I found Marks & Spencer to be surprisingly cheap for one product, while being great quality too
M&S has been praised for the taste and aroma of one of its products, beating big brands (Image: M&S)
Aldi has long been my most-shopped supermarket, and it’s not just because of the prices.
As a shopping writer, I’ve taste-tested dozens of supermarket food products, and Aldi regularly comes out on top – or at least matches more expensive stores. Even when it requires a trip further afield, it has proven worth it to fill a basket for less and bag most of my essentials in one go, from fruit and veg to cupboard staples. When Lidl is nearer, it’s a good budget-friendly option too.
However, while Aldi’s quality is usually good enough, there are a few items where it falls short (or where I’m perhaps more picky) that send me searching elsewhere.
As someone who chugs at least three mugs of instant coffee a day, I’ve learned to like it, but there is a noticeable difference between some big brands and supermarket own-label jars.
I’ve had luck with Exceptional by ASDA Brazilian Instant Coffee (£3.32 per 100g), and I’m a regular Nescafé drinker too but with Aldi my go-to for food shopping I had tended to drink their Specially Selected coffee. Though not their cheapest it’s a fair trade off between cost and quality – at £2.69/100g.
However, while Aldi’s coffee is smooth, it isn’t very strong-tasting and after putting a highly rated and surprisingly affordable jar of M&S instant coffee to the test this year, I haven’t looked back.
I tried the M&S Gold Instant Coffee because, alongside the Waitrose Gold Roast, it achieved first place in a Which? survey this year, with a 70% customer score beating both Nescafé and Kenco.
M&S Gold Instant Coffee is now a cupboard staple of mine (Image: M&S)
The M&S coffee scored well for flavour, aroma, and appearance.
Nearly two-thirds of panel members were happy with the strength of its flavour, while close to three-quarters approved of its bitterness levels.
I mostly avoid buying name brands due to price and so I was pleased to learn that Marks & Spencer outperformed Nescafé, Kenco, and Douwe Egberts in overall customer satisfaction even before price was factored in.
My first impression was that the coffee was noticeably smooth while being still strong enough to coax me out of bed in the morning. Even with two teaspoons in the mug, the taste wasn’t overpowering and had minimal bitterness.
It can be a lot easier to go wrong with instant coffee compared to ground coffee, and a stronger flavour doesn’t always equal a better flavour. While I usually have to add heaps of milk to mask the harshness of a Nescafé, this only needed a splash.
I personally don’t like instant coffee with a sour tang, and this had none.
While it is more expensive than some supermarket coffees – at £3.75 per 100g – for anyone unwilling to take a gamble on quality, M&S is a reliable choice that surpasses major brands, and saves the hassle of hunting down deals.