First let me state this, I'm by no means wealthy, nor refined, but there is one item that I'll indulge myself in, usually without concern for cost, and that's coffee. I've decided that besides the one small pot I'm going to carry in my pack this year, for boiling water, that's going to be it. So no coffee pots. gizmo's, steeping systems, nada. Just instant coffee.

And while I by no stretch of the imagination consider Starbucks as gourmet coffee, they do offer one of the best instant coffee's that I've tried.

Just curious if anyone else has tried any other specialty instant coffee's that may be out there in the world some where, that you might recommend.

Thanks,

J.

Just last week. I overnighted on a group of my friends weeklong trip.

That morning I noticed they where all eating chocolate granola with Starbucks via in it?

They were boiling water adding the granola, coffee, and nido. I was so compelled I barterd for a serving and was sold ,delicious quick and hardly no cleanup

Personally, I think Nescafe' French Roast is pretty darn good instant coffee, and it costs about 1/5 of "Via" in the single serving packages, and a lot less than that if you buy a jar of it. It's worth trying if you haven't already. WalMart carries it here, right next to "Via".

I like the "Medaglia d'Oro" instant espresso. Better, IMHO, than Starbuck's Via (unless you like Starbuck's over-burned version). Your Mileage May Vary, of course!

However, since I like my coffee with hot milk and dried milk tastes ghastly (at least to me) when heated, I drink tea when backpacking. Most of the time I just drink water and eat cold cereal for breakfast so I don't have to fuss with the stove. Again, YMMV!

Samoset, I might try your friends' version (mixing the coffee into the cereal), but cold.

My mother drinks Nescafe Classico almost exclusively. Because of this, I bring my own when I visit...

Maybe the French Roast is better: I would be willing to try it. Meanwhile, I stocked up on Via when Amazon.com had sales on it, and bought a nylon bag to use with ground coffee when I don't use the VIA. Many Dollar Deals stores have packages of tea bag-sized organza drawtring bags for party favors. Maybe 6 for a buck. They work OK for MYO coffee bags, using anyone's favorite ground coffee.

Thanks, but I was going to try my best to avoid packing out coffee grounds, or having to mess with them at all. (That would be the easiest way to get my own ground beans into the field, but I've used regular Folders (I think it was) in the bags, and well, I just thought the whole mess was a hassle. With the instant, I can just heat water, pour in coffee, and in the case of Via, just toss the empty little packet into my trash bag.

That's why I was trying to stick with instant. I can get by on dark roast Via, but was looking for alternatives that might be better. Ordinarily, I never drink instant, except in "have to" situations, where I can't get my fix any other way.

Thanks,

J.

I love good coffee too and over the years have experimented with numerous brands of ground coffee and ways to prepare them. It is a hassle to deal with it all on a packing trip and for some reason it was never as good as when made at home so last year I decided to go instant and while I haven't found a delicious blend, I prefer the Starbucks, marginally, over other brands: Nescafe, Folgers and some other forgettable big name brands. I also started adding some hot chocolate mix to my coffee (only when camping) and found that quite enjoyable, so I might go to a less expensive brand of coffee.

I am a Starbucks Via person also. I buy the individual packs of the Christmas Blend Espresso Roast (while they last) so I can drink them all yr

I don't drink coffee. But my wife is professional chef, and likes her cup every morning. She, too, is a big fan of VIA.

After my search about 2 years ago, I settled on VIA when I bring coffee. It's not bad, but still doesn't taste like fresh coffee to me though. I'm still looking....



Ha! That's funny; I feel the same way about Starbucks. But I think the VIA has less of a burnt taste, unlike their fresh coffee's. I can only drink the espressos when we stop by.

My .02 is that Via is great but too strong. I take one packet, divide it in 1/2 and mix in about 2 tablespoons if walmart instant capucino mix. The capucino mix smoothes out and sweetens the coffee. Perfect.

Well, I planned something similar. VIA is very strong as well as expensive, so I purposely buy Italian Roast with the expectation of splitting it between two cups or one very large mug, adding a cheaper pre-sugared and creamered coffee or some cocoa mix. Most of the pre-sweetened offerings are too sweet for me anyway.

CM

14-16oz Water hot "not boiling"
1 rounded Tablespoon Nido
1 Sugar in the raw packet
1 Star bucks via Italian roast

Dohh now I want some coffee!

