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Starbucks, the global coffee chain that has fed the craze for expensive lattes for more than a decade, has announced it is to add cheaper instant coffee to its menu.
"Via Ready Brew" will be introduced into some stores overseas next month.
And the instant brand could be available in New Zealand within the next 12 months, says Starbucks' general manager here, Paul Wood.
"These things tend to be quite North American- and Britain-focused in their initial launches and on the basis of how successful they are there's a staged roll-out globally," Mr Wood said.
Speaking in New York this week, Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz acknowledged that the company's move into instant coffee would be viewed by critics as "insane" or "desperate".
"We realise the connotation of instant in America and around the world is an uphill battle," he said.
But he insisted the company had "cracked the code" to instant coffee, claiming taste tests showed Via to be indistinguishable from freshly brewed coffee.
The price of the new drink in the United States would be less than US$1 ($2) a cup, the Guardian reported, while in Britain sachets making three cups would cost 1.20 ($3.40).
"We think we are going to transform the industry," said Mr Schultz. "We're doing things that have never been done before in the category of instant coffee. This is not your mother's instant coffee.
"There's been no - I mean zero - innovation for the past 50 years in the category of instant coffee."
The company's long-term aim was to expand distribution into supermarket chains alongside other instant brands. Starbucks calculates the global instant coffee market at US$17 billion.
"I do think there is a market for it. In the future I would like to see it in the New Zealand market."
And as for launching Via in New Zealand supermarkets, Mr Wood said: "I think launching it through the stores is the way to go initially and building the brand and the awareness of that through the stores ... from a supermarket perspective, who knows?"
The Seattle-based chain's move is in part due to economic conditions, which have prompted customers to cut back on its traditional products. The company recently announced plans to shut 300 stores, on top of 660 closures last year, shedding as many as 6700 jobs worldwide.
In the half-year ending September 8, Starbucks New Zealand produced sales of $17.3 million, down on the $17.4 million achieved in the previous period.
The chain said the secret behind the new instant was mixing super-fine grounds of fresh coffee beans to capture its characteristics.
Packaging the coffee in individual sachets was designed to enable consumers to get the quantities right for a good cup of coffee.
Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director of Starbucks' UK division, said the instant coffee would not undermine the main brand.
"People ... understand that if we are going to do this, it will be different. It will be quality." Paul Wood said he had sampled the product.
"It is comparable with fresh-brewed plunger coffee. That sounds slightly unbelievable, I know, but it is. It's that good.
"My understanding is that the technology they use now is a big leap from your freeze-dried Nescafes and Mocconas."
