Here's The Best Instant Coffee Brand On Store Shelves

The actual act of drinking coffee is only part of the process — whether you make a fresh pot of coffee at home or go get some at Starbucks, the process of making coffee is just as important for some as the final product. In such a context, taking away the ritual for the sake of instant coffee, which some consider an inferior product, is downright unthinkable. But if you want to cut back on costs, or if you just want to simplify your coffee experience, there's nothing inherently wrong with instant coffee. If you're going to drink it though, you might as well reach for the best — which, according to our store-bought instant coffee ranking, is Verve.

"It's an incredibly smooth cup of coffee," we said, "with a delicate nutty undertone that rivals a pour over." Although we noted a "very gentle astringent undertone," it was remarkably mild for instant coffee, especially compared to some of the lower-tier entries. (We expected better from you, Trader Joe's, although your elote dip is still the bomb.) With seven different blends offered in Verve's starter pack (boasting evocative names like "Sermon," "Aster," and "Seabright House"), you'll doubtlessly find something to like.

Verve, as you might expect from a company that sounds like a tech startup, was founded in California in 2007 — specifically in Santa Cruz. Founded by Colby Barr and Ryan O'Donovan, the chain currently has over a dozen locations in trendy areas such as New York, Los Angeles, and Shinjuku, Tokyo. It stands to reason that a chain like this would want to expand into home options, now that instant coffee is fancier than it's ever been.

There is, admittedly, something that may make Verve instant coffee a harder sell than it would be in a vacuum. Most of the time, if you're choosing instant coffee, you're doing it for economic reasons — you're cutting back on trips to Dunkin' or Starbucks and simply stirring some coffee powder into hot water. If that's the case, though, you might think twice about buying Verve, whose products range from $17 to $48. Doing the math, the Variety pack comes out to $2.50 a cup, which is a lot more than other instant coffee options — but just about level with Dunkin' and certainly less expensive than Starbucks, so it's just a matter of what battles you pick.