The Best Instant Coffee Brands: Our Expert Picks For 2026
Instant coffee can be a great option if you’re traveling or don’t want the fuss of using a coffee maker. It’s coffee that has been brewed and dried so that it’s ready immediately–no equipment needed!
At A Glance via Amazon:
- BEST OVERALL: Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade
- ON A BUDGET: Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast
- BEST DECAF: Waka Coffee Decaf Colombian
Traditionally, it is just made from coffee, but you can also find mixes of creamer, sugar, and even added nutrients. Read on for the best instant coffee brands you can buy right now, we’ve picked them out for you.
The Best Instant Coffee Reviews 2026
| image | product | details | |
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Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade |
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Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast |
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Rapidfire Ketogenic High Performance Instant Coffee |
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| No products found. | Waka Coffee Decaf Colombian |
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| No products found. | Starbucks VIA Instant Colombia |
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| No products found. | Four Sigmatic Think Mushroom Coffee |
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| No products found. | Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso |
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Our reviews will show you how easy it is to find great coffees to satisfy your taste buds. While this may not have been true in the past, today it is. Whether you’re looking for a bright single-origin or want to make a convenient crema topped instant espresso, there’s something here for you.
1. Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade
Roast level: Medium
- Additives: none
- Blend: 100% Arabica
- Available in: 3.5 oz jar, 7.0 oz bag, box of 25 single-serve packets
Mount Hagen produces Home Brews Coffee’ favorite instant coffee. Named after a town in the Papua New Guinea Highlands, the brand brings the flavors of the country to your kitchen.
The beans used to make this coffee are 100% arabica, sourced from high-altitude farms in Papua New Guinea. They’ve been given a medium roast, then brewed and freeze-dried to retain the flavor.
There are many reasons we’ve nominated this coffee as our best pick. As well as the rich flavor, we love that it is certified organic and fair trade, and it’s also incredibly affordable.
The only downside we can see here is if you take sugar and creamer. This contains coffee only, so you’ll need to pack your additives separately if you’re going camping.
To make a cup of coffee, you’ll need 1-2 teaspoons of it, so depending on how strong you want your coffee, the jar contains up to 50 servings.
Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade instant coffee is at No products found. per 3.5 oz jar.
2. Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast
Roast level: Dark
- Additives: none
- Blend: Arabica
- Available in: Boxes of 8 or 50 single-serve sachets
As the Starbucks VIA Instant Columbia featured further down this list, this dark Italian roast uses 100% Columbia-sourced, micro-ground Arabica coffee beans.
These ground beans are perfect for preserving all of the coffee’s flavorful essential oils.
You can relax and enjoy an intensely rich cup anytime, anywhere.
To prepare a sweet and strong cup, you must:
- Mix one sachet with 8 fl oz of hot or cold water.
- Allow to brew for about 10 seconds.
- Stir the mixture enough to break up any clumps.
Starbucks VIA Instant Italian Roast is priced at $33.63 per box of 50 single-serve instant coffee packets. Or more commonly at $5.38 per package of 8 single-serve packets. That gives you one cup of coffee for less than a dollar at $0.67!
3. Rapidfire Ketogenic High Performance Instant Coffee
Roast leveel: Medium
- Additives: Ketogenic blend, Rapidfire boost, xantham gum, Himalayan pink salt, milk
- Blend: Undefined beans
- Available in: 7.93 oz bags
Rapidfire offers creamy coffees from a ketogenic powder for an instant high-performance boost. It keeps you full, energized, and successful in your weight loss endeavors. Each serving has 150 mg of caffeine, equal to about 1.5 cups of coffee. Simply, meet your caffeine fix.
This medium roast instant coffee consists of:
- Ketogenic blend [coconut oil, butter, grass-fed butter, medium chain triglycerides oil]
- Rapidfire boost [instant coffee, caffeine anhydrous, coffee]
- Xantham gum
- Himalayan pink salt
Those with lactose intolerance or following a dairy-free or vegan diet should refrain from this product since it contains milk. The presence of the milk, however, adds a natural sweetness. No artificial sweeteners are used.
Mix 2 tbsps with 8 fl oz of hot or cold water to make this coffee. Since this brand is only available in 7.93 oz bags, it may not be as convenient to pack for a day trip as is coffee in single-serve sachets. Rapidfire is sold at $14.97 per 7.93 oz bag, equating to $1.89 per serving for 15 total servings.
4. Waka Coffee Decaf Colombian
Roast level: Medium
- Additives: none
- Blend: Arabica
- Available in: 3.5 oz or 8 oz bags, boxes of 8 or 24 single-serve sachets
Waka Coffee is a newcomer to the instant market, looking to deliver higher-end products for the modern coffee drinker.
