Comparison: Best Instant Coffee Consumer Reports (Updated | Nov 10th)
Choosing the best instant coffee can be overwhelming given the variety of options available. This guide offers a neutral, consumer-centric comparison of top instant coffee brands, focusing on taste, solubility, aroma, and value. Drawing insights from expert reviews and user feedback, we highlight key differences to help you make an informed decision. Whether you prioritize convenience, flavor depth, or ethical sourcing, this overview aims to simplify your search for a high-quality instant coffee that fits your preferences. Explore our findings to discover which brands stand out in performance and satisfaction.
Editor’s Choice
Best for a specific purpose
-
Best for classic choice:
NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Instant Coffee -
Best for best overall:
Mount Hagen 3.53oz Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee | Eco-friendly Coffee Made From Organic Medium Roast Arabica Beans | Organic -
Best for best budget:
Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee -
Best for organic pick:
Anthony's Organic Instant Coffee -
Best for premium flavor:
illy Instant Coffee- 100% Arabica Coffee – Classico Medium Roast – Notes Of Caramel -
Best for medium roast:
NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Colombia -
Best for best value:
Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee -
Best for dark roast:
illy Instant Coffee- 100% Arabica Coffee – Intenso Dark Roast – Warm Notes Of Cocoa & Dried Fruit – Easy Preparation – Convenient Coffee Instant Format – Roasted In Italy – 3.3 Ounce -
Best for dark roast:
NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice Instant Coffee -
Best for light roast:
NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice Instant Coffee
Product Comparison: Best Instant Coffee Consumer Reports
Classic choice
NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Instant Coffee, Dark Roast Coffee, 1 Jar (10.5 Oz)
Nescafe
- PREMIUM INSTANT COFFEE: Savor rich and bold flavor in an instant with the pure coffee taste of NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Dark Roast Instant Coffee
- EXCEPTIONAL TASTE: NESCAFÉ invites you to elevate the taste of the coffee in your cup with our bolder, richer taste that's crafted to perfection
- PURE QUALITY: Crafted with responsibly sourced, high-quality coffee beans from around the world, NESCAFÉ is proud to be the world’s best-selling coffee brand*
- EASY TO PREPARE: It's never been easier to get a perfect cup of coffee. Simply scoop 1 teaspoon of NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO instant coffee, add 6 fluid ounces of hot water, stir and enjoy
- MAKES UP TO 150 CUPS: When prepared as directed, this 10.5-ounce jar makes up to 150 cups of real, premium NESCAFÉ instant coffee that satisfies with every sip, whether you like your coffee black or with coffee syrup or cream and sugar
Best overall
Mount Hagen 3.53oz Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee | Eco-friendly Coffee Made From Organic Medium Roast Arabica Beans | Organic, Fair-Trade Coffee Instant [3.53oz Jar]
![Mount Hagen 3.53oz Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee | Eco-friendly Coffee Made From Organic Medium Roast Arabica Beans | Organic, Fair-Trade Coffee Instant [3.53oz Jar]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41CZjqDB3JL._SL160_.jpg "Comparison: Best Instant Coffee Consumer Reports 3")
Mount Hagen
- INSTANT COFFEE THAT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE IT: When you need that coffee boost and you need it quickly, choose Mount Hagen. Our advanced freeze-drying process retains the true coffee flavors and aromas of the fresh Arabica beans, resulting in a wonderfully smooth coffee with a rich, full-bodied taste. Plus, our instant coffee dissolves beautifully in cold water or milk for instant iced coffee.
- CONVENIENT & AFFORDABLE: Forget costly brew equipment or coffee machines taking up prime counter space. With Mount Hagen’s compact 3.53oz glass jar of organic coffee, all you need is hot water and you have (approx) 50 cups of flavorful coffee. And the best part- no cleanup required!
- AWARD-WINNING: Mount Hagen consistently tops lists of best instant organic coffees, becoming many a connoisseur's favorite joe-on-the-go. (Google it, and you’ll see!) Our superior instant coffee is made from 100% USDA Organic, Fairtrade Arabica beans. Mount Hagen coffee is also gluten-free and certified OU Kosher.
- MASTERS OF OUR CRAFT: A sip of our balanced, smooth instant coffee is a taste of its history in the lush mountains around Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea. Since 1986, we’ve been perfecting our brew so you can enjoy its naturally mild taste with low acidity & no bitterness.
