The Best Instant Coffee for Camping, Traveling, or Just Being Lazy
Coffee…sweet, delicious, energizing, coffee! If you’re like us, you need this magical bean water elixir to get your day off on the right foot. But when you’re camping, traveling, or just feeling particularly unmotivated, the process of making a cup can seem like a real chore, and that’s when instant coffee is there to pick you up and get you going!
Unfortunately, there is a lot of really bad instant coffee on the market. So we decided to be the guinea pigs and vet the options down to the 12 best instant coffee choices and organize them by cost per cup so you can pick one that’s right for your budget.
Plus, we’ll teach you the history of instant coffee, how it’s made, give some instant coffee brewing tips, and show you how to make your own DIY instant coffee from your favorite whole bean coffees at home.
What is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee is the fastest, most convenient, and easiest of the 7 Ways To Make Incredible Camping Coffee, using concentrated coffee extract and/or coffee grounds diluted and brewed directly in your cup by adding near-boiling water.
The process of making most traditional dry instant coffee is not dissimilar from the way you would typically make fresh coffee at home: coffee beans are roasted, ground, and hot water is poured over the grounds to brew...just on a MUCH larger scale. The resulting liquid coffee is evaporated to a concentrate, then freeze-dried or spray-dried and broken into granules.
Another method of making modern instant coffee is by grinding the roasted coffee beans to an extremely fine, almost powder-like, consistency.
The end result of either process can then be later mixed with hot water (by you) to produce a delicious cup of coffee - at least that’s the intention.
While it’s easy to assume instant coffee is a relatively new concept, it’s actually been around for at least a couple hundred years. But as you may already know, historically, instant coffee has not always been renowned for making a good, or even palatable 🥴, cup of coffee.
A Brief History of Instant Coffee
The first known instant coffee patent was held by John Dring in 1771 and was more of a coffee paste that used ground Turkish and West India roasted coffee beans ground to a fine flour and mixed, over heat, with butter and suet - along with optional flavorings such as vanilla or cinnamon. The paste was cooled in oiled tin molds to be later added to hot water and…presumably enjoyed.
Other quasi liquid instant coffees - including the Union Army’s virtually inedible Essence of Coffee (a coffee, milk, and sugar paste mixture) served to troops in the American Civil War, and Paterson & Son’s invention of “Camp Coffee” syrup in 1876 (a mixture of mostly chicory, sugar, and coffee) cropped up in the 19th century.
But it was David Strang who patented the “dry-hot air process” in New Zealand in 1889 and is credited for creating the first dry instant coffee that most closely resembles what we use today. Nearly a decade later Satori Kato, a Japanese-American chemist, also patented a water soluble dry instant coffee in the United States in April of 1901. A few decades after that, Nestle refined the process further and, in 1938, launched the first commercially viable instant coffee: Nescafe. Then, World War II bore technological advances in high-vacuum freeze-drying processes that led to the post-war invention of freeze-dried instant coffees, which still remain in use today.
More recently, microground instant coffees (first pioneered by Starbucks in 2008) have become a more mainstream option. Microground instant coffee is made by grinding roasted coffee beans into a powder fine enough to be directly mixed and suspended in hot water; depending on the manufacturer’s preference they may also combine these microgrounds with traditional instant coffees. This process results in a rich, smooth, and full-bodied flavor profile that is MUCH closer to freshly brewed coffee than other instant coffees.
*(This post contains affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. See our full disclosure.)
The 12 Best Instant Coffees [2024]
We have tested a TON of instant coffee options over the last several years, and decided it was time to consolidate our results! Below is an ever evolving list of the best instant coffee - based on price (high->low), quality, and flavor - so you can easily get your coffee fix on your next camping trip or travel adventure:
Swift Coffee Specialty Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $2.00-5.00/cup
Coffee Profile: Varies (multiple origins/roasts available)
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
If you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur like us (*cough* snobs *cough*), Swift Coffee offers the most highbrow instant coffee on the market. With a wide variety of specialty instant coffees plus rotating partnerships with smaller niche roasters, there’s a TON of great options to choose from.
Their One of Everything Bundle is a good sampling at a lower-than-average per cup cost, but overall Swift Coffee Co’s instant offerings are priced at a premium. However, the old adage, “You get what you pay for” rings true.
Death Wish Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $1.30/cup
Coffee Profile: High-Octane Dark Roast Arabica and Robusta
Category: Fine-grain Freeze-dried Instant with Green Coffee Extract
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
Originally developed for astronauts on the International Space Station, Death Wish Instant Coffee’s 300mg of caffeine per serving will give you the same tweaker-like rush of a couple quality coffee-shop double espressos! They use a combination of refined freeze-dried dark roasted Arabica and Robusta beans, as well as organic green coffee extract, to produce an incredibly tasty and highly effective instant coffee. We always keep a few on hand while traveling to cure those languishing camp mornings before hitting the trail.
