Supermarket Instant Coffee - Which One Tastes Best?
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2:08 How the tests will work
3:16 Round 1
8:02 Round 2 (Final 16)
10:58 Round 3 (Final 8)
11:56 Round 4 (Semi Finals)
12:18 Finals Round
13:12 Discussing the winner
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In Sweden, we don't call it coffee. If a dinner guest asks for coffee and you only have instant, you say, - I'm sorry we don't have coffee, only instant.
Must be nice. Here in Russia, we were pretty much raised on insta coffee, since there was no such thing as coffee centric cafés or coffee shops. All the craze for good coffee started about only 15 years ago. I legit couldn't finish a cup of nescafe recently, it tasted just awful, yet i drank that when i was a kid and thought it was the taste as it should be 🙃
Same thing in Finland.
same in croatia
Yeah I stock up on instant but not because I think it's drinkable just as a cup of coffee: I just think it can be great when you're baking and to put in drinks or milky/icy coffee if you want it to be stronger than regular bryggkaffe but don't have an espresso machine. Like I always have instant in my cupboard but it's not meant for just drinking :P
Out мне ещё его и со сгущёнкой давали 🙈😅😂
Wearing a white shirt while slurping coffee out of a spoon nearly 70 times is honestly a *very* impressive flex.
It's the Laurence Llewellyn Bowen (Spelling?) thing - he wears elaborate and new clothes in which to decorate the insides of properties - well, at least on tv. Me? I have a selection of curry-enhanced T-shirts! :)
That's only impressive for klutzs.
you can tell it was folded nicely before he decided to wear it
He's selling those shirts, so obviously he's promoting a way to ruin them. To sell more.
@@bloodqc frickin genius
I’m impressed at how many different ways he manages to diplomatically avoid using the word ‘disgusting’
Sacrifice of quality
Cheap x 2
Not sure is good
Easier to start with bad
Harsh x 12
Woody (earthy) x7
Bitter x10
Least bad (I don’t like either) x8
A bit odd
Better than that one
Not a lot going on
Its marmite
Classic instant x3
Most unpleasant
Odd x2
Artificial
Not a huge fan of any
Rubbery
I don’t like this at all x3
Weird x7
Fake chocolate oddness
Noooo x2
Vegitabley x3
Mushroomy
I’m not giving up fresh coffee
Fake x3
Ashtray
🤣🤣🤣🤣
very british
@@jonnyabbott9545 the fact that you compiled this literally made my day. Idk why I just love it. Thank you.
I would def said “fookin nasty coffees we got here” 😂
What I learned: James likes Colombian coffee, Illy has chocolaty coffee, every nescafe regardless of price is trash.
"This one has that classic instant coffee taste" James Hoffmann, on Nescafe Original.
What an incredibly brave thing to say.
and bonus, Illy is easy to buy in Canada :)
It may be that Colombian makes better instant for some reason.
Only one: illy Intenso.
randommusings: I’m not seeing it here in Nova Scotia but probably can be ordered through our large grocery chains. I will try it if I see it. A friend likes only instant. I will have a cup of instant every couple years but have been taking it to the cottage where there is a Keurage (is that spelled right?). Doesn’t matter. I’m not a fan but maybe is the pads that are used. Since I use whipping cream in coffee, almost anything can be made to taste decent.
Growing up in Afghanistan, we could only find the nescafe brand. Growing up I would only drink coffee during school exams time as coffee would help stay up late for studying. Always thought that the instant coffee was the coffee. I never liked the taste, but I had to take. After the 2001 when the American came to Afghanistan, I started working for an American company. I remember my boss, who was an American, had set up a little table for brewing espresso for himself in his office. There were no fresh beans in Kabul, he had a big can of the typical superstore pre ground coffee. One day he offered me a cup, for the first time I enjoyed coffee. Now when I taste freshly roasted beans that are freshly ground, I can’t belief the difference. I haven’t had instant coffee for the last 17 years.
This is a great story, thanks for sharing!
Same for me. I always thought I just hated coffee. My parents only ever bought instant. So when I was about 16 I went and bought some real coffee, learned how to brew it, luckily my parents had a big French press (cafetiere) and I made some, and my whole world changed. Real coffee is an entirely different drink to instant. They are not even in the same league. But my first thought, I'll always remember this, my first thought was that it tasted like tea to me. Like not completely like tea. But something about it tasted more open and real, cos here in the UK nobody drinks instant tea. We always brew tea with real leaves. But for coffee a lot of people only drink instant. It seems like in the US, everyone has a drip coffee machine at home. I've never seen anyone in the UK with a drip coffee machine. Except me, when I bought one
But espresso drinks are the best. But I've never been able to afford to buy a proper gold quality espresso machine. I made the mistake once kf buying the cheapest espresso machine in Argos, it was only £15, and it was god awful.
I want a simple machine, bean to cup. I put the beans and the water in, I set it to automatically make coffee at 7am when I wake up, and it grinds it and brews it all automatically, and then I'd just have to steam the milk a bit and put it in the coffee to make a latte or whatever
That's the dream. But those machines are like £500 for the very cheapest one. Ah well. One day, maybe
But yeah people who don't like coffee have probably never had real coffee, only instant, and they don't know what they're missing
Cool story
@@duffman18 James did a test a while ago whereby he bought a Gaggia Classic second hand and got it going. He was impressed by the results. Mine is 15 years old and I spent £80 refurbishing it - a bargain, given they cost £450 on Amazon brand new at the moment. This could be the way to go for you, if you're a bit handy. Just be careful to label all of the wires before you start.
As someone who was there, I loved you guys. I wish you well
James constantly proves how much of a coffee genius he is, but calling out the Ethiopian out of a potential 38 is pretty crazy
Indeed.
oh but ethiopian coffee is quite crazy compared to other coffees
And that too among instant where things could go wrong
@@arddermoutcramer5695 oh yeah totally agree. It would be easy to call it out in a normal tasting but figured it was a bit more obscure with instant coffees
Especially as he said it doesn't taste how he expects Ethiopian coffee to taste, but still knew it was Ethiopian.
Worth mentioning, instant coffee can be a great cooking/baking ingredient in situations where you want the flavor without additional water. I use a ton of instant coffee and espresso powder, but never just as a drink.
