Compare instant coffee in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Moccona, Nescafe, Jed’s Coffee Co, Gregg’s and Countdown were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Aroma, Packaging, Taste, Texture/Consistency, Variety/Range and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Moccona is an instant hit with Kiwi coffee drinkers, earning top 5-Star ratings across six out of seven categories and taking home Canstar Blue’s 2024 Award for Most Satisfied Customers | Instant Coffee.
Our review compares instant coffee on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared instant coffee brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest friends and family which brand of instant coffee they think is best.
Canstar Blue surveyed 616 Kiwis who had bought instant coffee to brew at home in the past three months and asked for their feedback on the coffee they bought.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their instant coffee brands from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
MocconaCongratulations to Moccona, rated the No.1 instant coffee brand by discerning Kiwi instant coffee drinkers.
Moccona is the stand-out instant coffee brand in our awards ratings. Not only is it the only brand to earn a 5-Star rating for Overall Satisfaction, it’s also the only instant coffee to earn multiple 5-Star ratings. Across all categories except one, it earns a top 5-Star rating. Notably it earns a 5-Star rating for Flavour, which is the all-important standard by which instant coffee drinkers in our survey judge their choice of coffee.
Moccona earns its lower rating – still a great 4 Stars – for Value for Money. This is, perhaps, understandable, as it is one of the more expensive instant coffee brands on supermarket shelves.
A brand owned by Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Moccona has a range that comprises, primarily, instant coffees, flavoured instant coffees and flavoured latte and cappuccino drink mixes. It also sells a limited selection of coffee capsules for use in Nespresso coffee machines
NescaféA jar of instant coffee made by the iconic international brand has long been a staple in Kiwi pantries. And in our ratings, Nescafe earns strong reviews from its legions of drinkers. It scores 4-Star ratings across all categories, except for Value for Money, for which it earns a top 5-Star rating.
Nescafé is a brand that is synonymous with coffee. Its range comprises primarily of instant coffees, flavoured instant coffees and flavoured latte and cappuccino drink powders. It also sells coffee capsules for use in its sister brand Nespresso’s coffee machines.
Jed’s Coffee CoThird on our ratings table, Jed’s Coffee Co earns an identical set of ratings as Nescafe: 4-Star ratings across all categories, except for Value for Money, for which it earns a great 5-Star rating.
Jed’s Coffee Co is a homegrown brand that has expanded its range considerably over the past few years, since it became part of the Dutch company Jacobs Douwe Egberts, which also owns Hummingbird coffee, the winner of our Best-Rated Coffee Beans Award.
Just like the Jed’s whole beans, its freeze-dried instant coffee comes in four strength levels: ranging from medium to extra strong.
Gregg earns a mix of 4- and 3-Star ratings. Although it scores 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, it scores great 4-Star ratings for Taste and Aroma, two of the most important factors for coffee consumers.
Gregg’s is a name synonymous with quality, yet affordable supermarket staples. And while it’s not one of the more higher-profile instant coffee brands on the market, Gregg’s remains a popular instant coffee brand, as shown by its great set of ratings results.
CountdownCountdown’s own brand of instant coffees earns the lowest ratings from Kiwi coffee connoisseurs. It earns predominately 3-Star ratings, including for Overall Satisfaction. Unsurprisingly, given the brand’s focus on low prices, the category for which it earns its best result is Value for Money. However, while 3 Stars is not a top score, it’s by no means a measure of dissatisfaction, rather
The supermarket chain’s own brand of instant coffees also includes flavoured milky coffee powders. In addition to instant coffee, Countdown also sells instant coffees, and coffee capsules, all at budget-friendly prices.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here are more brands to check out before making a purchase decision.
AvalancheAvalanche is a Kiwi owned and operated coffee brand that was founded just over 20 years ago. It sells a range of fresh coffee beans and grinds, in addition to coffee capsules, for use in Nespresso machines, and instant coffee. Like the big international brands, it also sells its own range of flavoured milky coffee powders.
Robert Harris is one of the oldest coffee brands in New Zealand. It was founded over 70 years ago and has grown to include over 30 cafe franchises across the country.
The range of Robert Harris coffees available in supermarkets includes single-origin beans, instant coffee, fresh ground coffee, infused ground coffee and coffee pods.
StarbucksStarbucks has to be the best-known global coffeeshop brand. Although it sells whole beans in its stores, Starbucks’ products available in supermarkets are limited to an instant coffee and a range of coffee capsules for use in Nespresso machines.
Coffee choices are very personal. Some like their coffee milky and sweet, others short, black and bitter. But whatever a person’s taste in coffee, one thing is paramount, the flavour of the coffee.
Just over a third of respondents in our survey (36%) are faithful to one brand, which corresponds to the biggest factor influencing their choice of outstanding coffee: taste, cited by 33% of our coffee consumers.
Oddly, aroma sits close to the bottom of the list of influencing factors, along with Packaging. Although that’s probably to do with the fact that all coffee smells great!
Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their coffee picks:
Espresso is simply a shot of coffee, with no extra water added. To make an espresso, shoot boiling water under high pressure through finely-ground coffee beans and then pour into a tiny cup. The strong coffees are the purest coffee experience you can get, and while not for everyone, they can be a truly singular experience when you find a good brew.
This is simply a shot of espresso coffee with extra added hot water. The coffee style is said to originate from US soldiers in Italy during WWII.
A long black is made by pouring a double shot of espresso over hot water. This method retains the coffee’s crema (distinctive creamy head), which is lost if you add hot water to an espresso.
Lungo is Italian for long, and a Lungo is a shot of espresso that’s been pulled for longer – had more water pushed through the coffee grounds over a longer time period. It results in a more dilute, milder tasting coffee, yet with more caffeine and a slightly more bitter taste.
Possibly the most popular coffee in New Zealand. A flat white is made by pouring velvety steamed milk over a shot of espresso, with minimal froth.
Popular worldwide, though less so here thanks to our preference for flat whites, lattes consist of steamed milk and a small layer of milk froth. It’s like a flat white, only with a little more volume on top.
The frothiest and foamiest of the milky coffee triumvirate, the cappuccino is possibly the most popular type of coffee in the world. A cappuccino consists of three layers: equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam.
Here in NZ, we tend to use a double-shot of espresso as the basis of all our coffee beverages. So our cappuccinos tend to have a little more kick than cappuccinos elsewhere.
A macchiato is a shot of espresso that is topped off with foamed milk dashed directly into the cup. Although it’s similar to a cappuccino, it’s usually stronger, as there’s no hot milk added. And it’s also smaller, usually served in an espresso-sized cup.
A mocha is just a latte with added chocolate powder or syrup, sometimes topped with whipped cream. If anything, this is a good entry-level coffee – existing in the world between children’s hot chocolates and adult café lattes.
About the author of this pageThis report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.
Use an espresso machine: 39%
Stick to one coffee brand: 36%
Buy the coffee that’s on special: 33%
Use a plunger: 31%
Have stopped buying takeout coffees to save money: 29%
Use non-dairy milks: 17%
Buy fair trade coffee: 15%
Use a stovetop espresso pot: 12%
Buy organic coffee: 10%
Buy the cheapest coffee brand due to high grocery costs: 13%
Canstar Blue surveyed 5108 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers who who had bought coffee beans to brew at home in the past three months. In this case, 616 New Zealanders. Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Coffee ratings:
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