Instant Coffee

Doonhamer

I often buy the little filter cups from Tesco or M&S when they are on offer but they work out at 20p per cup and sometimes I just want to make a quick cup of instant but it never tastes the same.

Which instant tastes most like fresh coffee? I've tried a few but there are so many. Anyone found a really good one?

One thing I do know is never to use boiling water as it makes the taste more bitter.

bulchy

I use Kenco really rich, the one with the blue label. We try other coffees from time to time, but always go back to the Kenco.
Sue

Gers

For those moments I bought a little one cup coffee jug with plunger thing and then a one cup drip filter machine. Doesn't take any longer than instant and tastes so much better.

Pink.

I have one of these for when I want a cup of real coffee quickly. It's a simple idea.....sit the filter on top of the cup, add coffee then pour on the water and the coffee filters straight into the cup.

I just looked around that site and they have these which are cheaper, but I can't don't know how well they work.

Pink

ivyleaf

As Bulchy said, kenco Really rich is nice, and so is Carte Noir. It's not cheap, but Asda sometimes have it on offer, then I buy 3 or 4 jars at once.

stressedoutmumof1

My DH is a real coffee snob - but we buy Tesco's own coffee for instant and it tastes really good. It's about 80p for a small jar - we're impressed!

Bargain_Rzl

I like Carte Noire myself It's quite pricey but I don't drink a huge amount of it anyway.

gooismeid

Lyons do real coffee in "teabags" which are good for a standby - the only problem is they're individually packed in foil (which I can understand to keep them fresh), in a box, in cellophane. So they're not very green packaging-wise. I have a cafetiere mug at work, which is a mug you put real coffee in, add hot water, then push the plunger down which is cunningly built into the side of the mug. It's insulated too, so it keeps your coffee warm for longer. Lakeland used to do them - one cup cafetieres. But I've just checked on their website and although the picture and description is in the search facility, once you click on the link it says they're not available. I think John Lewis have them as well. If you keep your packet of real coffee sealed and in the fridge, it'll last for ages.

lily_the_pink

I always use a manual coffee filter

http://www.anothercoffee.co.uk/products/item110101.aspx

The 1x2 filter is smaller but it is more difficult to get filters so I always stick with 1x4 size.

I used to use a plunger thingy but someone told me this method of making coffee is not as good for your health (might be a complete urban myth as I have never looked into it). I find this method easier as there is less faff of cleaning the filter/getting rid of all the coffee grains.

I have bought my last filters abroad in France and Corfu as they are cheaper there. Fenwicks in Brent Cross stock them as does the really expensive but really good coffee shop in Soho.

In terms of instant, I treat it like a different drink - the tesco gold blend is ok, or some of the speciality nescafe ones but these are so expensive I would rather drink real coffee. I have just bought the gold blend one from Aldi which is a bit bitter for my taste but drinkable at the price (and my next door neighbour who has sugar in hers liked it).

moonrakerz

Instant coffee NEVER tastes like fresh ! Use ground coffee with cafitiere/filters, it doesn't take much longer.

Anne_Marie_2

Instant never tastes like the real thing, but sometimes it isn't always easy to cart a cup and filter about with you, whereas you can have a wee container, placcy bag of granules.
I can recommend the Kenco really rich (blue label) and the Carte Noir. Neither are cheap. Got a massive tin of the Kenco in Somerfield recently for about £6 - am sure it was either a misprice, or they are deleting it from their stock.