In today's fast-paced world, instant coffee has become a convenient and popular choice for caffeine enthusiasts.
However, all instant coffees come with their own blends, and finding the perfect one to suit your taste can be a tasty yet challenging task when you don’t know what to look for.
“When choosing your preferred instant coffee, take into consideration elements such as flavour profiles, caffeine intensity and the beans, as together they give coffee a different taste,” explained Thokozane Radebe, brand manager for Douwe Egberts.
Radebe advised looking at the following criteria when choosing your perfect instant coffee blend, “…but it must be said that when it comes to finding your favourite, trial and error is a lot more fun.”:
Consider your preference of coffee based on the origin of the coffee beans and the roast level such as light, medium and dark.
Different origins and roast levels offer distinct flavour profiles. The two most common types of beans are Arabica and Robusta.
Arabica coffee beans are known for their delicate nuanced flavours.
They have a wide range of taste notes, including fruity, floral, nutty, chocolaty, and sometimes even a slight acidity.
Arabica beans are generally preferred for their more complex and sophisticated flavour profiles. Compared to Robusta coffee beans, they are lower in caffeine content.
Robusta coffee beans have a more robust and straightforward flavour profile.
They tend to have a stronger, earthier, and more bitter taste compared to Arabica beans. There is less acidity than Arabica beans leading to a milder taste.
When purchasing instant coffee be sure to read the flavour profiles.
Each blend has its own flavours such as chocolate, caramel, fruity, nutty or floral. By reading these profiles you should be able to determine what would best suit your preferred tastes.
If you are sensitive to caffeine, check the caffeine content of the coffee.
If it doesn’t state an intensity on the bottle, read the ingredients and see what the caffeine content per serving or package is.
Also, many instant coffees offer a decaf option, which gives you the taste without the caffeine.
Some instant coffees contain additives or flavourings. If you prefer a more natural taste, look for options with minimal or no additional ingredients.
If you would like your coffee to be sustainable and ethically grown, look for instant coffee that has certifications such as organic, fair trade, Rainforest Alliance or similar.
Instant coffee is the perfect solution to a quality, convenient cup of coffee on the go, especially when you have found The One.
“Think about baking a cake, every ingredient plays a different role in the process providing the eater with a different taste.
“The same concept applies to the blending of your coffee. When you know what you need out of the perfect cup of instant coffee, analysing the elements that go into making the blends becomes easier,” explained Radebe.