Is instant coffee really that bad? After drinking these 10 best-selling bottles on the market, I decided...

I feel sleepy in spring, tired in autumn, and nappy in summer. Many foodies are like me, who just rely on sipping coffee to stay alive all year round.

When it comes to coffee, is Starbucks or COSTA the first thing that comes to your mind?

The problem is, coffee shops are not available everywhere.

So, would you accept those "ready-to-drink coffees" that come in bottles or boxes?

When this question came up, a bunch of "freshly ground (star) coffee (daddy) addicts" in the office shook their heads.

Is it true that instant coffee tastes bad and cannot be drunk?
Or is it because you didn’t choose the right brand?

Today, what "Cekong Laboratory" is going to do is to write a "life-extending" review of ready-to-drink coffee!

Our super shopping expert "Fairy Tale" rushed to major supermarkets and convenience stores early in the morning——

Unconsciously, in the refrigerators of convenience stores, more and more ready-to-drink coffee brands are occupying more shelf space, including international brands such as Coca-Cola and Nestlé, as well as new entrants such as Yili, Mengniu, Nongfu Spring, and New Hope.

In the industry’s view, the convenience, speed and reasonable price have made ready-to-drink coffee enter a period of rapid growth, which has also attracted the entry of dairy and beverage giants. Data shows that the Chinese coffee market is growing at an annual rate of 15%-20%. Among them, the compound growth rate of ready-to-drink coffee is as high as 34.2%.

12 instant coffees compared: why these stand out

In this evaluation, "Cekong Laboratory" will conduct a blind test on 10 best-selling coffees, and make our subjective evaluation based on three aspects: packaging, taste (sweetness, coffee flavor, milk flavor). The full score for each item is 10 points, and finally the total score is calculated by combining the four aspects.

Our reviewers are randomly selected from the "coffee lovers" who are active among us——

Fairy Tale (born in the 70s/age: 20 years)

▷I usually like to buy Starbucks skim milk warm latte. When it comes to non-freshly ground coffee, I actually refuse it in my heart.

Xiao Mo (born after 1985/age:#)

▷I don’t drink coffee very often. If I have to drink it, I prefer coffee with less sugar and caffeine.

Penguin (Post-90s/Age: 15 years)

▷Favorite drink: Latte without ice, a little bit of coffee ice milk tea

V+(Post-90s/Age: 2 years)

▷ Favorite drink: Starbucks vanilla latte, can’t handle drinks that are too sweet

5star(Post-90s/Age: 2 years)

▷Favorite drink: Starbucks vanilla latte, I like medium sweetness.

bobo(born in the 80s/age: 8 years)

▷ Favorite drink: Starbucks vanilla latte, various instant coffees, and I refuse all bitter coffees

Lazy people's welfare: the total score table is here——

– Mengniu Daily Fresh Cold Brew Coffee Latte –

Price: 12.9 yuan, Specification: 250ml, Purchase location: Lawson convenience store

This cold brew coffee latte is a product of Mengniu's "Daily Fresh" fresh milk series. As one of the only three coffee drinks in this evaluation that uses fresh milk, the selling point of this ready-to-drink coffee is raw milk. It is said that the raw milk content is greater than or equal to 80%, and the main feature is a nutritious coffee drink. It can be seen that this time "Mengniu" hopes to capture the hearts of young people.

When we went to Lawson, Mengniu's latte had already been sold out, so the one we reviewed this time was purchased through a private channel from RT-Mart in Fuyang.

The coffee aroma when you first open the can is quite mellow and the taste is quite light, which is suitable for those who don’t like sweet food.

– Eli Saint Rhys Espresso Latte-

Price: 9.9 yuan, Specification: 248ml, Purchase location: FamilyMart

In July, Yili quietly launched its first coffee product, Saint Rise, on the e-commerce platform. The product uses Arabica coffee beans and milk imported from New Zealand, and invited new-generation idol Chen Linong to be the spokesperson.

When I bought it, I was immediately attracted by its appearance. It was also the only coffee in this review that was placed in the "warming cabinet". Yes, it is a hot drink, which feels very suitable for the coming winter. So I had relatively high expectations for it, but who knew that after taking a sip, to be honest, most of the reviewers expressed disappointment...

