Of all the "luxury items" on my backpacking or camping gear list, coffee is probably the most non-negotiable. A good cup of coffee in the morning helps me get up in the chilly morning air, forget the aches and pains, and shake off the tiredness from the previous days' adventures.
But often I'm just not in the mood for brewing coffee, and I don't want to go through the process of a french press or pour-over (or carry the extra weight, to be honest). Though I know fresh brewed coffee tastes better, sometimes I just want the sweet simplicity of mixing some coffee crystals in hot water and getting my coffee fix the easy way.
The fact that it never lives up to brewed coffee, though, means that to even get a decent cup, you have to be pretty choosy about your instant coffee. I've tried just about all the instant coffees I can find, and through on-trail experience and a taste test, I've settled on some favorites. Some are straight-up black coffee and some include creamer mixes; I really couldn't separate them because I have favorites from both ends of the spectrum.
From expensive specialty instant coffees to the (sometimes surprisingly good) budget brands, here are my top 7 best instant coffees for your next backpacking trip: taste-tested and backpacker approved.
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1. First Ascent Hero Day Roast
- Coffee beans: 100% Arabica
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting Notes: Full body, almond
- Best For: Overall Taste
- Price: $20 US (8-pack)
First Ascent instant coffee is hands down, my number one pick for taste, and what I consider to be the best instant coffee. This is premium instant coffee for the connoisseur and it makes for a truly delicious cup of coffee. Though I'm generally not a big spender or a coffee connoisseur, I appreciate that the coffee roasters at First Ascent are and I love their product. For those who prefer their coffee black, this is the best around, and it has absolutely zero of that weird instant coffee flavor.
They roast the coffee beans, brew, freeze-dry, and package their instant coffee all under one roof in the outdoors hub of Crested Butte, Colorado, so it makes sense that they would be catering to backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts. They do it extremely well, and though it's pricey (at $2.50 USD per cup), it's my luxury pick when I feel like splurging.
First Ascent also makes an "Ethiopia" light roast and a "Dawn Patrol" dark roast for those who prefer them, and they are equally good. You can also pick up the variety pack on Amazon to try them all.
This coffee is best for: People who don't mind paying a little extra for top tier coffee.
2. Alpine Start Original Blend
- Coffee Beans: 100% Colombian Arabica
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: "Proprietary drying process"
- Tasting Notes: Full-body, dark chocolate
- Best For: Bang for the buck
- Price: $9 US (8-pack)
There are tons of premium instant coffee options these days, but Alpine Start was the first and remains one of the best. Founded by legit professional climber Matt Segal, the goal was to make "instant coffee that actually tastes good." It's safe to say he succeeded.
All the other instant coffees on this list use either spray drying or freeze drying to make their coffee, but Alpine Start uses a "proprietary drying process" that they describe as "gentle". I have no idea what that could mean, but I have to think it has something to do with what makes this coffee so good. Their original blend (a medium roast) has a mild flavor and full body, and doesn't have the watery problem that so many others do. It's damn close to fresh brewed coffee, and it's an all around well-balanced cup.
The best instant coffees are all pretty evenly matched when it comes to quality, but Alpine Start finds its way into my rotation more often than the rest for one reason: quality to price ratio. While other specialty coffee often costs upwards of two dollars per cup, Alpine Start is around a dollar apiece when you just buy the 8 pack. If you buy the "guide pack" (50 servings, just the instant coffee packets with no excess packaging), then it's 84 cents per cup.
That's more expensive than only two other instant coffees on this list (but it's significantly better than both of them), so it's not only delicious but affordable too. And if you like the taste but want it with creamer? They make a coconut creamer latte mix made with the same exact coffee.
This coffee is best for: People who want great instant coffee at a reasonable price.
3. Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee With Chaga and Cordyceps
- Coffee Beans: Organic Arabica beans
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Spray-dried
- Tasting Notes: Medium-body, earthy
- Best For: Performance
- Price: $12 US (10-pack)
Before you freak out about your coffee tasting like mushrooms, I can assure you that this instant coffee tastes like coffee. It definitely tastes unique, but I actually find the earthy aroma and creamier texture to be really pleasant. Alyssa eloquently described this coffee as tasting "like dirt, but in a good way," and I tend to agree.