Waka Colombian decaf instant coffee begins with single-origin arabica coffee beans grown and harvested in the mountains of Colombia. Waka decaffeinates via the sugar-cane-ethyl-acetate method. This process avoids the use of high heat or pressure, which can disrupt the cellular structure of the green beans.
The advantage to buying Waka Coffee is that you’re helping to support local economies. The brand donates 4% of its profits to funding clean water initiatives in the regions that source their beans.
The main downside to this instant decaf coffee is that it’s a little more expensive than other instant coffee brands. Some coffee lovers also say that it doesn’t dissolve as well in cold water.
The suggested serving is 1-2 teaspoons of Waka coffee with 8-10 oz of water. Mix one stick with 8-10 oz of water when using single-serve sachets.
Waka Coffee Decaf Colombian is at No products found.. Discover more about the brand with our Waka instant coffee review.
5. Starbucks VIA Instant Colombia
Roast level: Medium
- Additives: none
- Blend: Arabica
- Available in: Boxes of 8, 12, 50, or 80 single-serve sachets
Starbucks coffee isn’t a brand Home Brews Coffee would typically recommend. But Starbucks’ VIA instant coffee collection changed the way people looked at it. They were among the first coffee makers to recognize a market for varieties that didn’t sacrifice good taste for convenience (2).
We are going to reinvent the company, reinvent the category. This is not your mothers’ instant coffee.
This coffee uses 100% arabica beans sourced from Colombia. Starbucks combines a mix of freeze-dried coffee and micro-ground coffee for extra flavor and caffeine. Each packet contains 135 mg of caffeine, making it the strongest on our list.
The downside of this medium roast instant coffee is that it’s only suitable for making hot coffee, so it’s not a good choice for making iced coffee or other cold drinks.
To prepare a cup of this Starbucks Instant coffee, add one sachet to 8 oz of hot water.
The price of Starbucks VIA Instant Colombia is priced at No products found. per box of 8 single-serve packets.
6. Four Sigmatic Think Mushroom Coffee
Roast level: Dark
- Additives: Lion’s mane, chaga, rhodiola rosea
- Blend: Arabica
- Available in: Box of 10 single-serve sachets
Four Sigmatic is a statistical term used when referring to the 100 most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. This Finish company was founded to incorporate as many of them as possible into their products. But don’t worry–you might be drinking mushrooms, but you certainly won’t be tasting them.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is first and foremost a blend of 100% organic, fair trade, arabica beans, dark roast, brewed, and spray-dried into instant powder. For the Think flavor, the additives are:
- Lion’s mane mushroom for focus.
- Chaga mushroom for energy and endurance (3).
- Rhodiola Rosea root for concentration and memory.
The advantage of this coffee is that it’s said to provide focused energy without the crash that sometimes happens after consuming caffeine. It’s also organic, vegan, sugar-free, and low in caffeine. For this reason, this coffee is one of Home Brews Coffee’ most recommended mushroom coffees.
The downside to this brand is that it’s a little higher than other instant coffees.
To prepare Four Sigmatic’s Mushroom Coffee Mix, combine one sachet with 8 oz of hot water.
Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee is at No products found. per box of 10 sachets.
Watch Steven from Homegrounds review this brand, as well as other nootropic coffees, in the following video:
7. Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso
Roast level: Medium
- Additives: none
- Blend: Arabica
- Available in: 3.5 oz jar
Nescafe is a company that needs no introduction. It’s been researching instant coffee for nearly 100 years and holds the largest market share worldwide. Nescafe Gold is made with 100% arabica coffee beans for a smooth, balanced flavor.
The key difference with this instant coffee is that it’s designed for people who like espresso rather than regular coffee. Nescafe has managed to replicate the crema found on brewed espresso. This is often a particular challenge for producers, as the pressure of the espresso machine forms crema. It also dissolves well in cold water, making it a good choice for iced coffee or frappes.
The downside to Nescafe is that it’s not specialty instant coffee, and it’s not a good choice if you’re looking for organic, fair trade, or single-origin coffee.
To prepare an espresso-style coffee, mix 1-2 teaspoons of Nescafe Gold instant coffee crystals with 50 ml of water. Mix 1-2 teaspoons with 250 ml of water for an Americano.
Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso is at around No products found. per 3.5 oz jar.
How to Choose Good Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is quite different from ground beans, although it’s made from coffee. To choose the best of the best, you must look at which qualities are still important and what’s no longer relevant. Here’s a guide to help you make the right choice for your needs.
What is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee is ground coffee that has been brewed then dehydrated. The dehydration process consists of spray-drying or freeze-drying for creating soluble coffee crystals.
