superfood. Crafted with the finest coffee beans sourced from Chiapas, Mexico, it promises to awaken your senses with unparalleled flavor in a health-conscious manner. Enhanced with Premium Collagen Peptides and MCT oil, this instant mix offers a boost of nourishment. Sweetened naturally with Stevia and Erythritol, it caters to those seeking low-carb options without sacrificing taste. Treat yourself to the perfect combination of flavor and nutrition with Eatifull Keto Coffee in Latte Flavor.

7. Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Decaf Coffee

Mount Hagen Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Decaf Coffee, where an advanced freeze-drying and decaffeinating process ensures the retention of deep coffee flavors and aromas found in fresh Arabica beans. The result? A wonderfully smooth decaffeinated coffee boasting a rich, full-bodied taste. Enjoy the convenience of this instant coffee, which effortlessly dissolves in cold water or milk, offering the perfect solution for instant iced coffee without the caffeine. Additionally, Mount Hagen coffee is gluten-free and certified OU Kosher, catering to a variety of dietary preferences and requirements. Indulge in the rich taste and convenience of Mount Hagen Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Decaf Coffee, perfect for any time of day.

8. Nescafe Azera Americano Instant Coffee

Nescafé Azera Americano Instant Coffee is renowned for its exceptional smoothness and rich taste. It froths up beautifully, adding a delightful texture to your coffee experience. If you prefer a darker roast with a smooth flavor, Nescafé Azera Americano is the perfect choice for you. Ground finely for quick dissolution, it ensures a smooth and satisfying cup every time. Elevate your coffee ritual with the delicious Nescafé Azera Americano Instant Coffee.

9. Nescafe Original Instant Coffee

Nescafé Original Instant Coffee, a timeless classic from Nestlé made with 100% pure, aromatic instant coffee. Enjoy the convenience of preparing great-tasting coffee with ease! Simply add one teaspoon of coffee to hot water, and customize with milk and sugar to your preference. Available in a 7oz/200g jar, Nescafé Original Instant Coffee brings the rich taste of tradition to your cup, effortlessly.

10. VitaCup Instant Coffee Sticks

VitaCup Instant Coffee Sticks – Slim Coffee in convenient individual to-go packets. Each packet features a serving of garcinia cambogia, inulin, and a signature B vitamin blend. Start your wellness journey each morning with a smooth medium-dark roast brew, boasting the fresh flavor and bold aroma of Arabica beans sourced from Brazil and Mexico. Packed with MCT Oil, turmeric, and cinnamon, each cup helps your body break down fat into ketones for sustained energy while boosting your daily dose of antioxidants. Enjoy the smoothness and convenience of perfect coffee on the go, without compromising your gut or oral health.

Instant coffee delights

Instant coffee offers a convenient and accessible option for coffee lovers seeking a quick and hassle-free caffeine fix. With its ease of preparation, long shelf life, and variety of flavors, instant coffee provides a versatile solution for enjoying the rich taste and aroma of coffee anytime, anywhere. Whether you're at home, in the office, or on the go, instant coffee remains a beloved choice for satisfying your coffee cravings with minimal effort.

© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.

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The trains and stations of the Moscow Metro

2 Comments · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Cities , Travel , Video

The Moscow Metro is the third most intensive subway system in the world after Tokyo and Seoul subways. The first line was opened on May 15, 1935. Since 1955, the metro has the name of V.I. Lenin.

The system consists of 12 lines with a total length of 305.7 km. Forty four stations are recognized cultural heritage. The largest passenger traffic is in rush hours from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 18:00 to 19:00.

Cellular communication is available on most of the stations of the Moscow Metro. In March 2012, a free Wi-Fi appeared in the Circle Line train. The Moscow Metro is open to passengers from 5:20 to 01:00. The average interval between trains is 2.5 minutes.

The fare is paid by using contactless tickets and contactless smart cards, the passes to the stations are controlled by automatic turnstiles. Ticket offices and ticket vending machines can be found in station vestibules.

Tags:  Moscow city

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Tomás · August 27, 2012 at 11:34 pm

The Moscow metro stations are the best That I know, cars do not.

Alberto Calvo · September 25, 2016 at 8:57 pm

Great videos! Moscow Metro is just spectacular. I actually visited Moscow myself quite recently and wrote a post about my top 7 stations, please check it out and let me know what you think! :)

http://www.arwtravels.com/blog/moscow-metro-top-7-stations-you-cant-miss

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