Best instant coffee: gold blend brands vs supermarkets

A quick cup of instant coffee can hit the spot when you’re in a hurry for a caffeine hit, but which supermarket offers the best chance of a decent brew?

We asked a panel of 68 taste testers to try and rate gold blend (medium roast) instant coffees from big brands including Douwe Egberts, Kenco and Nescafé, plus seven supermarket own brands.

We found a brilliant supermarket coffee that topped the rankings. There’s also a Great Value option that gets the price-to-quality ratio just right. But one supermarket brew left testers underwhelmed, scoring just 57%.

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Best instant gold blend coffee

M&S came top overall in our taste test, with the three big brands – Douwe Egberts, Kenco and Nescafé – not far behind. 

Our coffee drinkers also thought Aldi's gold roast coffee was a great compromise between quality and cost, so it's our Great Value recommendation.

Best Buy: M&S Fairtrade Gold Instant Coffee, 69%

 £6.25 for 200g (£3.13 per 100g)

M&S coffee was the highest-scoring coffee among our tasters. It received good marks across the board for appearance, aroma, flavour and mouthfeel.

Its strength of flavour and bitterness levels were deemed perfect by just over half of our panel.

While not as pricey as some of the brands, M&S coffee doesn't come cheap. However, it does well on the ethical stakes as one of only two coffees on test to feature the Fairtrade logo.

Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.

Best Buy: Kenco Gold Indulgence Instant Coffee, 68%

£7.20 for 195g (£3.79 per 100g)

Kenco was just a single percentage point behind our top-scorer, M&S, so it's also a Best Buy.

Its flavour, aroma, looks and mouthfeel all made a good impression on our tasters.

Most enjoyed its bitterness levels, but nearly half would have liked a stronger coffee taste.

It’s worth keeping an eye out to get the best deal on Kenco coffee, as the price fluctuates a fair bit. 

Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee, 66%

£7.50 for 190g (£3.75 per 100g)

This was another well liked coffee among our tasters. Its flavour, aroma, mouthfeel and appearance were all rated highly.

Just shy of half of our panel praised its bitter kick, but not as many were happy with its flavour. Nearly a half wanted a more intense coffee taste.

The price of Douwe Egberts varies between supermarkets so, again, it's best to keep an eye out for offers.

Available from Aldi, Amazon, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Nescafé Gold Blend Instant Coffee, 66%

£7.60 for 200g (£3.80 per 100g)

This iconic instant coffee brand tied in third place overall in our taste test, alongside Douwe Egberts.

Our coffee drinkers liked its flavour and aroma, as well as the mouthfeel and look of the coffee – half said that the bitterness levels were perfect. A similar proportion felt the strength of the coffee flavour hit the spot. 

It pays to shop around to get a good deal on Nescafé, as prices vary a lot. It's frequently on offer, so keep an eye out, but be sure to compare price by weight across pack sizes to ensure you're getting the best value.

Available from Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Great Value: Aldi Alcafé Gold Roast Coffee, 64%

£2.45 for 200g (£1.23 per 100g)

While Aldi's coffee scores a little lower than our Best Buys, its flavour and aroma were appreciated by many, along with its look and mouthfeel.

Nearly half of our panel enjoyed its bitterness, although many would have relished a stronger coffee taste.  

Coming in at around a third of the price of the slightly higher-scoring brands, Aldi’s coffee is excellent value.

 Available from Aldi.

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How instant coffee from Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's compare

Of the five remaining coffees on test, Co-op's gold blend led the field, with the next three supermarkets close behind. Lidl, however, trailed the pack, coming in last place overall.

• Co-op Fairtrade Gold Roast Instant Coffee, 64% Our panel didn't think this coffee was bad, but half wanted a stronger flavour and a third said it wasn’t bitter enough. £4.78 for 200g (£2.38 per 100g). Available from Amazon and Co-op.
• Ocado Gold Roast Instant Coffee, 63% Half of our tasters found the strength of this gold roast coffee to be spot on, but more than a third said that it was overly bitter. £3 for 200g (£1.50 per 100g). Available from Ocado.
• Sainsbury’s Gold Roast Instant Coffee, 62% Only a third of our tasters felt that this coffee's flavour was the right strength – more than half wanted it to be stronger. Nearly a third also said that it was too bitter. £2.75 for 200g (£1.38 per 100g). Available from Sainsbury’s.
• Asda Gold Roasted Coffee Instant Granules, 61% This coffee got a mixed reaction from our panel. More than half enjoyed its bitterness, but there were also many who wanted a stronger coffee flavour. £2.25 for 200g (£1.13 per 100g). Available from Asda.
• Lidl Bellarom Gold Instant Coffee, 57% Lidl's gold blend was the least popular coffee with our taste panel. Two thirds thought it wasn’t strong enough. £2.45 for 200g (£1.23 per 100g). Available from Lidl (in-store only).