The most basic version of dried instant coffee contains only coffee. However, many brands add powdered sweetener or creamer so that brewing your morning cup of coffee is even more convenient, particularly if you’re traveling. Some coffees also have ingredients added to provide health benefits.
The main thing that separates instant from regular coffee is convenience. As the name suggests, it’s instant–there’s no brewing time or equipment needed, like for coffee bags. It also has a much longer shelf life than regular coffee and can be cheaper depending on the brand.
How Will You Use It?
Choosing comes down to how you plan to use it (4). Opt for value over quality if you mainly want to make frappes or add coffee flavor to your baking. You won’t need to worry about its taste.
Convenience is the product’s main strength, but that won’t last as freshly-brewed coffee is now much quicker and easier to make at home.
If you want an alternative to whole beans for your next backcountry trip, go for the best tasting instant coffee. You’ll appreciate it after a long hike. You may also want to look for ones with health-boosting additives to better fuel your adventure or creamer for an all-in-one solution.
If you want a delicious coffee without the effort of mastering the perfect pour-over, look for high-quality instant coffee brands. These coffees will offer the same rich and nuanced flavors as a standard brew but in a more convenient package.
Choose Arabica Over Robusta (For Flavor)
There are two main coffee varieties cultivated today, Arabica and Robusta. Arabica makes up about three-quarters of the world’s coffee crops. For most people, Arabicas are the best-tasting coffee beans with more nuanced and sweeter flavors. In comparison, Robusta beans have darker, earthier flavors that aren’t as popular with high-end roasters. However, they are easier and less expensive to grow, so they’re traditionally the beans used to make instant coffee (5).
Nowadays, plenty of freeze-dried instant coffee is made from 100% Arabica beans.
Though they might be slightly more expensive, these are indeed the ones to seek out for coffee rich in flavor, particularly if you like to drink it black (6). Yes, even all Maxwell House Coffee variants, that used to be Arabica-Robusta blends, are now 100% Arabica, except for the instant and Maxwell House Master Blend coffees.
If the price is an issue for you, you can choose to get Café Bustelo instead. It is the first brand to bring Latin coffee to the US market. This brand carries an instant coffee line, that is a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans.
Roast Still Matters
Coffee producers roast a lot of instant coffees to a generic medium-dark roast. Most consumers around the globe prefer the medium-dark roast due to its balanced and approachable flavors. But if you love a bright light roast or super dark roasts (such as a French roast), there are now-worthy options. The higher-end producers who are starting to get into the instant coffee market recognize the importance of using the proper roast to highlight the character of the beans.
The Verdict
With new production techniques and a revived interest in the market, you can choose from plenty of delicious choices. Our pick for the best instant coffee in 2026 is Mount Hagen Organic Fair Trade. It’s a terrific value product with all the coffee flavor that only quality, single-origin beans can provide. It’s also our pick for the best organic instant coffee.
No products found.FAQs
Yes, it is healthy, provided that you consume it in moderation. The health benefits of instant coffee are the same as regular coffee. They include an increase in energy, reduced risk of disease including Parkinson’s, cirrhosis of the liver, cancer, and diabetes, as well as lower levels of depression. You should limit the consumption to around 3-4 cups per day.
The nutritional values of instant coffee are the same as regular coffee if it doesn’t contain any additives. An 8 oz cup of coffee made from instant coffee powder contains two calories, 300 mg protein, 4.7 mg calcium, 116 mg potassium, 7 mg magnesium, 7 mg phosphorus, and 4.7 mg sodium.
The difference between instant coffee vs ground coffee is that instant coffee has already been brewed and dried, whereas ground coffee is simple ground coffee beans that still need brewing. Instant coffee is soluble in water with no residue, whereas ground coffee needs to be filtered out. Drinking it does not give you the depth of coffee made with coffee grounds and is often bitter. The two coffees have very different tastes.
References
- Miller, C. (2009, November 8). Starbucks makes a move to instant coffee. Retrieved form https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/business/worldbusiness/18iht-sbux.3.20281557.html
- Sen, M. (2017, February 1). The Hidden Wartime Origins of Mushroom Coffee. Retrieved from https://food52.com/blog/18958-the-hidden-wartime-origins-of-mushroom-coffee
- Newton, T. (2018, January 22). Coffee Wars: Should You Drink Instant or Whole Bean? Retrieved from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2018/01/coffee-wars-should-you-drink-instant-or-whole-bean/
- Origin and History of Instant Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.historyofcoffee.net/coffee-history/instant-coffee-history/
- The Benefits of Instant Coffee. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://cafealtura.com/instant-coffee-benefits/
