Instant coffee is one of the simple pleasures in life. All you really need is a mug, hot water, and your preferred mix — voila! To help you find the best blends, a member of the Facebook Group, Quarantine Tribute Tips, shares her instant coffee knowledge and ranks everything from Great Taste to UCC.
Mek Yambao, the author of the post wanted to become an instant coffee connoisseur before she delved into the art of coffee making. This led to her trying different kinds of instant coffees that she could find. She now prefers using actual ground, roasted coffee but that doesn’t mean she won’t occasionally enjoy a cup of 3-in-1.
Top Tier
If you like the taste of brewed coffee but don’t have the equipment, go for these classics.
- Kopiko Black
- Great Taste Premium
- Nescafé Gold
- Old Town 2-in-1 (pricier but highly recommended)
Mid Tier
This tier includes coffee that’s sweet, but not overpoweringly so. Those who don’t like their coffee black might prefer these to be on top.
- Kopiko Brown
- Kopiko Blanca
- Kopiko Cappuccino
- Great Taste White
- UCC Instant Sumiyaki (would be ranked higher but got deducted points for the price point)
Bottom Tier
All the Nescafé 3-in-1 variants, especially the flavored ones. Only drink this if you don’t have any other option and add creamer to improve the taste. The author of the post suggests trying other instant coffees if this is your go-to to understand where she’s coming from.
Trash a.k.a. Why bother drinking coffee?
San Miguel Coffee gets a big thumbs down for the connoisseur. She shares that it was the first time she had to discard coffee because it tasted strongly of chemicals.
Kopiko 78c could be added to this tier because of how high the sugar content is. It’s also only made of 8% coffee so you might want to look for your caffeine fix elsewhere.
Special Mentions
This award goes to 7/11’s instant coffee, City Blends. It’s affordable, tastes just right, and the fact that it’s available at a 24-hour convenient store makes it a solid choice.
Mek gives a word of caution that, “most, if not all, commercial instant coffees have a lot of sugar.” While it is less of a hassle to make, they won’t give you the same boost as brewed coffee and the burst of energy you get from it is probably just from the sugar. If you can, support local coffee farmers by buying coffee beans instead.
ALSO READ: Your Guide to Coffee Delivery Services in Manila
