I Asked 2 Baristas To Name the Best Instant Coffee—They Both Said the Same Brand

These pros, who have more than 35 years of combined experience making coffee, recommend only one brand.

I never buy instant coffee for drinking. While I do always have a jar on hand, it’s for recipes that call for instant coffee granules or a strong cup of coffee. Some of my favorites: Gingerbread latte muffins and coffee oreo ice cream call for strongly brewed coffee for flavor. Even Ina Garten says you need instant coffee for the best chocolate cake.

Actually, sipping on a cup of instant coffee? I have yet to find a brand that I truly love.

And yet, I love the idea of instant coffee. Ideally, I could easily make a good cup of coffee anywhere, anytime—it has the potential to be so convenient. With so many different brands on the market, I never know which one to try, and when I do, I'm often disappointed.

So, I turned to a couple of coffee experts and asked their opinion on the best instant coffee brand, and to be honest with you, their answer did not disappoint. It truly is the best I've ever had.

The Baristas and Coffee Experts I Asked

• George Lubitz: Communications Director at Terra Kaffe with 15 years of barista and bar back experience

• Laila Ghambari: 2014 Winner of the United States Barista Championship, previously chairman of The Barista Guild of the Specialty Coffee Association, with more than 20 years of coffee and barista experience

The Best Store-Bought Instant Coffee, According to Baristas

Both baristas agree that the best instant coffee brand to buy is Blue Bottle Craft Instant Coffee.

Technically, Blue Bottle's instant coffee makes espresso, which helps create iced and hot lattes, and other custom coffee drinks at home. You’ll prepare shots of espresso and then make your coffee from there. Want a regular cup of coffee? Add hot water for an Americano. Latte? Add steamed milk.

When making the espresso, regardless of whether the instant coffee is from Blue Bottle or another brand, both pros agree that the easiest way to ruin it is by pouring hot water directly over the coffee granules.

“When preparing instant coffee, many people make the mistake of adding hot water directly to the dry granules,” says Lubitz. “This will always shock the coffee and make it astringent. Instead, mix a few tablespoons of cold or room temperature water to dissolve the coffee. Then, top off with hot water to your desired strength and temperature.”

Ghambari dissolves the granules with milk and then adds "hot water of drinking temp on top, 160°F or a little hotter.” With this product recommendation and smart tip, I know I can have a great cup of coffee whenever, wherever. Finally!

Tip

A jar of Blue Bottle Instant Coffee costs $25, which makes about 15 cups of coffee. You can subscribe to receive a jar on a regular schedule for a discount. The company also sells instant coffee in single-serve, five for $15.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.