What’s more, it was actually hot when I bought it. This is the only hot drink among all the coffees to be reviewed today.

– New Hope Original Fresh Milk Coffee (Cold Brew Coffee Latte)-

Price: 12.8 yuan, Specification: 300ml, Purchase location: Lawson convenience store

New Hope, a local dairy brand, has also entered the coffee industry. This original fresh milk coffee is made from selected Arabica roasted coffee beans. The advertisement says that the cold brew coffee extract is ≥5.4%, and it is also made with fresh milk from the ranch.
Most people think that the taste is unremarkable and does not feel like coffee.

– Wangwang Bond Coffee (Latte Flavor)-

Price: 7 yuan, Specification: 240ml, Purchase location: FamilyMart

In April 2018, the new Bond coffee beverage under Want Want Group was officially launched on the market. The brand slogan "I am young, I drink coffee" focuses on youth and fashion.

Most reviewers felt that the taste was sweet, the coffee flavor was lacking, and it felt like the coffee concentration was not high.

– Wei Chuan Bernardo Coffee (Classic Latte Flavor)-

Price: 7.8 yuan, Specification: 250ml, Purchased at: Lawson convenience store Benason also performed well in this evaluation. First of all, in terms of packaging, the classic three colors are very well matched.

Benason performed well in this test. It uses Arabica coffee beans, and you can taste the deep roasted taste of the coffee, with a strong milky aroma. The downside is that it contains a lot of additives.

– Starbucks Cold Cup Coffee –

Price: 16.8 yuan, Specification: 250ml, Purchase location: Lawson convenience store

This cold cup coffee is a product of the cooperation between Starbucks and Weiquan. We checked and found that it is processed in the same factory as Beneson. Most reviewers gave it a high score in terms of appearance. As for the taste, some friends tasted "medicine". What's going on?

– Starbucks Starbucks Classic –

Price: 9.89 yuan, Specification: 228ml, Purchase location: Century Lianhua Jingxuan Supermarket

Starbucks has put a lot of thought into entering the domestic ready-to-drink coffee market. The packaging of this Starbucks coffee still has Starbucks' usual industrial American style. The taste is sour, but the coffee flavor is still very strong.

– Nescafe Silky Latte –

Price: 5.9 yuan, Specification: 268ml, Purchase location: Century Lianhua Jingxuan Supermarket

According to Nielsen data, Nestlé currently holds 55.5% of the market share in China's ready-to-drink coffee market, making it the undisputed "big brother". Nestlé has been leading the Chinese coffee journey since the 1980s.

This silky latte is made with instant coffee and milk powder. Although it tastes very silky, we took a look at the ingredient list and found that thickeners were added, which deducts points. However, the milk flavor is quite strong and does not cover up the coffee aroma.

– Coca-Cola Georgia Latte Espresso –

Price: 8.5 yuan, Specification: 340ml, Purchase location: Century Lianhua Jingxuan Supermarket

In 2014, Coca-Cola China launched its first espresso beverage, Joya, marking Coca-Cola's official entry into the ready-to-drink coffee market. This "mellow latte" is said to be made from selected Brazilian coffee, with a rich milky aroma and smooth taste as its selling point. The first feeling when opening the lid is that the coffee aroma is quite strong.

– Daily Barista Latte Drinks-

Price: 10.8 yuan, Specification: 250ml, Purchase location: Century Lianhua

Unexpectedly, the last barista to appear received almost unanimous praise from the audience. As a brand under the Korean "Maili Dairy", its "reduced sugar latte" has won the SIAL Innovation Competition Award. No wonder its average daily sales in Korea can reach 350,000 cups.

Okay, now it's time to award the prizes.

praise

Daily Barista Latte Drink

Ray Elie St. Reyes Espresso Latte
ps1. Cekong Laboratory is only responsible for the samples purchased, and the taste only represents the taste of the reviewer. 2. The marked prices are the costs incurred at the time of purchase and are for reference only.