Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Instant Coffee Taste off
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Jaywalker |
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bobbernumber3 |
Packaging: Waka - packet gave directions - looked "cottage industry" - somewhat burnable wrap Via - no directions - looked commercial... bilingual, patents, barcode, SKU, kosher symbol - not burnable Product: Waka - brown powder, not coffee color Via - dark brown powder Taste/Appearance: Waka - musty aroma, good color - clean cup, no residue, some foam - smoother taste Via - musty aroma, good color - residue on cup (microgrinds), some foam - bolder flavour (more bitter?), bit of a mouth feel, gritty last swallow Overall: Wow... these both are way better than instant coffee from the old days. Each is missing that fresh coffee aroma. Via had some realistic sludge at the bottom of the cup. Conclusion: I would rate these both as a 7 out of 10 and would buy one over the other based on price. But neither is as good as fresh ground and brewed coffee. align="left" > align="left" > |
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RodPortage |
In the BWCA, my mornings start with what we call "hot brown," which is just Nescafe dosed by eye, probably quite a bit stronger than the recipe on the jar. I don't think I've ever wished for a better cup of coffee up there, even though I put a lot of effort into my coffee at home. |
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Ausable |
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MikeinMpls |
bobbernumber3: "I did the taste test this morning. Nice, Bobber...impressive review! Mike |
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NikonF5user |
Jaywalker: "My favorite thing about this thread is that Coffee is considered Gear. " Next to the canoe/paddle/PFD, the most vital piece of gear for tripping... |
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TrailZen |
Jaywalker: "My favorite thing about this thread is that Coffee is considered Gear. " Coffee gets me in gear, in more ways than one. TZ |
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moray |
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NikonF5user |
Appearance - Waka was light brown and less-finely ground than the Starbucks VIA. The Waka coffee out of the package looked like it was going to be good, so if it really matters, I would give the Waka a leg-up here. Dry Odor - Waka was the clear winner here - it has a rich chocolatey coffee smell while the Starbucks VIA had a pronounced bitter smell to it that was slightly off-putting. I brewed both cups using an empty Keurig machine, just letting the hot water run into the cup rather than filter through a pod. This has the benefit of controlling temperature and amount of water. The water temp was very hot, but not quite boiling (something to perhaps change if I were doing this again). Brewed Odor - this time the Starbucks VIA was the clear winner, the bitter odor that was present when dry still poked through, but blends well with the coffee smell. Sadly the Waka coffee had that "metallic" odor that I associate with old-time instant coffees like Folgers. Taste Black - Tie. Both coffees had a very similar taste to me black, with perhaps the Starbucks being slightly more bitter. The smell of the Starbucks VIA helped improve the taste. Taste with Half & Half - Half and Half improves the Waka taste, bringing out the chocolate a bit more. Cream also rounds out the Starbucks VIA Colombia, but the improvement is not as pronounced as it is with the Waka. Seeing as this is how I would drink it "in the wild" (with either one or two Land O Lakes MiniMoos), I need to give the win to the Waka in this category. Final thoughts - the two coffees were similar in taste, but the chocolate overtones give the Waka an edge, and between the two, it's the Waka I would bring tripping... |
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adam |
We will be doing a fun little taste-off between Waka Instant Coffee and Starbucks Via packets. Waka reached out to us and said they have a better instant coffee. We will leave it up to you. The first 4 who respond to this thread that they are interested and agree to post their review after tasting the instant coffee will be mailed samples to try. |
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adam |
sns: "If you still need one, I’m in. Adam, you have my address…." Got it. |
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unshavenman |
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fadersup |
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Finnboy |
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bobbernumber3 |
Ps Adam. If Wenonah or Mad River contacts you, let me know. |
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YaMarVa |
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MikeinMpls |
Mike |
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NikonF5user |
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adam |
fadersup Finnboy bobbernumber3 MikeinMpls NikonF5user Drop me your address via email. |
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sns |
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bobbernumber3 |
Ausable: "Which VIA variety is being tested? " colombia |
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bobbernumber3 |
sns: "I have the package, and it's game on tomorrow morning." I'm going to quit reading this thread until after I have tested the coffees. I don't want comments to influence my opinion. My wife set up taste tests for cheeses many years ago and has offered to set up a blind tasting test. |
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dogwoodgirl |
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Argo |
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bobbernumber3 |
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Banksiana |
Twins87: " Prep for instant coffee (excluding boiling water)-10seconds Prep & Cleanup for Aeropress (being generous)-45 seconds |
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tomo |
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fadersup |
Aroma - dry: Waka - light, sweet, caramel Via - burt, smells like stale diner coffee Aroma - brewed: Waka - very light, almost weak, some notes of honey Via - bold, pleasant Taste - dry: Waka - subtle, sweet, woody Via - bitter, burnt (over-roasted) Taste - brewed: Waka - sweet, nutty, smooth, not much complexity Via - leads with "off" taste, harsh finish, stale diner coffee Other: Waka - good mouthfeel, lacks full body but pleasant and round Via - thin mouthfeel, very bitter, unpleasant aftertaste lingers Overall the Waka is a bit weak for my liking but as far as instant coffee goes, I consider it very drinkable. I'd either add less water or more powder to give it some oomph. Would I drink the Via if it's all I had in the woods? Sure, but I can't say I would enjoy it beyond the caffeine. I put Via in the culinary grade of instant coffee - better for adding to a chocolate brownies than to drink. Waka waka waka. |
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jdevries |
Kuju Coffee JD |
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bulldogtwo |