- MOUNT HAGEN: The trailblazer of organic Fair Trade coffee production, we pride ourselves on coffee that not only tastes good but DOES good too. Every granule of our organic Fair Trade coffee is planted, cultivated, harvested, processed and packaged by workers being paid fairly and respectably; families thriving on the infrastructure we provide; and communities gaining the power of education, health and hope. Scroll up, click buy now and support their future.
Best budget
Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee, 8 Ounces
Folgers
- Contains one (1) 8-ounce jar of Folgers instant coffee
- The classic Folgers taste you love in instant coffee form
- Just add water or milk and stir
- Enjoy hot or iced
- Proudly roasted in New Orleans
Organic pick
Anthony's Organic Instant Coffee,14oz, Ultra Fine Microground, Gluten Free, Arabica, Non GMO
Anthony's
- Anthony's Premium Organic Instant Coffee Batch Tested and Verified Gluten Free
- Instant Microground Coffee – easily dissolves when added to water!
- Made with Organic High Aroma Arabica Beans – Provides Plant Based Energy
- USDA Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten Free
- Product of Latin America, Packed in California
Premium flavor
illy Instant Coffee- 100% Arabica Coffee – Classico Medium Roast – Notes Of Caramel, Orange Blossom & Jasmine – Easy Preparation – Convenient Coffee Instant Format – Roasted In Italy – 3.3 Ounce
illy
- THE PERFECT CUP – Create a café-style beverage in an instant, featuring a fresh, mild, and balanced flavor to start off the day or to enjoy at the end of a long one. Notes of caramel, orange blossom, and jasmine.
- QUICK & EASY PREPARATION – Preparing illy instant coffee is quick and easy, because two ingredients are enough: coffee and water. It’s recommended to pour two teaspoons of instant coffee into your cup, add non boiling water, mix and taste.
- ZERO-DEFECT BEANS – In collaboration with our most dedicated coffee growers, we select only the 1% of the best Arabica coffee beans, perfecting our instant coffee recipes to create the unique illy instant coffee blend.
- WE BRING THE TASTE OF ITALY TO – We’ve spent eight decades refining a singular, signature blend celebrated over the world as the pinnacle of what whole bean coffee can be.
- SUSTAINABILITY IS OUR VISION – We pride ourselves on the constant focus on our environment and the community. We are part of a global movement with a common goal: to pave the way for a better, more liveable and more enlightened world.
Medium roast
NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Colombia, Medium Roast Instant Coffee, 6 oz. Jar
Nescafe
- PREMIUM FLAVOR—Savor rich aroma and flavor with NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Colombia Instant Coffee. This full-bodied, 100% Arabica bean coffee delights the senses with its fruity and aromatic flavor
- PURE QUALITY – Crafted with 100% respectfully grown, high-quality coffee beans from around the world, creating a cup that’s sustainably delicious
- EXCEPTIONAL TASTE—This medium roast blends perfectly with milk or creamer for a rich and smooth taste that elevates every sip
- EASY TO PREPARE—It's never been easier to get a perfect cup of coffee. Simply scoop 1 teaspoon, add hot water, then stir and enjoy.
- SERVING SIZE—Scoop your way up to 85 cups of real, fresh instant coffee
Best value
Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee, Medium Roast, 100% Arabica Beans, 3 Pack (3.17 Oz Each)
Starbucks
- PREMIUM INSTANT COFFEE: Starbucks Medium Roast Premium Instant Coffee is crafted with the same high-quality 100% arabica beans we brew in our cafés, and these 3 tins make up to 105 cups
- SMOOTH & NUTTY: Starbucks Medium Roast coffee is a perfectly balanced blend with smooth notes of chocolate and nuts
- MADE TO BE YOURS: Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee lets you adjust how much coffee you add, so you can stir up Starbucks coffee just the way you like in an instant
- EASY TO PREPARE: It’s easy to make a smooth and delicious cup of instant coffee—simply add instant coffee, pour hot water, stir and enjoy premium-tasting instant coffee at home
- RECYCLABLE: Our tin container packaging is recyclable. See label for more instructions
Dark roast
illy Instant Coffee- 100% Arabica Coffee – Intenso Dark Roast – Warm Notes Of Cocoa & Dried Fruit – Easy Preparation – Convenient Coffee Instant Format – Roasted In Italy – 3.3 Ounce
illy
- THE PERFECT CUP – Create a café-style beverage in an instant, featuring a fresh, full-bodied flavor to start off the day or to enjoy at the end of a long one. Notes of cocoa and dried fruit.
