The Best Instant Coffee for Backpacking: Buzzed & Reviewed

There’s one piece of gear I always double check is in my kit before I head into the backcountry: instant coffee. As an unapologetic caffeine addict, the morning doesn’t get going until I’m on my second cup. But I’ve also choked down my fair share of frankly undrinkable brews, so I know the importance of having a decent instant cuppa in your arsenal. To help you choose the best instant coffee for backpacking so you can get after it, like right now, I tested 13 different brands and evaluated them on flavor, convenience, and, of course, caffeine. LET’S GO.

How I Tested the Best Instant Coffees for Backpacking

I hail from the Pacific Northwest, where coffee fever borders on religion — honestly, there are probably more roadside espresso stands here than actual churches. Some may say that we’re kind of cultish about the whole thing, and to those people, I would suggest joining us. Which isn’t to say that I am — or any PNW’er is — a purist. We’re not Australians. There’s not enough sunlight here to be that picky. So while I do want my coffee to be a nice experience to drink — and I can tell the difference — it also needs to be fast, readily available, and chock full of caffeine. 

Which brings us to instant coffee. Historically, I haven’t been too impressed by the flavor with these. I’ve also had a fair few questions about the actual caffeine content, with some brands leaving me feeling groggier than I expected. But, instant brands have really started to come into their own in recent years, with new brands that specialize in instant coffee emerging and dedicated coffee roasters starting to freeze dry their goods. It’s not quite a golden era but it’s not the dark ages either. 

To determine the best instant coffee for backpacking, I rated each brand across a range of criteria: 

• Price: I looked at both the price for a box, and the per unit price. Where you’ll need to double, or even triple up packets to get a whole cup of coffee out of it, I’ve made note of that too. 
• Convenience: How easy or difficult it was to open each packet. If you’ve ever resorted to trying to tear one of these little packets open with your teeth, just to have your precious coffee spill over the inside of your tent, you’ll know what I’m talking about. 
• Taste: I rated each for taste, but remember this is pretty dang subjective. I’m a moderate coffee snob (r/espresso would laugh me off their message board), but I do like coffee, and I like bitter flavors in general. I have called out the coffee here that was milder and less abrasive, but I’m not as enthusiastic about it.
• Caffeine Levels: OK, now this is the important part. I’ve done my best to track down how much caffeine is in each of these packets, including reaching out to the manufacturers when they didn’t provide the information on their website.
• Weight: This one’s for the most extreme ultralighters: I weighed each individual packet so that you can find the best instant coffee that will add the least weight to your kit. 

Testing Results

One quick note before we get started. I tested these instant coffees following manufacturer instructions, which was typically around 8 ounces of hot water per packet. That’s about half a coffee cup. Plan to double up if you, like me, drink more than that. 

Best Instant Coffees for Backpacking: Reviews & Recommendations

Best Overall: Whole Foods Instant Espresso

I was honestly surprised at how much I liked this one. The Whole Foods Instant Espresso was as cheap or cheaper as the cheapest and worst brands but competed with the higher-end brands on taste. The tasting notes here I would describe as “mild” and “warm,” almost entirely lacking in both bitterness and earthiness. This, along with the Alpine Start, is missing the complexity of flavor that something like the Cascadia Mountain Sunrise has, but is unlikely to offend. 

Keep in mind, however, that this one has a little less caffeine than other brands, so you may want to double up. 

Best Taste: Cascadia Coffee Roasters Mountain Sunrise

The Cascadia Coffee Roasters Mountain Sunrise originally came along on a backpacking gear testing trip, and it quickly became a favorite of the group. This instant coffee, more than any other instant coffee I’ve tried, tastes like a good cup of coffee. It’s got a depth of flavor that virtually every other pick on this list was missing, and I was not tempted to add milk to improve the flavor. When I tried it out at home, where my taste buds have room to be a bit pickier, I was similarly impressed. This one is real solid. 

Of course this comes at a literal price. At three dollars per packet, the Cascadia Coffee Roasters Mountain Sunrise is the most expensive pick on this list. Save this one for when you are trying to coax your boo into coming out on their first backpacking trip. 

Best for the Backcountry: Alpine Start

If I had to buy instant coffee for a group of people, this is the one I would pick. The flavor here was the least offensive in my test, with very little bitterness. But unfortunately, that all came at a cost, and that cost was flavor. The upshot here is that the caffeine level is legit, maybe a bit more than what’s in a regular cup of coffee at home.  