One of my favorite instants. I prefer my coffee to be very dark, black and strong done in a french press. But once in awhile I like the 3 in 1's. creamer, sugar and coffee. This has a kick to it as well. Each packet mix with about 6-8 oz of hot or ice cold water. Slushy frozen in a water bottle on a hot day, yum. When I don't like as much sweet I mix it with regular black coffee. These are great though camping Can get at most Asian grocer stores and there are several brands, this is a G7. Cheers every one, see you on the lakes |
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grizzlyadams |
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plander |
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AceAceAce |
I like Alpine Start. They have a try three for $3 on their website. |
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tumblehome |
I really like it. Very smooth. It’s not a full body coffee, not real strong tasting. But for me it is very good. Way better than the Folgers I’ve had in the past. I love coffee and drink it every day but am not an aficionado and will drink most coffee offered to me. Not on subject but I am a beer aficionado and favor the finest beer I can find. Currently Ursa Minor Galactic Slam hazy IPA is the finest and most hoppy beer I can find. Sorry, moving away from the coffee conversation…. Tom |
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SunrisePaddler |
Waka vs. Mount Hagen. I like both actually. I prefer Waka judging solely on flavor and Mount Hagen if adding cost/value to the judging matrix. |
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SummerSkin |
Argo: "Via (and probably Waka) will taste less than pleasing at home. But in the back country with no alternative, I have found Via to taste wonderful. " 100% agree with you here. |
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airmorse |
Last time it took 5 months b4 i could smell or taste. |
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Argo |
Via (and probably Waka) will taste less than pleasing at home. But in the back country with no alternative, I have found Via to taste wonderful. |
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Twins87 |
(Aeropress is my go-to for in-camp mornings when I have a little more time for prep and cleanup) |
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deerfoot |
I am looking forward to taste off results. |
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KungPowKing |
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Banksiana |
Instant Coffee Tastes Off. |
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Lawnchair107 |
SummerSkin: "Argo: "Via (and probably Waka) will taste less than pleasing at home. But in the back country with no alternative, I have found Via to taste wonderful. " Exactly. If it tastes OK at home, then you know in the bush its mighty fine. Side note, has anyone tried Trader Joes instant? Cream and sugar already added? |
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sns |
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lundojam |
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sns |
Banksiana: "I read the title of the thread as: Same! So I tried them both and shared with two family members. It was close, 2-1 in favor of Waka, but all of us thought that they were pretty similar. Both had that instant coffee bite that makes most folks prefer to make coffee from grounds, but once you are past that, both are good enough to drink. After drinking about half black, I added cream and thought it really helped. As others rightly point out, everything tastes better in the backcountry; four coffee snobs all enjoyed our instant last May in the Quetico. |
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Blatz |
Banksiana: "If you pack lite and want save safe space the instant coffee wins the raceTwins87: " |
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Banksiana |
Blatz: "Banksiana: "If you pack lite and want to safe space the instant coffee wins the race "Twins87: " Agree it saves space (at the risk of being a huge step down in quality). Don't think it saves significant time. |
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MikeinMpls |
Starbucks: my wife said it tastes like instant coffee. We both found it to be bitter. I found it to be bold but only because it tastes like it's been left on the burner too long, like regular Starbucks coffee tastes. It also had more of an aftertaste than the Waka. Neither of us liked it. As an aside, the packet that I got expired on 7 April of this year. Waka: we both found the Waka to be smoother and less bitter than the Starbucks. My wife found it to be not as rich as she would prefer, but she said it definitely had a fuller taste than the Starbucks. I thought it was a full bodied and much smoother a cup of coffee than the Starbucks. Pleasant coffee finish. I could drink it for a week. We even compared the two cups in a "blinded" comparison (we were using identical cups)... to determine which cup was Waka and which cup was Starbucks. One could easily tell the difference based on our findings above. As with most people, we would prefer a coffee that is not instant. However, if we brought instant, we believe the Waka to be far superior to the Starbucks. I hope this is what you were looking for. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Mike |
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gravelroad |
I grew up in MN but never drank the coffee. My father had a Spanish friend who called the common Minnesota version "agua sucia" and he was dead right. My wife and I eventually ended up in Seattle, where I tried some actual coffee and got hooked. One day I came out of the office building where I worked and saw one of these. Keep in mind that there were already TWO Starbucks stores on opposite corners of the intersection I was looking at: |
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Flcracker |
Banksiana: "I read the title of the thread as: I did too! Lmao Black Rifle in tea bags for me!! |
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Dude |
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Finnboy |
I like that you can get both in larger quantities not individually packaged. I’ve been using Via for years and buy the tin and put it in a small Nalgene bottle. No little bits of packaging on the ground that way. That’s my LNT tip for instant coffee. |
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tumblehome |
Many of us share the love of hot coffee on a beautiful calm boundary waters morning. Sitting on the rocks, watching the day begin, contemplating what lies ahead for the day. Love this sh$t. Tom |
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nctry |
Banksiana: "I read the title of the thread as: I agree... that statement is about right. |
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GeneH |
Dude: "I’ve always made percolated coffee while camping ... until I found G7 instant Vietnamese coffee... I generally drink a combo of G7 3in1 and Strong x2 before everyone else gets up. Not too sweet, not too bitter for me. " That's my go-to coffee. I backpack: weight/time/bulk efficiency became necessary. I think this site or a backpack site set me on G7. Not as good as the single pour over I like at home, but good enough. No I'll have to try one of the coffees on this thread....just because. |
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GeneH |
Make is stop. |
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fadersup |
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QuietSolo |
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cmanimal |
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