Good to know!
What are some dishes you make with it?
@@serenafowler5500 My favorite is to make a spread for my morning toast from powdered peanut butter, powdered espresso, cocoa powder, and cream. It's like a coffee flavored Nutella.
On the savory end, it sounds weird but tasted amazing, a teaspoon of instant coffee in with the flour when making a swedish meatball gravy. Saw it on some random website at some point and decided to try it on a whim, have never made it without since.
I also tried a "Russian Black Bread" recipe that had coffee in it, that was pretty good, if I liked caraway seeds more I probably would have loved it.
@@serenafowler5500 Add it to brownies, chocolate cake, any cocoa-based dessert. It adds a lovely complexity without being overpowering
YESSSSSinstant coffee as "spice" 👍👍 instant as drink 🤮
On the rare occasion I bake I just add slightly less water and a couple espressos.
The fact that he said that the two Colombian coffees were similar in profile, noticed that the Illy coffees were chocolatey, and pinpointed the Ethiopian coffee exactly is just insane to me.
Ethiopian is very distinct
@@thingsnstuff85 cool
most Illy coffees are very chocolatey
Not "insane." "Impressive" "amazing" "ridiculous" "astounding..." etc. You have a wide vocabulary. Use it, instead of ableist terms like "insane."
@@thingsnstuff85 And I’ve had it, and I still couldn’t do that.
James has some seriously impressive taste buds for coffee. Imagine being able to tell that an instant coffee comes from ethiopia from a list of 32 coffees.
I had this experience today. Tasted a (notably better, though still blind to where it was) nitro cold brew from minor figures. I said this is defs a natural Ethiopian. Low and behold. After some research I found out it was.
38 even! Impressive stuff indeed
Also in pointing out that the final two have a similar profile and them both coming from colombia, pointing out chocolate in both illy products. Really impressed!
If you taste enough different coffees every day in your line of work, this becomes second nature. (Not that it’s not impressive- just the outcome of drinking a buttload of coffee!)
Well Ethiopian coffee is the most classically recognisable as 'different' in most coffee prep methods
The fact that you managed to pick out the Ethiopian is pretty astonishing to me.
Also, watching you hate-taste stuff is very enjoyable.
I think Ethiopian has a really unique flavor profile so its one of the easier ones to pick out.
It's almost like he knows his coffees 😛 but I know what you mean, I was also impressed
Ethiopian has a really distinct taste profile. I'm a home roaster and steer clear of Ethiopian, not my taste.
I’m impressed he was able to call out the Ethiopian while pointing out it’s not what you would expect from an Ethiopian. 8:30
@@griplove Meh, it would be like doing a blind taste test with thirty regular sodas and picking out the one diet mixed in.
You have to do Part 2: Freeze drying your own perfectly brewed coffee to see if it could ever be good
This is kind of a genius suggestion
That would be really interesting. Is it the drying process itself that leads to bad outcomes, or more to do with batch size?
I have good news
I don't think many people are drinking instant over bean coffee for the flavour. It's the convenience and speed. Boil a kettle, teaspoon of granules, dash of milk (maybe sugar) glug down half the cup and out the door.
for me it is simply because we have a small kitchen. With my wife's damned giant ass mixer, a toaster, and a few racks, there isn't much room left for anything. I am really trying to learn how to be a coffee drinker, but this instant coffee isn't making it any easier...
@@jamesleason4004 just use a French press, job done
@James Leason French press coffee cup. Lol best of luck 2 you
@@stephenjones9840 Still need to clean the used equipment. With instant you have a spoon and a cup that is all.
@@stephenjones9840 i have one but genuinely prefer Nescafe gold
In the current absence of professional sport, this will absolutely suffice.
I would love to have James call a footy match but I would imagine he'd be great for any game. His voice is perfect for golf where the broadcasters usually have to whisper
Marble races.
Now we need to see decent instant coffee vs bad pour over coffee
Needs commentary by Greg Woods
@@dodaexploda No such thing as "decent instant coffee".
On the other hand, pour over is the best, and if some is not good, its pure operator error.
James choosing dating partners: "Well this one is harsh and bitter. But this one is weird and interesting. Clear winner."
Haha this is what I imagine James would be like on Bachelor.
Rofl!
"this one has a slightly sweeter taste" 🤔
Good one!
I'm pretty sure we all would rate it that way.
I oftentimes find myself coming back to this video for one distinct moment, and that's at 8:10 - when he manages to guess correctly that the coffee is Ethiopian. The cafe that I work at was the first specialty coffee shop I had ever been to, and we specialize in Ethiopian coffee. As a result, I have a pretty deep respect and love for the coffees which come out of the country, particularly how wonderfully complex and interesting they are (so very floral). The fact that James is able to guess - out of all the coffees he is tasting (with very similar taste profiles) - the exact country of origin of this one coffee speaks volumes to me about the amount of knowledge he has on the subject. I also think that it speaks volumes about the coffee coming out of Ethiopia, which I happen to think is some of the best in the world.
Something about that moment just resonates with me in a deep way. Thank you James for what you've done for the coffee industry and for sharing your expansive knowledge with us.
Yes, but how much kief do you use when partaking in some fine herb?
@@pillsareyummy at least 2
@@realchiefkief I don’t think you got the joke.
I have tasted the beans from a wild coffee tree in Ethiopia when I visited...that was special. As was the food.
although weirdly - as per the actual coffee I do prefer Arabica. I don't like the really sharp taste of ground Ethiopian coffee...
Anyway westerners don't usually make it like they do, really strong with loads of sugar in a little cup. That works in Ethiopia actually, but milk and sugar as I make it here...no, does not work for me.
I love how he described one coffee as "lawful neutral" which leads me to wonder, could James taste a coffee and make a dnd character out of how it makes him feel
That is an excellent idea
I would sign up to see that
He is a nerd, and as a fellow nerd, I appreciate that DnD reference
Strong, earthy, metallic: Dwarf fighter
Subtle, vegetal: Elf rogue
Fruity, nutty: Probably some sort of Wizard
@@nathangamble125 That's a bard.
i feel youve basically created a series which is "watch me taste things i hate"
"watch me go in for another sip"
I am thoroughly enjoying it though
*clear coffee flashbacks*
And I'll watch every single episode to the finish, plus maybe some of the ads too 😂
This is a valid point. But I feel like these videos (like the coffee orange juice and the La Croix, etc.) are more on the entertainment end than the learning end. Did anyone here learn anything from this video? Not really. But it was interesting. If James keeps bringing things in like coffee flavored Gatorade and coffee clam chowder, I do agree it'll get old real quick.
