The Best Instant Coffee, According to a Coffee-Snob Runner

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We’ve all been there: You travel to a race. You wake up well before the crack of dawn to prepare. You desperately need a hot cup of coffee—not just to feel alive, but to feel remotely close to toeing a start line. The only option at that time in the morning, though, is that crunchy sachet of impalatable instant coffee sitting on the hotel room bureau. And it’s going to sit like battery acid in your stomach.

Well, it no longer has to be that way.

Coffee aficionados might consider it repulsive, perhaps a sin, to lean on instant coffee. It has a longstanding reputation as bitter—often a result of lower-quality beans in addition to the extracting and drying process—that had rightfully given it the reputation of something to avoid. Not anymore.

With the emergence of specialty coffee roasters taking advantage of sophisticated methods that can help preserve the flavor and aroma of higher-quality beans during the production process, better cups of brewless coffee are one sip away.

In other words, we now have options to start race day mornings—and to fuel vacations and other daily adventures—more favorably with instant coffee that’s perfect for travel and doesn’t compromise taste over convenience. We tested the gamut to bring you the best instant coffee before you lace up and head out the door.

 Swift Coffee: Peru-Cusco Instant Coffee

$15 for 6 servings

Grown at more than 11,000 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes, this Peru-Cusco offering just might be the ultimate instant coffee.

Made by Pennsylvania-based Swift, the company partners with independent roasters worldwide to produce single-origin and blended beans that are transformed into instant varieties. Founder and CEO Nate Kaiser explains the company’s proprietary freeze-drying process—first involving roasting, then grinding, followed by brewing into a strong concentrate—is a multi-day procedure that helps lock in a coffee’s natural characteristics.

The results are impressive. This particular coffee mixes incredibly well, dissolving with ease, leaving neither granules or sediment. The clean taste reminded me of what you’d experience by drinking a pour over (a manual coffee brewing technique where hot water is slowly poured over ground coffee beans within a filter, allowing it to drip into a mug).

And the flavor is exceptional—a balance of bright acidity and chocolate tones. The profile is described as fruity notes of fig and plum and also highlights of cocoa. The taste holds its own, delightful to drink black without the urge to add milk or sugar.

Canyon Coffee: Sagebrush Instant Coffee

$20 for 6 servings

There’s a reason reviewers have asked, “How can this instant coffee be so good?” LA-based Canyon Coffee’s single-origin roasted, batch-brewed, and freeze-dried instant coffees deliver.

Undertones of chocolate and stonefruit polish the character of the Sagebrush, a bright-flavored light-medium roast, the beans of which are sourced from family-owned farms in the high-altitude Tolima region in central Colombia.

The lime-like acidity of the medium-roast Ethiopian version can be attributed to the origin of the beans, produced in the Gedeb region, which is known for coffee with citrus acidity and floral notes. The shelf life is up to one year, but it tastes so good that it likely won’t last that duration.

NoNormal Coffee: Dark Roast

$20 for 20 servings

The coffee’s foundation is 100 percent fair trade Arabica from Colombia. Arabica—the most widely consumed type of coffee in the world—is cultivated at higher altitudes in cooler temperatures, and is typically considered less bitter than other varieties. Its notable flavor profile usually includes fruity and floral undertones and hints of chocolate.

Consider the Swiss-made No Normal a game-changer in the world of instant coffee. It is unique for both its formula and packaging—a water-soluble paste contained in a resealable aluminum tube that offers 20 servings and a shelf life of 12 months, making it both practical and convenient.

One cup simply requires approximately a teaspoon (5 grams) of paste and just over three ounces of hot water (100 milliliters). While the directions suggest stirring for roughly 20 seconds, in comparison to the other instant coffees I tested, it did take a little longer to fully dissolve.

Though it’s a bit murky like moka pot coffee (and an acquired taste) it is a nice wake up for your senses. The bold and intense flavor is countered with a slight sweetness, which can be attributed to beet sugar, derived from sugar beets that are grown in Switzerland less than two hours away from No Normal’s production facilities. In contrast to cane sugar, beet sugar generally has a smaller environmental footprint. No Normal co-founder Alexander Haberlin says this was among reasons why it was selected as the sweetener of choice in addition to best complementing the dark roast flavor during a trial of other sweeteners.

Saturnbird Coffee: Instant Cold Brew

$36 for 24 servings

First notice the clever packaging, tiny to-go coffee cups, which won a Red Dot Design Award. But what’s inside matters most. The flavor profiles include fruity and floral to bold chocolate undertones among the versatile range of light, medium, and dark roasts.

The company, which has been offering premium instant coffee since 2018, uses “super extraction technology”—an industry-leading technology that helps preserve the coffee’s aroma and brings out the best flavor.

Some like it hot, some like it not. The color-coded capsules each contain 100-percent Arabica powder that can dissolve in either hot or cold water in just three seconds without leftover residue. The cold option is a bonus if you: one, prefer cold-brew style coffee; and two, don’t have access to a kettle.

Alpine Start: Coffee + Creamer

$24 for 15 servings

The North Face-sponsored professional rock climber Matt Segal co-founded this Boulder-based company in 2016, inspired by the desire to have coffee that could easily be made in camp and on expeditions. Alpine Start’s offerings range from medium roast using 100 percent Colombian Arabica coffee, to one blended with coconut cream powder for an instant latte-style version. While unusual for a brewless coffee, the two-in-one offering can be a good option for those who need a little extra flavor that’s both creamy and sweet.

CS Instant Coffee

$15 for 6 servings

This athlete-owned independent brand is one to steer toward for its goodwill missions. A boutique Brooklyn-based company, it sources arabica beans from Mexican farms in the coffee growing regions of Veracruz, Chiapas, Puebla, and Oaxaca. The packaging is 100-percent compostable too.

Each purchase helps to support CityRelief.org, which provides meals to the homeless in New York City. And in partnership with the environmental non-profit charity One Tree Planted, one tree is also planted for every order to support reforestation.

While most single-serve instant coffees make one 8-ounce cup, this version offers more bounce for the ounce—a double-serving in each packet. The coffee, which dissolves easily and quickly, tastes full-bodied, part smoky and also nutty. It is bold and something that really snaps you awake. As it’s a dark roast, which tends to have lower acidity, the smoothness is something I appreciate before a run or a race.

Jot

$26 for 14 servings

If you’re not hopping in a plane, consider adding Jot to your packing list. One tablespoon of this ultra coffee concentrate is potent—20 times stronger than regular coffee, this Boulder-based company says. Among more than 20,000 reviews, fans have collectively spoken that the flavor of this coffee is smooth and punchy.

Each 6.8-ounce bottle offers approximately 14 servings of coffee. For those who want to experiment with flavored varieties, vanilla, caramel, and also cinnamon dolce are among the 12 ultra coffee concentrate options.

“The liquid concentrate does have a shelf life, however, and needs to be refrigerated once opened so it’s only optimal if you’re traveling via vehicle and can keep it cool most of the time,” founder Laura Gallo says.

Gallo, who is a cyclist, adds that the concentrate is a staple during mountain biking trips, but the brand’s single-serve instant coffee packs are also a convenient travel companion. Expect a robust taste—full-bodied, strong, and dark.