One of the quickest and most convenient ways came about through the creation of instant coffee.
Despite its ease and afforability, instant coffee has gotten a bad rap over the years.
Critics often complain about the low-caffeine content and questionable flavor.
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Frankly, many enthusiasts consider it a less-than-ideal cup of joe.
But the product has many uses beyond just sipping.
It can be useful for baking, flavoring homemade coffee ice cream, and more.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Would all 10 of these brands amount to the 10 worst cups of coffee I’ve ever had?
Here are 10 popular instant coffee brands, ranked from my least favorite to the overall best.
An eight-ounce container of the brand’s medium-roast instant coffee cost me $7.99.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
The instructions say to stir one teaspoon of coffee for every six fluid ounces of boiling water.
The coffee dissolved easily in a cup of hot water.
The taste:Upon first sip, I thought this would be a solid middle-of-the-road option.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee cost me $4.29 for a 3-ounce container.
The look:Folgers Classic Roast instant coffee is dark brown in appearance out of the packaging.
An 8-ounce container of instant coffee cost me $5.42.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
It quickly dissolved into a cup of hot water.
The big takeaway was the smoothness, which I picked up on immediately.
It is not too bold, but not so light of a coffee, either.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
The Clasico product comes in a deceptively sizable six-ounce glass container, which cost me $7.29.
Stirring it in with the hot water, the coffee easily dissolved.
The cup of black coffee I created was dark brown in color and had no foam around the edge.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Once I added cream, I found that it lost a bit of its smooth profile.
Ferrara Instant Espresso
Ferrara Instant Espresso has different instructions from the other coffees.
It’s also a pricier option, at $5.99 for a 2-ounce container.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
It’s not the finest blend, but I found that it dissolved quickly once I began stirring.
There was also no foam.
It is also on the bitter side with an added dose of tartness.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
It is very light brown, appearing more like milk chocolate than dark chocolate.
It’s rather bold, and I noticed a bitterness immediately upon sipping.
While the bitterness does not linger, it is definitely the biggest takeaway with this roast.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
I found this instant coffee to be the most approachable among the darker, more bitter options.
A container of the brand’sPremium Instant Dark Roastcost me $9.99 for just over 3 ounces of instant coffee.
It’s one of the pricier options, but then again, it’s Starbucks.
Photo: Carly Neil, Eat This, Not That!
Its dark brown coloring also resembled that of a dark roast.
The chocolate flavor was very pronounced when trying the coffee.
I noticed a less smooth and more bitter mouthfeel, especially on the backend.
The brand’sEspresso Instant Coffeecosts me $7.39 for a seven-ounce container.
Stirring it into hot water, I noticed it took a few extra stirs to dissolve completely.
The end result was a dark brown cup of black coffee with no foam around the edge.
That is precisely what I got.
It falls in that happy medium of boldness and a slightly sour mouthfeel but still smooth.
I also noticed a slightly more pronounced nutty flavor immediately upon sipping.
For instant coffee,Illyclaims its product is “mild and balanced” with a slightly more pronounced intensity.
The look:Illy Classico Instant Coffee is light brown and closer to resembling the Whole Foods 365 blend.
The instructions are vague: stir one or two teaspoons of coffee into a cup of hot water.
The taste:I found this instant coffee to fit its description perfectly: mild and balanced.
This was one of the few coffees I readily returned to for multiple sips.
I appreciate an instant coffee option that offers customers individual packets, with no measuring necessary.
It appeared to be dark black coffee, with a bit of foam around the edge.
The taste:This was an extremely approachable cup of coffee.
It’s a Light to Medium blend, which many coffee drinkers will find ideal.
It was light, not bold, and quite smooth to drink.
I also noticed nothing on the backend, and no bitterness was detected.
Ultimately, I chose Taster’s Choice as my top pick because of its approachable taste and texture.
If you want an instant espresso option, you’ve got the option to’t go wrong with Bustelo.
