Recommendations for instant coffee please

[bran]

I'm looking for a new instant coffee, I used to get the silver Percol (called either Americano or Cafe Americain) but it isn't in the shops anymore. I like a rich but not bitter coffee. So far I have tried Waitrose Organic Gold, Douwe Egberts Serenity and Cafe Direct 5065 but none of them are doing it for me.

Any recommendations please, I would prefer Fairtrade if possible, and it has to be caffeinated as I need all the help I can get to stay awake.

Thank you.

[SoupDragon]

What do the ones you've tried lack?

[sorrel]

nescafe blend 37 is quite bearable as is carte noir. Sorry i know they are not Fairtrade tho. the co op is good for fairtrade stuff

[Alannah]

I was going to reccomend Percol fairtrade and am gutted to hear it's not available anymore, are you sure?

[expatinscotland]

Percol is WAY better than Cafe Direct. Eeeeww!

[bran]

They just don't seem full-flavoured enough SD, I can't really describe it but Percol was much closer to an Americano made with espresso and hot water than to a normal instant.

I've tried Blend 37 in the past before I found Percol and it didn't do it for me, but I'll try the Carte Noir, thanks sorrel.

[lilaclotus]

i am having the same problem, bran. i've bought a douwe egberts jar and there was a dead insect in the jar... needless to say, i have been trying other brands and none seem to do it for me.

[Marina]

Clipper's organic fairtrade is nice. It is a good flavour but milder in oomph than some, so you can put two teaspoons into one mug without going into orbit.
Available from Waitrose.

[bran]

Alannah, it could still be around, but I can't find it. My local Waitrose never stocked it, and it's not the kind of the Asda ever carried either, but I do occasionally go to Sainsburys or Tesco and I haven't seen it there either for about 6 months now.

[fishfinger]

dont use it cannot satnd it - why not get a littlle stove top coffee maker

[bran]

I thought someone would say that ff. The truth is that I just can't be faffed with all the washing up and emptying of coffee grinds. I have really delicious Blue Mountain cafetiere coffee in the freezer but I'm much too lazy to make it because I know the dirty cafetiere will just sit there for days afterwards. Think of the laziest person you know, and then think of a female version (because it's probably a man) and that's me.

[flashingnose]

is it any of these?

[lilaclotus]

Percol is still at tesco, as they show it on their website.

[bran]

They have Percol espresso fn, but I used to get the silver one which they don't seem to have.

Perhaps I'm just being too fussy, afterall it's not as though I usually get a chance to have more than 2 mouthfuls anyway.

[lilaclotus]

ah ok

[fishfinger]

theya re so s tylish though

what about the cofee filter disposable ones

[fishfinger]

this is liek meine - well its nicer actch - lots of ideas ont his site htough

[bran]

Yes, that's the one lilaclotus. I wonder why my nearest Tescos doesn't have it in the shop. I would order it on-line but I've heard horror stories about them and I'm not very lucky with supermarket deliveries even with Ocado who are supposed to be the best. With my luck I would put together a big enough order to justify delivery and everything would come except the coffee. Perhaps I'll phone my local(ish) Tesco and ask them to stock it.

I have thought about those disposable filter one ff, and I was going to go for that if I couldn't find a decent instant. They would work out a bit expensive though, especially if I don't get time to drink it and have to keep making fresh cups.

[fishfinger]

ok so you want a thermal cafetiere
I tell you I never drink instant now ever

[bran]

I think you're missing the depths of my laziness ff, a thermal cafetiere would keep the coffee warm, but I couldn't have any the next 2 or 3 days as I wouldn't have cleaned it out.

[purpleturtle]

I never ever drink instant coffee either. I have a thermal jug, which I drink my way through over the course of the morning. Once you're used to it, rinsing out a coffee machine/cafetiere isn't really that much effort, and IMO it's definitely worth it.

[desperatehousewife]

carte noir is the nearest to proper coffee.

[SoupDragon]

Do you have access to a Muji store? They have a fab filter coffee maker - looks like a large china teacup, you put a filter paper in it, add coffee, balance it on top of your mug and just add boiling water. Filters through in about a minute (prob less) and you get virtually instant filer coffee. Best gadget I ever bought and is half price in their sale at the moment, as are the filters. You only need to rinse it under a tap when you're done too. Fab - bought another one so I can make 2 cups at once!

[SoupDragon]

Or Whittards sell mugs with little mesh inserts which you put coffee in, pour on boiling water and let brew for a little while. You can buy the inserts separately too. I prefer the Muji filter one though.

[lilaclotus]

rombouts disposable filters are great, but it does work out very expensive.

[SoupDragon]

At the risk of sounding evangelical, this Muji thingy is just like those one-use filter coffees.