With more coffee brands coming out with their own iterations of “barista style instant coffee”, you might be wondering, what exactly is it? Is it the same standard of coffee you’d expect to get at a coffee shop? And what’s the difference between barista style instant coffee and regular instant coffee?

What is barista style instant coffee?

Barista style instant coffee is a blend of finely ground coffee beans and the freeze-dried instant coffee grounds you’re probably accustomed to seeing in a jar of instant coffee.

Typically, you wouldn’t be able to just take a heaped spoon of finely ground coffee and make instant coffee out of it as the grounds aren’t soluble in large quantities. However, by adding small quantities to freeze dried grounds, this isn’t such an issue.

Sure, you’re more likely to get little bits at the bottom of your mug if you’re a slow coffee drinker but a little swirl before your final gulp usually does the trick.

Is it as good as coffee you’d get at a coffee shop?

So now you know what barista style instant coffee is, does that make it as good as a coffee you’d get from a coffee shop – you know, where actual baristas are making the coffee.

Unfortunately, it’s not the case. “Barista style” is just a fancy marketing term to signal that typically, this type of instant coffee is going to be better tasting than regular instant coffee.

In reality, at coffee shops you’re usually going to get a variety of different coffee types made from freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee beans. The only home equivalent to coffee shop coffee is if you have your own machine and grind your own freshly roasted beans.

Summary

Barista style instant coffee is certainly packed with more flavour and aroma than regular instant coffee but it’s a stretch to say that it will replace quality coffee any time soon. Our verdict – it’s a good alternative for those who like the speed and efficiency of making an instant coffee but want to get more taste and caffeine out of it.