For a lot of us, the kettle goes on before the curtains even open.
However, if you’ve been reaching for branded jars like Nescafé, Kenco, or Douwe Egberts out of habit, a blind taste test suggests you might be missing out on something better, and cheaper too. Working from the bottom of the rankings up to the eventual joint winners, here’s exactly how every instant coffee performed.
Lidl finished right at the bottom of the table.
Lidl’s Bellarom Gold, priced at £2.65 for 200g, landed in last place overall with a score of 61%. Despite the low price, it simply couldn’t match the flavour and overall balance offered by the coffees ranked above it. Interestingly, Tesco’s own brand coffee was notably absent from the rankings entirely, meaning it wasn’t part of this particular comparison at all. That leaves Lidl as the clear bottom finisher among everything that was actually tested.
Asda and Ocado tied just above the bottom.
Asda Gold Roast and Ocado Gold Roast both scored 64%, tying for second to last place overall. Asda’s version came in at £2.65 for 200g, while Ocado’s equivalent cost slightly more at £3 for the same size. Neither coffee stood out particularly strongly in any single category, landing in a fairly unremarkable middle ground that kept both just above the very bottom of the table. For shoppers already loyal to either supermarket, they remain a perfectly reasonable everyday option, just not standout ones.
Morrisons and Sainsbury’s matched each other exactly.
Morrisons Gold Roast and Sainsbury’s Gold Roast both scored 65%, sitting just above Asda and Ocado in the overall rankings. Morrisons came in cheapest at £2.65 for 200g, while Sainsbury’s cost slightly more at £2.85. Both performed reasonably well without doing anything to particularly stand out from the pack. They represent solid, dependable options for anyone not especially fussy about chasing the very best possible cup.
Co-op edged slightly ahead of the pack.
Co-op’s Fairtrade Gold Roast scored 67%, priced at £3.55 for 200g. This placed it comfortably above the supermarkets ranked below it, suggesting a genuinely decent step up in overall quality. Given its Fairtrade credentials alongside a respectable score, this option offers a solid middle ground for anyone wanting to shop a little more ethically without paying premium branded prices. It sits right on the edge of the stronger performing coffees in the test.
Aldi picked up the Great Value award.
Aldi’s Alcafé Gold Roast scored 68%, tying with Kenco Indulgence despite costing a fraction of the price. At just £2.65 for 200g, compared to Kenco’s £8.35 for a similar size, Aldi’s version earned a well-deserved Great Value recommendation from testers.
Tasters approved of its bitterness levels and overall flavour, though some felt it could have been a touch stronger. Considering the price difference compared to its branded competitor, this remains one of the smartest value picks in the entire test.
Kenco matched Aldi despite a much higher price tag.
Kenco Indulgence also scored 68%, though priced considerably higher at £8.35 for 195g. Despite the branded price tag, it performed no better overall than Aldi’s considerably cheaper alternative. This result reinforces a pattern that keeps showing up across these kinds of blind tests, a higher price doesn’t automatically guarantee better taste once branding is stripped away entirely. For budget conscious shoppers, Aldi clearly offers the smarter choice here.
Nescafé and Douwe Egberts followed closely behind the leaders.
Nescafé Gold Blend and Douwe Egberts Pure Gold both scored 69%, landing just one point behind the eventual joint winners. Nescafé divided opinion among tasters, who couldn’t quite agree on whether its bitterness levels hit the mark.
Douwe Egberts performed well across most categories but ultimately missed out on the top spot partly due to its considerably higher price of £8 for just 190g. Both remain solid, well regarded options, just not quite enough to topple the supermarket favourites ahead of them.
M&S and Waitrose tied for the top spot.
M&S Gold Instant Coffee and Waitrose Gold Roast both topped the rankings with a score of 70%, beating every single branded competitor in the test. M&S priced its jar at £3.75 for 100g, while Waitrose came in slightly cheaper at £3.70 for the same size.
Nearly two-thirds of tasters were happy with the strength of flavour in the M&S coffee, while close to three quarters approved of its bitterness levels specifically. It’s important to note that M&S does well ethically too, carrying the Fairtrade logo on its packaging.
Waitrose earned its reputation as a real crowd pleaser.
Waitrose performed impressively across every category tested, making a strong first impression through its appearance and aroma before backing it up with solid flavour. Testers described it as having decent flavour, spot on strength, and an enjoyable bitter tang throughout.
Neither coffee came cheap compared to the budget options further down the table, but both were judged to be worth the extra spend based on taste alone. For anyone willing to pay a little more for their morning cup, these two remain the clear standouts from the entire test.
How the whole taste test was actually carried out
More than 800 cups of coffee were brewed and tasted across the test, judged by a panel of 68 regular coffee drinkers from across the UK. Every coffee was tested blind, meaning nobody knew which brand they were drinking at any point during the process.
Each taster worked from an individual booth, preventing anyone from influencing each other’s opinions during scoring. Scores were calculated using 50% for flavour, 30% for appearance, and 10% each for aroma and mouthfeel, giving a thorough, well-rounded final result.
