Starbucks VIA Ready Brew: Instant Coffee That Actually Tastes Like Real Coffee?
"Way to go people in lab coats who figured this one out!"
Instant coffee never seems like it's trying that hard to taste like regular coffee. You can almost hear Nescafé saying, "yeah, whatever, I give up." But Starbucks may be changing that. Earlier this year, the chain introduced Starbucks VIA Ready Brew, a line of instant coffee packets (three single servings for $2.95) sold in two flavors, Colombia and Italian Roast.
We tried the Colombian packets against a fresh-brewed batch of Starbucks dark roast from around the corner and the paradigmatic instant coffee itself, Nescafé. While the Nescafé couldn't hide—ah, yes, that zap of chemicaly ink juice—it was actually really hard to differentiate the instant from the real deal. It was like taking a multiple choice test where B and C could arguably both be kind of maybe right. After the jump, see the difference between the Nescafé instant crystals and the Starbucks VIA ones.
The Starbucks VIA Ready Brew looked like finely grounded beans as opposed to the shiny Nescafé dirt pebbles. It was a little eerie how natural it looked, actually. Apparently Starbucks has been working on this project for over 20 years and has a patent pending on the technology. Way to go people in lab coats who figured this one out!
If you like the trademark Starbucks burnt taste and have to go the instant route, the replication is pretty impressive. Starbucks VIA Ready Brew smelled just like the real deal and if you go the cream-and-sugar route, you'll probably never notice. Maybe you'd still rather go around the corner for a bolder, zingier cup and spend a tad more ($2.95 for three eight-ounce servings of the VIA isn't that cheap) but if you are a fan of beverages in packet form, this one really isn't bad.
As word nerds, we were curious about the "VIA" name. [Ed. Note: Starbucks is clearly a fan of those three letters. Proof: Vivanno.] Does it mean “instant” in some exotic language? Nope. Is it cool to name coffee after prepositions? Maybe! It's actually an old Italian word for “road,” and this is putting you on a road...to somewhere more caffeinated.
You can buy Starbucks VIA Ready Brew at select locations in Seattle, Chicago, and London, or buy it online.
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12 Comments:
I'm not sure if this is so much of a thing for people being a "fan of beverages in packet form" so much as "when you need coffee but don't have your percolator/coffeemaker handy." Or, for that matter, the beans that you like handy. Such as: camping, the office, vacations/stays in hotels.
This would be great camping because though you can make coffee on the grill using a percolator, this would be much easier, especially if its a breaking-up camp morning and you don't want to dirty too many dishes.
(Can you tell I am in camp mode this summer?)
inothernews at 8:14AM on 08/12/09
mmmm.... Crappy starbucks coffee anytime I want?! Now who do I give my 10 dollars a cup to?!
Pavlov at 8:23AM on 08/12/09
Sounds useful for camping (though I usually just skip the coffee, then) or maybe in recipes that call for small amounts of instant coffee. Too bad they don't sell it by the jar, I would try it in kahlua.
KarynMC at 8:42AM on 08/12/09
Yep, tastes like burnt instant coffee. Yum.
charlesr19 at 8:43AM on 08/12/09
I may try eating it in powder form, it's cheaper than energy drinks and powders.
redfish at 9:06AM on 08/12/09
Camping was my first thought too. When I camp, I use the coffee bags (like tea bags, but coffee), and they are disgusting.
jbrach at 9:16AM on 08/12/09
I usually just make cowgirl coffee when I'm camping, but this may be worth trying--fewer grounds to deal with!
littlestcapy at 9:24AM on 08/12/09
when it first came out, Starbucks offers 2 packs free through the mail.
good instant coffee if you can brew fresh beans.
i wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.
travpard at 9:36AM on 08/12/09
I was deeply amused to see in a Starbuck's in Seattle a large poster giving directions on how to make instant coffee.
Talk about losing our basic skills.... How to boil water?
lemons at 9:45AM on 08/12/09
The Chicago Tribune had samples a couple of months ago. It's not bad. I may buy some as I'm the only person in my office who drinks coffee in the afternoon, and it's a waste to make a full pot for one cup of coffee.
I might even try it in sauces.
MarvinDog at 11:46AM on 08/12/09
Nice for travel or camping.
Yay!
CJ McD at 2:23PM on 08/12/09
I'm not a coffee drinker, though this may be useful to keep on hand for baking.
meleyna at 3:52PM on 08/13/09