the contenders

ALPINE START COFFEE+CREAMER

  • Flavor: This instant coffee is blended with non-dairy coconut creamer, delivering a rich, smooth, and creamy taste with subtle coconut undertones.
  • Texture: The combination of instant coffee and coconut creamer dissolves easily in hot water, creating a consistent and creamy beverage without clumps.
  • Caffeine Content: Each serving contains approximately 110 mg of caffeine, providing a moderate energy boost.

TRADER JOE'S COFFEE+CREAMER

  • Flavor: Described as drinkable but not very strong, with a heavy emphasis on the creamer aspect, making it more suitable for those who prefer a milder coffee flavor. 
  • Texture: The pre-mixed creamer and sugar dissolve easily, resulting in a creamy and smooth consistency.
  • Caffeine Kick: Provides a mild to moderate caffeine effect, aligning with its overall lighter coffee profile.

365 INSTANT ESPRESSO

  • Flavor: This instant espresso offers a rich and bold flavor, reminiscent of freshly brewed espresso.
  • Texture: Dissolves smoothly in water, providing a consistent and satisfying cup without noticeable granules.
  • Caffeine Kick: As an espresso, it delivers a robust caffeine boost suitable for jump-starting your day.

WAKA HOUSE ROAST

  • Flavor: This medium roast instant coffee is smooth, silky, and rich, with a complexity that mirrors freshly brewed coffee.
  • Texture: Freeze-dried from 100% Arabica beans, it dissolves completely, resulting in a clean cup without residue.
  • Caffeine Kick: Provides a balanced caffeine content, offering a gentle yet effective energy lift.

ALPINE START ORIGINAL BLEND

  • Flavor: A little more refined, like it’s trying too hard.
  • Texture: Smooth, no weird chunks.
  • Caffeine Kick: Balanced. You won't be jittery, but you’ll move.

WAKA COLUMBIAN

  • Flavor: Offers a balanced profile with butterscotch sweetness and subtle citrus/orange acidity. 
  • Texture: Dissolves well, producing a smooth beverage without any graininess.
  • Caffeine Kick: Delivers a moderate caffeine boost, suitable for daily consumption.

MOUNT HAGEN INSTANT

  • Flavor: Smooth, kind of mellow, like the jazz of instant coffees.
  • Texture: Excellent dissolve, no sludge.
  • Caffeine Kick: Mild, but enough to remind you you’re alive.

TASTERS CHOICE HOUSE

  • Flavor: This light-medium roast instant coffee offers a smooth and well-balanced taste, appealing to those who prefer a milder coffee flavor. 
  • Texture: The granules dissolve quickly and completely in hot water, resulting in a clean cup without residue.
  • Caffeine Content: Each serving contains approximately 30-35 mg of caffeine per teaspoon, with a typical serving using about 1.5 teaspoons, totaling around 49 mg of caffeine per 8 fl oz cup.

KUJU POUR OVER BASECAMP

  • Flavor: Praised for its smoothness and absence of bitterness, with distinct flavor profiles depending on the roast. The light roast (Angel’s Landing) is noted for its excellent taste, even among those who typically avoid fruity coffees.
  • Texture: As a pour-over, it offers a clean and full-bodied cup, closely resembling traditional brewed coffee.
  • Caffeine Kick: Varies by roast; the dark roast (Bold Awakening) provides a more robust caffeine content, while lighter roasts offer a gentler lift.

COPPER COW LATTE CREAMER

  • Flavor: This creamer is crafted from sweetened condensed milk, providing a rich and creamy taste that enhances coffee with a luscious sweetness. It's designed to create the perfect Vietnamese-style latte, delivering a complex and indulgent flavor experience.
  • Texture: The creamer offers a smooth and velvety consistency, blending seamlessly into coffee without curdling. Its single-serve packaging ensures freshness and convenience, making it ideal for on-the-go use.

SIMPLY NATURAL CREAMER

  • Flavor: Simply Natural Creamer is made with simple, high-quality ingredients, free from artificial flavors or preservatives, offering a natural and straightforward taste.
  • Texture: Designed for versatility, this creamer dissolves easily into both hot and cold beverages, providing a smooth consistency without the need for refrigeration.

UCO COLLAPSABLE COFFEE CUP

  • Flexible Form: Collapsible cups for traveling reduce to 50% of their original height and feature built-in volume gradients in both ounces and milliliters
  • Beverages At Any Temperature: The perfect collapsible kitchen items, our camping cups are built to safely accommodate boiling liquids as well as ice-cold beverages
  • Camping Cup: 12-ounce collapsible camping mug features a flexible TPE base that stows inside the rigid rim for added convenience and improved packability.
  • Quality Construction: These collapsible cups are constructed from phthalate-free and EN-approved materials and are dishwasher-safe and food-safe.

The Winners

The perfect trail coffee is about balancing taste, weight, and caffeine with your willingness to suffer. Just remember: anything tastes good at 10,000 feet if you squint and lie to yourself.

Winner

Mount Hagen 
Organic Fairtrade Instant

By far the best tasting instant we tried. Three of the four tasters picked this as #1

Runner-Up

365 Instant Espresso

This was the clear runner-up as well with two of the four tasters ranking this second.

Honorable Mention

None

There really wasn't one. The results of the group were mixed

Creamer/Sweetener

Simply Natural

Both the Simply Natural and Copper Cow were very good is you like your coffee with cream and sugar. Simply natural won on price.