In search of the best instant coffee

Alpine Start is much better than Starbucks Via, and come in your pick of packets or a pouch that’s something like 30 servings or just about 2 weeks as I usually make it. 

Nescafe, they don't call it taster's choice for nothing! 

RandyLee wrote:

Alpine Start is much better than Starbucks Via, and come in your pick of packets or a pouch that’s something like 30 servings or just about 2 weeks as I usually make it. 

I can’t get Alpine Start at the local Quickie Mart.  That’s a big draw to the Via packs, you can get them anywhere.  

I use an Aeropress in camp. Starbucks Via is ok, remember, you’re roughing it.

I recently got two big bags of Ryze. It’s a bunch of mushrooms and instant coffee.

It does wake me up and make me poop, so I suppose it works.

It’s so bad that part of their marketing strategy is bragging about the “beautiful wooden spoon” they give you to stir with. It tastes like what a bunch of non coffee drinkers thought was coffee, then they dropped it in the dirt and still sold it. If I died and at the pearly gates I was informed that they only had mushroom coffee in heaven, I’d ask if there was some room “down there”.

I would try to bring a bag next time I go backpacking, only because I have plenty leftover. The extra anger of waking up to bad coffee for a week might just give me the motivation I need.

Another +1 for First Ascent. Fantastic artisan instant coffee. Dawn Patrol for the darker side, Ethiopian for us lovers of bright and snappy. I've been taking their instant with me on adventures since it debuted. I have no affiliation, I just love good coffee. 

Sam is awesome, listen to his informative conversation on the Gear 30 podcast and you'll get the sense of how much pride they take in their coffee. 

Adam R wrote:

Nescafe, they don't call it taster's choice for nothing! 

This thread is about coffee not motor oil.

Another vote for First Ascent. Sam is awesome and the coffee tastes great. I try to get the bulk bags when I can to cut down on the bits of trash.

Car camping: an aeropress and a hand grinder is a part of my morning ritual.

Above camp: instant is acceptable to kickstart certain peristaltic movements. It is like medicine: it tastes awful, but it works.

Starbucks via french roast

+1 for Coava. I've tried many kinds, and it's the one that tastes closest to brewed coffee.

You can also buy the same little mini pourivers that Kuju uses on Amazon and bring your own grounds

+5 for First Ascent. Great coffee and Sam is a genuinely good dude. Kind of pricey but so worth it, in my opinion.

Anything but the Via dark roast. If you thought nescafe was bad, wait until you try the great taste of 'burnt dirt'. I've gladly eaten a lot of 'food as fuel' BS over the years but that stuff is vile. I'd much rather grab the caffeinated crystal light packets if there's no better instant options in sight.

“black death” is the best i’ve found.  300mg caffeine per instant packet will get you GOING.   got lucky last year when groc out had it and bought them out. 

warning: don’t give it to your newish partner before selanginella or they may literally have a panic attack.  way to push through, justin 

In my 10+ years as a coffee professional, I have learned that what folks consider "good coffee" varies wildly. That said, if you are someone who seeks out "specialty coffee" "third wave coffee" or wants to enjoy your cup of coffee anywhere, anytime, check out what we are doing or what Swift Cup is doing. Swift cup is making all the other "specialty instant" that folks have linked to on here. The process from bean to cup takes a lot of intention for each step to make it taste good and we're both small, American businesses doing our craft because we are passionate about good coffee, not because it is making us rich. Have a happy (caffeinated) Monday.

bearded sam wrote:

In my 10+ years as a coffee professional, I have learned that what folks consider "good coffee" varies wildly. That said, if you are someone who seeks out "specialty coffee" "third wave coffee" or wants to enjoy your cup of coffee anywhere, anytime, check out what we are doing or what Swift Cup is doing. Swift cup is making all the other "specialty instant" that folks have linked to on here. The process from bean to cup takes a lot of intention for each step to make it taste good and we're both small, American businesses doing our craft because we are passionate about good coffee, not because it is making us rich. Have a happy (caffeinated) Monday.

Hey Sam--I'm really curious about this last tidbit. I guess I didn't expect "all the others" to be handled by a wholesale producer, albeit it sounds like a very good one. Can you drop any insight into how that exchange works? Because I totally believe you--looking at the swift packaging it's a perfect match. Do the smaller craft companies send roasted beans? Green beans and an Artisan profile? Cupping notes and wishes? Thanks for participating here, it's been instructive.

First ascent is definitely my favorite.  Tastes much better than other powder coffee ive tried.  Sometimes ill even drink it in the front country when i am running low on time to brew a regular cup 

Jimmy Strange wrote:

Am I the only one who fantasizes about a coffee epi pen?

Or a water filter that doubles as an espresso maker?

Back in the day, I had a coffee press that fit into a Nalgene - the top screwed right onto the threads on the top of the Nalgene and everything.  It was pretty slick.  The only downside was dealing with the coffee grounds jammed in the bottom of the nalgene while out in the backcountry.  We just left them in the bottom to deal with when we go back to civilization.  Seemed to work fairly well but on a longer trip, the grounds would build up pretty thick and the flavor of the coffee on the 3rd or 4th morning began to get "interesting".

Looks like these folks have resurrected the design.  https://canyoncoffee.us/#shop

FWIW, I just got back from a particularly stormy Denali trip with 3 other guys, and by the end, our supply of the First Ascent Ethiopian was running dangerously low, followed by the First Ascent dawn patrol. There was still plenty of starbucks via in the bottom of the drink bag. 

I tried these three that were available at REI. I thought the Alpine Start and Kuju were pretty decent. The Verve had more of a fruity taste. I drink my coffee black but folks who use cream and sugar would probably be fine with each of these. I’m planning on ordering some of the First Ascent coffee based on all of the positive feedback here.