Is there such a thing as an acceptable brand of instant coffee?

[Alsoflamingo]

Just that really. Clearly fresh coffee is nicer, but if one is bone idle short of time then it would be handy to have instant sometimes. Most vile, tho.

I use the nescafe espresso but make it up just like regular instant .. it's really smooth. X

Carte noire most passable I think.
Buuuuuut... I asked a similar question on here years ago and was advised to buy a mocha pot and a job lot of ikea espresso... Never looked back! Ok so it's not instant, but I make a pot ever day/every other day and leave it in the pot next to the kettle, top up with hot water, instant americano:)

I have just bought 2 jars of Percol thanks to this thread. Black & Beyond, and Italiano. It is on offer in Sainsburys - £2.85 instead of £3.75.

Will let you know how I get on.

I think I live on a different planet, and not just me but my whole family and circle of friends. We all happily drink instant, different people like different brands. I buy sainsburys own generally, and it has the huge advantage of being within my price range.

Do mumsnetters really all drink fresh coffee all the time? I drink it rarely, it's just too expensive.

Coffee snob here and love my nespresso dearly but I bulk buy blend 37 too as it's the only instant I can drink. Dread nestle discontinuing it!!

Douwe Egberts - dark roast only.

milk I'm not a coffee snob and am also very lazy. However I still find instant vile. I only have instant at home. The only way to drink that stuff is to add a lot of sugar. Do you all drink your instant with sugar? That might be why. My work has a bean to coffee machine and I can drink that without sugar.

A lot meaning one teaspoon for me, btw. I don't eat very sweet. I find the sugar changes the taste of the bitter water.

I really like Black and Beyond Espresso.

I like Nescafe - I make it strong and black though.
DH bought some Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence and that is v nice - totally different to any other instant coffee I have had.

Do prefer a 'proper' coffee - but can't always be bothered with the various coffee machines.

Kenco Costa Rica. I can't stand any of the Nescafe versions and find they all leave that nasty coffee 1970s teachers breath smell.

Just get one of those senseo/nespresso type machines. Basically instant.

DH is a massive coffee fan and we recently bought a Tassimo and he has the Costa Americano pods which he loves. But he has those as a treat (pricey) and the only other coffee he will have which he adores is Millicano. So as others said, that seems to be the nicest.

Personally I think coffee is grim (I've never drunk it) but I do LOVE the smell.

Carte Noire here, but it has to be the espresso blend, not the usual instant