Starbucks Via Instant Coffee - Product Review

My wife was recently given a free sample of the new Starbucks Via Ready Brew instant coffee, during a recent visit to a local Starbucks store. While instant coffee is notorious for being gritty and think as mud, the Starbucks VIA instant coffee is a refreshing change from the pitfalls of traditional instant coffee.

The first thing I like about Starbucks Via instant coffee is it comes in single-serving pouches. This means that I can make a single cup of coffee in the morning without wasting an entire pot of coffee that goes unused and down the drain. Although there are single-serving coffeemakers, they are often expensive to buy and tedious to clean and maintain. By contrast, the Starbucks Via instant coffee requires no cleanup other than the washing of a coffee cup. The ease with which I can make myself a single cup of coffee with Starbucks Via instant coffee is a distinct advantage of this product.

The second thing I like about Starbucks Via instant coffee is the fact that it dissolves fairly completely in a cup of hot water. Instant coffees have a reputation for not dissolving fully, even in a cup of rapidly-boiling water. By contrast, the ultra-fine grind of the Starbucks Via instant coffee allows it to dissolve fully in a cup of water heated in a microwave, which is drinkable instead of boiling. Although the Starbucks Via instant coffee is not quite as smooth and liquid as coffee brewed in a drip pot, the Starbucks instant coffee is not gritty or course. Instead the Starbucks instant coffee has a silky texture as a result of the tiny particles of coffee dissolved into the hot water. In fact, the silky texture of Starbucks instant coffee may even be an advantage over normal brewed coffee.

As you would expect, Starbucks instant coffee is rich and flavorful, bordering on bitter. Of course, Starbucks coffee in general is known for being bitter and over-roasted. If you like the flavor of Starbucks coffee in general, then you will probably like the Starbucks Via instant coffee. However, if you prefer other coffees such as Peet's Coffee or Peerless Coffee, then you will probably also not like Starbucks instant coffee. While I prefer lighter brews than Starbucks, the silky texture of the Starbucks instant coffee makes up for the richness and bitterness of the Starbucks instant coffee itself.

In conclusion, if you like Starbucks coffee, and if you would like to be able to make a single cup quickly and without much hassle or cleanup, then you should try Starbucks Via Ready Brew instant coffee. The single-serving instant coffee dissolves effortlessly in hot water, and it has a silky smooth texture that is better than other instant coffees.