If VIA Italian Roast is to strong for you, try the new "Blonde" they have out now. It's Starbucks answer to that exact consumer, people who don't like dark roasted coffee. I didn't start drinking Coffee until my mid 20's, or later, and traveled overseas a lot, while in the military. Strong coffee is what I was weened on. A cup of Foldgers, or for that matter, any regular coffee, that isn't brewed extra "strength" is just plain bad, to my tastes.

J.

You seem to be missing my point. Because Starbucks is so expensive, I buy the extra strong stuff, planning to water it down. It saves money and packaging. Starbucks is one of the last places I would stop to buy coffee for off-trail consumption, opting for Neuman's blend or even some of the better coffees at gas stations. I like Green Mountain and Cumberland Farms "Farmhouse Blend" coffees. Cheaper and pretty good. Dunkin Donuts is good, too, but I'm a tightwad and unless I have a reason to buy coffee out, like traveling or meeting someone, I brew ground coffee at home.

CM

I grind and brew Eight O`Clock French Roast (whole bean) at home. It's consistently good coffee at a decent price. You have to shop around for it though.

Some stores charge the same for it as Starbuck's or other premium coffees, but it's alway been a quality brand at a good price and those places are overcharging for it.

I agree, 8 O'Clock is a decent brand of coffee. I often use it, too. Recently I found that Wegman's store brand coffee is also pretty good.

My wife and I both enjoy good coffee at home, grinding fresh most mornings. We have a beautiful blue enameled pot we use to drip brew when car camping but since that is a bit much to lug up a mountain I resort to instant on the trail.

My usual method is to mix one Via Italian roast with one Taster's Choice French roast in my 20oz cup. While both are quite vile alone, together they seem to cover up the others bad points leaving something that almost tastes like coffee. Being rather strong it also cuts down on any urge to linger over several cups in the morning. One of those and suddenly I'm packed up and on my way

Of course carrying two tiny coffee packets for each morning does add some weight to my pack but I make up for it by removing the cellophane from my hard candies.

Mt Hagen's instant beats them all by a mile. And you can get single packets now.

Much less expensive than Starbucks, too.

I like the Mt. Hagen instant, too, but I have to drive 30 miles to get it. However, I've come to prefer the Medaglio d'Oro, which doesn't cost so much in gasoline and wear and tear on the car in very heavy traffic because it's available in all three of my local supermarkets.

I like a specialty coffee that I grind coarse for boiling "cowboy style" or in my mini french press.
I can't really recommend a good coffee for you because everyone's tastes are different, but the experience of that first cup on a frosty morning or looking out over a glass smooth misty lake early in the morning is almost more important than what brand is in the mug.

I actually find Via not strong enough and use two packets per cup. I have experimented with large tea bags putting 3/4 oz of expresso roast per bag and letting it steep for 5 min. but I am not sure I have my grind correct. I would love to find a great way to make coffee I could enjoy first thing in the morning. My usual at home is a double expresso and 1 1/2 oz of french roast to 6 oz of water on the side while I shower.

I just wish I was man enough to drink coffee black. My wife even makes fun of me. All of the non dairy creamers are pretty gross. At any rate, the VIA is the best choice for instant coffee.

For lightness , ease, and octane rating I have finally settled on Via, but find it burnt tasting and hard to drink black. I've found mixing 2 packs via with one packet instant Nestle dark hot chocolate smooths it out well for my palate.

I use SS canteens so I can boil all of my water in them. Then I take a bandana and place it over the opening and push it down a couple inches so that it is sitting in the water but the edges of the bandana that are still hanging over will keep it from falling in. Then I just scoop some coffee into the bandana and let it steep for however long.

Works great for me, and not as gritty as the cowboy coffee.

My favorite is instant Vietnamese coffee. I prefer Vinacafe brand. Easy, already has cream & sugar in there, small, light, and makes a delicious cuppa! You can get them at this link, or in large packages at your local asian market.

Packit Gourmet

I opt for 2 packets Via plus about 1/2 packet of Nestles.
But for ease, you can always swallow a No-Doz and suck on a coffee candy:)

Folgers makes regular ground coffee in pouches, exactly like tea bags. Its every bit as good as brewed at home coffee and its not instant. It takes (2) pouches in a 12 oz cup. Ive eliminated all my cooking stuff as a result. I carry a 12 oz Ti cup, very small water pot and a long Ti spoon. That's it. Like you, I LIVE for my morning coffee and perculator's are heavy, slow and a pain. Instant mixable coffee doesn't suit my tastes either.