But where the Alpine Start really shone was in its use as a cold brew. To my surprise, this coffee tasted even better when dissolved in tap water than it did when warm. If you’re looking for a true grab and go while backpacking, or even just enjoy a boost on a hot summer’s day, this is the one to grab.

The only dings here, and they are minor, is that this is a little pricey, and it wasn’t the easiest packet to open. You can tear it open with just your hands, but don’t expect to get it done with gloves on.

Most Caffeine: Death Wish Coffee Co

Honestly? I was excited for Death Wish Coffee Co. 300 milligrams of caffeine. That’s more than a Redbull (80 mg), more than a full-size Monster (160 mg). It was the only instant coffee in my test where I planned to drink it first thing in the morning, when I most need a serious boost. I figured I would go from my typical grouch posture to rise-and-shine productivity in seconds with this stuff. 

And it might have worked except this was the second worst-tasting coffee in my test. It was on par with bad gas station coffee. I even tried adding milk to it, but somehow that only drowned out the parts that tasted like coffee and left me with the parts that tasted rancid. I choked down about half of a cup, and then dumped the rest. 

Best Bulk: Anthony’s Organic Instant Coffee

There are two times I willingly drink instant coffee. The first is while backpacking. The other is when I forget to restock the whole beans in my cabinet, in which case I raid my backpacking supplies for instant coffee. But, I recognize that there are situations where you might want to drink coffee without all the hassle, but don’t need the single-serving convenience that is useful when you’re living out of a 40-liter Osprey. 

Anthony’s Organic Instant Coffee — recommended to the OL gear team by Jeff from Port Townsend — had one of the better coffee flavors in my test. While other brands dealt with the issues of bitterness and off-flavors by just getting rid of as much coffee flavor as possible, Anthony’s was somewhere in between a Starbucks Via and the Cascadia, my pick for the best taste. The rest of this instant coffee is going into my freezer, so I can pull it out the next time I run out of the real stuff. 

Best Budget: G7 Instant Coffee

I’m gonna admit I had low expectations for this one, and was really nicely surprised. The G7 Instant Coffee has a strong coffee flavor that, if it isn’t exactly pleasant, is very direct. I’m OK with it. After all, you’re drinking coffee, damnit!

A couple of caveats here. The directions tell you to use a mere 2 ounces of water, which means it’s more like a shot of espresso than a cup of coffee. I also wasn’t able to figure out how much caffeine is in this one. Finally, this is another instant coffee that you’ll need scissors to open. 

Starbucks Via Veranda

As a PNW’er I suppose I’m meant to rag on Starbucks, but the truth is I don’t really have an issue with them. I mean, I don’t want them here, but it’s my usual go-to whenever I’m too far afield to find a real coffee shop. Yes, their coffee is burnt, but you can disguise that with some half & half. There is no saving whatever past-the-expiration-date lighter fluid Dunkin Donuts is calling coffee. 

The least burnt of the Starbucks is their blonde roast, so that’s what I tested here. And, like everything Starbucks, it’s fine. It’s totally fine! The flavor is classic coffee, just a little burnt. 

The trouble came when I tried to find out how much caffeine is in a packet of Starbucks Via. I contacted their customer service line, only to be told to call Nescafe. Nescafe? Which is how I found out that Starbucks doesn’t even own the Vias, they just sold Nestle the right to slap their name on it. ANYWAY. I did run a side by side taste test of the Nescafe Classico and the Starbucks Via Veranda to confirm they weren’t actually the same product (definitely not). But I still can’t tell you how much caffeine is in this thing, so, unfortunately, I can’t give it a true endorsement. 

Cafe Bustelo

This one I had a hard time being impartial with because it’s what I used to drink every time I went backpacking. The flavor makes me nostalgic for the trail, and reminds me that when it comes to smell and taste, personal experience is subjective and heavily influenced by memory. So like what you like, and don’t let other people try to talk you out of it. 

If I try to be objective, however, I can tell you that this one is only OK, not really that good at all. But it’s pretty inexpensive and is increasingly easy to track down, so it does have that going for it. 

Mount Hagen Organic Fairtrade Instant Coffee

This one comes up a lot when people list off their favorite instant coffee brands, so I was curious to check it out. My initial impression was that the taste was pretty good for instant coffee, but there was a slightly offensive taste on the back end that wasn’t sitting right. I kept taking sips of it though, to see how much it would end up bothering me, and ended up drinking the whole cup. So take that for what you will. Personally, I wouldn’t buy this, but I also wouldn’t turn it down if someone offered it to me. 

