We Had Coffee Experts Rank 13 Instant Coffee Brands and You Can Buy the Winner at Target

The idea of grinding whole-bean coffee and placing it into a French Pace or pour-over sounds romantic in theory. You may imagine yourself sipping your fresh, self-brewed cup of java while reading the paper on a deck overlooking an Italian vineyard.

Yet, those at-home barista aspirations quickly go down the drain when you're just trying to make it out the door in the morning after a rather late night at the office or get through the last three hours of your work day. Enter instant coffee—a life-sustaining invention.

"Instant Coffee [is] clutch for various reasons," says Lance “Boo” Mayfield, a barista with Virgin Hotels New Orleans. "When it’s the fourth quarter, and you really need a pick-me-up in an instant—no pun intended—this style of coffee will be there for you."

Mayfield adds that instant coffee is often more affordable than pre-ground or fresh-ground offerings. Yet, for years, coffee connoisseurs have turned their noses up at it—and not because there's "nothing like the smell of a fresh pot of coffee in the morning."

"It used to be that instant coffee was basically like drinking the sweepings off the roasting room floor," says Ever Meister, a longtime coffee professional, journalist, educator and author of New York City Coffee: A Caffeinated History.

That's changing.

"Instant coffee today isn't the sludge we think of from days of yore," Meister adds. "There are lots of specialty brands that are sourcing high-quality, sustainably grown and ethically purchased coffees even for their instant lines. Today, instant coffee can be almost as great tasting as fresh brewed."

To help you determine the best instant coffee (and the ones to avoid), we asked experts and scoured the Internet for reviews. You may need to look outside the grocery store to find a great instant coffee (but not necessarily). However, you can find all of these instant coffee brands online.

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13 Best Instant Coffees, Ranked From Worst to First

13. Folgers Classic Roast

Folgers is a ubiquitous instant coffee brand, but Mayfield is over it.

"It’s what households claim is good coffee when it's all they’ve had," Mayfield says.

Indeed, Folgers Classic has a 4.7-star rating on Amazon based on more than 21K reviews. Mayfield insists we can do better — if only those complementary instant coffee carts would let us.

"You go to work, and you head to the break room. Guess what’s there? Folgers," Mayfield says. "You’re in a hospital waiting room. Guess what’s there? Folgers. You’re in a car dealership about to buy your first car. Too bad your experience is ruined because there's a pot full of Folgers."

His main gripe?

"The taste lacks depth — there’s nothing there," Mayfield says. "Nothing complex about it. It just tastes like bean. Not coffee bean. Just bean. The quality just feels lower than [other] coffee brands that I [like]."

12. Starbucks Premium Instant Coffee

Don't worry, Starbucks fans — you'll see a different line of instant from the giant (much) later on. However, Mayfield isn't a fan of Starbucks Instant. It's not the taste that grinds his gears (beans?).

"The smell is terrible," Mayfield says. "It smells like when your eggs burn to the bottom of a pan."

The good(ish) news?

"This coffee tastes better than it smells," Mayfield says.

However, if coffee is a multi-sensory experience for you — you've got other options.

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11. Maxwell House Original Roast

Neither expert brought up Maxwell House. Is that a good thing? The budget-friendly grocery store instant coffee gets high marks on Amazon (4.7 stars based on more than 17K ratings). Yet, so does Folger's. The reviews for Maxwell House cite its value, freshness and approachability. Coffee connoisseurs generally pan Maxwell House for similar reasons to Folger's. But the people like it, and I've found Maxwell House's Original Roast hits the spot after yet another late night with tiny humans who seem to dislike sleep.

10. Jacobs Instant Coffee

Mayfield loves this German-based coffee company.

"Jacobs is one of the better-tasting instant coffee brands on the market. I especially like Jacobs because the brand offers espresso along with its instant coffee," Mayfield says. "It also offers a smooth taste without excessive acidity."

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9. Nescafé Classic

While many of the top instant coffees come from non-giants, Mayfield says Nescafé is a grocery-store favorite of his.

"Out of all the brands, this one smells the best," Mayfield says. "This is the coffee that tastes like coffee. I know exactly what I am getting. Pair Nescafé with your favorite Nestle-flavored creamer, and you're good to go."

Nescafé makes specialty flavors, but the classic, a medium-dark roast, serves as a blank slate for any of the aforementioned creamers you want to add.

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8. Blendytown by Coracle Coffee

Meister says Coracle Coffee's instant coffee is the first to be packaged in fully soluble bags. What does that mean for you?

