Page 17 | To ask why Brits drink instant coffee?

mediumbrownmug · 2021-07-13T03:36:00+00:00

I’m an American and am genuinely curious. Every British TV show and article I’ve seen so far seems to imply that instant coffee is far more popular than whole or ground beans. Is it too nosy to ask why?

shallIswim · 13/07/2021 15:00

Because in some cases it's better than filter coffee. Folgers for instance. OP I've lived in the US and can vouch for Nescafé over most filter I had there... sitting on a machine for hours on end. Hardly fresh!

shallIswim · 13/07/2021 15:01

That said I prefer a cafetière coffee with posh beans I've ground myself!

elp30 · 13/07/2021 15:09

OP @mediumbrownmug

I'm American too but I grew up on the border with Mexico. We had instant coffee, Nescafé, frequently. There were also many different brands from Latin America that were quite good. I especially enjoyed them because when I was growing up (born in 1970), American brands just didn't taste very nice and they were often served quite watered down in diners. The instant was much better.

burritofan · 13/07/2021 15:15

Why havnt coffee tea bags taken off? Surely theres a market for them
An ex-boyfriend used to inflict these on me, they’re awful. The war crime of hot drinks.

randomlyLostInWales · 13/07/2021 15:18

Can't you do what you do with tea, which is adjust the amount of time you leave the bag in?

Gwenhwyfar no idea haven't tried them yet.

I'm just going on what the reviews I've seen online said - one said 30% of coffee grounds was absorbed by the water not sure if time would affect that - but googling the specific question seem to suggest longer steeping means more flavour.

Twinkie01 · 13/07/2021 15:40

I drink any coffee (except Starbucks or Cafe Nero because they're bloody awful) but have coffeemate in instant rather than milk. It makes any coffee taste nice IMO, especially Nescafé Creme powder.

I think instant coffee here is nicer than coffee you get in the states which has been kept warm in a jug for ages. Has that weird taste like a jacket potato that has been kept warm.

BabyDubsEverywhere · 13/07/2021 16:04

I don't think instant and filter etc is comparable. They just aren't the same drinks. Like comparing apples and oranges.

My DH and my DDad are coffee aficionados and seem to find endless joy in all the paraphernalia that goes with 'proper' coffee. They have tried in vain for decades to find a blend, process, or combination I can stomach and I'm yet to taste one that doesn't make my face shrivel up like I've bitten a lemon slice.

I love instant coffee though and drink 10 cups a day: weak, black, lots of sweetex, if anyone's offering.

Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 13/07/2021 16:44

@LostInTime

We have real coffee every day, because I love it. Never have instant in. As a child my parents drank real coffee, probably because they both lived abroad as young adults. I really, really don't like instant.

The correct name for 'Brits' would be Britons, I think @mediumbrownmug

Britons it is, then, thank you!!!

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Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 13/07/2021 16:46

@elp30

OP *@mediumbrownmug*

I'm American too but I grew up on the border with Mexico. We had instant coffee, Nescafé, frequently. There were also many different brands from Latin America that were quite good. I especially enjoyed them because when I was growing up (born in 1970), American brands just didn't taste very nice and they were often served quite watered down in diners. The instant was much better.

Nescafé has been recommended on this thread by several posters. I’ll keep an eye out for it to try!

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BasiliskStare · 13/07/2021 16:55

We do coffee machine coffee -- but each their own - I don't think instant coffee is a british thing - some of the worst coffee I have had is in the US - but I suspect lost of US residents have lovely coffee .

BasiliskStare · 13/07/2021 16:57

"lots" not "lost" -- sorry

Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 13/07/2021 17:00

@BasiliskStare

We do coffee machine coffee -- but each their own - I don't think instant coffee is a british thing - some of the worst coffee I have had is in the US - but I suspect lost of US residents have lovely coffee .

You’re not wrong. Our coffee can’t hold a candle go that in France, IMO. I was more curious about the form of the coffee (instant vs beans) being different in the UK, and wondered why. It makes sense now though!

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cantgetmyheadroundit · 13/07/2021 17:02

I have had many cafetieres, and a grinder, and I now have a bean to cup machine. The machine was a Christmas present, and the beans are my tiny luxury in the day. I usually have Lavazza, but the fair trade Co-Op coffee beans are delicious, and really cheap.
I don't drink instant anymore, I'd rather have tea.

