When you go to the store for coffee, sometimes you get lost among the variety of bright packaging, colorful cans and boxes. If when buying natural coffee you can somehow navigate by the type or country of origin of the beans, then instant coffee differs, at first glance, only in cost and name. We present our own ranking of instant coffee, which will help you navigate the abundance of manufacturers.
In most ratings that can be found on the Internet, it is completely impossible to understand on what basis the authors make their lists and tables. Therefore, before starting work on this material, we tried to determine the main criteria for the top list.
The main things for us, ordinary consumers, are taste, smell and price. Quality can be determined by its appearance and solubility. For evaluation, we chose popular freeze-dried coffee. Neat granules without small inclusions, rapid solubility that does not form sediment are signs of a worthy product.
Top 12 best brands of instant coffee
1 - Carte Noire
Produced at Kraft Foods factories, there are 11 of them in Russia. The trademark belongs to the American holding Mondelez (formerly Kraft Foods).
Only freeze-dried coffee is presented; it differs in name and packaging. It is made from Arabica blends, the strength is high, about 4% caffeine.
Carte Noire granules are smooth, large, light, and there are no crumbles. The smell of dry coffee is pleasant, strong, pronounced. The finished product smells slightly weaker, but the coffee notes are clearly distinguishable. The taste is balanced and deep, a slight bitterness is present, but without harshness.
Cost approximately 320 rubles. for 100 gr.
Further, we will indicate all cost characteristics per 100 grams.
2 - Egoiste
Production facilities are located in Germany and Switzerland.
Egoiste freeze-dried coffee is produced from Arabica beans from various regions; the line contains original products, for example, Egoiste Special - a mixture of natural and instant coffee.
The granules of the freeze-dried product do not produce small dust particles, are strong, smooth, light, caffeine is about 4%, which makes it a strong drink. The aroma is bright and characteristic. The finished product retains the smell, the taste is balanced, with a coffee-chocolate aftertaste. The solubility is sufficient, there are no sedimentary masses.
You can budget from 320 rubles for the purchase. Egoiste Special, with ground coffee, is much more expensive, about 400 rubles.
3 - Bushido
It is made in Switzerland, the brand is the property of the HACO company, registered there.
They have many unusual packaging and release formats, as well as coffee with special characteristics. For example, with gold content. In production, exclusively Arabica beans from Central and South America, Africa and Indonesia are used. The strength is average, about 3.2%.
Bushido granules are dark in color and large in size. The product is clean, practically free of loose particles. It gives off bright, recognizable coffee notes in the air. After preparation, the drink also smells strong and pleasant. Bitterish, with a coffee-chocolate aftertaste. The solubility rate is average, there is no sediment.
It belongs to the high price category and starts from 780 rubles.
4 – Moscow coffee shop on shares
Production at our own enterprise in the Moscow region.
The assortment includes several types of freeze-dried and powdered coffee.
Characterized by smooth, homogeneous particles that do not crumble in jars. The characteristic coffee smell of dry coffee reduces the intensity in the drink. Rich, relatively strong, with a pronounced bitterness, no sourness is felt. The solubility is sufficient, no sedimentary masses are noticeable in the cup.
Costs - from 300 rubles.
5 - Taster's Choice (formerly Maxim)
Factories are located in South Korea. Taster's Choice is also produced by the manufacturer Nescafe, but in our rating we are talking specifically about the South Korean product. Previously produced under the Maxim brand, but several years ago it was sold to a Russian company.
The assortment includes several types of sublimate - standard, caffeine-free and with a particularly mild taste. The standard version is high strength and contains about 4% caffeine.
The granules are of excellent quality, do not crumble, have an even, uniform color. Coffee with a pronounced, deep aroma, persistent, but not harsh. Bright, balanced taste, in which both bitterness and weak fruity sourness differ.
The solubility is sufficient and does not produce sediment.
Costs from 250 rubles. The caffeine-free option will cost more – from 370 rubles. Authentic Korean Maxim is difficult to find in stores, but on online sites it won’t be difficult to find the coveted packaging.
6 - Jardin
Produced at the Orimi Trade plant, Leningrad region. The owner of the brand is Orimi Trade, Russia.
