One day while I was in Starbucks the barista challenged me to a taste test to see if I could tell the difference between regular brewed and instant coffee.  I expected to like the regular brewed coffee better but was shocked to find out I favored the instant coffee. 

Purchasing the Instant Coffee

The instant coffee is prepackaged in a single serving size and sold at Starbucks and stores like Costco, Target and Barnes and Noble.  There are 12 packets in the box for around $10.  The barista marketed the box by saying it was cheaper than buying a cup of coffee out and went into great detail about why I needed instant coffee.  In reality, I forced myself to use some of the instant packets and the rest went in the trash because they expired before I got around to using them. 

Artificial Brewing

The coffee is not as simple to make as it may seem.  I still need to have a coffee mug available, the correct ratio of water for the packet, piping hot water, and a stir stick not to mention the occasional sugar and cream. 

I don’t have disposable microwave cups, so the coffee mug also had to be washed when I was finished.  A Styrofoam cup is an option if hot water is available. 

One thing that I immediately missed was the smell of fresh brewed coffee in the air because the aroma is part of the rejuvenation process for me.  It’s also very difficult to get the water to the same temperature I normally drink my coffee at. 

Iced Coffee

Iced coffee can also be made from the instant packet.

Taste

Starbucks uses ground coffee rather than flavor crystals so the coffee tasted like coffee.  If someone handed me a cup of coffee and said, “taste this and tell me what you think” the words “instant” would never have been a word that I used to describe it.  Unfortunately I was not able to make the instant coffee taste good consistently.  Many times it had a grainy texture or a metallic taste.  After drinking it for a few days I didn’t care for the flavor anymore and longed for a freshly brewed cup of coffee.  Instant coffee just didn’t hit the spot for me. 

I like basic coffee so I chose the Columbian flavor.  There are more adventurous flavors available.  Those who do not like the regular Starbucks Columbian coffee will not like the instant any better. 

Overall

The box fits nicely in a desk at work but was quickly lost in my coffee cabinet at home.  I suppose the point is to keep the packets handy for an “emergency” use rather than everyday consumption.  The instant pack will never take the place of a fresh brewed cup of coffee, in my opinion. 

Recommended: No