One gripe though, is that the pouch wasn’t tearable. I had to cut it open with a pair of scissors. Not cool. So thru-hikers, I know this one is comparatively easy to find in trails towns, but I would give it a pass unless you don’t mind rooting around for your Victorinox every time you make coffee. 

Verve Street Level

I had high hopes for the Verve Street Level. Its tag line was “craft coffee whenever, wherever.” The packaging had tasting notes (clementine, red apple, honeycomb). It also just has that look that craftsman products have, all brown paper packaging. But then I drank a few sips and my hopes were shattered. It’s better than gas station coffee, barely. It’s not nearly as tasty as some of the others on the list, including ones that were a fraction of the price. Skip this one for a real artisanal pick, like the Cascadia Mountain Sunrise. 

Gastro Gnome

My first reaction to the Gastro Gnome was that’s not too bad. My second reaction was to put the cup down. I’m not sure what it was — could be that I had just drunk too much coffee by this point — but something was telling me not to drink anymore.

It also could have been that I was drinking wood pulp. Unlike other instant coffees that I looked at, with the Gastro Gnome you drop the whole packet into your hot water. The packet (made from wood pulp and cellulose), along with the instant coffee, will dissolve, and voila. In addition to convenience, I like that this results in less plastic waste overall. Unfortunately, that is a bit negated by the robust metal tin that the Gastro Gnome comes in — sort of like an Altoid tin — easily the fanciest packaging of any instant coffee in my test. 

I might have overlooked some of this, but at this price point, I don’t think the Gastro Gnome is worth your time, in the backcountry or front. 

Nescafe Classico

My initial reaction to the Nescafe Classico was “this is fine.” I wasn’t thrilled with the taste, but I didn’t pull a face, either. But the proof was in the pudding when I realized that I had been awake for nearly an hour and was actively avoiding finishing my now half-drunk cup of coffee. The rest went down the drain. That’s bad enough, but for me the real death blow for the Nescafe is the truly paltry level of caffeine. This one is inexpensive because it’s not worth the money. 

Folgers Coffee Singles Classic Roast

This was without question the most disgusting cup of coffee I’ve ever had. I shouldn’t have been surprised — a questionable odor came out of the packaging when I opened it — but it still took me by surprise. There was an unusually complicated process to make this one, with specific instructions around how long to let the bag seep for and how long to dunk it for, making this the only non-instant coffee I tried for this test. I did take a second experimental sip to confirm the tasting notes of “char” and “rancid” and then dumped the whole thing down the drain. 

There is nothing redeemable here, even if you are one of those people that has a nostalgic memory of Folgers.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Instant Coffee

Taste

This is the big one. While I’ve provided a baseline for choosing a decent tasting coffee, your mileage may vary depending on your preferences. If you’re planning a big trip, it’s worth testing a few out in advance to find the right one for you. Consider the elevation of your planned trip, too, when making a pick, as our senses are dulled at higher altitudes. 

Caffeine Level

With apologies to any readers who only drink decaf, the whole point of instant coffee is CAFFEINE NOW NOW NOW. Don’t be shy about doubling or tripling up if your preferred instant brand has less caffeine than a typical cup of coffee — usually around 90 milligrams. Just be careful about going over 400 milligrams for the day, the recommended maximum limit from the FDA. 

Convenience

Imagine this: You’ve just woken up, warm in your sleeping bag. You touch the ceiling of your tent and it’s tinged with frost. You bring yourself to a seated position, pull on one of the best down jackets, and open the vestibule — it’s time to make a cup of coffee before attending to anything else. Now the water in your all-in-one backpacking stove is just about boiling, but there’s a catch: You can’t get the coffee packet open. A somewhat-difficult-to-open packet will barely register in the frontcountry, but the aggravation of having to use your teeth, or even fish out a pocket knife, can impair some of the joy in this early morning backcountry ritual. Don’t skimp out on this factor when making your choice.

Price

Usually, this is the part where I advise OL readers to consider their priorities and budgets, etc. before making a final decision. But forget that. None of us would think twice about a $3 cup of coffee (the highest unit price on my list) in the frontcountry, and I’d argue that a great cup of coffee is even more valuable. Treat yourself right; get something that’s easy to use and tastes great.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Instant Coffees for Backpacking

Well, we’ve reached the end of my take on the best instant coffees for backpacking, and with it, my excuse for being caffeinated out of my mind “for work.” I guess I’ll go drink some water now, maybe. 

 

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