THE BEST

Posted: 04/05/12 12:08 PM ET | Updated: 04/05/12 12:40 PM ET                     

Taste Test: The Best Instant Coffee

If you're too cheap to buy a coffee maker and you love your morning java, instant coffee might be the way to go. Sure, it doesn't get any of the respect of traditionally brewed coffee, but it saves you time and money. The real question is, what's the difference?
The good news: Our tasters found that the top 5 finishers in our taste test weren't discernible from regular coffee.
But what exactly is lost in the process that turns regular coffee into those shiny, crystal-like granules? Health-wise, it turns out, not much. Flavor-wise, it's completely subjective (that is, after all, why we're conducting this taste test). A big difference is in the experience. There's something to be said for the slow savoring of your morning cup o' joe -- the leisurely drip and the slow sip vs. the five-alarm panic of the daily grind.
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