Best Instant Coffee That Tastes Like Brewed

Best Instant Coffee: Our Top Picks

Our top pick is Mount Hagen Organic, followed by NESCAFÉ Clásico for a bold jar and Starbucks VIA Pike Place for café style flavor. We compared drying method, roast, bean type, certifications, format (jar or sticks), price per cup and how widely each coffee is bought and kept.

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee Sticks: Best Overall Instant Coffee

Mount Hagen is the best instant coffee for people who want instant that tastes close to brewed coffee. It is organic medium roast Arabica, and Mount Hagen says its freeze drying process retains the coffee's aroma and flavor for a balanced, smooth cup.

The coffee comes from the mountains around Mount Hagen in Papua New Guinea, and the brand has made instant coffee since 1986. Single serve sticks fit in a backpack, briefcase or desk drawer, which makes them ideal for travel and work.

• Organic freeze dried Arabica, medium roast
• Single serve sticks for travel and work
• 25 sticks per box

The limitation is cost per cup compared with large jars. Skip it if you drink several cups of instant at home every day; Mount Hagen also sells jars. Expect to pay around $12 for 25 sticks.

NESCAFÉ Clásico Dark Roast Instant Coffee: Best Budget Jar

NESCAFÉ Clásico is the best value instant coffee jar for people who like a bold, rich cup. NESCAFÉ describes it as a dark roast with a pure coffee taste, made from coffee beans from around the world.

Preparation is simple: one teaspoon in 6 fluid ounces of hot water, then stir. The 10.5 ounce jar makes many cups, and Clásico is popular for café con leche with hot milk.

• Dark roast instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon per 6 ounces of water
• 10.5 ounce jar

The limitation is that its bold roast can taste harsh black to some people. Skip it if you prefer a light, mild cup. Expect to pay around $14.

Starbucks VIA Instant Pike Place Roast: Best Café Style Instant Coffee

Starbucks VIA Pike Place is the best instant coffee for people who like Starbucks drip coffee. Pike Place Roast is a smooth, well rounded blend of Latin American coffees with subtle notes of cocoa and praline, and Starbucks says VIA uses the same 100 percent Arabica it brews in its cafés.

The 50 count box of single serve packets is handy for offices and travel, and you can add milk, sugar or creamer as you like.

• 100 percent Arabica, medium roast
• Cocoa and praline notes
• 50 single serve packets

The limitation is a higher price per cup than jar instant coffee. Skip it if budget matters most. Expect to pay around $46 for 50 packets.

NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice House Blend: Best Light Medium Roast Instant

NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice House Blend is the best instant coffee for people who like a smooth, well balanced, lighter cup. NESCAFÉ describes it as full bodied and light to medium roasted. Use one teaspoon per 6 ounces of hot water.

• Light to medium roast
• Smooth, well balanced flavor
• Two 7 ounce jars

The limitation is that its mild flavor can taste thin with lots of milk. Skip it if you want a bold dark roast. Expect to pay around $19 for two jars.

Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee: Best Classic Instant Coffee

Folgers Classic Roast Instant is the best classic American instant coffee. Folgers describes a smooth flavor you can enjoy hot or iced, and you just add water or milk, hot or cold, and stir.

• Smooth classic roast
• Dissolves in hot or cold water or milk
• 8 ounce jar at a very low price

The limitation is that it is a simple, familiar flavor rather than specialty coffee. Skip it if you want organic or single origin coffee. Expect to pay around $4.

Maxwell House Original Roast Instant Coffee: Best for Big Households

Maxwell House Original Roast Instant is a good everyday instant coffee for families. Maxwell House describes a smooth, strong, full bodied flavor with a rich aroma, no brewer required, in an 8 ounce jar.

• Smooth, full bodied classic flavor
• 8 ounce jar
• No brewer required

The limitation is limited detail on bean type. Skip it if you want 100 percent Arabica. Expect to pay around $8.

How Is Instant Coffee Made?

Instant coffee is made by brewing concentrated coffee and then drying it into soluble crystals or powder, either by freeze drying or spray drying. When you add water, the dried coffee dissolves back into a drink.

Freeze Dried

Freeze dried coffee is frozen and dried under vacuum, which preserves more aroma and flavor. It forms chunky crystals. Mount Hagen is freeze dried.

Spray Dried

Spray dried coffee is sprayed into hot air, which dries it into a fine powder quickly and cheaply. It tends to taste flatter and is common in budget brands.

How to Make Instant Coffee Taste Better

To make instant coffee taste better, use the right amount, water just below boiling and a splash of cold water first to dissolve the granules. Mixing instant coffee with a teaspoon of cold water into a smooth paste before adding hot water helps it dissolve evenly and tastes less bitter.

