Brands of natural and instant coffee: review of popular brands

What can you compare the smell and taste of a black drink brewed from freshly ground coffee to? Perhaps with the dawn, a boost of energy, a good start to the day. But all this is poetry and lyrics, but what really worries fans of espresso, cappuccino and latte is the desire to choose the best coffee beans. High-quality, tasty, aromatic and, if possible, not very expensive.

Today's coffee market is saturated with an incredible number of varieties and types of invigorating drink. It’s good when you were able to immediately settle on the ideal brand with the optimal price-quality ratio. But no one forbids experimenting and trying something new. Well, our rating of the best coffee beans will help you with this.

The most popular and favorite brands

The list of coffee brands available in Russia is very large. Therefore, we should first of all highlight those coffee brands that belong to the middle price category and are considered one of the best.

Lavazza

An Italian brand that has not lost popularity for decades. A distinctive feature of the product is the technology of mixing Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. Thanks to the correct selection of proportions, the product is characterized by excellent taste and aroma.

Cavazza has a high robusta content. The drink is strong and rich

You can also find blends of pure Arabica beans on sale.

Among the advantages of Lavazza are:

• a large assortment;
• special roasting technology;
• excellent taste and aroma qualities;
• obtaining a dense foam.

This brand produces products in capsules. Its price is higher than that of grain and ground.

Camardo

The brand got its name thanks to its founder, Bartolomeo Camardo. The Italian was a big fan of coffee drinks and specially traveled to America to learn about all the features of preparation. When he returned to his homeland, he immediately opened his own enterprise, which has been producing quality products for many decades.

In production, we use selected robusta and arabica beans grown on plantations in Africa, South and Central America, and Asia. The drink has excellent taste and aroma. It is often compared to Italian coffee beans Via appia, which belongs to the same price category.

Jardin

A popular brand that produces premium products. Colombian and Kenyan Arabica beans are used in production. The company's product range includes the following types:

• single variety;
• coffee blends;
• soluble freeze-dried product.

On the packaging, the manufacturer indicates the strength, degree of roasting of the beans and composition. Thanks to this, there are no difficulties when choosing coffee.

Carte Noire

Kraft Foods, a company known for more than a century, produces products under this brand. They sell instant and ground coffee. Arabica beans are used for production, so the drink is soft, without the characteristic coffee bitterness. The advantage of this product is its multifaceted aroma. Even from instant coffee it is possible to prepare a drink with a rich taste, much similar to what is obtained by brewing ground beans in a Turk.

Illy

The Italian brand produces high-quality products, which are characterized by unique blends, multifaceted flavors, sophistication and richness.

The grains are selected using a special laser device. Thanks to this, it is possible to maintain quality at the highest level.

This coffee is ideal for making espresso. It is sold in the following forms:

• grain;
• pods;
• ground;
• capsules.

Jockey

It appeared on the Russian market in 1999 and quickly gained popularity. Selected Arabica beans are used to make our products. Despite the low price, the products are of excellent quality and are presented in a wide range. Thanks to this, every coffee lover can choose the ideal option for himself.

Ambassador

A European brand that produces quality products. The drink has a delightful aroma, soft and dense texture with a tart taste with a pleasant sourness. There is no bitterness in it at all. The only drawback is that the composition is not indicated on the packaging.

Arabica coffee beans

It is the most common and cultivated species in the world. The plant belongs to the Rubiaceae family. This coffee is often called Arabian. Its homeland in the wild is the southwestern part of Ethiopia. The ChoiceExpert project presents the four most delicious and aromatic representatives of Arabica.

Moscow coffee shop with Arabica drinks

Inexpensive, medium-roasted natural bean coffee, which is distinguished by its chocolate color, optimal balance of bitterness and sourness, and smoky aroma. It is obtained at a temperature of 210-230°C. It is characterized by a pronounced, rich taste and pure aroma.

The product is made from 100% selected Arabica beans, is distinguished by its purity and small size. Thanks to this, it is easily and quickly crushed using a special device. The mixture does not lose its taste properties for 18 months from the date of production.

Advantages:

• Not picky about storage conditions (temperature 27°C);
• Retains its properties at humidity up to 75%;
• Rich taste;
• No feeling of additives in the composition;
• Does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

Flaws:

• Not always even roasting.

Reviews note that coffee beans are excellent for coffee machines. After grinding, they retain their aroma for a long time, so the drink turns out fresh and tasty.

