This coffee from Columbia apparently wasn’t instant coffee and was a house blend so was rubbish from start to finish.

Semi-skimmed cow’s milk worked better with coffee than plant-based milks, adding smoothness without swamping the character of the coffee. Of the plant-based milks, oat went down best. Store all types of coffee in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight. This will help to prevent the flavourful essential oils from evaporating. You don't need to wait ages, or buy a fancy multi-temperature kettle for the best results. Instead, just wait 10 seconds or so after boiling before you pour. When our coffee expert tried this out, he found this amount of time gives a rich, smooth style – but warns against waiting too much longer as you could end up with a thin taste. 2. Choose the right milk After realising my error, I then followed the instructions, well tried to, by putting it through a cafetiere and it didn’t go well.

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It may not have the loftiest reputation among coffee snobs, but good old instant has come a long way. There are now a wide range of options to choose from, including rich everyday blends, single-origin, premium instant and espresso-style options. We tried: Sainsburys Taste The Difference Ground Columbian, Nescafé Cap Colombia, M&S Fairtrade Instant Colombian Coffee, Waitrose Colombian Instant Coffee, Sainsbury's Colombian Origin Instant Coffee Nescafe’s Cap Colombia instant coffee drew praise for its ‘bright, stylish flavour’ that ‘stood out as being close to real coffee’. But you don't need to spend more on branded coffee to get a quality drink – M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s own-label Colombian instants were also all considered good options by our expert. How where coffee is grown affects the taste We tried: Nescafé Azera Americano, Nescafé Azera Intenso, Kenco Millicano Americano Instant Coffee, Sainsbury's Americano Microground, Lavazza Prontissmo Intenso Single-origin coffee comes from one specific region and has a distinct flavour unique to the area it’s grown in. That flavour can be influenced by various factors such as soil, climate and altitude.

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Terms such as ‘rich’, ‘smooth’, ‘balanced’ and ‘golden’ simply give an indication of the style of coffee. The level of roast (ranging from light to dark) is important to consider as this affects the coffee’s flavour profile. He particularly liked Sainsburys Taste The Difference Ground Columbian, which he said provided a real coffee aroma and excellent crema. Flavours were enhanced when adding milk. While some people are obsessed with coffee - and have all the fancy kit to prove it - others just crave a good brew without the fuss. That's where instant coffee comes in.

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Not realising this coffee was going to be more hassle than it’s worth, I bought it without reading the instructions.

Nescafé's Azera Americano got good remarks – Giles described the aroma as 'good and smooth', also noting it took milk well. This one has a genuine taste as there's 'no bitterness' and 'no real instant flavour'. A medium roast will typically be lighter and smoother-tasting compared to a heavier 'continental' or Italian roast. High roasts should not be burned, although you'll notice some high roast beans do look darker in colour. This is the essential oils escaping to the surface of the bean.There are two main types of coffee bean: arabica and robusta. Arabica is grown on hillsides in Central and South America, Indonesia, Africa and India. It has wonderful flavour, style and character, influenced by where it is grown and in what conditions.