James surrounded by approximately 87 containers of instant coffee: "I'm a little bit nervous."
me: is it because you've clearly lost your mind?
😂😂😂
This ☝🏻
Fantastic comment. Thank you for making me laugh today.
I really needed this comment today.
He probably films the intro after drinking the coffee.
When I was in Japan I was impressed by the quality of some of the instant coffees there. There was a brand called Maxim, which I remember my grandmother loving, and I really got into because I had a tiny apartment and no coffee brewing setup, and I would enjoy a cup with my friend every day and it was delightful 😊
~Trav
Oh and there is a “cold brew” instant at Trader Joe’s here in California that I like in a pinch. I still rather have my own brewed coffee, but a little powdered is fine now and again if in a rush
~Trav
Maxim is Korean brand
Love that James express his DnD knowledge. Now i want a video on a coffee for every alligment !
Ha ha just got to that bit 😂😂. I bet you he plays as a magic user.
@@beetooex I could definitely picture him cosplaying as a mage :D
@@BeautilufMusic ☕🧙♂maybe coffee over pipe weed.
James, my Mother is physically disabled due to years of Rheumatoid Arthritis. The other day she asked me what coffee options there were for people with a handicap and I honestly couldn’t make a good suggestion. This video is very welcomed to just make the best of the situation. Thank you!
Ray _ that’s a good point and something a lot of us forget when talking about ready meals and instant products in general.
Quite a few companies like Taylors and Percol make coffee in a bag. My mum has issues with her wrists and didn't like the mess of ground coffee so ground coffee in a bag is the best option for her. Nearly the same flavour as fresh ground but convenient like tea. If your mum can make a cup of tea then coffee in a bag is a possible option?
Automatic coffee machines (like DeLonghi, Jura) might be an option. Very easy to use and decent coffee. Depending on how disabled you are you might need help every now and again for cleaning and refill though.
Perhaps Nespresso coffee is something to consider as well?
@@jackwestern8284 thats a good recommendation rather than going for instant..though some bags can be a bit sludgy with that last mouthfull out of the cup.
“Chocolatey...with a bit of ashtray at the end.” Hoffman 2020
that was my favourite bit!
Many a times I taste the ashtray aftertaste with an early morning airport filter coffee. Good to know that I am not the only person on earth making that association between caffeine and nicotine; or dit a result of the roasting?
Someone needs to put this on a cupping mug, with James' face. I would buy it. Wait even better..four cupping mugs, four unique tasting notes like, "woody, like a little chewed pencil (filter vid)", "Just tarmac! (New York Coffee soda vid)" and, "NOOO no no no! I want you to be good but you're not!! (forgot which vid)"
Which might be strange in coffee but, when we start talking imperial stouts... I love me some smokey chocolaty coffee flavours
Can we have this line as merch? :D
Best instant I've had (both decaf and regular) was Mount Hagen Fairtrade. Hard to find a decent decaf coffee at all here, so I was really happy when I found that one, since I couldn't drink regular coffee with the medication I was on back then.
I used to be a coffee hobbyist, but I made a move to a country that also required a big cut in my income (and it’s been totally worth it). My first year I was in a rural area, not too far from a big town. More expensive finer coffee was available if I wanted it and wanted to splurge (and it was just OK coffee, neither great nor bad). I started drinking a cheap generic instant. I got used to it. Basically, I’m a caffeine addict. Instant coffee provides me with the most bang for the buck. A large jar of instant costs a little under $2.50 and lasts me 10 days.
The convenience is nice. The brand I favor dissolves well in room temperature water. When I shamble into the kitchen on some mornings, I’m not quite awake and often clumsy. Gulping a cup of room temp instant gets me started.
Fine coffee is a luxury. I think I appreciate it more than when I drank it often. I certainly savor it more. There’s a place nearby that does a light roast of (supposedly) organic Colombian arabica beans that I really love. But my daily “brew” is cheap instant.
Pan-roast your own. The reason I shell out more for freeze-dried, is I need efficiency for my time (just so many things I'm trying to do), and having a stockpile of things in vacuum-sealed mylar bags with O2 absorbers, is a better yearly needs-to-time ratio, than pan-roasting the coffee.
If I start drinking temp brown water I will go get treatment for my addiction
I don't know why but I found your cute little short story really sweet. Hehe. Thanks for sharing.
☺️
TL;DR - “Harsh and Bitter” versus “This Ones A Little Weird Tasting”
and “oh, the chocolatey one again”
TLDR - Actually an ASMR
@@lemon1879 Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is TLDR? Thanks mate!
@@yengsabio5315 Too Long; Didn't Read - although TL;DW would be more apt here (Didn't Watch)
@@tomasgasparovic9018 Ah, so that's what it means! Now I know! Thank you kind Sir!
Cheers & mabuhay from tropical Philippines! May you always have a great cup of coffee wherever you are!
“Weird coffee person” I’m so happy that he is wearing a disclaimer.
The implicit comma/hyphen can really go anywhere too l.
@UCN6uNLF16hVXUQdfse7Ihaw link is in the description of the video
If it's merch, I want one.
I love instant coffee. It's my favorite coffee. It's quick, easy, and it doesn't go stale in 3 seconds like beans. I rarely have the energy to baby most brewing methods as needed to make something that tastes decent. I put powder in cup, I pour water, I add milk, done.
I agree. Personally I enjoy all forms of coffee, so some days I grind my own beans, while other days I drink instant. Both types of coffee are good in their own ways, and I think that's a really good thing because it makes coffee more accessible and enjoyable to more people.
I'm the same. I love instant coffee. However, I put coffee powder in my cup, add some sugar, some milk and THEN add the water. 😉
I would love to see a version of this with Japanese instant coffee brands like UCC or Key Coffee.