Starbucks Blonde Espresso Roast

…Almost every morning I make espresso coffee from these beans. I use a coffee machine. The result is pleasing - the aroma is pleasant, delicate, the taste is memorable, slightly sweet...

Expert opinion

Starbucks brand beans are roasted in a special way, which gives the espresso a smooth taste. It has the bright and sweet notes characteristic of the classic drink. Milk can be added to the finished product to add additional tenderness.

The composition is based on neat light beans of light roasting, so they lack bitterness and sourness. This reduces the likelihood of heartburn after drinking the drink. To produce the product in its pure form, the Arabica variety is used. According to the manufacturer's recipe, 10 g of mixture is required for 180 ml of water.

Advantages:

• Often sold on promotion;
• Sealed packaging;
• You can drink it with or without milk;
• Low consumption;
• High density.

Flaws:

• Mainly designed for making espresso.

The product is intended for preparation using a French press, Aeropress, pour over, or a special machine.

Illy

The grains are sold in packages of three volumes - 250, 1500 and 3000 g. When purchasing a larger pack, you can save more than 10% of money. The product is packaged in tins, into which moisture does not penetrate. This means that it can be stored for a long time without changing its appearance or taste.

Illy is created with a medium roast. The mixture consists of 9 varieties of 100% Arabica, grown high in the mountains. In this regard, the product is considered environmentally friendly and safe for health. Before sale, raw materials are carefully selected and undergo several stages of quality control.

Advantages:

• Balanced taste;
• Rich aroma;
• No bitterness;
• Uniform roasting;
• Retains its qualities for a long time.

Flaws:

• It may be necessary to pre-wet the product to open it.

The high-quality mixture is stored for 36 months without losing its original taste. It has an optimal caffeine content - up to 1.5%, so it is not harmful to health. The product is relevant when using automatic coffee makers with a container capacity of up to 300 g.

Paulig Arabica

A universal option, suitable for both making espresso and Americano. It goes great with milk. The product is medium roasted and not very brown in color, so there is no bitterness. The blend originates from Brazil and is made from 100% Arabica beans. Roasted coffee beans are equally well processed and smell nice.

Paulig Arabica is sold in vacuum packs with a capacity of 250, 500 and 1000 g. For safe storage, a tight seal is provided. In order for it to preserve its properties, it must be kept at a temperature of up to 27 degrees and a humidity of no more than 75%. Per 100 ml of freshly brewed drink there is about 0.7% caffeine. Low doses may cause increased alertness, increased energy and ability to concentrate,

Advantages:

• Easily crushed;
• Small sizes;
• No dust;
• Small consumption - 3-4 tsp. for 250 ml of boiling water;
• After brewing, it retains its original aroma for a long time.

Flaws:

• Shelf life – 24 months.

According to reviews, the aroma begins to appear already when you grind the grains and cook the ground mixture in a machine or pot.

The best instant coffee

Among instant coffee manufacturers, the best are the following:

• Bushido. It is considered one of the most expensive. Premium products are manufactured in Switzerland. The assortment is quite large. There are even products that contain gold as an ingredient.
• Jacobs. A German brand that produces not only freeze-dried, but also natural ground coffee. The manufacturer strictly monitors the quality of its products. The drink has a mild taste. It has an unobtrusive sourness.
• Carte Noir. An American brand popular in Russia. High quality Arabica beans are used in production. The drink contains a characteristic bitterness.
• Indian gold. Belongs to a group of high-quality products sold at an affordable price.
• Mokkona. In the ranking of instant coffee brands, Dutch Moccona takes pride of place, characterized by a soft, light taste and rich aroma.
• Jardine. The manufacturer does not use grains grown on Brazilian plantations in production. Preference is given to rarer varieties. Thanks to this, the taste of the drink acquires versatility. It contains citrus, fruity, floral, berry and chocolate notes.
• Nescafe Gold. The brand is known all over the world. The products are characterized by a balanced taste and unsurpassed aroma.

Bushido

Nescafe Gold

Moccona

Jacobs

Decaffeinated coffee beans

According to standards, such beans contain no more than 0.3% caffeine. This percentage can be achieved through decaffeination (removal of the substance). Typically the process begins with steaming the green raw material. This procedure does not remove other components. One product of the specified type, recognized as safe, has been added to the TOP.

