KICK START

I tried supermarket own-brand coffees – a brew tastes exactly like Nescafe at a fraction of the price and it’s not Aldi

The winner wasn't Aldi or Lidl...

PLENTY of us love a good coffee and have all the fancy kit to prove it.

But an instant brew is often enough to hit the spot. We drink 98 million cups a day and 80 per cent of us buy instant coffee to drink at home.

Gary Stone
Which supermarket own-brand instant coffee is best?

And doing so will save you cash.

A single latte at Pret could set you back around £3.50 but you can buy a whole jar of instant for that. Opt for a supermarket own-brand and it may cost you as little as £1.50 for 25 cups.

But how will it taste?

I tried some best-selling instant coffees and rated them. Here’s the verdict:

Kenco Smooth Medium Roast (100g)

  • £3.50
  • £3.50 per 100g

Gary Stone
Kenco tastes good but is pricey

Easy drinking, inoffensive, smells and tastes good for an instant.

Quite a reliable option if you want a jar of instant at home. It’s the price that’s a problem.

Kenco costs nearly three times as much as most supermarket own brand coffees making it a costly addition to your trolley.

  • Taste: 9/10
  • Value: 5/10
  • Overall score: 7/10

Nescafe Original (100g)

  • £3.30
  • £3.30 per 100g

Gary Stone
The Nescafe had an appealing aroma, classic flavour and was smooth to drink

The Nescafe had an appealing aroma, classic flavour and was smooth to drink without being too strong. I wasn’t overwhelmed though.

It’s basic and very expensive for what it is and actually, I thought some of the cheaper brands were just as good without the high price tag – Aldi was very similar if you like this but want to save money.

  • Taste: 7/10
  • Value: 5/10
  • Overall score: 6/10

Essential Waitrose Rich Roast Coffee (100g)

  • £1.30
  • £1.30 per 100g

Gary Stone
The taste from Waitrose wasn’t up to scratch

I’m usually a big fan of the Essential Waitrose range but this was very disappointing. It barely tasted like coffee at all. It was weak, watery and had a rather odd colour, like dirty dish water.

Shame the taste isn’t up to scratch as it is a good price and it’s Fairtrade. But I had to tip it down the sink.

  • Taste: 2/10
  • Value: 2/10
  • Overall score: 2/10

Morrisons Full Roast (100g)

  • £1.49
  • £1.49 per 100g

Gary Stone
Morrisons’ taste was good

Morrisons‘ offering wasn’t bad at all, with citrussy notes and a smooth taste. You do need two scoops to make it strong enough which means it isn’t necessarily as good value as it first appears.

I got through the jar pretty quickly. Still not a bad option though given it’s over £2 cheaper per 100g than big brand Kenco.

  • Taste: 8/10
  • Value: 7/10
  • Overall score: 8/10

Tesco Classic Instant Coffee (200g)

  • £2.70
  • £1.35 per 100g

Gary Stone
Tesco’s coffee tasted stale

Not a good way to start the day. It’s very strong, but has a tinny taste which didn’t smell nice or taste good.

If you’re not fussy, it is £2.15 cheaper per 100g than Kenco and will save you a packet on takeaway coffees. But to me, it tasted a bit stale.

  • Taste: 3/10
  • Value: 4/10
  • Overall score: 3/10

Asda Rich Roast Instant Coffee (200g)

  • £2.25
  • £1.12 per 100g

Gary Stone
Asda’s coffee was a winning combination

Mixed well, quite strong with a lovely rounded, smooth flavour.

I thought this was a decent alternative to the top brands at a fraction of the price.

It was a little bitter but adding milk gave it a lovely full-bodied taste. Top marks for Asda.

  • Taste: 10/10
  • Value: 10/10
  • Overall score: 10/10

Aldi Alcafe Gold Roast (200g)

  • £2.49
  • £1.24 per 100g

Gary Stone
Aldi’s coffee tasted sweeter

Aldi’s Gold Roast option was sweeter than many of the others we tried, but I liked it all the more for it.

It’s very competitive on price at just £1.24 for 100g and if tasted blind, you’d definitely think this was a branded coffee.

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It was very similar to Nescafe and only a fraction of the cost.

  • Taste: 8/10
  • Value: 10/10
  • Overall score: 9/10

Lidl Bellarom Rich Roast Instant Coffee (200g)

  • £1.99
  • 99.5p per 100g

Gary Stone
Lidl’s coffee has a strong caramel aroma

A strong caramel aroma as you open the jar, this Lidl coffee smells like a sweet Crunchie bar, but I didn’t let that put me off.

It has a mellow and smooth taste, with caramel notes, not bad at all and the cheapest instant we tried at just under a £1 per 100g.

  • Taste: 9/10
  • Value: 10/10
  • Overall score: 9/10
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