Japanese and Chinese instant is better than most grocery store coffee beans, honestly
UCC is the best instant for me [Philippines]
I took my elderly father somewhere and on the way back, we stopped for a snack at one of the chains. I got us two lattes, both a fairly unremarkable medium roast Columbian bean. He took one sip and said that it didn't taste anything like coffee and asked for a cup of tea instead. It turned out that he had been drinking Nescafe for 45 years and had no idea what actual coffee tasted like.
Perhaps you should have bought your father a flat white.
Nescafe should be made illegal.
yeah, i think people get pretty snobby about it, but it's just a different drink with the same name. Instant - especially nescafe types bare basically no resemblance to real coffee, but no reason why someone wouldn't enjoy it. i don't like many of the "fruity" coffees and would probably rather have an ashy burnt tasting instant instead. horses for courses.
@@85parrot The only instant I drink is Kenco Smooth or Rich to me that's as close to filter coffee as you can get. Obviously its not as good but any other instant tastes like soil!
When you mix nescafe with milk it actually not too far from latte (but not close at all). Last time I've checked two years ago
I can't believe I just listened to 14 minutes of slurping sounds
Yeah, I hardly make it past 9 seconds.
Maybe ASMR for someone.
I was listening to this in the background of doing school work and went to look through the comments to see if anyone else was deeply bothered by the slurping noises
I pay extra for that
Same tbh.
There seems to be a large market for instant coffee in the Asian market, particularly for 3-in-1 (coffee/milk/sugar) packets or pseudo-cappuccinos. I honestly use those when I'd like hot caffeine quickly or another type isn't available to me. I'd love to hear what you think of those.
Im a coffee casual, but ive recently tried maxim instant coffee (one of the popular 3-in-ones) and really liked it. I'd be intrested to hear his take as well.
Yes I really like the classic yellow maxim too, I always have them to save time and i also drink nescafe😂😳
I love the metaphor of instant coffee being a snapshot of coffee, not the whole picture. So true, so eloquently delivered.
4:20 "Lawful Neutral" This implies the existence of a full alignment chart for Coffee, and I for one would love to watch that video.
I wholeheartedly second this!
Chaotic Evil easily goes to any of the triple caffeine coffee blends
Give this man a TH-cam channel!
*Lavazza Classico*
James: This is very classic
Me: Good. Very good.
Came to the comment section to see if this comment is here. I'm now at peace once again.
Also 9:30: "I Just don't like it, it's very classic." - James on the Carte Noir Classique instant coffee
Classic means classic instant coffee flavour - robusta bitterness, woody, earthy, rubbery.
Further, James blindly nails the Nes Classic as "A classic instant profile" at 9:08 ...stunning.
James, how about doing this test with premium instant coffees? :)
Brands like Mount Hagen, Strong Coffee Company, Waka Coffee & Tea, Verve coffee roasters, Steeped Coffee (and their Single Serve Packs), The Canyon etc?
I would love to see you do this again, but bloom the coffee in cool water first. It's an important step in making a decent cup of instant coffee. Instant coffee is really delicate and can be ruined by just pouring hot water on it. A lot of more bitter coffees can be toned down with a pinch of salt, toning down the bitter notes and bringing out the other flavors. I guess that goes against the nature of tye tasting though.
Petition to make him read an ebook we can listen to before bed because of his soothing voice.
He talks like he is in a room full of sleeping people xd love it
Thatd be so nice honestly
Petition to make him just record himself aggressively sipping from a spoon for an hour so that I can fall asleep
Only if it has constant slurping
Lol. I had to put my phone speaker against my ear to hear his voice because I'm carrying my sleeping baby. Right you are.
I think this video wins the “Most Slurps in a Single Video” award
Also the most loud and annoying slurps in a single video
@@ravenskye702 slurping like this is standard for assessing coffee around the world. it can be annoying but it's just the way it's done
@@PeetyPC good to know but still annoying especially if amplified from the mike
Have you not seen porn hub
@@ravenskye702 *mic
I've been drinking Nescafe Gold Blend Alta Rica for the past week, and I have to say, it surprised me. I generally avoid instant, but this was the only coffee available, and it tasted better than most wholebean instants I've tried. Commenting before I see what you make of it.
Didn't even get through the first round...
Yeah I was surprised about that too. I'm generally not a coffee drinker, but that is one that I actually enjoy to have.
Have been drinking Alta rica for years and as someone who drinks about four pints of the stuff a day and have tried many other brands and it’s the best.
@@barneybiggles I like my instant Alta Rica way better than the coffee pods that people use at work. Everyone else looks down on my choice but the coffee pods they have taste thin and sour to me so I think they are just being coffee snobs.
Lots of people are drinking these with milk, which changes the taste quite a lot. For example, a fully bodied, earthy instant coffee balances well with milk
alt title: British man w nice hair tortures himself for 14 minutes
British Man Really Doesn't Deserve This, but He Did it Anyway, for Us
And a good ass shirt
Hahaha
Brilliant
OK- so I'm not the only 1 that thinks he has nice hair. :)
"A little bit of ashtray at the end." is about the most apt description I've ever heard to describe at least half of all instants I've ever been unfortunate enough to try.
oh, only at the end? lucky you!
@moar cowbell
I've only had 1 Nestle instant "sub-brand", but it was impressively bad. Ironically, the Folger's Golden Dusk medium dark I have now is far better. But... The Anthony's Organic Arabica is still the best so far. I just don't know how long it keeps, because it's not freeze-dried.
"A little bit of ashtray"....yup, been there, suffered that.
Snob
My mind is blown after finding this channel. I am so excited to go on this coffee journey with you.
My grandfather recently passed away at age 98, and at his funeral, someone said he taught them how to drink instant coffee by saying… “Don’t think of it as coffee, it’s a different drink of its own.”
Sorry for your loss 🙏 he sounds like a legend
My mum always mixes about three types of instant coffee together in an airtight coffee jar. It's bloody awful, but never a dull moment.
Chaotic evil?!!
We jokingly started a half-caf at work cause we couldn't remember which jar was which and it's now it's the most popular...