Julius Meinl Zumtobel

The grain drink retains its taste and aroma due to decaffeination through vaporization. This way, caffeine is removed, making the drink safe for people with high blood pressure and other contraindications. It is difficult to distinguish it from real coffee.

Julius Meinl Zumtobel can be consumed at any time of the day, including before bed. The absence of the active substance does not cause insomnia. The product is suitable for cooking both in a Turkish oven and in a car. It is made from pure Arabica coffee, medium roasted and belongs to the black variety.

Advantages:

• Has no contraindications;
• Rich taste;
• Bright aroma;
• No foreign inclusions;
• Pleasant aftertaste.

Flaws:

• High price.

To preserve the beneficial properties, original taste and smell, the packaging must be kept in a room with a temperature of up to 27°C and a humidity of no more than 75%. The opened package must be tightly closed to prevent water from penetrating inside.

Elite coffee brands

Elite brands deserve special attention. Among them are the following:

• Chon (Hon). Produced in Vietnam using non-standard technology. Martens eat coffee beans, which pass through the digestive tract and are eliminated naturally. After this, the beans are thoroughly washed, dried and fried. The cost of 1 kg of the resulting product reaches two hundred dollars.
• Coffee Yauco Selecto. A rare variety of Caribbean Arabica coffee with excellent taste. The price of 1 kg is 50 dollars.
• Starbucks. It is characterized by an extraordinary aroma and bright taste, which contains slight sourness and notes of spices. The cost of 1 kg varies between 50–60 dollars.

Chon

Coffee Yauco Selecto

Starbucks

Robusta coffee beans

This is a cheap alternative to Arabica. It is extremely rare on the market in its pure form. Basically, for the sake of economy, it is mixed with a more expensive brother. World production of this species does not exceed 2% of the total. The Vyborexperta.ru team identified 2 winners among them in the category “the most aromatic and pleasant to the taste.”

Jardin Piazza del Caffe Crema Vellutata

The leader among budget options, popular among baristas due to its pickiness in preparation and bright taste. The ground grains are used both in machines and in turks for Turkish recipes. However, the rich taste is obtained mainly in the first case.

Jardin Piazza del Caffe Crema Vellutata is medium roasted, without a pronounced brown color or bitter taste. It has a soft, smooth, delicate taste and aroma, which is highly appreciated by true fans of this drink. After preparation, the drink is covered with a beautiful velvety foam and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Advantages:

• Sealed packaging;
• Large volume – 1 kg;
• Can be stored at temperatures up to 30 degrees;
• Selected raw materials.

Flaws:

• After opening the package, it is recommended to store no more than 1 month.

When used in vending, sellers add a creamy taste to drinks using milk.

Lavazza Gusto Forte

Representative of classic breakfast drinks. The mixture is very rich, although it consists of pure Robusta beans. The plant is grown in Asia and Africa, in ecologically clean areas, so the safety of the raw materials is not in doubt. The finished product is distinguished by its moderate strength and chocolate aroma, which appears already at the grinding stage.

Lavazza Gusto Forte is characterized by piquancy, creaminess and a long, pleasant aftertaste. Delicious bean coffee has woody undertones and notes of blueberry, without getting boring for a long time. The raw materials allow you to get good foam, so it is especially important for making cappuccino and lattes.

Advantages:

• Optimal, medium degree of roasting;
• Not artificially flavored;
• Sold in 1 kg packs;
• Reliable vacuum pack;
• It makes perfect espresso.

Flaws:

• Too much robusta.

Reviews indicate that the finished drink is quite strong, so it is not recommended to drink it at night. It gives a powerful boost of energy and is especially useful in the morning.

The best of the best

It is worth highlighting the most expensive coffee brands. Among them:

• Kopi Luwak. It is considered the most unusual on the world market. Its distinctive feature is the processing technology. The main stage is fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract of musang (Chinese badger). The animal eats the best fruits, which are only partially digested in the digestive tract. People collect naturally occurring grains, wash them, and then dry and roast them. One kg of such an unusual product costs about a thousand dollars.
• Black Ivory (Black Ivory). The products are also manufactured using animals. In this case, it is the elephants who eat the beans. A day after this, the grains naturally leave the body. After processing, they are sent for export. This product is characterized by the absence of bitterness and the presence of pleasant fruity flavors. The price of 1 kg of such grains reaches thousands of dollars.
• Blue Mountain. The fruits are grown on plantations in Jamaica. This is a special variety with a soft, rich taste. There is a lack of bitterness. The cost of 1 kg is one hundred dollars. This variety is very popular in Japan.