In the line, differentiation occurs based on the geographical origin of the raw materials. Freeze-dried coffee is produced, made from different varieties of Arabica coffee, of medium strength.
The granules are quite large, light, neat, without crumbling particles. It smells deep, pronounced, with fruity sourness, which is characteristic of the Arabica variety. It weakens slightly when cooked, but remains noticeably noticeable. The coffee feels soft, with a coffee-chocolate aroma and a slight sourness. Bitter notes appear as a background. The solubility is sufficient and does not form foreign sedimentation.
The cost is approximately 260 rubles.
7 - Moccona
Manufacturer: Intercafe, Mytishchi. The trademark previously belonged to a company from the Netherlands; since 2014 it has been included in the portfolio of the American holding Mondelez, formerly known as Kraft Foods.
Sublimated coffee produced from a blend of Arabica beans is presented. Moccona has large dark granules, so it is visually perceived as strong and dark. It smells expressive, deep, and this is also inherent in the drink itself. The taste is pronouncedly bitter, but not very strong. Solubility is acceptable, without sediment.
The cost of the classic Moccona Continental Gold starts from 260 rubles.
The manufacturer has launched several premium products, including those with flavors, which cost from 360 rubles.
8 - Jacobs Monarch
Manufactured by Kraft Foods Rus, an enterprise in the Leningrad region. The owner is the American holding Mondelez, formerly Kraft Foods. The product range includes several different types of coffee, granulate and sublimate.
Sublimated Jacobs Monarch - medium strength, mass fraction of caffeine - 3.35%, made from Arabica beans.
Smooth light granules, do not crumble or crumble. In dry form it has a pleasant, persistent odor, but in the drink it is almost absent, the taste is pale, inexpressive, with an annoying sour note. Solubility is low, without sedimentary masses and foreign inclusions.
Price tag is about 350 rubles.
9 – Tchibo Exclusive
Produced by Chibo CIS, a plant in Yegoryevsk, Moscow region. The owner is the German holding Maxingvest AG.
Chibo instant coffee is available in an assortment, the varieties differ in cost and packaging design. Tchibo Exclusive is made from a mixture of Arabica and Robusta, medium strength, mass fraction of caffeine - 3.1%.
The granules are light, sometimes there are scree and crumbs at the bottom of the jar. The smell of dry coffee is strong, but not strong. The prepared drink also has a pronounced coffee smell. The taste sensations are light, sour, not very expressive and shallow. The solubility is excellent, without sediment.
The cost of one of the most popular types of Tchibo Exclusive is about 300 rubles.
10 – MacCoffee
, Moscow region. Refers to the Food Empire company, which is the leader of the brand portfolio. The owner company is registered in Singapore.
There are freeze-dried and granulated coffee, as well as the well-known 3-in-1 portioned sachets, which contain powdered coffee, dry cream and sugar. The main raw materials for production cycles are supplied by Brazil.
The sublimate is characterized by neat, light-colored granules; there are almost no small fractions in the jar. In its dry form it has a very pronounced, even pungent odor, but when brewed it weakens greatly. This indicates the use of cheap flavors in the production of the drink. The finished coffee has a sharp bitterness. The solubility is average, does not give extraneous sedimentation.
The price tag is about 220 rubles.
11 – Nescafe Gold
They are produced by several enterprises, including Nestlé Kuban, Krasnodar region. The trademark belongs to the Nestle Corporation (Switzerland).
The range includes freeze-dried, granulated and powdered coffee.
Sublimated Nescafe Gold, based on Arabica beans. It has a strong strength due to the rather high caffeine content - more than 4%.
The granules are light, uniform, and there is scree in the jars. The aroma is strong and expressive, both dry and brewed. The taste is bitter, strong, but too sharp. The solubility is good, there is no sediment.
You can find it on sale for 100 grams. about 360 rub.
12 – Maxwell House
Production in Russia, at the factories of the Kraft Foods company, is the property of the Mondelez holding (formerly Kraft Foods).
Coffee is produced from Robusta and Arabica. There is a powdered and granulated drink of unremarkable quality.
