- Taste testing 38 different instant coffees to find the best one.
- The process involved a blind tasting with standardized testing.
- The reviewer has strong opinions against instant coffee but remained curious.
- The tasting criteria focused on bitterness, flavor complexity, and overall enjoyment.
- A surprising winner was revealed after a rigorous testing process.
Tasting instant coffee can be a daunting task, especially for someone with a strong preference for fresh, ethically produced coffee. The video dives into a taste test of 38 different instant coffees, which were purchased from a delivery website. Each coffee was assigned a unique code to facilitate a blind tasting.
The concept was to have a tournament bracket to systematically eliminate the less favorable options. The reviewer weighed out the same amount of coffee and used the same water temperature and weight for each sample. The goal was to find the least bitter, most flavorful cup of coffee.
Throughout the tasting, the main focus was to avoid strong bitterness, woody, earthy, or rubbery flavors common in cheaper instant coffees. The reviewer looked for sweetness, freshness, and complexity in flavor. A fancy tasting spoon was used to elevate the tasting experience, though it wasn’t essential.
Initial tastings revealed many harsh and bitter coffees, but a few stood out with unique flavors. Some coffees had unusual but intriguing tastes, while others just didn’t impress. As the rounds progressed, it became clear that some coffees were less bitter and more enjoyable than others.
In the final rounds, the competition got tougher. The reviewer noted some coffees had a chocolatey profile or floral qualities, making them more appealing. In the end, it came down to a head-to-head battle between two similar profiles. The chosen winner was slightly more complex and less bitter.
The big reveal showed that the winner was Little’s Colombian Premium Instant Coffee. The reviewer appreciated its clean acidity and sweetness, describing it as a pleasant surprise. Despite the win, the reviewer reaffirmed their preference for freshly ground coffee, emphasizing the superior quality and experience it offers.
While the taste test revealed a standout instant coffee, nothing beats the quality of freshly ground coffee.