‘All I could smell was fertiliser’: the best (and worst) supermarket instant coffee, tasted and rated

Our coffee snob spills the beans on which granules hint at chocolate and caramel, and which leave a bitter note

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I’m a coffee snob with my own grinder, but I found the haptic thwack, whack and crack of opening the lid and film on a jar of instant coffee strangely invigorating, and rather nostalgic. When I took a deep sniff, however, disaster: all I could smell was fertiliser! Instant coffee is brewed at scorching temperatures, then either freeze-dried in a vacuum or spray-dried using hot air. This industrial process strips away many of the volatile flavour compounds and bright aromas that make fresh coffee smell so good. This gives it an earthier, muskier and more bitter flavour profile, though, thankfully, with a little alchemy and hot water, those more familiar coffee aromas and flavours returned, with notes of chicory, bitter chocolate and burnt sugar.

Almost all of these products have a similar industrial imprint, uniform granules and a one-dimensional flavour profile, so they’re ultimately more a simulation of the real thing. That said, some did surprise me. At best, they taste like a cup of office filter coffee, made in a commercial drip machine and left just long enough for its aromas to fade. At worst, instant coffee tastes like cardboard and burnt rubber steeped in water. The addition of milk, however, transforms many cups and makes them far more drinkable and even comforting, bringing out notes of chocolate, nuts and caramel.

A roast chicory aroma. Sharp on the tongue with a mild, sweet, straw-like flavour to finish. Milk brings out a nutty-cocoa flavour. Soil Association organic and Fairtrade, 100% arabica and 100% coffee content.

A herbal, cedar-like aroma, initially sweet-forward with medium body, then finishing on a sour note. With milk, it turns mellow and creamy, with a genuinely nutty flavour. Rainforest Alliance-certified and 100% single-origin arabica.

A roasted aroma and bright flavour with a distinctive chicory flavour, and earthy and bitter molasses notes. Fairtrade- and B Corp-certified, and made from 100% coffee. (Cafédirect also invests in Producers Direct, a farmer-led charity.)

A bitter, rich, burnt chicory aroma with a real coffee-like depth to the taste. Full-bodied with notes of dandelion. Milk brings out vanilla and caramel. Arabica instant coffee and 15% arabica ground coffee. B Corp-certified.

A rich, malty aroma with a sour-cherry note. Sweet and caramel-forward on the tongue, with a classic, full flavour and bitter complexity. Malty-chocolate notes come out with milk. Great Taste 2023 winner, 100% arabica and B Corp-certified.

A sweet, rich aroma, a full-bodied, mildly bitter flavour and a sour finish. Notes of burnt sugar and chicory. Rainforest Alliance-certified and 100% arabica.

Made from coffee extract and 5% finely ground roast coffee, this looks and tastes a bit more like freshly ground beans. A simple, burnt chicory aroma with a sour and full-bodied flavour. Very smooth and caramel-sweet with milk. No stated origin, but Rainforest Alliance-certified.

A tart, smoky aroma with a surprisingly bright, ripe and fruity flavour similar to filter coffee. Classic brown-sugar notes come with milk, as does a hint of hazelnut. Fairtrade and 100% single-origin arabica.

Pleasantly aromatic, if a bit sour. On first sip, it’s simultaneously bitter and sour, though with a lingering sweetness. Improves with milk, mellowing the flavours and bringing forward chocolate notes. Rainforest Alliance-certified and 100% arabica.

Smells genuinely different: rich and fruity, though with an underlying scent of fertiliser. It has a bittersweet aroma and a chocolatey smokiness. Smooth on the tongue and sweet-forward with a bitter, vegetal flavour. Caramel-forward with milk. Origin not stated. No third-party certification.

For more, read the best hot chocolate and the best (and worst) supermarket teabags