- QUICK & EASY PREPARATION – Preparing illy instant coffee is quick and easy, because two ingredients are enough: coffee and water. It’s recommended to pour two teaspoons of instant coffee into your cup, add non boiling water, mix and taste.
- ZERO-DEFECT BEANS – In collaboration with our most dedicated coffee growers, we select only the 1% of the best Arabica coffee beans, perfecting our instant coffee recipes to create the unique illy instant coffee blend.
- WE BRING THE TASTE OF ITALY TO – We’ve spent eight decades refining a singular, signature blend celebrated over the world as the pinnacle of what whole bean coffee can be.
- SUSTAINABILITY IS OUR VISION – We pride ourselves on the constant focus on our environment and the community. We are part of a global movement with a common goal: to pave the way for a better, more liveable and more enlightened world.
Dark roast
NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, Dark Roast Coffee, French Roast, 2 Jars (7 Oz Each)
Taster's Choice
- PREMIUM INSTANT COFFEE: Savor complex and bold flavor with smoky overtones in an instant with the pure coffee taste of NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice French Roast Instant Coffee
- EXCEPTIONAL TASTE: NESCAFÉ invites you to elevate the taste of the coffee in your cup with this bold, dark-roasted coffee that's crafted to perfection
- RESPONSIBLY SOURCED: Crafted with responsibly sourced, high-quality coffee beans from around the world, NESCAFÉ is proud to be the world’s best-selling coffee brand*
- EASY TO PREPARE: It's never been easier to get a perfect cup of coffee. Simply scoop 1 teaspoon of NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice instant coffee, add 6 fluid ounces of hot water, stir and enjoy
- MAKES UP TO 210 CUPS: When prepared as directed, these two 7-ounce jar makes up to 210 cups of real, premium NESCAFÉ instant coffee that satisfies with every sip, whether you like your coffee black or with coffee syrup or cream and sugar
Light roast
NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, Light Medium Roast, House Blend, 2 Jars (7 Oz Each)
Nescafe Taster's Choice
- PREMIUM INSTANT COFFEE: Savor smooth, well-balanced flavor with NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice House Blend Instant Coffee. This light to medium roast coffee delivers smooth, inviting flavor in every cup—includes two 7-ounce jars
- EXCEPTIONAL TASTE: NESCAFÉ invites you to elevate the taste of the coffee in your cup with our bolder, richer taste that's crafted to perfection
- PURE QUALITY: Crafted with respectfully grown, high-quality coffee beans from around the world, NESCAFÉ is proud to be the world’s best-selling coffee brand**
- EASY TO PREPARE: It's never been easier to get a perfect cup of coffee. Simply scoop 1 teaspoon of NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, add 6 fluid ounces of hot water, stir and enjoy
- MAKES UP TO 210 CUPS: These two 7-ounce jars make up to a total of 210 cups of real, premium instant coffee that satisfies with every sip, whether you like your coffee black or with cream and sugar
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Buying Guide
FAQs
Which instant coffee is recommended for organic options?
Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee and Anthony's Organic Instant Coffee are certified organic choices.
What is the best instant coffee for a dark roast?
NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Instant Coffee (Dark Roast) and illy Instant Coffee (Intenso Dark Roast) are top-rated dark roast options.
Which instant coffee has the largest package size?
Anthony's Organic Instant Coffee offers the largest size at 14 ounces.
Are there instant coffee options with 100% Arabica beans?
Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee, illy Instant Coffee (Classico and Intenso), and NESCAFÉ CLÁSICO Colombia are made with 100% Arabica beans.
What is a budget-friendly instant coffee option?
Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee provides a cost-effective choice with an 8-ounce package.
Which instant coffee is gluten-free?
Anthony's Organic Instant Coffee is labeled as gluten-free.
Are there eco-friendly instant coffee options?
Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee is marketed as eco-friendly.
