America is obsessed with great coffee. It鈥檚 as if every cup we drink has to have hand-picked, single-origin beans from a small Ethiopian farm, and those beans聽have to be聽delivered through a perfect pour over by a barista with a 鈥淒eath before Decaf鈥 sleeve tattoo.
Don't get me wrong: I like that good聽coffee has become ubiquitous, with specialty shops operating all over the country. But not every cup can be fussed over by a barista. Sometimes, you just need a quick boost before the morning meeting. Or maybe you鈥檙e in the middle of the backcountry, miles from the nearest espresso machine. For situations like these, instant coffee, which has been brewed, filtered, and freeze-dried, is the way to go. And luckily, instant coffee is having a resurgence.
鈥淚nstant coffee has gotten a lot better lately,鈥 says Pete Licata, a world champion barista who now runs , a website devoted to testing coffee of all kinds. 鈥淎 lot of companies are using higher-end, specialty beans for their instant coffees.鈥
Curious to know more, we asked him for his instant coffee recommendations. Here's what he said.聽鈥
Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee ($10 for 12 Servings)
In Licata鈥檚 taste test of instant coffee, comes in second behind Sudden. Starbucks also begins with better聽beans that get roasted, ground, and freeze dried, for a water-soluble cup that鈥檚 actually delicious.聽
Alpine Start Original Blend Instant Coffee ($9 for 8 Servings)
Created by pro climber Matt Segal, has become the go-to instant coffee for adventurers, and for good reason. The no-fuss medium roast is made from Columbian Arabica beans and brewed in small batches to ensure a premium flavor. The grounds also dissolve easily in cold water so there's no need to waste time boiling water when you're on the crag.聽
Libra Coffee Pourtables Coffee Filters ($20 for 10 Servings)
Libra is an 国产吃瓜黑料 for backcountry coffee. They聽make the聽pour-over concept portable聽by packaging聽organic, pre-ground聽small-batch beans聽in single-serve filters. All you need is a cup and some hot water.聽聽 聽
Sudden Coffee Instant ($20 for 8 Servings)
Sudden looks like run-of-the-mill聽single-serve instant coffee (just add hot water and drink), but the company chooses聽聽and聽roasts them to highlight their sweetness. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better than some high-end [non-instant] brews out there,鈥澛燣icata聽says.