We taste tested 10 high street iced coffees to see which is best – and the winner may surprise you
ICE is nice in this heat – but caffeine lovers are dismayed to find that the price of iced coffee is rising with the temperature.
In the past year, sales of the chilled treat have soared by over 38 per cent, to £225million, according to brand watchers Nielson.
But the price in coffee shops is hotting up, with Starbucks charging up to £4.80 and Costa’s iced coffees starting at £3.45.
Shoppers are increasingly turning to ready-to-drink versions from the supermarket as they offer much more bang for your buck.
Alison Maloney tested a range of chilled coffees available in high street stores to reveal the tastiest – so you can get your caffeine hit in the heat without breaking a sweat.
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ARCTIC CAFÉ LATTE 330ml, £1.05 (32p per 100ml)
ARCTIC’S range has been growing in popularity and is now available in many major supermarkets, in both individual size and 1 litre cartons.
However, they are yet to launch a plant-based coffee.
The Café Latte has a strong, pleasant coffee taste and is definitely not too sweet. It’s slightly on the milky side.
Taste - 4, Value - 4, Total - 8
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COWBELLE ESPRESSO MACCHIATO 1litre, £1.49 (15p per 100ml)
OFFERED by Aldi, this is by far the cheapest option but also, unfortunately, the worst in taste by a country mile.
The colour is a rich brown, but the texture is cloying and powdery, and it has a strange aftertaste.
It’s also packing a lot of sugar, with 23g per 250ml serving and a whacking 165 calories.
Taste - 1, Value - 2, Total - 3
STARBUCKS CHILLED 220ml, £1.25 (56p per 100ml)
STARBUCKS was one of the first big brands to launch its products in UK supermarkets and have a large range.
The chilled coffee is a reasonable price, especially if you buy the bigger 750ml carton, but is also handy in the take- away cup size.
But it’s milky and far too sweet, with not nearly enough oomph.
Taste: 3, Value: 3, Total: 6
COSTA COFFEE LATTE 250ml, £1.49 (60p per 100ml)
SERVED in a can, this is the closest to a barista-made drink from your favourite coffee shop and by far my favourite in terms of taste.
The colour is rich and the iced coffee is delicious and wonderfully refreshing, with just the right balance between sweetness and bitterness.
I would definitely buy this again.
Taste - 5, Value - 4, Total - 9
EMMI SKINNY CAFFE LATTE 230ml, £1.60 (70p per 100ml)
AVAILABLE in most supermarkets, the Skinny Caffe Latte has no added sugar and fewer calories than rivals, with about 79 calories per serving.
While it’s pleasant enough, it also wins the prize for tasting the most like an instant coffee that has been cooled down and put in the fridge.
Taste - 3, Value - 3, Total - 6
STARBUCKS FRAPPUCINO CARAMEL 250ml, £1.25 (50p per 100ml)
THE attractive glass bottle is the best thing about this iced coffee.
The contents is overwhelmingly sweet and it has a sickly smell that is off-putting.
One small bottle contains 27.5g of sugar and you would need a very sweet tooth to enjoy this.
Taste - 2, Value - 2, Total - 4
JIMMY’S ICED ORIGINAL 275ml, £1.95 (71p per 100ml)
MADE from arabica beans and semi-skimmed milk, Jimmy’s comes in an attractive resealable tin bottle, which is handy if you’re on the go and keeps your drink cool.
Dark in colour, it’s refreshing and delicious with the strongest coffee taste of the lot.
Just a hint of sugar helps it go down.
Taste: 5, Value: 3
MILBONA ESPRESSO MACCHIATO 250ml, 65p (26p per 100ml)
LIDL’S own brand is among the cheapest for an iced coffee “to go” and it scored pretty well on taste.
It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it is sweet and milky with enough of a coffee taste to make it a pleasant drink.
Not to be sniffed at considering it’s an absolute bargain price.
Taste - 3, Value - 4, Total - 7
TESCO LATTE CARAMEL MACCHIATO 250ml, 85p (34p per 100ml)
MADE with whole milk and cream, this Tesco offering is very thick and tastes more like melted ice cream than coffee.
Sweet and cloying with an overpowering and sickly taste of caramel.
Maybe for those who love a supersweet coffee with oodles of syrup, but it’s not my cup of, er, tea.
Taste - 2, Value - 3, Total - 5
CALIFIA ALMOND MILK MOCHA 750ml, £2.50 (33p per 100ml)
CALIFIA Farms have pushed into the vegan section of the market with a wide range of plant-based iced coffees that are reasonably priced.
But the mocha version tastes like pure chocolate milk, with no hint it’s ever been near a coffee bean.
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Not one for coffee lovers – but would make a decent Cuba Libre with a tot of rum.
Taste - 2, Value - 3, Total - 5