15 March 2010

Columbia VIA Ready Brew Microground Coffee [UPDATED] (Starbucks)




The people serving in Starbucks told me this product will revolutionise the way we drink instant coffee. They also told they would be doing a taste test the very next day to prove that this drink is identical to their two-pound-something-a-cup coffee. This little pack with three sachets in cost me £1.20 so I was rather tempted to ask them to make me a cup of that instead and charge me just 40p...
As it happens I did wait till I got it home to test out the coffee. I was quite surprised to discover that the powder inside each sachet was remarkably fine and light and powdery. The smell too was rather wonderful and rich, and this was before I had even added hot water. When I did, I discovered the smell intensified and did smell like a good fresh cup of coffee. The taste too was really good, full of flavour, with rich tones of coffee and it did taste surprisingly similar to proper coffee. I have to say I was impressed with this product. I have heard the claim many times that a certain brand of instant coffee tastes like fresh, and never found one that properly competes before. This Starbucks product makes one fine mug of coffee. The only problem I had with this packet was that because it was in sachets, I had to use my small mug to add the correct amount of water. I would much rather use my large Disney mug, so I have my fingers crossed that they will bring out jars of this product, making it easier to make a mug and halves worth instead.
Lovely stuff though, I would love opinions from anyone else who has tried it!

{UPDATE} I keep getting asked exactly how much coffee this sachet makes. It is nowhere near filling my wonderful Disney mug, but this is not to say that the portion is ridiculously small either. I have measured out the correct amount of water to show you all, once in a regular mug and what it looks like in my Disney mug.


2 comments:

Oscar said...

i got one in the post (sample of VIA, not a whole cupa!). found it surprizingly nice. actually is like the real brew, if not better cos u get fresh boiled water and your own favouring/milk etc. they were going to charge u £1.20? rip off.

cinabar said...

I actually went back and bought a whole box for around a £5, had £1 offand a token for a free tall drink of my choice next time I go in... without the discount and the free drink it works out rather pricey!