What's really cool about this particular blend is that it includes chaga and cordyceps mushrooms. Chaga is an immune-booster and inflammation fighter, which we could all use a little extra help with when putting in long days on less than ideal diets. The real star here though is the cordyceps mushroom, which has been known for centuries to reduce fatigue and improve exercise performance (and it's backed by current science, too). Even if it's marginal, I'll always take a little boost like that where I can get it.
Four Sigmatic makes other instant coffee blends with various benefits in mind. One is designed for brain health (with Lion's Mane; also backed by science) and one is for de-stressing (with Ashwagandha; ALSO backed by science). I gravitate towards the performance blend when I'm backpacking, but I really like the Lion's Mane instant coffee too when it's time to sit down and write a post like this one.
This coffee is best for: People who want coffee with performance benefits.
4. Swift Cup Coffee Mainstay Blend
- Coffee Beans: 100% Arabica
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting Notes: Medium-body, nutty/fruity
- Best For:
- Price: $11 US (6-pack)
Swift Cup is specialty coffee that isn't even marketed to backpackers (like several others on this list). It's coffee for people who want the highest quality coffee experience when they don't have time for or access to fresh ground coffee beans. They deliver, and though I personally prefer First Ascent, Swift Cup comes in a close tie for second. I think if you surveyed 100 people, it'd be a toss-up between First Ascent, Swift Cup, and Canyon (next up on my list).
Their mainstay blend is an incredibly well-balanced cup of coffee while staying unique enough to pick out of a lineup. They take great care in selecting both their coffee bean sources and their coffee roasters, so they're starting with the absolute highest quality ingredients. It shows in the final product, and their quality sourcing combined with freeze-drying results in a cup that's legitimately better than a cup of real coffee you'll find in a lot of cafes.
The only downside to Swift Cup is that it's relatively expensive, especially if you get into some of their specialty sources (their Ethiopia - Agaro option is $2.50 per cup). But they do offer bulk powder in resealable pouches that can cut the cost significantly, so if you like it you can save money and cut out those wasteful instant coffee packets.
This coffee is best for: People who want an artisanal coffee blend in instant form.
5. Canyon Coffee Instant, Ethiopia
- Coffee Beans: Single-origin Arabica
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting Notes: Medium/Full Body, rich caramel
- Price: $20 US (6-pack)
Canyon Coffee is on my list because like many of the other instant coffees here, it's incredible for instant coffee. It's super smooth, has plenty of body, and doesn't have any weird off-taste. It's also organic and single-origin, batch roasted, and they partnered with Swift Cup to make sure their drying process is top-notch, so the final product is legitimately good coffee that's a far cry from old school instant.
Where it ultimately loses points is the cost. It's far and away the most expensive instant coffee on my list, coming in at $3.33 per cup (and even the 48-pack only brings it down to $2.79). It's great, and taste-wise it's about as good as instant coffee gets. But it just doesn't stand out from the rest enough to be worth paying almost a whole dollar more per cup than my number one pick, First Ascent.
Given the cheaper options on this list that are just as good, Canyon Coffee doesn't end up in my rotation. That said, if you're fine with the price and want top-tier coffee, Canyon deserves a spot on your list.
This coffee is best for: Those who don't mind paying a premium for delicious coffee.
6. Laird Instafuel
- Coffee Beans: 100% Arabica Beans
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting notes: Creamy, coconut
- Price: $25 US (16-serving bag)
Instafuel is a latte mix made by legendary pro surfer Laird Hamilton's um, human optimization company. I spend a fair amount of time surviving on ramen and mountain house, so I'm not exactly a perfect picture of health, but I appreciate instant coffee that tastes good and has at least some nutritional benefits.
Laird Instafuel is freeze-dried coffee sourced from 100% arabica coffee beans, mixed with Laird "superfood" creamer. The creamer is basically a vitamin C supplement with MCT oils from coconut milk, so it's not all-encompassing by any means, but I'll take the bonus since it tastes so good. I have to assume the instant coffee powder alone would be decent, and as a fan of coconut creamer, I think this latte mix is absolutely delicious.