Alpine Start Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $1.25/cup
Coffee Profile: Medium Roast Colombian Arabica
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
Alpine Start is a Bolder, Colorado based company, and a relatively new entrant to the instant coffee game, with a mission to make instant coffee “that actually tastes good.” We feel they’ve accomplished their goal! This medium roast instant coffee uses high-altitude Colombian Arabica beans that make for a smooth and full bodied flavor.
Black Rifle Coffee Company Instant
Average Cost: $1.09/cup
Coffee Profile: Colombian Medium Roast
Category: Finegrain Microground Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
Black Rifle Coffee Co. is a veteran owned coffee company, and their instant is an excellent medium-dark roast made with 100% Colombian micro-ground coffee. It’s incredibly smooth, and at the average cost of $1.09/cup it’s not terribly expensive, considering the quality.
Starbucks Via Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.64-1.00/cup (or up to $4.00/cup for premium instants)
Coffee Profile: Varies (see below)
Category: Microground Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets (though you can buy it in bulk* too)
Pioneering the microground instant coffee market, Starbucks Via has become a staple for campers, hikers, backpackers, and travelers the world over - and the gold standard for instant coffees.
The Via line has expanded to include a wide array of delicious instant coffees ranging from dark to blond roasts, decaf options, and even some specialty premium instant coffees that’ll let you take the traditional Starbucks experience with you on your adventures!
Columbia* (Medium Roast) - this is our personal favorite from the Starbucks Via lineup, and was our go-to instant coffee for years!
French Roast* (Dark Roast)
Pike Place* (Mild Medium)
Italian Roast* (Mild Dark) - or their Decaf Italian Roast* is one of the best instant decaf coffees you can buy.
Veranda* (Blond Roast)
White Mocha* & Carmel Latte* (Premium Instant Coffees)
Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
Average Cost: $0.62/cup
Coffee Profile: Mild Medium Roast Brazilian Arabica
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
If you take cream and sugar in your coffee, each single serving packet of Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee provides the perfect blend of traditional medium roast Arabica freeze-dried instant coffee, cream, and sugar - taking all the thought out of that first “cup of Joe,” which can really be a life saver on those particularly rough mornings.
Anthony’s Organic Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.55/cup
Coffee Profile: Full-bodied Medium Roast Arabica
Category: Microground Instant
Packaging: Bulk Bag
Anthony’s Organic Instant Coffee takes the “Best Bulk Instant Coffee” award! Instead of being packaged in the typical single-serving packets, you get 14oz of ultra fine micro-ground medium roast Arabica instant coffee which works out to only about $0.55/cup (at the stronger 2 teaspoon/8oz water suggested serving - and you know you’ll want the stronger dose).
Mount Hagen Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.46/cup (though if purchased in bulk* it can be even cheaper)
Coffee Profile: Medium Roast Arabica
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
Mount Hagen’s instant coffee is one of the best values on the market, offering a high quality medium roast Arabica freeze-dried instant that has a dependably great taste at a very reasonable price point. Years ago, we originally fell in love with Mount Hagen’s microground instant, which unfortunately was discontinued. But thankfully, their freeze-dried instant retains the same quality and flavor that harkens “a taste of its pampered history in the paradise of Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea.” Plus, they offer an excellent decaf option* too!
Nescafe Gold Espresso Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.26/cup
Coffee Profile: Gold Espresso Roast Arabica
Category: Finegrain Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Bulk Jar
We picked up some Nescafe Gold Instant Espresso on a whim before a recent camping trip, and we were astonished at how good this instant coffee is! It offers a robust full-bodied espresso experience - complete with a smooth velvety crema layer - at a very reasonable price. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative to the more higher priced instants, this is definitely worth a try. It’s fast becoming one of our personal favorites!
Whole Foods 365 Instant Espresso
Average Cost: $0.22/cup
Coffee Profile: Bold Dark Espresso Roast Arabica
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Single-serving Packets
Whole Foods 365 Instant Espresso is one of the more budget-friendly single-serve instant coffees we tested. The dark espresso roast Arabica freeze-dried coffee in each packet makes for a strong full-bodied cup of coffee. Though its somewhat nutty and slightly more acidic flavor wouldn’t be our first pick for our morning cup, we found it to be a particularly great option for making instant iced coffee while on-the-go.
Our favorite instant iced coffee recipe:
In a glass add: 2 packets Instant Espresso coffee & 1 cup Water
Stir thoroughly for 1-2 minutes (pausing a minute in the middle to let the coffee steep in the cold water)
Add ice and your favorite flavored coffee creamer (or 1/3 cup half & half and 1 tablespoon of sugar)
Stir and enjoy!
Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.17/cup
Coffee Profile: Dark Espresso Roast
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Bulk Jar
Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee is a classic Latin-style coffee with a rich, bold taste that harkens traditional Cuban espresso. Its low cost and great flavor make it one of our favorite budget instants.
Nescafe Clasico Instant Coffee
Average Cost: $0.06/cup
Coffee Profile: Dark Roast Arabica and Robusta
Category: Freeze-dried Instant
Packaging: Bulk Jar
There’s a reason why Nescafe has been America’s staple instant coffee for nearly a hundred years. It’s a consistent, well-rounded, instant coffee that’s more than serviceable when you need an easy and cheap caffeine fix - plus it’s one of the most widely available options on the market, so it’s easy to restock when you run out. We personally double the suggested quantity of Clasico to 2 teaspoons instant/6 oz water to yield a stronger brew and richer flavor - and even at 12 cents/cup it’s still a cheap cup-a-joe.
Tips for Brewing The Best Instant Coffee
Here are some quick tips for improving your overall instant coffee brewing process, and guaranteeing the best possible instant coffee experience - no matter which instant coffee you choose:
Make it Stronger
We typically find that, with freeze-dried instants especially, 1.5-2x the manufacturer’s recommended ratio of instant-coffee-to-water makes for a richer and more flavorful coffee.
Add a Splash of Cold Water First
Instant coffee is easily burned. By adding a splash of cold water to your instant coffee BEFORE adding your hot water it will help prevent the coffee from taking on a burnt flavor in the event your water is too hot.
Let it Sit!
It can take a minute or two for the instant coffee to fully brew, so we recommend letting it sit for a couple minutes after mixing before you enjoy. We know this won’t be easy, but trust us - it’s worth it!
Give it a Second Chance
Often the first sip of instant is a bit jarring to a fresh palette, so take a moment and come back for a second taste, and you may find that the “gross” taste has vanished.
How to Make DIY Instant Coffee Using Your Own Coffee Beans
If you’re looking to pinch pennies, or maybe you just want to take your favorite locally roasted coffee on-the-go, it is possible to create your own “instant coffee” at home! While it won’t be quite as convenient or refined a process as modern manufactured instant coffees, the result can be just as delicious.
Supplies Needed:
Coffee Grinder (with a super-fine grind setting) - we’ve been using the same japanese-made Porlex Mini Portable Coffee Grinder* for the last 6 years while camping and traveling; it’s never missed a beat and still provides incredibly consistent grounds (1-2 clicks on the adjustment wheel is perfect for making super fine grounds for DIY instant coffee)
Choice Whole Bean Coffee - you can use any of your favorite coffees, though we find darker roasts work best for making the finest grounds
Travel-size Vacuum Seal Coffee Container* - this Fellows model is perfect for camping and travel
How to Make DIY Instant Coffee
Grind your whole bean coffee on the super-fine setting.
Using the fine mesh sieve, filter the grounds further to remove any potential inconsistent/larger grounds.
Store the filtered fine grounds in your Vacuum Seal Coffee Container for later use.
When you’re ready to brew your DIY instant coffee:
Bring water to a near boil (the goal is to not boil the coffee, which will give it a burnt taste - 205 degrees fahrenheit is perfect)
Add 1 tsp.- 1 Tbsp. (to taste/strength preference) of your pre-ground and filtered instant coffee per 10 oz hot water
Stir gently for 10-20 seconds
Add milk, creamer, or sugar to preference and stir again
Allow 1 minute for any unsuspended grounds to settle
Enjoy! Just know that - like old-school cowboy coffee - you’ll want to avoid the grounds that will have settled at the bottom of your cup.
Instant Coffee Accessories
These are some great additions to add to your coffee kit or camp kitchen box to help get the most out of your instant coffee when traveling or camping:
Sweetened Condensed Milk Creamer Packets* - these shelf-stable creamers are a delicious and convenient way to dress up your instant coffee on the go
Camping Coffee Mug - this guide highlights the best camping coffee mugs to take on your travels and adventures to keep your instant coffee piping hot (or ice cold).
MSR Titan Titanium Kettle* - we’ve used one of these for over a decade to boil water for our coffee while camping - they’re lightweight, durable, and will get your water up to temp faster because titanium transfers heat more efficiently than steel or aluminum.
Travel-size Vacuum Seal Coffee Container* - this is a great way to keep your bulk-packaged or DIY instant coffee fresh while traveling or camping
There you have it, everything you need to make easy and delicious instant coffee on your travels, road trips, and camping trips!
For more helpful camping, overlanding, and family travel tips and guides be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our bi-monthly blog updates!
And as always, thanks for reading!
Related Posts:
Don’t Ever Stress About Camping Meals Again [60 Easy Camping Foods]
Baby Camping Gear [60 Things to Make Camping With Baby Easier]
Pin This Post!
We’d Really Appreciate a Share on Social Media!👇