Edit: we also have a full size barista style coffee machine for the people who like coffee
That’s like Russian Roulette Instant Coffee 🤪
My favorite moments:
1. "One of these is an Ethiopian coffee and I think it's this one" (points to the Ethiopian coffee)
2. "This is an extremely classic instant coffee profile" (points to the Nescafe Classic) (EDIT: he said this a few times but I’m referring to the one at 9:10)
It would have been interesting if there were two cups of fresh coffee in the mix as well: one properly-made one, and one with low-quality supermarket pre-ground beans.
The properly made coffee will just destroy the competition, making the bracket tournament pointless. Comparing it to cheap coffee made in a typical drip coffee machine may be interesting but not in a tournament bracket format.
I'm no coffee expert, but even I can tell the difference between the worst pre-ground coffee and instant, so James would probably spot real coffee by the look or smell alone.
Would have been interesting... let him spot it and eliminate it out of the competition
does it again with the lavazza classico at 4:47 haha
I think he should'nt beacuse even the supermarket beans would win instant.. , and if you saw james book and a couple of video's you understand's that fresh properly grinded coffee will be a clear win
I didn't know Lavazzo made instant coffee, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I sometimes buy their ground espresso blend which comes in vacuum-sealed bricks. I find it pleasant tasting. Interesting that both their instant products got a quick dismissal!
They are huge in Europe. If there's coffee mavhine, then it's most likely Lavazza. They might be bigger than Nescafe
I have to admit, I was surprised you didn’t give Nescafé Gold a nod. When we lived in Europe (and didn’t have a coffee grinder etc), Nescafé Gold was my absolute choice. In Budapest I loved going to the Gellért Hotel’s cukrászda and get the cappuccino with CREAM. Ahhhhh!!
Now, I am a coffee snob. Grind my beans fresh and use an aeropress or French press.
Least in
Me too
I use French presses for tea. 😂
"This video has a coffee giveaway"
*Proceeds to give away all 38 instant coffees*
I legit thought this gonna go alongside his usual coffee giveaway lol
@@eddy8579 me too, man. And I kinda hoped it, though I think he'd be on the side of not giving the awful ones
There are some interesting patterns emerging here: the chocolate notes of Illy, the broadly consistent superiority of Illy, Percol and Little's instant and so on. It would be good to see a follow-up, non-blind video explaining those results.
Yes I agree!!
Would definitely add to the value of this video.
And a preference towards Colombian coffee which I think is because of its more classic and mimicable taste.
Yes i would like that too! Illy is probably the only one I could get a hold of so that interested me a lot
I do get a chocolaty smell from my illy beans
As someone who started with instant coffee I haven't found a brewed coffee that I like more than my instant coffee.
Thank you James. That had to be a small torture! I'm a fan of freshly roasted beans, ground coarsely every morning(Breville conical) and followed your recommendation for brewing in my "French press'. In the afternoon, however, I'll make a 'Cometeer' medium roast and am always delighted with their convenience, taste and sustainability. Thanks again for your videos and work. JAL
Can we just take a minute to talk about how amazing this man is, that he uses his youtube fame and sponsorship to give away coffee to folks? Way to show your true passion.
Wow that high speed intro slideshow was cool, you weren't bullshitting about skillshare !
The trick to making better tasting instant coffee, is to put a little cold water in your cup first, add the instant to the cold water, then add the hot water to fill the cup to drinking temperature. If you add the instant coffee to already near boiling water, it will take the freeze dried crystals that were made from properly prepared actual coffee, and push it past being perfectly done into the taste of coffee that's been left on the burner too long.
None of it works. I've tried everything. There's simply no way to make instant coffee taste good.
I feel like your descriptions are on point for what ive tasted in instants, vanilla, tangerine etc
The fact that you referred to a coffee as Lawful Neutral instantly makes me a fan.
Anyone that uses D&D references to describe coffee is alright with me
I laughed so hard at that
Did you just say"inStAnt" ??!!
Would chaotic neutral have been a better flavour?
James Hoffman is giving us the coffee tournament arc that we deserve.
Thank you very much Mr Hoffman for this precious piece of „infotainment“. I’ve been enjoying this so much, I didn’t even skip the ad.
That being said, there has always been a place for instant coffee in my heart. I’ve worked s as a barista for most of my working live, always for shops that sourced better than average coffee an had their own roasting facility.(I left the world of coffee a year before corona shook it so hard, for which I’m really grateful in retrospect.) I have an SCAE certificate lying around somewhere and I really love quality coffee.
As such it guilty pleasure, like a chef secretly eating a McMuffin for breakfast, to just have a cup of instant and have a hassle free morning.
Little‘s the only coffee of your bracket available in my country and I have defaulted too it as the “best” instant coffee so far. So nice to see my choice vindicated here ;)
TouuuuuuuuuurnMent arccccc!!!!!
I can't wait for the redemption arc
This is a great video! Let me give you my point of view as an instant coffee stan. I'm Uruguayan and instant coffee is the most common way we make coffee at home. Ever since I was a kid what my mom gave me for breakfast was a hot cup of milk with instant instant coffee disolved there, and two spoons of honey. It's a bad breakfast from any point of view, I know, but it's what I grew up with, is what every morning of my childhood tasted like, and even though I have a Moka now and make real coffee when I feel like it, the affective memory that I associate with the taste of instant coffee make it what I prefer every morning to this day.
Well, instant coffee serves an important purpose for me. Since the coffee machine at work spits out this undrinkable liquid claiming to be coffee, me and two colleagues decided to buy instant coffee and share that bag among us (each of us buy a bag every third time). It has been life saving, and we only went for whatever we could find in the local store (Nescafé gold). It is heaven compared to the machine brewed coffee and what's even more fun is that I now see many, many others at the office that has started to bring their own instant coffee too. I find that so amusing. The Selecta coffee machine is now standing in its corner, ashamed. All it does now is spitting out hot water for us to put instant coffee in.
Back in the Middle East my grandmother makes coffee from scratch(roasting-grinding) and spices it. She then divides it up for her children, so that when you visit any one of her children you get our family's signature coffee. Our neighbor's coffee would be spiced differently as well, and so that family would have their own signature coffee too. The older generation literally do not know what instant coffee is.
This Just sounds very adorable...I miss My grandma
That sounds awesome!!!
