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.

Soupy, don't you have to walk over to the bin and tap it against the side to get the grinds out and then walk back to the sink and rinse it? In my case while also making ds breakfast while he holds onto both my legs yelling "yum yum" (his words for "feed me now"). If I just put it in the sink to do later it won't get done until the cleaner comes in, I really am that appalling lazy.

With the Muji thing, you just lift out the paper filter (complete with ground coffee) and either leave it on a saucer by the kettle () or drop it in the bin/compost thing.

Yes, I could do that. I will consider it now, thank you. I can build a little pile for the cleaner. Although since lilaclotus found the Percol on Tesco on-line I haven't given up all hope of getting it again. I may also have a look at Sainsbury's on-line as I'm not keen on Tesco. I'll Google as well and see if there is a on-line supplier that can just post it to me and save me from having to make up a big supermarket delivery order.

Thank you everyone, I could have saved myself lots of trying coffees if I had just asked Mumsnet first.

bran you lazt old moo

read carefully bran

Hmmm, are you suggesting that making the effort to make proper coffee would result in cheaper plumbers' bills? I might consider it in that case.

I really ought to go to the recommended tradesperson section and ask for a plumber in East London (is your plumber anywhere near there ff?). I need to have an outside tap put in but I'm very nervous about it as it's a bit tricky. We are supposed to ask permission from the freeholder first, but I can't face the hassle and I think they charge for considering requests. If it goes right they won't know anyway, but if it all goes wrong and the wall panels are damaged then they'll find out because I'll have to get the management company to replace the panels, and that's bound to be megabucks.

Hi, I can't believe I missed a coffee thread! Obviously we never drink instant in the Arabica household as we are much too snobby about our coffee. I have a Whittards Cafetiere with a vacuum which keeps the coffee warm once you've brewed it. I have two, so if I can't be bothered to wash one out, I can use the other!!

I admire your snobbiness Arabica, but I confine my snobbiness to things that don't require any extra work eg. G&B chocolate and high thread count cotton bed linen (unironed obviously). I know that I wouldn't clean it out because our favourite green tea is a loose leaf, but if dh or I make it the tea leaves don't make it into the bin for days, so we always drink green tea from tea bags instead (still nice though, Clearspring organic).

Anything that hides its contents is bad in my book. When we use the proper filter coffee maker, I usually find a rather dodgy looking paper filter of coffee in there a week later.

I'm such an addict though, I actually enjoy all the ritual around coffee preparation--when i have time that includes looking after my cafetieres, taking them apart and giving them a good scrub!
BTW I think Blue Mountain is very overrated. I love a feisty Java myself.

sorry bran nowhere near eas t london
LOve th e link to plumbers an d coffee thopugh

i always like Whittards instant coffee...

make that likeD...

bran, i found that silver percol in our local tesco (nottingham)

Instant coffee - bleurghh!

(sorry, not helpful!)

You shouldn't keep your feelings supressed HMC, it could be bad for you.

lilaclotus, I think the demographic of the Tesco that I go to is wrong. I only go there occasionally as it's a fair distance from where I live, but it has a fantastic asian food section. Otherwise it just doesn't stock the kind of things that I would want despite being an enormous shop, ie most things are 'value' and there is very little organic/fairtrade. Most of my food shopping is from Waitrose, which I adore, but it's fairly small and they don't stock Percol. [sigh] If I'm ever in Nottingham I'll be sure and visit the Tesco there.

I had a look at the Wittards site lunarx, unfortunately there isn't one near me, and they don't sell instant online. If I find myself near a Whittards I'll give it a try though, although the shops freak me out a little, I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's all those ugly, expensive cups that they have piled high and just waiting for me to catch my handbag on them.