Despite being one of the most widely consumed coffees in the world, instant coffee still carries a bad reputation. And sure, some commercial options can taste like the bottom of an ashtray, but there are genuinely excellent instant coffees out there.

We blind taste-tested seven instant coffees, ranging from low-grade to specialty. Join sensory expert and WBC judge Ben Bicknell as he guides us through a cupping session and reveals what instant coffee can (and can’t) deliver.

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews , hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

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Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

00:00 Instant Coffee vs Specialty - The Reality

00:47 Why Specialty Instant Is Getting Attention

02:25 Blind Taste Test - Can Instant Actually Be Good?

11:35 The Reveal - What Were We Drinking?

16:18 Takeaways - Has Instant Coffee Improved?

18:16 Coffee Market Update (Condesa Report)

20:30 Could Cafés Start Serving Instant?

21:43 Pricing - Is It Actually Worth It?

24:04 Instant as an Espresso Alternative

27:14 Who Is This Actually For?

30:13 Final Thoughts - Where This Could Go

33:34 Coffee News - Trade + Blue Bottle

37:09 Outro

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