Instant Coffee

[atalanta]

I am looking for a really good instant coffee which does not pretend it is real coffee with bogus froth on the top and bogus grounds in the bottom. I'll pay what it costs, but I'd like something special.

[Buenchico]

^^^ Coffee percolators have gone out of favour due to far too many hotels, bars and restaurants leaving coffee to 'stew' in them for hours, resulting in horrid, ultra-bitter coffee being served to their customers.

[ladyalex]

I do if I have a few people round.

If it's just me and him I use a cafetiere.

If it's just for him I use one of those Italian espresso jobs.

As for the instant stuff, I like Carte Noire or Kenco Millicano Sunshine blend....but that can leave some bits in the bottom of the cup.

[Jackdaw33]

//'stew' in them for hours, resulting in horrid, ultra-bitter coffee being served to their customers.\\

LOL. Ever had a cup of tea in a BR station café?

[Buenchico]

^^^ Thankfully, the dreaded 'Travellers Fare' ceased to exist when British Rail was privatised a couple of decades ago. Interestingly though, the successor company (SSP Group) now runs many Starbucks outlets at railway stations, so perhaps they've finally realised what coffee ought to taste like?

[Buenchico]

^^^ coffee and tea

[Jackdaw33]

I'm going a bit further back. My abiding memory is of stewed tea, curled-up cheese sandwiches under a glass dome and Lyon's fruit pies.

[Buenchico]

Worthy of its own Wikipedia entry ;-)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_sandwich

[Jackdaw33]

A friend of mine was an onboard BR chef/steward. He made a fortune. They used to stock up on drink before boarding then sell it at BR prices, roughly 2x.
The stocktaking was right and they made a killing.

[atalanta]

A few replies - I have tried most of your suggestions, but a lot of them include gritty bits at the bottom of the cup, which is what I am trying to avoid. I have tried the two Percols suggested. ( I have no Aldi within reach. ) I do have a cafetiere and a percolator, both of which I use on appropriate occasions. And yes, alas, I have tried coffee on a railway station. Coventry, to be precise. I don't know if you can burn dogp**s, but if you can, that's what it would have tasted of. Utterly filthy stuff.

[ethandron]

I asked a similar question in March and have spent a fortune on trying many of the suggestions.
We've settled on Nescafé Azera Intenso which is the one my other half prefers. I still drink Nescafé Gold Blend in the morning to wake me up, but at other times when I want a really tasty, fairly strong coffee I like Nescafé Gold Blend Barista.
None of these have froth but there is a little residue from the Azera and Barista, I don't think it's bogus grounds though, from what it says on the tins it is actual fine grounds.
Probably not much help to you really. It can be pretty expensive trying loads of them to try and find one that suits, I must have bought a dozen or more, some of which got thrown out almost immediately.
Hope you find one you're happy with.

[Hopkirk]

Nescafe Black Gold or Blend 37