>>> BlackFriday Mount Hagen Organic Freeze Dried Instant Coffee 3.53-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6)
Product Features
- Made from 100% highland Arabica coffee beans
- Organic and Kosher certified
- Yields approximately 60 generous cups of coffee per jar
- Perfect for quick and easy summer coffee coolers; skip the brewin' and chillin'
- Packed in Germany
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.
