Supermarket own-brand coffee has been named the best in the UK, outperforming established rivals Kenco and Nescafé in a comprehensive taste test by Which? consumer experts. The panel of 68 coffee enthusiasts sampled 12 instant gold-roast-style coffees, consuming over 800 test cups throughout the assessment.
Top Performers
M&S Gold Instant Coffee, priced at £7.25 for 200g, received top marks across taste, aroma, and packaging. Nearly two-thirds of testers were satisfied with the strength of flavor, while almost three-quarters approved of the balance of bitterness. The product also stood out ethically, being one of only two coffees in the test to carry Fairtrade certification.
Waitrose Gold Roast shared the top spot with M&S, equally earning the coveted 'Best Buy' status. It performed impressively across all criteria, making an immediate impact with its appearance and aroma. More than half of testers felt the coffee's strength was spot on, with nearly two-thirds appreciating the bitter notes. The Waitrose option was priced at £3.70 for 100g, making it more expensive per gram than the M&S alternative.
Great Value Award
Aldi's Barissimo Gold Roast Freeze Dried Coffee was awarded Which?'s Great Value recommendation, coming in at just £2.65 for 200g. Tasters responded warmly to its aroma, with close to two-thirds approving of the bitterness balance and just under half enjoying the overall flavor. A slightly more pronounced coffee character could have made it an even more compelling choice.
Comparison with Leading Brands
Nescafé Gold Blend was priced at £8.35 for 190g, matching the cost of a 195g jar of Kenco. Nescafé fared well among taste evaluators, falling short of 'Best Buy' status by merely one point. Approximately half were content with the flavor of both Nescafé and Kenco, though a third felt they failed to provide a sufficiently robust coffee hit.
Shoppers can save more than £1 with every jar of M&S coffee compared to market-leading brands, while also getting additional coffee per jar. The Which? study advises: "If you want to upgrade from basic instant, bag yourself a tasty brew with our top-scoring gold blend coffee from M&S."
