health
The best instant coffees in 2026: we tested 24 US varieties from powders to pastes
Our taste testers tried 24 coffee products to answer the question: are we in an instant coffee renaissance?
TL;DR
- The instant coffee market is seeing a resurgence with new brands introducing innovative products like coffee bags and pastes.
- A blind taste test involving 84 testers evaluated 24 different instant coffee products, including powders, concentrates, steeped bags, and pastes.
- Illy Intenso Bold Roast was named the best overall instant coffee, receiving high marks for texture, acidity, flavor, and bitterness, with a pleasant aftertaste.
- Whole Foods Organic Steeped Coffee Dark Roast was the top-rated steeped coffee, noted for its rich flavor, balanced acidity, and depth.
- Starbucks Premium Instant Medium Roast was the best powdered coffee, mitigating common issues with aftertaste and offering better concentration and acidity.
- NoNormal Outdoor Coffee, a coffee paste, stood out for its smooth texture, semi-sweet undertones, and pleasant acidity, making it ideal for on-the-go.
- Common complaints about less-liked instant coffees included light concentration, bitter aftertaste, and weak or chemical-like flavors.
- The Drexel Food Lab, a food product design and culinary innovation lab at Drexel University, partnered with the Guardian for the taste test, handling all aspects from sample preparation to sensory analysis.