However - I scratch all that coffee snobbery out with the fact that I only like creamer, like Home Bargains version of Coffee Mate. Fuck knows what it's even made from, but it's gorgeous

BasiliskStare · 13/07/2021 19:12

I bought DS a cafetière when he was at university - ( a small one ) it was his biggest treat & I thought it made him some friends to have nice coffee , they liked to visit him.

JudgeJ · 13/07/2021 22:38

Why do Amers go to Walmart etc where there are racks and racks of instant coffee? Some of our instant coffee is streets ahead of much of the 'real' stuff in America.

JudgeJ · 13/07/2021 22:42

The correct name for 'Brits' would be Britons

Bravio, if we can't abbreviate all nationalities why should we accept it? Hence my use of Amers in my earlier post!

As a general rule the best coffee I have had was on New Zealand, 7 weeks and maybe a couple of bad cups, usually in hotels.

Ohbeeryme · 14/07/2021 04:30

OP - you’re right to call us Brits imo, you are talking to people from all parts of Britain, not just one country/place. I also think you had a hard time from people thinking you were slagging us off. You seem nice, it was a bit off of some posters. However… American coffee and chocolate is awful in my experience. Whenever I’ve been over I’ve not had either for the whole trip. I drink latte and no matter where I got it from it was awful so I gave up. I also hate Starbucks in the UK, yet love Nero, Costa etc. There is a lot to love in the US but coffee and chocolate are not the ones Also there was an actual thing over here as a pp tried to say earlier, Heinz baked bean pizza. I think some people don’t remember it and just think some folk are chucking beans over their ham and pineapple

Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 14/07/2021 05:25

@Ohbeeryme

OP - you’re right to call us Brits imo, you are talking to people from all parts of Britain, not just one country/place. I also think you had a hard time from people thinking you were slagging us off. You seem nice, it was a bit off of some posters. However… American coffee and chocolate is awful in my experience. Whenever I’ve been over I’ve not had either for the whole trip. I drink latte and no matter where I got it from it was awful so I gave up. I also hate Starbucks in the UK, yet love Nero, Costa etc. There is a lot to love in the US but coffee and chocolate are not the ones

Also there was an actual thing over here as a pp tried to say earlier, Heinz baked bean pizza. I think some people don’t remember it and just think some folk are chucking beans over their ham and pineapple

Definitely not slagging anyone off! I didn’t mean to offend, but of course I was being nosy and don’t mind being told so.

I didn’t mean to imply that our coffee was superior, because— well, because its just not, is it? I just didn’t realize that instant was a thing, and was genuinely curious. Could have and should have worded it better or kept my trap shut, but that’s on me!

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Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 14/07/2021 05:29

@Ohbeeryme I meant to add that you can get a decent latte here, but our milk is just not good. Any of it. I thought I just didn’t like milk until I went to England and actually enjoyed it. It made me realized that the milk here was just awful. No idea why. 🤷‍♀️

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Original poster

mediumbrownmug · 14/07/2021 05:35

@JudgeJ

The correct name for 'Brits' would be Britons

Bravio, if we can't abbreviate all nationalities why should we accept it? Hence my use of Amers in my earlier post!

As a general rule the best coffee I have had was on New Zealand, 7 weeks and maybe a couple of bad cups, usually in hotels.

Amers works for me!

No idea about Walmart, but I absolutely believe you have delicious instant and I plan to find and try some. I’ve got my eye out for Nescafé, which was one recommendation on this thread.

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Thisbastardcomputer · 14/07/2021 06:05

I'm a proper heathen I drink instant with coffee mate in.

TheSunShinesBrighter · 14/07/2021 06:07

Also there was an actual thing over here as a pp tried to say earlier, Heinz baked bean pizza. I think some people don’t remember it and just think some folk are chucking beans over their ham and pineapple
I don’t remember the ‘bean pizza’ at all but Pizza, chips & beans are standard on a ‘kids menu’. Pizza & beans go really well!

borntobequiet · 14/07/2021 07:58

I like Portuguese coffee and miss being able to bring back some Delta coffee to remind me of my holidays. I’ve got flights booked in October (postponed from Feb), so hope it’ll be possible to travel then.

borntobequiet · 14/07/2021 08:01

Oh and on milk - mine comes from a local dairy and really does taste different during different seasons of the year, depending on what the cows have been eating.

PigletJohn · 14/07/2021 08:37

Kettles in US are not as good as in UK or (where used) ROW. So coffee machines are more necessary.