A panel of experts, led by food writer Nicholas Jordan, has conducted a comprehensive taste test of 41 pre-ground supermarket coffees, each sampled black and with milk. The test aimed to identify the best and worst options available nationally, with results that challenge assumptions about price, branding, and freshness.
The tasting took place at Condesa Co.Lab in Sydney, with reviewers including Claire Liu, Keelan Brown, Rowena Chansiri, and Matt Uramoto. Coffees were grouped by roast level—medium, medium-dark, dark, and organic—and scored on bitterness, acidity, sweetness, aroma, and flavour, both black and with milk. The final score combined aroma and flavour.
Jordan noted that the sheer volume of caffeine consumption left him feeling unwell for days, but the test yielded clear winners and losers. He emphasised that coffee preference is highly personal, so the top-ranked coffee may not suit everyone. Price, branding, and best-before dates did not correlate with quality.
For milk coffee without sugar, recommended options include Lazzio Dark, Daley St Medium Roast, Vittoria Coffee Mountain Grown, Campos Colombia, and Sacred Grounds Groover Blend for a bitter, robust flavour. Smoother choices include Lazzio Medium, Lazzio Organic, Melitta Blue Mountain Style, and Byron Bay Coffee Company Nero Espresso. For a lighter, fruitier cup, Oxfam Australia Fair Ethiopia and Jasper Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe are suggested.
For those adding milk and sugar, almost any coffee can be made palatable, though the test identified some to avoid. Black coffee drinkers seeking nuance have limited options, as few coffees exhibited noticeable acidity.
