10 Best Instant Coffees | UK Coffee Barista Reviewed

Robusta, on the other hand, is smokier, earthier and more bitter, as well as being cheaper to grow and produce. Most instant coffees will use a blend of the two to cut down on costs, and to utilise arabica’s sweetness and flavour as a way to balance out robusta’s bitter notes.

If it’s a premium, top-tier instant coffee you’re after, we would suggest looking for claims of “100% arabica” on the box, bearing in mind that if it says nothing, it’s more than likely a blend of the two. The main draw of blends is that they’re more budget-friendly, though you may just prefer the addition of robusta’s dark bitterness.

Most java drinkers know that you should always use hot, and never boiling, water to prevent the coffee from burning and tasting charred and bitter, so it makes sense that spray-dried coffee is the lesser recommended of the two.

Freeze drying, of course, uses much colder temperatures to dry the coffee extracts, which is said to better preserve the aromas and ensure the final result is smoother and more palatable. Again, if the label does not say it is freeze-dried, it probably isn’t, and once again the cheaper processing method will make for a cheaper product price.

Alternatively, some instants feature a scale from 1-5 on the packaging to describe the coffee’s roast from light to dark, or even a strength scale, which can also help you select to your preferences. Here is a brief explanation of each type for those that do state the roast:

• Light Roast: Roasted at the lowest temperature of the three, light roasts retain most of the original coffee bean’s characteristics, and also most of its caffeine. They are lightest in flavour, as well as being fruity and more acidic.

• Medium Roast: This roast makes for a dark yet caramel-sweet flavour and is the most well-liked as it strikes that perfect “just-right” balance between bitterness and acidity.

• Dark Roast: Roasted for the longest amount of time at the highest temperature, which reduces the caffeine content and makes for a nutty, chocolate flavour. Terms such as bold, deep, and full-bodied describe dark roasts, so if you see these on the label it may well be a dark roast.
  

Go for a greater percentage for the most convincing taste, which is also delicious when recreating iced coffees and frappes. They tend to market themselves as “barista blend”, or “barista-style”, but it’s always worth scanning the ingredients for mention of ground coffee if this is something that appeals to you.

They’re life-saving when you don’t have access to a fridge or milk, and savvy if you’re trying to cut costs on takeaway lattes and other treats. Do consider the fact some of them contain sugars, sweeteners and other additives, so if you take your coffee without or don’t fancy the extra calories, choose unsweetened varieties.

Finally, ensure that you pick an instant coffee with a container that suits your needs and is sized appropriately for you or your household’s coffee consumption. Here we’ll discuss the draws of the main varieties you’ll come across when browsing online.