Top Instant Coffee Brands that Brew Perfection in Seconds

Instant coffee has become a staple for coffee enthusiasts and busy professionals alike, offering a quick and convenient caffeine fix without compromising on flavor. With an array of brands competing in the market, each boasting unique blends and taste profiles, it can be challenging to find the perfect match for your morning ritual or afternoon pick-me-up. From classic favorites to new contenders, our meticulously curated list highlights the top brands that have excelled in delivering quality and consistency in every cup. Whether you're a fan of bold roasted flavors or prefer a smoother, more subtle approach, explore our list below to find the instant coffee that suits your taste buds perfectly.

Illustration of instant coffee

Best brands of instant coffee in 2025

Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee

Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee is a standout in the instant coffee market, earning a 30% market share and generating over $100 million in global sales in its first year. This success is attributed to its innovative production processes, including a custom-designed plant in Augusta, Georgia, which ensures high-quality flavor through proprietary extraction systems and precise concentration methods. The plant's design also emphasizes food safety, adhering to rigorous standards like the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) Food Safety Standard. Additionally, the facility is highly automated and sustainable, achieving LEED Gold certification and utilizing spent grounds for renewable energy. Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee has set a new standard for instant coffee, making it indistinguishable from traditionally brewed coffee. For more details, visit their Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee page.

Nescafé Taster's Choice

Nescafe Taster's Choice is a renowned brand in the instant coffee market, known for its high-quality products and widespread global presence. Despite facing challenges in the Korean market, where it held a mere 2.1% market share in 2023, Nescafe remains a significant player globally, available in over 180 countries. The brand has a strong history, having entered the coffee mix market in 1989 with Taster's Choice, a freeze-dried coffee product. Nescafe's commitment to innovation and product development helps it maintain its market position and appeal to changing consumer preferences. However, the brand faces intense competition from other global and local coffee brands. For more information about their products, visit Nescafe Taster's Choice.

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Coffee is renowned for its rich, full-bodied flavor, sourced from sustainably cultivated Arabica beans in Papua New Guinea. This brand stands out as a leader in the organic instant coffee market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.3% from 2024 to 2031. Mount Hagen's coffee is Fairtrade certified, ensuring fair trading conditions and social change for small-scale farmers. The coffee is produced using an advanced freeze-drying process that retains over 99.99% of the coffee's natural flavor and aroma. This commitment to quality and sustainability makes Mount Hagen a top choice for consumers seeking premium organic instant coffee. For more information, visit their official website.

Café Bustelo Instant Coffee

Cafe Bustelo, a brand under J.M. Smucker, has emerged as a significant player in the instant coffee market, with its instant coffee products contributing to the brand's 22% net sales growth and 19% volume growth in the first quarter of 2023. Known for its high-quality coffee beans, Cafe Bustelo's instant coffee is part of a broader coffee segment that saw a 5% revenue growth for J.M. Smucker, driven by sustained at-home coffee demand post-pandemic. Cafe Bustelo is recognized as the fastest-growing US brand in the mainstream, one cup, and instant coffee categories. The brand's success is also attributed to its convenient and flavorful products, which resonate well with consumers seeking easy and delicious coffee solutions. With its strong performance, Cafe Bustelo continues to expand its market share in the competitive coffee industry. For more information about their Cafe Bustelo Espresso Ground Coffee Brick, visit their website.

Douwe Egberts Pure Gold

Douwe Egberts Pure Gold is renowned for its high-quality instant coffee, leveraging over 260 years of coffee roasting experience. This medium-roast coffee is crafted from the highest quality beans, offering a bright, nuanced flavor with hints of fruit and floral notes. The instant coffee is available in convenient individual sticks, which are agglomerated for fast dissolution and aesthetic appeal. Despite not matching the full-bodied taste of brewed coffee, Pure Gold Instant Coffee is highly praised for its strong aroma and convenient preparation, making it ideal for various settings such as travel or office use. For more details, check out their Pure Gold Instant Coffee.

Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee

Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee is a renowned brand in the instant coffee market, offering a rich and flavorful cup made from 100% mountain-grown coffee beans. This medium roast coffee is part of the Folgers portfolio, which has been a leading coffee brand in the United States since its inception in 1850. Folgers, now owned by The J.M. Smucker Company, continues to innovate and expand its product line, contributing to the growing instant coffee market expected to reach USD 3.15 billion by 2024. The convenience and ease of preparation of Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee make it a favorite among consumers. With various packaging options, including 8 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz jars, it caters to diverse consumer needs. For more information about Folgers Classic Roast, visit their official website.

Kenco Millicano Americano

Kenco Millicano Americano is a leading brand in the instant coffee market, renowned for its innovative Wholebean Instant technology, which combines 15% roast and ground coffee with freeze-dried instant coffee. Introduced in 2011, this product has driven significant growth in the coffee category, contributing PS11.86m to Kenco's sales in just eight months and achieving a 76% weighted distribution within four weeks of launch. This blend offers a barista-style taste and aroma, making it a favorite among consumers seeking the quality of roast and ground coffee in an instant format. With its responsibly sourced beans and finely milled blend, Kenco Millicano Americano has set a new standard in the soluble coffee category. It has also expanded Kenco's appeal to a more discerning coffee consumer, with 75% of its sales being incremental to the Kenco brand. You can find more details on their product on their official product page.

Waka Coffee

Waka Coffee is a premium instant coffee brand that has gained significant traction, particularly among Generation Z consumers, with instant coffee sales in the U.S. advancing 30% to $940 million in the previous year, according to Nielsen data. Founded in 2018, Waka Coffee sources 100% Arabica beans, which are freeze-dried to preserve the coffee's aroma and depth of flavor, distinguishing it from traditional instant coffee made from Robusta beans. The brand offers a variety of flavors, including light and medium roasts, Colombian and Indian origins, and caffeinated and decaffeinated options. Waka Coffee has also expanded its product line to include instant Kenyan black tea and Japanese matcha. The company is working towards obtaining fair trade and organic certifications and donates a portion of its sales to support clean and safe drinking water initiatives. For more information, visit their website: Waka Coffee.

Sudden Coffee

Sudden Coffee is a premium instant coffee brand that has garnered significant attention for its high-quality product, offering a coffee experience akin to a pour-over but in an instant form. Founded by Joshua Zloof and Kalle Freese, the company has raised substantial funding, including a raise of $2.9 million, to enhance its product and market reach. Sudden Coffee targets serious coffee drinkers, particularly those seeking a replacement for high-end cafe experiences, with a price point of around $3.00 per cup. The brand's messaging emphasizes the quality and convenience of its product, though it is suggested to focus more on the high-end cafe experience it provides rather than the speed of preparation. With its excellent product quality, Sudden Coffee has successfully attracted and retained customers who appreciate great coffee. For more details, visit Sudden Coffee's official website.

Taster's Choice House Blend

Taster's Choice House Blend, a renowned brand under Nescafe, is celebrated for its high-quality instant coffee, crafted from 100% real coffee beans, including responsibly sourced arabica and robusta. This medium-light roast coffee offers a smooth and balanced flavor, making it a favorite among coffee enthusiasts. With each 7 oz jar capable of making 105 cups, it is a convenient and economical choice. As the world's best-selling coffee brand based on 2020 global retail sales data, Taster's Choice ensures exceptional taste and quality in every cup, containing approximately 49 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz serving. For more details, you can visit the Costco website.