Coffee

Reviewed by Pillowthread

If you’re looking for instant coffee you’ll do well finding Alpine Start. Upmarket of center, Alpine Start offers a boldness, a complexity of flavor not often found outside of the fresh-ground-and-lovingly-brewed set. For those not married to the traditional method of coffee brewing, Alpine Start also allows a greatly reduced base weight and packed size in comparison.

Best For: Well, you know—alpinists, apparently. Fast-packers, thru-hikers, college students, and commuters, also. All those who multi-task out of a desire to save time. Design Alpine Start is instantized (read: part micro-ground, part freeze-dried) coffee packaged into little sealed plastic pouches, sized to make an individual serving. The plastic pouches themselves are robust enough to survive loose in your food bag or bear can, and do not come with any starter tears to catch on things and accidentally tear open.

Read more: Alpine Start Original Blend Medium Roast Instant Coffee review (1)

Reviewed by Denis Daly

This is a medium blend coffee with NON-dairy coconut creamer added to give a few calories and ease to make creamed coffee. I wanted to see of it lived up to its hype of instant coffee that actually tastes good.

  So with the saying "instant coffee that actually tastes good" I had to purchase this coffee. I've been using instant coffee for trips now for over 10 years. I wanted to give a look at the coffee world like I do in my normal household. This coffee has the cream already added so that cuts down one item that I normally have to pack. It also has a little bit of sweetness from the creamer if you're not into a really sweet cup of coffee. I tend to drink medium to dark roasts at my house and at coffee shops.

Read more: Alpine Start Dairy-Free Coffee + Creamer Instant Latte review (1)

Reviewed by Elizabeth McCoy

This is hands down the BEST instant coffee on the trail. I've tried over 15 brands and this ranks #2, would definitely buy again.

Heartbreaker Blend instant coffee/Notes of blackberry, amaretto, and dark chocolate   6 packets per box   Comes in 6 packs per box I brought four different instant coffees on this past hiking trip and this was at the top of the list after Blue Bottle, which I will review as well in another post. Cafe Grumpy has three different flavor options for their instant coffees: Heartbreaker, Las Flores, and Decaf Peru. You can buy them online at cafegrumpy.com I would say they are far superior in taste than most other instant coffee brands that I have tried in the past. It is good cold and hot. I added freeze-dried organic heavy creamer and sugar in the raw to my cup and it was tasty. I would most definitely buy again for another trip.

Read more: Cafe Grumpy Instant Coffee Heartbreaker Blend review (1)

Reviewed by Elizabeth McCoy

Great for instant coffee, better than most. Great for backpacking. Lightweight and easy to prepare.

Box with 6 packets/servings A double dose of organic instant coffee with whole milk and a touch of maple sugar. For those of us who need a little extra something to keep those gears moving. Just rip, pour, and stir for a high octane latte on the go. We're talkin' the caffeine equivalent of a double shot espresso! To prepare, add one packet to 8-10 oz (1-1.25 C) of hot water, stir, and enjoy! ___________________ CALORIES | 80 CAFFEINE | 130mg SERVINGS PER BOX | 6 packets Ingredients: Milk (whole milk), Organic Coffee, Maple Sugar.  Nutrition info This is a great company with great backpacking meals.

Read more: Farm to Summit Double Shot Instant Latte review (1)

Featured review by BigRed

About as good as instant coffee gets, at a reasonable price and lower weight-per-cup than the main alternative. A good choice for extended backcountry trips where real coffee isn't worth the extra weight and hassle.

Backcountry coffee is a perennial topic on the TS foums, with threads running on for weeks if not months, and many members weighing in with their own idiosyncratic preferences. Here’s another log for that long-burning fire. Here's the search image: And the backstory: A while back when my wife and I were planning a 10-day outing, we got into a little disagreement over what to do about coffee. We agreed that we had to have coffee, and that the weight and hassle of fresh brew wasn’t going to work for us this time—when you’re trying to get 10 days worth of food into two bear canisters and keep your starting weight reasonable, some things have to go.

Read more: Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Instant Coffee reviews (3)

Featured review by Bigger Al

I'm a recovering coffee snob who, in previous years, would have rather drank mud from a puddle than instant coffee of any brand. Those days are over.

Alright, I'll admit it. I'm a coffee snob. My grounds of choice come from Peet's Coffee, and I take great pride in brewing a full-bodied cuppa Joe, whether I'm at home or out in the wilderness. Over the years I've used espresso makers for backpacking, drip filter holders of all shapes and sizes, the Aero Press system (still a great way to brew, BTW) and good old Cowboy coffee. I will also admit to an aversion to anything from Starbuck's. All of that has changed since I tried the Via instant coffees.  My youngest daughter brought some home one evening, and hounded me for an hour to give one of them a go, and I did so just to get her to ease up.

Read more: Starbucks VIA Ready Brew reviews (18)

Reviewed by Elizabeth McCoy

This is my pick for the BEST instant coffee out there! I have searched for years and tried so many brands of instant coffee, with a goal to find one that doesn't taste like "instant" coffee.

Blue Bottle instant coffee was a treat on the trail. I drank all of the Blue Bottle packets before the others. A full-bodied flavorful coffee with no sourness, no burnt taste, and no bitterness. I added a scoop of organic powdered heavy cream to my cup. If I decide to not bring the AeroPress on the next trip, Blue Bottle Instant will be in my Bear Vault, it is simply the #1 pick for out on the trail. I highly recommend it to thru-hikers who can truly appreciate a great cup of coffee in the wilderness.

Read more: Blue Bottle Coffee Craft Instant Coffee Set review (1)

Reviewed by Bentbrook

The Kuju Starter Pack offers one sample of the brand's six different coffees and an enameled stainless steel mug. These are pour-over coffees that do not require any apparatus: simply tear open, perch on a cup, and pour the hot water through the grounds. Six coffees cover most tastes; the mug offers a nostalgic touch. A useful starter kit to explore one's tastes, and an ingenious option for coffee lovers craving a better brew in the wilderness.

  Kuju's clever pour-over design It is my personal grail quest, the quest for the perfect backcountry coffee. I am always looking for something new, something different, something better. I impulsively decided to try Kuju Coffee upon seeing it advertised as a 100% “specialty-grade coffee” that boasts an innovative “Pocket Pour-over” design. I first ordered some of Kuju's Basecamp Blend. My interest was piqued by tasting this, so when I received an email with an offer for a free box of Angels Landing with a purchase of X dollars, I ordered the Kuju Starter Pack—one of each type of Kuju coffee plus an enameled mug.

Read more: Kuju Coffee Starter Pack review (1)