Whether it’s Monday morning and you’re late for work, or you’ve got five minutes to spare between meetings: who’s got time to brew coffee? That’s when you turn to instant. Sure, we know, it doesn’t taste as good. If it were Sunday morning, we’d take our time grinding the beans, measuring the water temperature and letting the coffee breathe. Then, we’d savour the crème and sip. Choosing your instant coffee? Understand how caffeine content varies with our simple 'How Much Caffeine is in Coffee' article.

But, with kids or work or life, draining our time, instant is a lifesaver.

If you’ve walked down the coffee aisle recently, you’ll have noticed a whirlwind of brands and varieties. Spray-dried. Freeze-dried. Microground instant coffee. These coffee concoctions promise a better brew, one to rival your local barista.

Maybe instant coffee doesn’t have to taste so bad, after all? 

But with so many brands from which to pick, we’re spoilt for choice. Which is the best of the bunch?

After discussing the various types of instant coffee available. Suggested Content: "Curious about how to make instant coffee with your new favorite type? We've got you covered with an easy guide.

What is Microground Instant Coffee?

First up, let’s address the new kid on the block: Microground Instant Coffee. 

Unlike other types of instant coffee, microground instant coffee is unprocessed. Other types are mixed into a thick paste, then either chilled to -40oC – as in the case of freeze-dried coffee – or dried using hot steam to produce spray-dried coffee.

These processes extract much of the coffee’s natural oils and flavour. What’s left behind can be a bitter or poor substitute for the real deal.

So, what makes microground instant coffee unique?

Well, microground is much like regular ground coffee… only finer. When you mix with hot water, it dissolves, leaving behind only a small amount of ground at the bottom of your cup. As it hasn’t previously been brewed, you’re getting a fresh and vibrant cup. Not yesterday’s leftovers. 

Which Brand of Instant Coffee is Best?

If you’re looking for a fantastic instant coffee, buy microground instant coffee. If you want the best brand on the market, you’re looking at it.

Recently launched, our new Presto Barista Quality Instant Coffee is the finest microground coffee you’ll find anywhere. Inside each funky tub, you’ll discover delicious award-winning Arabica beans from sustainable Colombian plantations, ground into a fine powder. Expect notes of dark chocolate and almond.

Plus, it’s as simple and easy as any instant coffee.

Place 1-2 tsp into a cup. Add hot water and stir. Milk and sugar to taste. That’s it! No faff. No fuss. Just fabulously good coffee for every occasion.

If you’re still not convinced, dip your toe in with Presto’s House Espresso beans. Then, once you’re convinced that we’ve got the flavour factor, try out our Instant Coffee. 

What is the Best Organic Instant Coffee?

Here at Presto, we’re pretty proud of our environmental credentials. Sustainability is at the heart of our brand. Every bean is ethically sourced from quality high altitude farmers. And we donate 1% of all sales to environmental charities.

But we’re not alone.

We’re proud to stand with a community that takes the environment seriously. That includes organic coffee too. You don’t normally associate organic coffee with instant. But there are some deeply delicious organic instant coffees to try. 

Explored the world of instant coffee but curious about how it stacks up against ground coffee? Our 'instant coffee vs ground coffee' comparison has all the info you need.

Here are our top three:

Death Wish Organic Instant Coffee

An instant coffee that’s so good it’s out of this world, literally. One of the company founders is a huge space fan and was asked to produce a coffee for astronauts on the ISS. The result is a high-quality Arabica and Robusta blend that packs a serious punch. Each cup has around 300 mg of caffeine compared to a standard of 100 mg. So, stick to one cup, or you’ll be bouncing into orbit. Houston, we have a problem!

Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Coffee

The folks at Mount Hagen are dedicated to their high ethical standards. Little wonder their freeze-dried instant coffee is organic and Fairtrade. It tastes pretty damn good too! Using 100% Highland Arabica beans means you’ll get a robust and delicious cup. It also comes in decaf. 

Anthony’s Organic Coffee

This big bag of coffee does what it says. The ultra-fine ground coffee dissolves rapidly in water. You can also use it for baking with the company listing several recipes on their Amazon page. Still, it is a little pricey. But for your money, you get a high-quality organic coffee with no GMOs. The only downside is the size of the bag. If you’re heading out camping, you’ll struggle to squeeze it into your backpack.

Choosing the best instant coffee starts with understanding its roots. Learn more about 'where do coffee beans come from' to appreciate every sip.

Is Café Bustelo Instant Coffee Any Good?

If there’s one big name in the Instant Coffee market, it’s Café Bustelo. For over a hundred years – ever since Lady Bustelo ‘Angeleno’ brewed her first cup – the brand has produced bold and powerful coffee. 

With an eye-catching and brilliant design – who can miss the vibrant tub of red and yellow – the brand has recently caught on with young hipsters. But is their instant coffee any good? Or is it style over substance?

The verdict: Not bad. There is a vague nuttiness in the flavour – if distinctly Cuban in style – with notes of dark chocolate. If you mix it up with ice and plenty of milk, you’ll have a rich and refreshing iced coffee for a sweltering summer day. As far as Instant Coffee goes, it’s definitely not the worst. 

The Bottom Line

It might break coffee lovers’ hearts, but instant coffee is here to stay. That’s not all bad news, though. With advances in techniques and processes, we’re no longer stuck with bitter, acrid flavours of spray-dried coffee or the mediocre taste of freeze-dried.

Microground Instant Coffee is a revolutionary innovation, blending the delicious and subtle flavours of well-brewed barista-quality coffee with the ease of instant. Don’t write off instant coffee. When you’re juggling a busy day, and you need a caffeine hit, pour yourself a cup of our new Colombian instant.