Having studied the range of coffee products, making a choice will not be difficult. Every coffee lover will be able to find among the popular brands one that will meet their requirements, taste preferences and financial capabilities.

What are the most popular Arabica varieties?

• Brazilian Santos (Bourbon) – characterized by weak acidity, slight bitterness and pronounced sweetness.
• Maragogyp is one of the varieties that produces the largest coffee beans and is distinguished by its pronounced bitterness.
• Manizal – gives a balanced taste with a distinct sourness and bitterness, grown mainly in Colombia, and is considered a strong coffee.
• Colombian Ixelso is one of the strongest varieties with large grains and has a light wine note.
• Maracaibo - grown in Venezuela, has a recognized good taste with notes of dry wine, without sharp sour and bitter notes.
• Cobano and Antigua are the best varieties from Guatemala, they have a pleasant taste, good strength and aroma.
• Mocha is the most popular type of Arabica, it tastes good, gives a chocolate and nutty aftertaste, and has almost no sourness.
• Tarazu - has a pronounced aroma, amazing strength, loved in Italy - the country of espresso.
• Carrar is a medium-strength coffee, very soft and sweet in taste.

You can distinguish Arabica from Robusta with the naked eye by the size and shape of the grains.

Good producers practice working with several suppliers in order to be able to create new blends and offer them to the market. The best production facilities for roasting and packaging coffee beans are concentrated in Italy, a country that is particularly passionate about coffee. They supply Europe with high-quality grain and ground products, which can be considered the standard for harmonious taste. Connoisseurs of the invigorating drink claim that the best coffee in the world is prepared only by Italian baristas.

Asia

Indonesia

Coffee is grown in many Asian countries, but the undisputed leader in the production of exquisite varieties is Indonesia. This country supplies expensive, high-quality Arabica coffee with a bright aroma, in which sharp spice notes can be heard. The best varieties of Indonesian coffee come from Sumatra.

Famous varieties: Sumatra Gayo Haichland, Blue Sumatran, Mandeling, Lintong.

Of course, excellent coffee is grown in other countries. But it would hardly be possible to cover the immensity in one article, so we chose the most reputable manufacturers. All of them are presented in our online store of freshly roasted coffee. We purchase grain directly from farmers and planters, and you can try and search for your coffee country! And to make tasting even more enjoyable, we have prepared for you a promo code STRANA, which gives you a 17% discount on all coffee in our range.

Types of drinks containing coffee

Drinks containing it have gained no less popularity than coffee beans on the market. Most of these recipes came to Russia from Europe.

The most popular of them:

1. Espresso is everyone's favorite and the most frequently purchased drink in coffee shops. It is prepared in a coffee machine. Here the bitterness of robusta is mixed with the delicate sourness of arabica. Espresso is often used as a base for other coffee drinks. The serving size is usually 35 g.
2. Doppio is a double portion. And with the addition of fresh lemon - Romano.
3. A very strong and concentrated espresso, which is prepared in a small volume of water, is called Ristretto.
4. Coffee, which takes longer to prepare compared to other types of drink, is called Lungo.
5. Espresso diluted with water and without bitterness is called Americano.
6. Coffee with the addition of cognac or other alcohol - Coretto.
7. Irish coffee or Irish coffee is prepared with the addition of sugar and whiskey. And the top is decorated with cream.
8. An extremely popular option is cappuccino. It is a drink prepared with milk and topped with milk foam.
9. But coffee with whipped milk foam, but without milk, is called Macchiato.
10. For those who have a sweet tooth, the ideal option is Glasse. This is coffee with ice cream and chocolate chips. Usually served in tall glasses with a straw.
11. Latte is a gentler version of cappuccino. The difference is that in Latte you need to add twice as much milk. In a ratio of 1/2. And also served with various syrups.
12. Mocha is a chocolate version of espresso. Milk, hot chocolate or syrup is added to coffee. The drink is topped with milk foam and chocolate shavings.

Africa

Ethiopia

In the homeland of coffee, varieties grow with an amazing aroma that cannot be confused with anything else. Sometimes you can clearly hear notes of herbs in it. According to experts, natural motifs can be read in the taste of coffee from Ethiopia. But not only them. The best varieties stand out from other good coffees with their distinctive wine tones.

Famous varieties: Ethiopia Yirgachif, Jimo, Sidamo, Limu, Lekepmti.

