Staff at Consumer NZ have blind-tasted nine instant coffee brands and found that higher price doesn't necessarily mean better taste. Photo / 123rf
Staff at Consumer NZ have blind-tasted nine instant coffee brands and found that higher price doesn't necessarily mean better taste. Photo / 123rf
Brew buffs and coffee connoisseurs, listen up.
Recent research shows that nearly half of New Zealanders are happy to opt for a cup of instant over a barista-made brew – if not because the cost of a takeaway coffee has risen 12 per cent over the past 2 years but because of the sheer convenience of its place in the kitchen.
So when browsing the grocery store shelves, we assume that the best homemade cuppa that can give us that sweet cafe experience in the comfort of our homes will reflect in the price at the till.
However, the price tag may not necessarily mirror the value after a study by Consumer NZ has handed us a bitter truth.
The question is: who came out as caffeine king and who spilt the milk?
Surprising but true, recent research shows that nearly half of New Zealanders are happy to opt for a cup of instant over a barista-made brew. Photo / 123rf
Filtering the results from best to worst
Robert Harris Colombian Blend took the top spot, thanks to its “chocolatey aroma” and the fact it “tastes like coffee”, which appears to be a pretty important element on the judging checklist.
In second place was Nescafe Gold Original, which was described as having a “coffee-style whiff” and “inoffensive coffee taste”.
Coming in third was Pam’s Cafe Roast Instant Coffee, which, although tasting like quality coffee, was also described as having the unique aroma of “muddy football boots” – not a glowing review, but enough to make the podium.
“Our results show that rating a brand of instant coffee on its coffee-ness might seem silly on a surface level, but you can’t take it for granted,” said Ruairi O’Shea, an investigative writer for Consumer NZ.
“The remaining instant coffees that Consumer staff tasted were variously described as ‘bitter’ and ‘burnt’, ‘doesn’t taste like coffee’ and ‘more like coffee than the others’.”
"I was expecting a panel of coffee-spoiled Wellingtonians to be tough on taste, though some of the results surprised even them". Photo / 123rf
A bitter truth
Costing $76.14 per 100g, the most expensive instant coffee was none other than iconic Kiwi company Coffee Supreme – yet out of the nine coffees tasted, it ranked a lowly sixth.
Classic Medium Roast by internationally known brand Moccona was $14 per 100g and ranked even lower, in seventh.
“You can’t trust that a higher price, or a fancy brand, will give you a better quality product,” said O’Shea.
“It’s a trend our team of product testers and investigators find time and time again across all industries, from salt and vinegar chips to power providers.
“If you’re looking for a budget-friendly brew, then Pam’s Cafe Roast Instant Coffee could be the way to go. Although some panelists found the aroma questionable, it’s about four times cheaper than first and second place – which only scored marginally higher anyway.”
“It’s fair to say that I was expecting a panel of coffee-spoiled Wellingtonians to be tough on taste, though some of the results surprised even them,” said O’Shea.
