A recent taste test of instant coffees from major supermarkets has revealed that Lidl's own-brand offering rivals, and in some cases beats, premium brands like Nescafe Azera. The test, conducted by a journalist, compared five instant coffees: Nescafe Gold, Nescafe Original, Morrisons, Tesco, and Lidl.
Each coffee was tasted black with no sugar, using one teaspoon per cup. Nescafe Gold, priced at £5.70 for a 200g jar, was described as having a nice scent and a hint of sweetness, but was deemed 'fairly average' and not worth the hefty price tag. Nescafe Original, cheaper at around £2 less, was found to be earthy, bitter, and left an unpleasant aftertaste.
Morrisons' own-brand coffee was criticised for smelling like Bovril or beef Oxo cube, and tasting bland and watery despite the strong smell. Tesco's instant coffee, at £2 for 200g, was praised for being smooth and strong, with no nasty aftertaste, though it lacked bitterness.
Lidl's offering was a surprise standout, with the tester admitting their snobbery was proven wrong. It was incredibly tough to separate Lidl's coffee from Tesco's, as both offered a balanced flavour. The test concluded that Lidl's instant coffee is a strong contender against more expensive brands like Nescafe Azera.
