Trader Joe's Instant Coffee Packet
Trader Joe’s puts out some interesting products when it comes to camping form factor. Their packaged foods are creative, trendy, tasty, and always priced at a good value. The Trader Joes Instant Coffee with Creamer and Sugar is no different. This all in one package is a great value and I would definitely recommend it, but it has some caveats. Read on.
Taste
If you are someone looking for a strong brew, Trader Joe’s instant packets are not for you. Since this is an instant coffee with cream and sugar, I’ll assume you are looking for something closer to a latte than you are looking for a black coffee. The first thing that hits you when you take a sip is the sweetness. The second thing is the creaminess, and the third is the coffee flavor. It is a sweet coffee, but not in a bad way, it is a pleasant sweetness with a bit of creamy mouthfeel. If you want a good comparison, I would say the Trader Joes Instant Packets are like ordering a small drip coffee with two creamers and three sugars.
In the sweetness department, it does just fine, about 75% as sweet as a tall vanilla latte from Starbucks. I would like to have a creamier mouthfeel. The cream level seems like using part half & half and part whole milk. And it is lacking in a rich and robust coffee flavor.
Preparation
Preparation is a cinch. Open the pack and pour the contents in the cup, add hot water and stir.
Taste
If you are someone looking for a strong brew, Trader Joe’s instant packets are not for you. Since this is an instant coffee with cream and sugar, I’ll assume you are looking for something closer to a latte than you are looking for a black coffee. The first thing that hits you when you take a sip is the sweetness. The second thing is the creaminess, and the third is the coffee flavor. It is a sweet coffee, but not in a bad way, it is a pleasant sweetness with a bit of creamy mouthfeel. If you want a good comparison, I would say the Trader Joes Instant Packets are like ordering a small drip coffee with two creamers and three sugars.
In the sweetness department, it does just fine, about 75% as sweet as a tall vanilla latte from Starbucks. I would like to have a creamier mouthfeel. The cream level seems like using part half & half and part whole milk. And it is lacking in a rich and robust coffee flavor.
Preparation
Preparation is a cinch. Open the pack and pour the contents in the cup, add hot water and stir.
Hint, if you want to get the most out of your instant coffees, pour the hot water into the powder, not the other way around. If you pour the powder into the hot water, the steam from the water rises into the packaging and starts clumping the powder and you end up losing some of your coffee.
Trader Joe’s recommends using 6 ounces of hot water. I tried both using a little more water and a little less water, my results were not extremely desirable either way, so I would still recommend using 6 ounces. I thought that by using 5 ounces rather than 6 ounces, I would get a little more roasty coffee flavor, but the sweetness just ended up coming out even more with less water. So stick with the recommended 6 ounces, unless you like your coffee sweeter.
Trader Joe’s recommends using 6 ounces of hot water. I tried both using a little more water and a little less water, my results were not extremely desirable either way, so I would still recommend using 6 ounces. I thought that by using 5 ounces rather than 6 ounces, I would get a little more roasty coffee flavor, but the sweetness just ended up coming out even more with less water. So stick with the recommended 6 ounces, unless you like your coffee sweeter.
Packability/Disposal
Like most instant coffees, the packaging is slim and easy to pack. It is larger than most instant coffees, but that should be a non factor. However, it does also include creamer and sugar in one convenient package.
Like most instant coffees, the packaging is slim and easy to pack. It is larger than most instant coffees, but that should be a non factor. However, it does also include creamer and sugar in one convenient package.
The packaging is a plastic/foil hybrid. I’m sure that if you tossed it in the fire, it would have no problem burning up with hardly a trace. But I just pack it out, since some people are not okay with burning plastic.
An added bonus with the plastic/foil packaging is that if you roll it up like a cigarette, you can use it as a stir stick since it is large enough and is fairly hydrophobic.
Value/Convenience
The per unit cost is about sixty cents, not too bad for 6 ounces of pre-sweetened coffee with creamer. You can order the Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee in a 2 pack (10 ct per pack) on Amazon Prime for $11.99 at the time of this post. If you like your coffee with cream and sugar, it doesn’t get much more convenient than this.
Final Verdict
If this instant coffee was a little more robust with a bit more coffee flavor, it would be the perfect morning cup of coffee with cream and sugar all in a convenient form factor ready to go. I’ll keep on buying this and keep one or two in my foodstuff bag. It might not be my “cup of tea” for the morning, but it is perfect for a post dinner drink by the fire to warm you up in the fall and winter evenings. Definitely bring a flask of peppermint schnapps to spike it with for a perfect evening drink by the campfire to warm you up.
--Herman
Value/Convenience
The per unit cost is about sixty cents, not too bad for 6 ounces of pre-sweetened coffee with creamer. You can order the Trader Joe’s Instant Coffee in a 2 pack (10 ct per pack) on Amazon Prime for $11.99 at the time of this post. If you like your coffee with cream and sugar, it doesn’t get much more convenient than this.
Final Verdict
If this instant coffee was a little more robust with a bit more coffee flavor, it would be the perfect morning cup of coffee with cream and sugar all in a convenient form factor ready to go. I’ll keep on buying this and keep one or two in my foodstuff bag. It might not be my “cup of tea” for the morning, but it is perfect for a post dinner drink by the fire to warm you up in the fall and winter evenings. Definitely bring a flask of peppermint schnapps to spike it with for a perfect evening drink by the campfire to warm you up.
--Herman
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