Is coffee good for you?

The current consensus among health professionals is that caffeine, in moderation, isn’t bad for you. In fact, certain studies suggest that it could even reduce the risk of heart disease.

The British Heart Foundation terms ‘moderate’ as around four to five cups of tea or coffee per day for most people.

Individuals respond to caffeine differently, with some people being more sensitive. If you fall into this camp,  it can make sense to avoid caffeine altogether or just have one or two cups a day.

Pregnant women are advised by the NHS not to have more than 200mg caffeine per day.

How to choose sustainable coffee

Just two of the 10 coffees we tested – Co-op and M&S – feature the Fairtrade International logo, which is considered the ethical gold standard when it comes to coffee. It means these brands have paid a minimum price for the coffee beans and have met certain social and environmental standards.

A further three supermarkets – Asda, Lidl and Ocado – feature the Rainforest Alliance logo. This is considered a weaker scheme than Fairtrade by the British organisation Ethical Consumer and investigations have revealed some serious issues on Rainforest Alliance-certified farms. 

Find out more about our editorial independence policy and see how our taste tests work 

Instant coffee types explained

There are a range of types available, so here's a quick guide to instant coffee types to help you choose:

• Rich roast An entry-level instant coffee, often described as classic or original. Prices range from £1.20 to £3.50 per 100g.
• Gold blend Gold blend tends to have a richer and smoother coffee flavour than its cheaper counterparts. Expect to pay a little more, typically £1.50-£4 per 100g.
• Single origin instant These coffees have a more distinct, unique flavour linked to the area that they’ve grown in, which could be because of soil, climate or altitude. Prices tend to be £2 to £4 per 100g.
• Microground These are a blend of instant and ground coffee. They tend to deliver a more flavourful and characterful home brew than plain instant coffee, without going to the hassle of making ground coffee. Price-wise, £6.60 to £8 per 100g is typical.
• Coffee bags Just like tea bags, but filled with ground coffee instead. Typical price is £3 for 10 bags.
• Decaffeinated instant coffee Prices range between £1.40 and £4 per 100g.

How where coffee is grown affects the taste

There are two main types of coffee bean: arabica and robusta. Arabica is grown on hillsides in Central and South America, Indonesia, Africa and India. It has wonderful flavour, style and character, influenced by where it's grown and in what conditions.

Robusta is a wild and ‘robust’ bush that handles the harsh climates of Africa, Vietnam and parts of Indonesia. The flavour is heavier, without the sweetness of arabica, and doesn’t show regional differences in the same way. It's a useful ‘filler’ in cheaper blends and is sometimes added to give that ‘coffee kick’.

Central and South America coffee tends to have nutty flavours, and be fruity and rich with hints of chocolate. African coffee, which mainly hails from Kenya, has a bright acidity that's crisp and fresh. Indonesian coffee is known for being rich, luxurious and full-bodied. 

Coffee strength and roast levels explained

Words such as ‘rich’, ‘smooth’, ‘balanced’ and ‘golden’ give an indication of the style of coffee. The level of roast (from light to dark) is important to consider, as this affects the coffee’s flavour profile.

Unfortunately, there's no consistent scale for coffee strength. Some labels use a 10-point system (with level 10 being strong and level 1 being mild, although a 3 for one brand might be a 5 for another), while others just write fancy descriptions to draw you in.

Strength refers to the level of roast the beans have been subjected to, not how much caffeine is in the coffee. 

A medium roast will typically be lighter and smoother-tasting compared with a heavier 'continental' or Italian roast. High roasts shouldn't be burnt, although you'll notice some high roast coffee does look darker in colour. This is the essential oils escaping to the surface of the coffee bean.

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How to make the best instant coffee

1. Don't use boiling water

Don’t pour freshly boiled water straight onto your coffee, as it can lead to a harsh, bitter flavour. Just wait 10 seconds or so after the kettle boils, then pour for a richer, smoother taste.

2. Choose the right milk

Milk sweetens and softens coffee. Semi-skimmed cow’s milk works better with coffee than plant-based milk, adding smoothness without swamping the character of the coffee. Of the plant-based milk available, oat milk is best to minimise any change to the coffee’s flavour.

3. Store your coffee properly

Store all types of coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (not the fridge or freezer) and keep away from direct sunlight. This will help to prevent the flavourful essential oils from evaporating.

How we tested instant coffee

All the coffees on test were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 68 people in January 2025 at our specialist test lab.

Everyone was a regular coffee drinker who buys instant coffee, and they broadly represented the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more). 

The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. They tasted the coffee in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each tester had a private tasting booth, so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The tasters rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and mouthfeel of each coffee, and told us what they liked and disliked. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 30% aroma
• 10% appearance
• 10% mouthfeel

These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting coffee. All our results are checked and analysed by our in-house statistical team.