• Use 1 to 2 teaspoons per 6 to 8 ounces, depending on strength.
• Use water around 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, not a rolling boil.
• Add hot milk for a quick café con leche or latte style drink.
• Try a pinch of cinnamon or cocoa for extra flavor.

Instant Coffee for Iced Coffee and Whipped Coffee

Instant coffee dissolves in cold water, so it is perfect for quick iced coffee. Stir 2 teaspoons into a little cold water, then add ice and milk. For whipped coffee, whisk equal parts instant coffee, sugar and hot water, about 2 tablespoons each, until thick and fluffy, then spoon it over cold milk. Spray dried and freeze dried coffees both work for whipped coffee.

Instant Coffee for Baking

Instant coffee adds depth to chocolate desserts, frostings and sauces. Dissolve it in the recipe's liquid first. For a more concentrated flavor, many bakers use instant espresso powder, which is finer and stronger.

Does Instant Coffee Have Less Caffeine?

Yes, instant coffee usually has a little less caffeine than brewed coffee: about 30 to 90 milligrams per cup, compared with about 80 to 100 milligrams in drip coffee. The amount depends on how much you use. Robusta based instants can have more caffeine than Arabica instants.

Instant Coffee vs Brewed Coffee

Brewed coffee tastes fresher and more aromatic, while instant coffee is faster, cheaper per cup in jars and needs no equipment. Instant is great for travel, camping, offices and late night cups. If you want brewed coffee with minimal effort, a single serve brewer is a good middle ground; see our guide to the best K cup coffee pods or our guide to the best drip coffee maker. Browse more coffees in our ground coffee section.

Instant Coffee for Travel and Camping

Single serve instant coffee sticks are the best choice for travel and camping because they are light, sealed and need only hot water. Mount Hagen and Starbucks VIA sticks fit in a pocket, survive a backpack and make a cup in under a minute.

At camp, heat water on a stove to just below boiling, pour it over the coffee and stir. Bring a small insulated mug to keep the coffee hot, and pack sticks in a zip bag to keep them dry. Hotel rooms work the same way with an in-room kettle. For brewed coffee away from home, see our guide to the best travel coffee maker.

Common Mistakes With Instant Coffee

The most common mistake is using boiling water straight from the kettle, which makes instant coffee taste harsh. Let it rest for 30 seconds first. Another mistake is using too little coffee and getting a thin, watery cup; start with 2 teaspoons for an 8 ounce mug. Leaving the jar open in a humid kitchen also ruins instant coffee, as it absorbs moisture and clumps. Finally, adding the coffee to the mug after the water can leave undissolved clumps; add the coffee first, then the water, and stir well.

How to Store Instant Coffee

Store instant coffee in its sealed jar or an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from humidity. Moisture makes instant coffee clump and lose flavor. Always use a dry spoon. Opened jars taste best within a few months, and single serve sticks stay fresh longer because each is sealed.

How We Chose

We chose these instant coffees by comparing drying method, roast, bean type, certifications, format, price per cup and how widely each coffee is bought and kept. This guide is based on research of product listings and owner feedback rather than in-person trials, and every coffee sells new on Amazon.

FAQs About Instant Coffee

What is the best tasting instant coffee?

Freeze dried, 100 percent Arabica instants like Mount Hagen and Starbucks VIA tend to taste the most like brewed coffee. NESCAFÉ Clásico is a bold, popular budget choice.

Is instant coffee real coffee?

Yes. Instant coffee is brewed coffee that has been dried. It contains caffeine and coffee flavor, though it tastes less aromatic than fresh brewed coffee.

How much instant coffee per cup?

Use about 1 to 2 teaspoons per 6 to 8 ounces of water. NESCAFÉ recommends 1 teaspoon per 6 ounces.

Can I make instant coffee with cold water?

Yes. Most instant coffee dissolves in cold water, especially if you stir well. It is a fast way to make iced coffee.

Is freeze dried instant coffee better?

Usually, yes. Freeze drying keeps more aroma and flavor than spray drying, so freeze dried instants taste closer to brewed coffee.

Does instant coffee go bad?

Instant coffee lasts a long time if kept dry, but flavor fades after opening. If it clumps hard or smells stale, replace it.

Final Verdict

The best instant coffee for most people is Mount Hagen Organic, a freeze dried organic Arabica in handy single serve sticks. Choose NESCAFÉ Clásico for a bold budget jar, Starbucks VIA Pike Place for café style flavor, NESCAFÉ Taster's Choice for a lighter cup, Folgers for a classic low cost instant and Maxwell House for big households.