One of my camping buddies makes his own using fresh ground coffee and coffee filters. He puts a tablespoon of coffee in a filter and folds and staples it. I might give that a shot one of these days.

The Folgers pouches are cheap enough Bill, but I like the idea of making my own. Ill have to try that as well.

For shorter trips I always bring frsh coffee (usually Peet's) and brew it with a filter. However, for longer trips I bring instant and to help with the so-so flavor, I put in a half packet of hot chocolate (normally I never sweeten coffee)
However, I'm heading out on the JMT this summer and I have hit upon a new idea for flavoring the coffee (don't laugh!): I'm going to dissolve a spoonful of Nutella in it: chocolate, sugar, protein, and a dose of fat. I tried it and it isn't bad. A nice little calorie kick. I'm also switching from Starbucks instant to Megdalia d'Oro, an instant expresso. I can't say for sure that it tastes better than Starbucks, but it's pretty good and a lot cheaper.
By the way, my brother, in his "normal" daily life , likes to dissolve a Milky Way bar in his coffee, and then add non-dairy creamer. Ugh! But it might taste good to me out on the trail if I had it:)

I've mixed instant hot chocolate (swiss miss dark), instant coffee (nescafe french roast), and instant milk (nido) and that's pretty good too.

Lately I've been bringing all three of those. I don't always drink the hot chocolate but I like having it with me. It's a comfort food and I'm sure I'd feel better having it with me if I got stuck.

Now that I have to try !

I am a coffee fiend! I started out with Starbucks viA, but it just didn't have the kick. I try to keep my base weight under 15 pounds but I will sacrifice the weight for coffee and now I bring an Aerochino. It is basically a French press.Check it out on Amazon!

now i prefer fresh juice

Here is an interesting read on backpacking coffee.
https://backpackinglight.com/coffee_beautiful_cup/

As for me.
When backpacking I usualy make Coffee for 3-4 people. I use the Maxwel House Filter Packs. I boil water then just let the pouch steep for a bit. It's not great... but its not bad. Easy for a small group.

I haven't found an instant coffee in dark roast or one that would do. Instead we have tea bags meant for loose tea and I use them for my coffee. Works quite well and I'm happy, especially as I like it a bit strong as well.

I'm not an instant coffee person myself, but I do drink lots of coffee. Drip filter, french press, lattes, cappuccinos, etc. One thing that I found was good for instant coffee (for my tastes) was micro ground packets. The ones I've had were from Starbucks, and to me it was more like "real" coffee than the instant versions. I think Starbucks ones were sold as VIA, or something like that. It's been a few years since I had some, so not sure they even sell it. I've seen it sold in grocery stores here in Canada too, so there may be other brands that might work. Basically, from what I gather, it's coffee beans ground up really really fine, that you end up drinking the grounds and don't notice it. It's like a fine powder consistency. That might fall under the "gourmet" camp coffee.

oops, just noticed someone else also mentioned the VIA earlier.

I wonder if you ground up whole beans really fine, if you could then mortise & pestle them fine enough to act like the micro grind VIA does, and then you could buy whole beans in the kind that you like. I should buy a m&p and try it.

It might be possible to grind coffee fine enough with mortar and pestle. I have used the blade type coffee grinders, which aren't very good for grinding coffee, to make flours from grains. It might be possible to grind coffee fine enough with a blade grinder, but probably not. The process for making chocolate from cocoa beans uses a roller grinder and is called conching. This process is used to make Coffee Thins. Coffee Thins look like chocolate, but they are coffee and (probably) cocoa butter. Small roller mills are used in India to grind spices and they occasionally show up here in the US. I think that these roller mills might also be used to grind pigment for paint. If you can find one, they are pretty pricey. A mortar and pestle and some persistance might be the simplest way to make micro fine coffee. I have wanted to mix coffee and dark chocolate with almonds to make a breakfast bar, but the coffee always seems to be gritty. There are chocolate covered coffee beans made for snacks, but I've never tried the commercial ones and mine did not turn out so well.