Kenya

Kenyan coffee is considered the most acidic on the planet. So, lovers of high acidity should turn in this direction. Arabica trees are grown in Kenya in the highlands, in red soils rich in iron. The taste and aroma include notes of oranges, lemons, and other fruits. The AA marking indicates larger beans, while coffee marked AB has smaller and rounder beans.

Famous varieties: Kenya Katima, Nyeri Karatina, Ruiruiru, Nairobi.

My method

Like every self-respecting researcher trying to find answers to fundamental questions of the 21st century, in my research I turn not to a guru, but to statistics.

Unfortunately, there is very little data on the question of interest to us, so here I had to take a more creative approach.

Sources

While writing this article, I drew information from several sources. The main ones were the following sites: The World Barista Championship, The World Brewers Cup, as well as the resource coffeereview.com. Coffee Review dates back to 1997 and is curated by professionals working in the coffee industry. During this time, the founders cupped and evaluated more than 5,000 coffee samples.

Having studied these statistics, together we will be able to give an objective answer to the question - which type of coffee is the best in the world?

The website coffeereview.com allows you to analyze data from cupping results based on the number of points scored. Based on these statistics, we will understand that coffee that scores more points is better, regardless of the variety and processing method.

About points

For a more objective assessment of coffee, experts use a strict system for assessing the quality of beans - cupping. It is carried out in strict accordance with the regulations. The cup is rated on a scale from 0 to 100.

However, extreme values ​​of the scale are rarely obtained. Most coffee samples score between 60 and 90 points.

then it is Specialty Coffee . To score 90 points or more, the grain must have outstanding characteristics. When evaluating coffee, the following criteria are used: taste, aroma, acidity, aftertaste and others.

“But isn’t all this subjective?” - you ask. And you will be absolutely right.

Q-Grader

To make the process of coffee evaluation less subjective, the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA - The Specialty Coffee Association) and the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI - the Coffee Quality Institute ) created the so-called Q-Grader scale, which helps systematize the process of sensory analysis of coffee.

In theory, all certified Q graders should grade grain equally accurately. To do this, professionals conduct periodic joint “calibrations” with colleagues, within which they determine common criteria.

Although the rating scales used are far from perfect, they still help determine the best coffees.

Two important notes

A bean score below 90 does not mean the coffee is bad. On the contrary, 85-89 points is a delicious premium coffee.

After analyzing the data from the Coffee Review website, you can see that there are too many coffee samples scoring 90 or more points than one would expect. There are two possible explanations for this:

• Producers and roasters provide only the best selected beans for judging;
• The cuppers at www.coffeereview.com are more loyal than most Q graders.

It is likely that both statements are true to a certain extent. For a better correlation in reality, you can subtract 5 points. But for this article this is not so important.

Tricky question...

Conducting this type of discussion is not an easy task. If a coffee lover says something like: “the most delicious coffee is Indonesian” or “the most aromatic coffee is coffee from Brazil,” then this will not be entirely true.

There are many types of coffee trees and methods of processing coffee beans, the final taste of the drink largely depends on these two factors. For example, coffee from Indonesia, the country includes about 16,056 islands, which differ from each other in soil composition, methods of grain processing, and types of coffee trees. The most significant differences we see are between coffees from Sumatra, Java and Bali.

It's true that the origin of the coffee matters, but if we want to find the best of the best, we need a more objective approach. The phrase “French wine is the best” will not make much sense for the same reason. Obviously, there is a huge difference between cheap French wine from the supermarket and the legendary Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.

Therefore, to get a complete picture, you need to pay attention to 4 factors that influence the properties of coffee:

• Variety;
• Origin;
• Growing altitude above sea level;
• Grain processing method.

Varieties and varieties of coffee

There are more than 90 types of coffee plants, but the most popular are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica

The Arabian coffee tree is extremely capricious. It does not tolerate cold well and is susceptible to constant illness. The soil for its cultivation must be thoroughly fertilized and rich in minerals.

Arabica beans have a pleasant, delicate taste with sourness. Contains significantly less caffeine than the Robusta variety.

Robusta

A very unpretentious tree. Rarely susceptible to disease and does not require special care. Robusta yields twice as much as Arabica. Due to its high caffeine content, robusta is often added to drinks to add strength.

The beans have a tart and bitter taste, so they are often mixed with Arabica beans. Robusta is most often used for making instant drinks, and Arabica for ground and coffee beans.