Maxwell House sublimate with light, smooth granules, many small particles are observed. The smell is faint, not sharp, and becomes even weaker when brewed. It feels thin, dull, watery, and as the dose of coffee increases, the bitterness increases. Characterized by a sour aftertaste. Good solubility, sometimes sedimentary masses in the cup are noticeable.
Costs about 220 rubles.
Roasted ground coffee
6 coffee brands were selected to participate in the competition:
- Moscow coffee shop on shares;
- Ambassador;
- Jacobs;
- Jardin;
- Tchibo;
- Paulig.
The jury members from the people gave the largest number of votes to the Jacobs trademark sample. In addition, drinks from the brands Ambassador, Moscow Coffee House on Shares and Paulig continue to participate in the competition.
Professional experts checked the compliance of the selected samples with the main indicators of coffee safety (presence of mold, toxins and aflatoxins). There were no violations during the tests.
To determine the winner, in the final part of the program, experts determined the amount of caffeine in the samples. If this indicator is less than 0.7%, this means low quality coffee beans or a violation of production technology. All samples had good caffeine content, and Jacobs brand coffee showed the best result, so it was declared the winner.
We think it's a good choice
- Carte Noire . Nice flavor, good aroma, price tag is high but still reasonable.
- Jardin . Good smell, mild taste, decent quality, costs up to 300 rubles.
- Moccona . Pleasant aftertaste, good selection for different preferences, average price category.
In the high price segment we recommend
- Egoiste . Expressive, deep aroma, soft aftertaste, good balance of taste characteristics and cost.
Which instant coffee do you think is worthy of attention?
Voting rights of the people's jury
In the first round, ordinary people were invited to conduct a tasting of the proposed samples. For them, it is not the quality composition of the drink that is important, but the aroma, taste and presence of bitterness. People could only cast one vote for their favorite sample.
The priorities were:
- Jardin.
- Ambassador.
- Moccona.
The absolute leader was Jardin coffee.
Black Card coffee seemed tasteless to many lovers of the invigorating drink; some tasters called this coffee powder.
Many manufacturers of this invigorating drink claim that the freeze-dried drink is made from 100% Arabica beans. In fact, the majority of the instant drink consists of robusta. The cheaper the coffee, the higher the percentage of this component in the composition. This move by the manufacturer is very profitable in economic terms. After all, the cost of Robusta is several times lower than the cost of Arabica, and the caffeine content is almost 2 times higher.
Coffee may contain substances harmful to humans - aflatoxins. They are waste products of microscopic mold fungi and appear in instant coffee when moisture standards are violated. The toxic effect of aflatoxins has a detrimental effect on the human body. Harmful substances affect vital organs: liver, brain, kidneys and lungs. It is to determine the presence of dangerous compounds in the drink that coffee is sent for laboratory testing.
You may be interested in Understanding the methods of grinding coffee
Coffee beans
For those who want to enjoy the entire process of making their favorite drink, Bushido offers to try its signature grain consistency.
Packaged in jars or bags of 250 g. The grains are collected on environmentally friendly plantations and undergo serious selection.
In the end, you get a product of high quality. The absence of crumbs and dust in the jar indicates the care and vigilance of professionals in their own task.
The taste will always amuse you with the absence of overcooked grains or any other defect. The coffee will be aromatic with the deepest taste.
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Coffee "Egoist" is a wonderful Swiss drink.
There aren't many of us who don't like to drink a cup of hot, strong drink during the day - coffee! And many prefer natural ground. After all, it will be real, really tasty and a real boost of energy for the whole day. But there is one difficulty - the need to waste time on a coffee grinder and coffee maker, and often these 10 minutes are not available. But not enough people know that you can prepare a cup of ground natural drink in almost a few seconds. For this purpose there is instant ground coffee “Egoist”.
Where did he come from? Who invented it? Those who are really obsessed with a comfortable life and the environment. Only the innovators from HACO LTD could have come up with such a wonderful and exciting idea. The company's employees thought a lot about how they could get by in the mornings without the noise of a coffee grinder and the clicks caused by a runaway drink. We thought a lot, but still found a solution to the problem.