It doesn't come in instant coffee packets like many of the others, so you'll have to measure yourself. This is really the only drawback, and it's not even really a drawback when you consider the environmental impact of all those little packets.
This coffee is great in the morning, but I especially like to use it as an afternoon pick-me-up, with cold or hot water (depending on the weather for the day). The instant sugar calories and caffeine are great for finishing up a hard climb or making sure you get those last few miles in without dragging.
This coffee is best for: People who prefer creamer in their coffee, and as a cold-brewed afternoon pick-me-up.
7. Starbucks Via Pike Place
- Coffee Beans: 100% Arabica
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting Notes: Light body, cocoa and nuts
- Price: Varies, currently $6.67 for an 8-pack on Amazon
Starbucks Via is a mainstay in the backpacking world, and it's sort of surprising that it's as good as it is given that they still use the generally inferior spray drying process (where coffee is misted into very hot air, removing much of the original flavor profile). It's not the best tasting by any means, but to this day it beats some of the specialty, freeze-dried instant coffee that I've tried.
Starbucks Via stays in my rotation because it tastes more like a cup of good drip Starbucks coffee that you'd get at your local diner than almost any other instant coffee out there. It still doesn't touch the taste of brewed coffee, but its familiar flavor and general richness (for instant) keeps me coming back. If you already like Starbucks Pike Place ground coffee, you'll find that this tastes almost identical to the real thing.
Another great thing about Starbucks Via is that it's relatively affordable at around 50-60 cents a cup, and they have a huge variety of roast profiles including light, medium and dark roasts.
This coffee is best for: People who want quality, familiar tasting coffee at a good price.
8. Mount Hagen Instant Coffee Singles
- Coffee Beans: Organic and Fair Trade 100% Arabica Beans
- Roast Profile: Medium Roast
- Drying Method: Freeze-dried
- Tasting Notes: Balanced, light nuttiness
- Price: Varies, currently $8.85 US for the 25-pack
Mount Hagen isn't specialty coffee and it doesn't claim to be. It's sort of a diamond in the rough though, considering you can usually get it for 40 cents a cup and it's on the shelves at most grocery stores. But it's quality freeze-dried instant coffee and it holds up to the taste test. It's organic and fair-trade too, and it's sold in singles or bulk powder, so it's a socially and ecologically responsible coffee.
As far as flavor profile goes, it's nothing special; but it's plenty strong with minimal weird instant coffee flavor. It's solid, diner-style coffee and though I think Starbucks Via is a little bit better on average, they're pretty close. And compared to some of the more expensive instant coffees, Mount Hagen is a solid compromise between price and quality.
This coffee is best for: People who want the cheapest instant coffee that's actually drinkable.
Instant Coffee That Didn't Make The Cut
I thought I'd list a few of the instant coffees I've tried that just didn't measure up, just so you know you probably don't need to try them.
- Folgers Coffee Singles: Blegh
- Barista Coffee Instant Coffee or 2-in-1 latte mix: Taiwanese brand originally found at Costco for cheap, I figured I'd give it a try. Not worth it in my opinion, though it could just be the preferred style over there.
- Waka Instant Coffee: I wanted to like Waka because of its marketing as premium instant coffee, but I just couldn't. It's weak and sort of tastes like dirt, but in a bad way.
- Maxim Mocha Gold Instant Coffee: This one seems to be popular because you can buy a ton of it for cheap on Amazon, but it's just way too watery. If I do bring it (because I still have plenty from the bulk pack I bought), I double dose it. The issue then is that it's more like sugary bean water than coffee, but at least you get some calories and a little more caffeine.
- C.S. Coffee: I might get some hate for this one, and I'll acknowledge that this coffee is way ahead of some other instants in terms of complexity and richness, but I just didn't like the bitter aftertaste. I'm open to giving it another chance, but for now, it didn't make the cut.
Hopefully, this post gets you going in the right direction for your next backpacking trip. A few more steps and a little extra weight will get you a real cup of coffee, but for times when you just want to throw some coffee crystals in boiling water and go, these instant coffees won't let you down.
