When it comes to our morning routines, having a cup of coffee first thing is usually high up on our to-do-list - preferably as soon as possible.
Not only does it give you that boost that you need in the morning, but it is fairly easy to just pop some granules in your cup and splash over some hot water.
Now, we'd love to think that we had the patience for a proper cup of coffee made from a fancy coffee press but, let's face it, who actually has time for that in the morning?
Certainly not us, which is why we stick with the instant coffee granules. The thing with instant coffee, though, is there are so many different versions out there nowadays and you're always left wondering if you're purchasing the best.
That's why a reporter from Kent Live made it his personal mission to find out which store-bought instant coffee was a good substitute for his regular Nescafe choice.
Reporter Sam Honey sampled coffee's from Aldi, M&S, Tesco and Iceland and here is what he thought of each offering:
The process
Sam decided to keep the competition fair and made every cup of coffee the exact same way that he likes, which was one sugar and a splash of milk.
Now, as caffeine can be quite powerful, the reporter only made half cups as he didn't want to "end up with the heart rate of a hummingbird."
With his four half-cups ready to be sampled, he got down to the main business.
Aldi
According to Sam, the budget supermarket's offering gets off to a "good start", as it rarely gets anything wrong and usually has great prices.
The £1.49 jar he sampled from Aldi " could easily last you the best part of a month."
Sam said the most important thing for him when it came to sampling was the rich aroma that comes with a good cup of coffee.
He said: "For me, I’ve always absolutely loved the smell of coffee, way before I liked the taste and Aldi’s did not disappoint, this coffee smelled absolutely great so I was eager for the first taste.
"I was left more than happy, I was treated to a fantastically smooth and rich tasting coffee that easily competes with Nescafe."
Iceland
Next up was a sample from frozen supermarket Iceland and it offered a bit of disappointment for the reporter.
According to Sam, the coffee fell at the first hurdle as it did not have the coffee aroma he was looking for and described it as, "a little off putting."
Speaking of the Iceland sample, he said: "In terms of taste, it was perfectly serviceable as a coffee, the kind you’d expect to be given for free during a hospital stay or at a cheap hotel.
While I’ve definitely had worse cups of coffee, I’d find it difficult to heartily recommend this one, especially at the price of £1.50 with less coffee for your buck than at Aldi."
So far, Aldi remains his current top choice.
Tesco
Tesco was next on the list and, as it is known for its own-brand foods, it has quite the reputation to live up to.
As Sam says, you'd be "hard-pressed to find a home in the country that doesn’t have at least one tin or jar tucked away in a cupboard somewhere sporting the Tesco Value branding."
He went on to admit that he is usually happy with the supermarket's offerings and it looks like their instant coffee is another win for him.
"This coffee was no exception, immediately the smell was a cut above the last, and I was much more optimistic before the taste test.
For the taste, it was also a definite improvement, rich in flavour and much closer to the branded names I am accustomed to at the fair price of £2," he said of the coffee.
The only downfall was the after-taste, as he comments that it left behind "familiar notes of cheaper coffee," which was not something that he experienced with Aldi's.
Overall, not a bad cup of Joe according to the reporter and would definitely get a recommendation. Currently ranks second behind top-pick, Aldi.
M&S
Saving the best for last, the reporter said that this "was a great cup of coffee and definitely the one I enjoyed the most."
He did admit that it was difficult to compare it to the rest, as his local M&S only had gold blend instant coffee on offer, which tends to be a much smoother coffee.
He said: "When looking at the price, this one is much closer, if not almost the same, to the name brands I’m familiar with at £2.75 for a smaller jar than the other shops offered today at lower prices.
So, while I will say this was hands down the best tasting and a fantastic cup of coffee, in terms of pricing and fairness I can’t say this is my top pick."
Overall verdict
According to Sam, if you're not worried about the price, then M&S is definitely the choice you want to stick with for a great cup of coffee.
But, as we all know, a lot of us try to be a bit more money-conscious these days, so if you can find a brilliant jar of instant coffee for less, then you're going to take it.
That's why Sam says that Aldi ultimately should take the win and it may even be his "new go-to."
Tesco came in third place for his taste-test, and he admitted it was pretty close to second place.
Unfortunately, Iceland looks to be the only one that didn't stand quite as tall as the rest, as it took last place in the reporters comparison.
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