Marks & Spencer Gold Instant Coffee and Waitrose Gold Roast have been named the best instant coffees in Britain, according to a blind taste test by consumer champion Which?. The two own-brand coffees scored 70% each, beating premium household names such as Kenco, Douwe Egberts and Nescafé.
Which? gathered a panel of 68 coffee lovers to sample 12 instant gold-roast style coffees. Each coffee was scored on appearance, flavour, mouthfeel and aroma in a blind test, meaning tasters were not told whether they were drinking Nescafé, Kenco or a cheaper supermarket option, and they were not allowed to discuss their opinions with one another.
Top Scoring Coffees
Waitrose Gold Roast, priced at £3.70 for 100g, came joint first. Which? said it "did well across the board, making a favourable first impression for its appearance and aroma, which was confirmed with a decent flavour". The consumer body added: "Well over half of our tasters found the coffee's strength spot on, and nearly two-thirds enjoyed the bitter tang. This Waitrose coffee isn’t cheap, but it’s a crowd pleaser."
Sharing top spot with Waitrose was M&S Gold Instant Coffee, priced at £7.25 for 200g. Which? said it "scored well for flavour, aroma and appearance". It added: "Nearly two-thirds were happy with the strength of flavour, while close to three-quarters approved of the bitterness levels. It won’t be a surprise to learn that M&S's coffee isn’t one of the cheaper options, but it does well ethically, being one of just two coffees on test with the Fairtrade logo."
Mid-Range Performers
Douwe Egberts Pure Gold and Nescafé Gold Blend both scored 69%. Which? said of Douwe Egberts: "Its looks, aroma and flavour were all rated highly. Just shy of half said the coffee’s strength was just right, while nearly two-thirds praised its bitter kick." The coffee costs £8 for 190g. Nescafé Gold Blend, at £8.35 for 190g, "missed out on being a Best Buy by just a single percentage point", according to Which?.
Aldi Barissimo Gold Roast Freeze Dried Coffee and Kenco Gold Indulgence both scored 68%. Aldi's coffee, priced at £2.65 for 200g, won Which?'s Great Value award. Kenco Gold Indulgence, at £8.35 for 195g, was described as "another pricey coffee, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for regular offers".
Lower Scoring Coffees
Co-op Fairtrade Gold Roast scored 67%, with tasters calling it "a reasonably well-liked brew with good ethical credentials" but noting that "about half would have preferred a stronger coffee flavour". Morrisons Gold Roast and Sainsbury’s Gold Roast both scored 65%, while Asda Gold Roast and Ocado Gold Roast each scored 64%. Lidl Bellarom Gold scored 61%, with Which? describing it as the "least-enjoyed coffee of all", with only just over a third appreciating the flavour.
With premium brands costing as much as £8.35 for a 190g jar, switching to supermarket own brands could offer significant savings for instant coffee drinkers.
