There's nothing quite like a delicious cup of java to make you feel more alert and awake in the mornings. It tastes good and feels like it gives you an instant boost, no matter what you were up to the night before. Whether you have yours with sugar and milk or prefer to take it black, it can't be beaten.
But where do you get yours? With the rising cost of living, more people will be turning their backs on pricey coffee shops and opting to make theirs at home. And, many will see a barista-style coffee machine as totally unnecessary to their needs, so they'll opt to put instant in their basket in the supermarket. But which supermarket should be your go-to for all your coffee needs? For National Coffee Day, I tested five major supermarket's own brands, so you don't have to.
Morrisons Gold Roast, £1.55 for 100g
Considering this beverage promises a "smooth medium roast flavour", I was left wondering where the coffee flavour actually was as it just didn't have that strong kick that I was looking for. It tasted much like hot water, with just a taste of something - but not really coffee. I even smelled the jar after I'd tasted the drink, and it doesn't really give off much aroma either. However, it's definitely cheap, and I might drink it if it was the only thing in - but it definitely wouldn't be on my to-buy list for the future as it's just not strong enough for my liking. I felt a bit disappointed after drinking it. Score: 3/10
Co-op Fairtrade Gold Roast, £3 for 100g
Co-op's offering definitely looked fancier, and with the Fairtrade promise in the name, I was already more hopeful. Coming in at £3, it's almost double the price of the Morrisons coffee, and my hopes were higher as a result. Taking a sip, it was definitely tastier and stronger and had that signature coffee taste I was craving. I think this is a pretty drinkable coffee overall, and would grab it if I was in the vicinity of a Co-op store. Score: 7/10
M&S Italian style rich roast, £3.60 for 100g
As the most expensive of the bunch, I was hoping that the M&S instant coffee would knock spots off the other ones - and I was not disappointed. It tasted delicious and strong - really impressive for an instant coffee. It promises a "smooth and rich" flavour, and it definitely delivers. You won't be compromising with this coffee, and although it's a little bit more expensive than its counterparts, in my opinion, it's well worth the extra for the good quality. I'd be really happy to have this as a cupboard staple, and when you think about how much a takeaway coffee is, it actually starts to look rather cheap in comparison. Score: 9/10
Tesco Gold, £3.30 for 200g
Tesco Gold, much like M&S' offering, promises a "rich and smooth" coffee experience, so I was hoping that the bland coffees were behind me. But this was nowhere near as strong as I was expecting. Truthfully, it tasted almost identical to the Morrisons one that I wasn't really a massive fan of. It is much cheaper than M&S, so if you were on a stringent budget you might decide that it'll do - but for me, it just doesn't provide enough flavour to keep me interested. Score: 3/10
Lidl Deluxe, £2.29 for 100g
Lidl is often praised for selling products that taste like their more expensive counterparts - and it turns out their coffee is no different. It's strong, tastes good, and is also nice quality - and carries a reasonable price tag too. The granules smell a lot more potent than some of the others, and considering it's quite a bit cheaper than M&S, is really good if you're on a budget but don't want to compromise on taste. Score: 7.5/10
Overall, I was really impressed with Lidl's offering, but M&S took the top spot for me. It delivered on its promises of a strong and tasty coffee, but the budget offering from Lidl did come close. Sadly, the cheapest offering from Morrisons didn't impress me that much as it didn't taste of an awful lot, but if you're trying coffee for the first time, or don't like to drink coffee with a strong taste, it could be your new go-to.
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