"This brand's stuff is a no-mess dream," Meister says. "Perfect for camping and hiking — no need to pack any coffee grounds out — or in case of emergency — stuck in an elevator? Running late in traffic? — because it's soluble in hot or cold water and tasty to boot."

7. Black & White Roasters Lica Tores Black Cherry Instant Coffee

U.S. Barista Champions and longtime coffee pros Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage founded Black & White Roasters.

"[They] know their stuff inside and out and know enough to realize that giving people good instant coffee will put more awesome coffee into more mugs," Meister says.

Meister especially loves the Lica Tores Cherry Instant Coffee, calling it "layered and dreamy." The growers designed its process and include hand-collected coffee cherries. Reddit also loves it, with one person saying the tasting notes (black cherry, Hawaiian punch, orange zest, dark chocolate) were "spot on."

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6. Mount Hagen Organic Single-Serve Instant Coffee

Available in single-serve sticks and jars — and on Amazon — Mount Hagen is convenient and accessible. The single-serve sticks travel well, even in small packs. It's no wonder it has a broad appeal. On Amazon, reviewers rave that it's smooth and mild and doesn't have the typical instant coffee aftertaste (if you know, you know). Campers and bikers especially love it for its portability. One reviewer raved, "My favorite is Mt. Hagen. I was one of those coffee snobs who had to have just the right kind of beans (light roast), just the right grind (hand burr grinder) and the perfect temp."

5. Dogwood Coffee Roasters Reko Instant Coffee

Twin City-based Dogwood Coffee Roasters' instant coffees have quite the following in Minnesota — and Meister is part of it (so are local Redditors).

"Now that I live in the Twin Cities, this hometown hero roaster is my favorite," Meister says. "Reko is a wonderfully complex but approachable coffee with warm spice and rich fruit notes."

A perk of the Internet? Dogwood Coffee Roasters' instant coffees ship, so you need not be a local to sample Meister's "hometown hero's" products.

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4. Verve Coffee Roasters Streetlevel Craft Instant Coffee

This mild coffee comes in single-serve packets that you might mistake for sugar. Yet, the flavor profile is decidedly more fruit-forward than the sweet stuff. Taste notes of clementine, red apple and honeycomb — it's warm and inviting, never overpowering. The single-serve packets are winners with active types who camp, bike and have little room for K-cups.

3. Lavazza Classico

Taste and versatility make Lavazza a top choice for Mayfield.

"When I want to make homemade lattes and cappuccinos, Lavazza makes a good base for that," Mayfield says. "It pairs really well with steamed milk. In other words, it tastes great, which is why it's on the favorites list."

That's reason enough, but Mayfield adds Lavazza scores style points.

"I specifically like this brand because of the packaging. The silver and gold cases look  [aesthetically pleasing] on a wooden shelf," Mayfield adds.

The Classico is a good entry point. It's rich and aromatic — a signature of Lavazza products. Its medium intensity is approachable enough to make it part of your groggy morning ritual.

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2. Joe Coffee Company The Daily Instant Coffee

This pick comes with a note of nostalgia from Meister.

"My first big"job in the coffee industry was with Joe in NYC, where I went on from barista to store manager to the co-director of coffee over my time there," Meister says. "From the beginning, Joe was a standard bearer when it comes to quality. They still are, and they've managed to translate that quality into their instant."

Indeed, the small-batch coffee is brewed to concentrate before being freeze-dried, allowing it to dehydrate slowly. It emerges as the perfect "both/and" brew—complex and delicate, with a roast that shines. The Daily's brightness and subtle sweetness blend South and Central American coffee styles, making for an easy-drinking cup of Joe. Sipping it feels like catching up with an old friend.

1. Starbucks VIA Italian Roast Coffee

Starbucks coffee, without the need to wait in line. Mayfield says the Via line is better quality than the coffee giant's regular instant coffee. The Italian Roast double-teams drinkers to give them the jolt needed to power through their days.

"With the Italian Roast, the flavor is very strong," Mayfield says. "It wakes you up in a snap because of the taste. Then the caffeine kicks in."

Starbucks VIA Italian Roast Coffee has a 4.7-star rating on Starbucks' website, with more than 83% of reviewers giving the full-bodied coffee the full five stars.

The best part? This top-ranked option is widely available. You can order it from Amazon or pick up some at Walmart or Target.

Related: Wait, Can You Reuse Keurig K-cups?

Sources

• Ever Meister, a longtime coffee professional, journalist, educator and author of New York City Coffee: A Caffeinated History

• Lance “Boo” Mayfield, a barista with Virgin Hotels New Orleans

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