Customer Reviews

Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee, 3.53-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I like freshly-ground, brewed coffee, but sometimes I'm in a hurry and just want a reasonable facsimile that looks, smells, and tastes like it and delivers my morning "buzz". Generally, any instant can be made drinkable if you doctor it up with enough creamer and sugar. Many of the previous reviews heaped praise on this drink, so naturally I wanted to see if Mount Hagen is really that good.
To make this review a bit different, I decided conduct a coffee "throwdown" between Mount Hagen Organic Instant Freeze Dried Coffee and Nescafe Taster's Choice Instant Coffee, Regular, 0.49-Ounce Single Sticks, 7-Count Boxes (Pack of 24). I wasn't expecting the Nescafe to be better than the Mount Hagen; it's just that I do drink that brand and like it. For the review, I brewed a cup of each of the instants according to instructions. Here's what I found:

Aroma- Neither of these brands has a rich aroma, but the Mt. Hagen had the edge here, mainly because it's a darker roast.

Taste- Fairly close results; the Taster's Choice was not bitter and had a fairly clean finish (no undesirable aftertaste). It was pretty watery when brewed according to instructions, though. Mount Hagen chalks one up in the win column for richer flavor and a fuller body.

Convenience/Affordability- Taster's Choice is more convenient but is not more affordable than Mt. Hagen (price/ounce). Nescafe scores here on convenience.

Eco-friendliness- Mount Hagen would seem to win because it's an organically-grown product (not sure if it's Fair Trade, though). However, it may have a larger carbon footprint than the Nescafe, since it's imported from Germany. The 2 brands tie on this category.

In the end, I would go with the Mt. Hagen for at-home use because of it's slightly richer flavor and it's organically grown. I wouldn't mind keeping a couple of tubes of the Taster's Choice around in a drawer or the glove compartment for a caffeine-based "emergency", though.

We were the grind your own beans, french press coffee people. Till I decided to try this from a local Co-op. I'm not sure why since I wouldn't even think about buy pre-ground coffee such as Folgers, let alone drink instant coffee. But boy am I ever glad I tried this product. It's super easy, quick, tastes amazing, rich and bold without the acidic after taste. Okay it's instant coffee, so keep that in mind but if you looking for a quick coffee fix, you won't be disappointed.

Was drinking way too much coffee by the pot and this organic instant coffee allows me to cut back on coffee but have a real nice organic cup of coffee whenever I want to...I am also an organic bean grinder person so this is just the greatest substitute....am going to try the decaf one soon...thanks Mount Hagen!!!!

Unlike Europe where instant coffee is a huge and diverse marketplace, with Nescafe, Krona, Douwe Egberts, Maxwell House and more having umpteen products available, here in the USA there is very little choice. I'm not going to get into the instant vs. real coffee debate here, and this is an instant, so don't expect a Starbucks red eye latte. For convenience and taste however, there is no comparison to Mount Hagen (which is made in Germany incidentally) - Nescafe Gourmet series probably comes in a close second, but flavor and aroma wise this is head and shoulders above Folgers and Community brands of instant coffee, or any others for that matter. More and more people are drinking less and less coffee (we're all trying to be healthy remember?) so if you don't want to have the coffee pot on the hot plate all day, and can't afford a one cup at a time Keurig, give this a try. My only complaint is it's a little pricey, but until we have some others available in the USA to compete, I'll pay it. 5 Stars.

OK, it's a bit more pricey than Maxwell. In fact, my husband was irritated that I would spend so much on organic instant coffee when I could pick up a generic brand at the grocery store. That was until he tasted it.
The taste is similar to a good fresh brewed. It's smooth and totally lacks that acidic bitterness that one often associates with instant coffee. Some buyers, like me, will be attracted to it because it is organic. However, it is the taste that sets it apart from other instant coffees.

Don't be fooled by the instant. This makes a great cup of coffee. I use this daily for me and my husband, as well as for guests when we have company and I always hear this "What a great cup of coffee!" My husband loves it black, not doctored up with cream and sugar and he thinks it is delicious. Thanks Amazon for providing this organic product and automatic delivery for a reduced price.

You won't believe this is instant coffee! It is rich, dark and smooth - no bitter taste, no watery brown stuff like you're used to with instant coffee. We also grind our own (imported Italian) beans and use a high end stainless steel coffee maker, and Mount Hagen Instant is the best shortcut to a good cup of coffee we've ever found. Just boil the water and mix in a teaspoon full. It's also great for stirring into hot cocoa, using for recipes and making a great Irish Coffee!

I won't bore you with what has already been said. This instant coffee is a pleasure to drink in comparsion with most instant or even regular drip coffees. It is smooth and creamy even if a little bland looking to the eye. Even the aftertaste is pleasant as it lingers in your mouth for quiet a while. I find that I have to use a double portion of the prescribed teaspoon of instant coffee to achieve a decent taste per cup. The price is reasonable and the taste good but let me share my reluctance.

My only reluctance about this instant coffee is simply because I am a coffee snob. Starbucks VIA instant coffee is far better tasting instant with its only drawback being about $1 per cup. With a double portion of Mount Hagen instant coffee the price is about $0.25 a cup ($46 Amazon cost / 6 packs / 30 double servings per pack = ~$0.25) Furthermore, I wouldn't trade in my regular drip, french press, or chemex coffees for this instant as they are incomparable and an unfair comparsion.

Now why would I dare to compare this instant to other ground coffees? Simply because other reviewers have posted saying Mount Hagen is as good as regular. Unless you're drinking Folgers, Maxwell House, or some other coffee made with ground tires and run through an old shoe, no, this instant is not as good. I would reach for a good coffee of drip coffee over this coffee any day of the week.

But for what this instant is and the price, it is excellent. If you keep in mind that sometimes you only need one cup of coffee at night or on the go, you simply cannot lose with Mount Hagen's instant coffee. Again, it has an fantastic taste (for an instant) and won't break the bank. But don't expect this instant to knock your socks off either.

I'm also a grind-your-own bean type, and I adore this coffee.

In addition to the other praises heaped above, I would also point out that it dissolves REALLY well, and is therefore excellent for iced - I put a couple of heaping table spoons in a quart jar (I like it strong), add about a half-cup of hot water, and then top off with cold water, milk, and agave nectar. Minimal fuss, and no energy wasted to heat water just to cool it down again.

For a while I was religiously consuming a (12-ounce/three dollar!) bottle of organic flavored iced coffee every morning. When I realized I could recreate the same beverage for about thirty cents using my own organic spices, sweetener, and milk the cost for a jar of this stuff suddenly didn't seem so unreasonable.

This coffee is the best instant coffee we have ever had and it is organic yet so it is also the healthiest coffee you can buy. My husband only drinks this coffee, he had put away the coffee make altogether.