Ahhhh please adopt me! I'm so curious to know which country or region to find out what kind of spices 🕵️♀️
Zsófia Handley I’m guessing gulf countries ? We drink it more regularly but Jordan have their own version of it too
Every region in every country makes it differently but mostly it includes; cardamom, saffron and cloves but people do add or remove things here and there
The coffee is roasted very differently and almost always lighter than regular filtered coffee
But again every region roast it differently
It’s called “Arabic coffee”
@@IamIceQueen7 are you arabic?
It's incredible how consistent his tasting results are.
to be honest he was able to see the stickers... so it's not 'pure scientific test' but it is fair, it will do. Don't feel like it's necessary to have him run double blind test here.
@@Cypeq I don't think he memorized all the four-digit number and taste pairs of the 38 types of coffee just so he can amaze me and fake his tasting skills.
@@Boldozofurizo you could easily memorize one that keeps standing out with 'weird chocolaty taste', it's just 4 characters, even without making conscious decision to memorize them they will imprint upon repetition, it's not like it was presented to him once. Just saying memory is a big factor, even more distinct shade. That's why it's called blind tasting, in normal situation you shouldn't get any visual reference unless that's something that will be judged as well.
I'm not saying his skills are fake, they are very much real but visiual aids to consistency in this 'blind taste' are very real as well. Test like that in front of your own camera with editing are so easily faked, I personally choose to believe that James did honest work here, I don't think anything is fake about this video.
My mom likes an instant coffee from 'Jacobs' named: 'Maxwell House- classic'. And she makes it by boiling whole milk in a pot, and when the milk has risen up in the pot, she pours it over the instant coffee. It tastes pretty good prepared like this I have to say. Maybe nothing for a coffee purist, but from time to time it's a welcomed alternative for me.
I prefer instant coffee to the proper stuff. I find it easier and more pleasant to drink.
A brave stance. I respect and fear you deeply.
@@GoddessError I prefer it, and if I ever want to get fancy I use boiling water from the kettle rather than hot water from the tap.
@@theodoremason6344 i thought we were supposed to use the boiling water from the kettle to start with?
@@jamesleason4004 see your one of those coffee aficionado type guys
I love how James talks about the Ethics of coffee making. It is such a huge issue, and I'm glad James brings it up
@fifthof Don't disregard human suffering for flavor
The chocolate situation is as bad or worse.
From an environmental standpoint though, instant coffee are much friendlier than espressos.
*Timestamps (because I want them for future reference)*
_All timestamps start with the Hoff slurping. Enjoy. Also, actually watch the video first._
_Edit: I realized only after completing this endeavor that there was actually timestamps in the description. Still, this is a more detailed breakdown and hopefully helps someone other than me as well_
Explanation of Methods 2:33
Criteria 3:14
*=== Three Way Ties (A vs B vs C) ===*
Ocado Gold vs Kenco Millicano vs Percol Americano (Winner: Percol Americano) 3:48
Waitrose Ft Italian vs Nescafe Alta Rica vs Percol Barista Gold (Winner: Percol Barista Gold) 3:57
Nescafe Organic vs Nescafe Colombia vs Waitrose Colombia (Winner: Nescafe Colombia) 4:16
Nescafe Original vs Percol Organic Rich vs Lavazza Classico (Winner: Nescafe Original; But All Were Bad) 4:39
Nescafe Gold Smooth vs Percol Italiano vs Azera Americano (Winner: Percol Italiano; Best of the Worst) 5:05
Azera Intenso vs Percol Espresso Noir vs Percol Colombia (Winner: Percol Colombia) 5:24
*=== Head to Head (A vs B) ===*
Douwe Egberts Indulgence vs Waitrose Essential (Winner: Waitrose Essential; Better than Bad) 5:47
Cafe Direct Smooth vs Little's Ethopian (Winner: Little's Ethopian) 6:00
Cafepod Intense vs Little's Colombian (Winner: Little's Colombian) 6:08
Kenco Smooth vs Clipper Organic Medium (Winner: Clipper Organic Medium; Wins for being Interesting) 6:18
Carte Noire Intense vs Kenco Rich (Winner: Carte Noire Intense) 6:29
Douwe Egberts Gold vs Illy Smooth (Winner: Illy Smooth) 6:38
L'or Classique vs Cafe Direct Macchu Picchu (Winner: Cafe Direct Macchu Picchu; Had to Pick Something) 6:49
Lavazza Intenso vs Cafepod Supercharger (Winner: Cafepod Supercharger; But Still No) 7:00
Clipper Papua New Guinea vs Illy Intense Taste (Winner: Illy Intense Taste) 7:17
Carte Noire Classique vs Lavazza Espresso (Winner: Carte Noire Classique; Less Musty, Still Bad) 7:29
*=== Head to Head Quarterfinals ===*
Waitrose Essential vs Percol Americano (Winner: Percol Americano) 8:05
Little's Ethiopian vs Little's Colombian (Winner: Little's Colombian) 8:09
Percol Barista Gold vs Clipper Organic Medium (Winner: Percol Barista Gold) 8:42
Nescafe Colombia vs Carte Noire Intense (Winner: Carte Noire Intense) 8:53
Nescafe Original vs Illy Smooth (Winner: Illy Smooth) 9:03
Cafe Direct Macchu Picchu vs Cafepod Supercharger (Winner: Cafe Direct Macchu Picchu; Just a Touch More Interesting) 9:11
Percol Italiano vs Illy Intense Taste (Winner: Illy Intense Taste) 9:16
Percol Colombia vs Carte Noire Classique (Winner: Percol Colombia; Easy Win) 9:27
_Sponsor: Surfshark VPN (Offer Code in the Description)_ 10:00
*=== Head to Head Semifinals ===*
Little's Colombian vs Percol Americano (Winner: Little's Colombian; Easy Win) 11:12
Percol Barista Gold vs Carte Noire Intense (Winner: Percol Barista Gold; Weird Taste) 11:21
Illy Smooth vs Cafe Direct Macchu Picchu (Winner: Illy Smooth) 11:32
Illy Intense vs Percol Colombia (Winner: Percol Colombia) 11:43
*=== Head to Head Finals ===*
Little's Colombian vs Percol Barista Gold (Winner: Little's Colombian) 11:57
Illy Smooth vs Percol Colombia (Winner: Percol Colombia; Very Close. Very.) 12:04
Little's Colombian vs Percol Colombia (Winner: Little's Colombian; Slightly More Complex) 12:23
*Grand Champion Winning Analysis* 12:44
This is amazing. Annoyingly I can’t pin it on mobile but I will do when I get a chance later on
@@jameshoffmann My pleasure. Keep on making the great content!
Someone make a slurp mashup video please!
the hoff slurp lmao
@@mishpotat I think a 3 minutes long edit of him wincing at awful coffee would also be up there
I've only recently found this channel and I'm glad to know I'm not alone in my Love for Coffee.
Long time Nescafe Gold drinker here.
Couldn’t obtain the winner in this shootout but got the Percol Colombian to try.
It has a smokier smell and now I understand what James meant when he said harsh flavour.
I’m so used to it that the Percol tastes soft in comparison!
9:28
James: "This one I just don't like, it's very classic."
Carte Noire: "Ahem, I think you mean CLASSIQUE."
This is what coffee nerds call humor.
I love that ‘lawful neutral’ is now in the coffee sensory lexicon
D&D alignments have found their way into many different unrelated areas.
yes
Does the Hoff ply dnd??? 😄
That comment, made me actually lol.
I would take chaotic good over it any time of day. Just saying.
I really enjoy the way you do the blind taste test.
Keep up the good work.
When I do use instant I mix it with steamed milk (no water) and it does much better. I only buy Cafe Bustello or Elite (from Israel) in instant. Mostly use them in chocolate desserts, but occasionally drink them mixed in milk. Not bad at all this way.
Israeli Coffee; for when the regular abusive coffee supply chain isn’t criminal & exploitative enough for you.
You know his palate is on point when he blindly calls Nescafé original the "classic instant coffee profile."
It wasn't Nescafe. It was Lavazza that he called classic instant coffee profile.
@@mau5099 He def said it about Nescafe original the second time it came up. Look here: 9:08
He did guess the Ethiopian one correctly. That's some God tongue taste buds man...
Towkeeyoh I understood that reference
I have L'Or intense. Instant coffe has less , nah?
The winner brand is not available here, although we are neighbour countries.
Can we talk about how satisfying that intro scene was?
I almost fell off the chair when I saw it
I have the impression he already had some cups of instant coffee. Or no coffee at all and was a bit sleepy
It was as impressive as when he revealed the tasting spoons with a wave of his hand.
Thank-you for this review. For years I drank Taylor's Cafe Imperial which I loved but Taylor's stopped producing it and I'd almost given up on finding a replacement. Little's Columbian, however, comes close but Cafe Imperial through a Cona was in a league of it's own for me. They still sell the beans for Cafe Imperial but it just doesn't tase the same. So my thanks for putting me on to Little's Columbian.
Pleased to see Percol doing well; if I'm completely out of time I'll occasionally make a very strong one with a good dollop of set honey and plenty of (oat) milk. If you don't think of it as coffee (😆), then it can be a really enjoyable sweet alternative with at least a little caffeine.
This guy is exactly what a youtube coffee reviewer would look and sound like.
thats because every other coffee youtuber is based off of him
@@jm-bn9sy No it's because he looks like a stereotypical coffee snob who is absolutely and completely effete.
Funny enough I dont watch any coffee youtubers other than James, he’s just on another level i mean world barista champion/silver fox of youtube
he kind of reminds me of a really old Jacob Collier. think its the way he says certain words with his big teeth.
@@carlkamuti it’s funny you think he’s just down coffee TH-camr when he’s actually an incredibly successful businessman and well respected figure in the coffee industry
I'm not sure If this guy is late 20s or 65
Roughly smack dab in the middle of those two numbers leaning slightly to the lower.
yes, he is 40
94r57ggu 0 : surely you jest! Looks about 19. Lesson: drink more coffee.
Amie in Nova Scotia Nah coffee almost certainly ages you
I laughed so hard I had to leave the room because someone was having an important serious discussion and I was holding my breath not to disturb them. Thank you, dear sir. That was a good laugh. :)))
I drink a chicory alternative, called Pero. Because I’m caffeine sensitive. So… No ethical issue. But it’s instant (no brew just mix) and depending on your water to powder ratio.
It makes an amazing cup of espresso.
I used to really dislike instant coffee. A few years ago I bought some Medaglia D'Oro Espresso Instant. WOW! What a difference. It's more expensive and only comes in a small container but its MILES ahead in flavor.
Seeing my regular instant coffee that I drink every morning and feeling personally attacked when he hated it 😂😭
I saw my boyfriends favorite get knocked out and laughed tremendously (if you can't tell, I can't stand his coffee)
Make yourself proper coffee. Why drink instant every morning...?
@@fijiarc2090 because some of them are better than high dollar ground coffee thats been sitting on the shelf or in a cupboard for months going rancid. If I cant grind some in the morning because of time, I'm choosing instant over pre ground, every time
Please, do yourself a favour and throw that instant coffee in the trash can. Buy grounded coffee, even better - buy coffee beans, ground them yourself, there's nothing better than real coffee. And it's easy to make, you don't need fancy espresso machines - just a regular moka pot, or you can even use an old metal cup with a handle, fill it with water and coffee and put it on the stove, just like people in old times, like the Turks and turkish coffee - a thousand times better than instant coffee
@@emilpashov1993 rancid ground coffee? No thanks, ill take instant over pre ground any day
“With a little bit of ash tray at the end.” 😂😂😂
Absolute savant.
Clear preference for Colombian instants. Picking the Ethiopian was classic. Noticing the chocolate across the Illy offerings too.
Very enjoyable video to watch.
"The chocolatey one, with a little bit of ash tray at the end." That line caused full on laughter in our house. For us, coffe is usually pour over. We do use Illy, the brand which caused James' comment, but only as Bold/Intenso and medium or espresso grind, not instant. Usually we buy from a local roaster (shout out to Black Dog in Kearneysville, WV). They have an espresso blend that we get freshly ground fine for pour over. I have a personal liking for an instant, too, that I wish had been included in the sip off: Cafe Bustello Espresso. My husband and I grew up in instant coffe households (Nefscafe in one, Folger's in the other), so we didn't begin to drink coffee until separate trips to New Orleans in our 30s. (I started to drink coffee during a brief trip to France as a teenager, but stopped quickly upon return to the home environment,)
Would love to see a comparison of store bought coffee beans.
Seconded!
That would be amazing
I wanna see the worst pre-ground coffee compare to the best instant. Is there any way that instant wins? What if the beans are over roasted and ground too fine and over extracted?what if the coffee grounds are exposed to air for a few days then percolated then sits near boiling for a few hours?
That percol columbian has always been my go to instant coffee. I was on the absolute edge of my seat as I watched it sail into the second and third rounds. Punching the air and feeling vindicated as hell. Nearly died when it got to the final. No idea why I'm so invested but I do love that coffee.
Naturally JB Colombian*
Literally me 😂 im so proud
The Percol Columbian coffee bags are my go to at the moment, i was rooting for it in the final too 😂
This is great! First time ive seen one of your videos. I used to work for Gevalia and I appreciate the love of a good cup of coffee
13:16 really nice pronunciation for "Antioquía", my Colombian fellows must be really happy.
I cant stop laughing! “With a little bit of ash tray in the end”
I have noticed that coffee sometimes has a cigarette-like taste which, as a non-smoker, is a turn-off for me.
@@faithlesshound5621 probs why all the tradies on smoke-o love it
The woody I would imagine is chicory - often used as a filler in instant blends
@@JDAfrica Chicory is not bad: it seems to account for a lot of the taste of Camp Coffee. I suspect that replacing real coffee with caffeine-free chicory during WWII accounts for the issuing of benzedrine (amphetamine) to soldiers and others who needed to remain alert, and for ensuing post-war problems.
I liked the "Not a lot going on with this one to be honest, neither good not bad. It's kind of Lawful-Neutral" comment. I'm guessing he plays or has played D&D.
In college even the most unplesant coffee taste like angel tears
Any coffee no matter the taste is just a win to any college/university students. Even if it was made with boiled bin juice we'd still drink it if it had caffeine in it
@@MrsMster I've always thought that was an american stereotype but maybe it's not. I've had coffee at a cafe a few times in my life and it was okay but I don't want to be addicted to it or need to function so I stay away. Although sometimes I do wonder what I'm missing out on.
@@wolfferoni It's definitely a stereotype for most students in the UK as well as the US. but honestly staying away from coffee is a good thing cause you do feel like you need it to start the day (I do sometimes drink it for the taste than the caffeine)
@@wolfferoni Honestly it depends on what you like about coffee. I drink if for the taste but the caffeine is another benefit to it. Some people just drink it for the caffeine. I think it is something that should be enjoyed and controlled.
Stranded on a desert island any jar of instant coffee would be a precious item.
As someone who used to hate tea till my parents got into loose leaf, I am now intrigued by fresh coffee. Only ever had access to the instant stuff or the k-cups. I have only found one k-cup that I have found acceptable enough to drink without creamer. I love tea without sugar after seeing the light of loose leaf. Now I want to attempt the same with coffee.
I really love these tournament style videos theyre fun and surpising in a lot of ways
This is definitely the first time I watched someone slurp coffee for 10 minutes
😂
Man your ethical stance on coffee production was amazing. So on point.
That didn’t stop him from buying a ridiculous amount of it and then wasting them all.
@@joshuawaring4180 I mean, someone had to do it
The bar is on the fucking floor huh
@@joshuawaring4180 I mean, yes but considering how many get bought worldwide this is barely a drop in the sea and even then, he used the video to help make those points so a worthwhile sacrifice if it stops even 100 people buying these awfully exploitative products.
Nah, just answer this simple question: Would there be more or fewer coffee producers if instant coffee never existed? You can debate profit margins until your face goes red, the truth is some profit margin is always better than none. And if instant coffee never existed, you would see far fewer coffee producers out there than there is now. That's fewer people working, less money being invested in the coffee industry, particularly for poorer countries such as Ethiopia and to a lesser extent Colombia. The net result would be negative. Plus not all instant coffee companies are equal, I doubt a Nestle would operate in the same manner as a small boutique instant coffee company such as Little's, so if their business model it really bothers you, you can opt for a different one. Coffee producers also don't have to work with Nestle, or even work in the coffee business if they don't want to. The agricultural industry is large and diverse, those skills could be transferred to another area of agriculture.
As someone who radically favors milk in coffee along with more pure/plain coffee flavor preference, I find that instant with the modern better flavors can be more than good enough these days that it’s hard to actually have better coffee without a significant investment of time and effort.
I don’t have to go out of my way to get better beans. I don’t have to worry about storage or how fast I use them. No need for grinding or measuring. Doesn’t matter how much time I have available. I can just on demand instantly get a decent cup of coffee.
Maybe if I bought a good espresso machine that’s probably too expensive (given I prefer milk) but otherwise I’ve becoming shockingly in favor of instant coffee as my preference...
My ideal coffee is basically a flat white(or latte) with a clear coffee taste(like the smell), but utterly no acidity or bitterness.
I am so glad for this video! I am budget backpacking and sadly, that means a lot of instant coffee!
Ah, I can imagine the employee nodding as they watch yet another person fall to the madness of lockdown as they pick and fill the order
The delivery guy definitely had a look of concern when he dropped the bags off.
Hahaha I didn't even think of that. I had to shop at Asda instead of Tesco because they have an item limit of 80 and I realised how much fruit I added to my basket
@@jameshoffmann so are we getting an Ultimate Dalgona video now?
Yeah I also thought that James finally lost it though I'm happy to see which instant coffee wins
@@jameshoffmann have you done a video on Mexican coffee drink called.
Café de la olla.
It would be interesting to see if you can give your own spin on it.
Not because it needs improvement.
But because your own take on it as a coffee expert is a way of getting people to know about it.
"It's the chocolatey one again with a little bit of ash tray in the end" HAHAHA!
That peeps, just about sums up instant coffee. A good taste... and ruined.
If you like to have a cigarette after coffee, it saves a lot of time.
Nestcafe was the instant coffee I grew up knowing, but fresh is what I prefer as an adult. You can’t beat the convenience of instant coffee sometimes. Great video. Cheers✌️👌
He speaks so nicely, wow. I just wanted to see which one is the best. I went on an entire coffee journey!