It doesn’t get better than coffee that's freshly brewed using rich and fragrant coffee beans with plenty of milk. However, ordering three to four coffees a week from Costa is getting to be on the expensive side. To cut back on costs, I've decided to give instant coffee a try, which includes the brand leaders and supermarket own brands.

To make this a fair test, I opted for the same types of instant coffees — all of which had notes of being rich and smooth — and added the sme amount of coffee and milk I would regularly use. Normally, if I were to go for an instant coffee, it would be Néscafe and I’ve never really strayed from that. Putting the kettle on to boil, I was excited to get started.

1. Asda 

Off to a disappointing start, the Asda coffee. Opening the pack, the aroma wasn’t great, but I could see really big chunks of the freeze-fried coffee, which I thought would mean stronger coffee for fewer spoons. Sadly, I was wrong.

It’s a fairly smooth drink, but if you’re looking for a nice kick of strong coffee, Asda's Just Essential Instant Coffee that retails for £1.08 isn’t it.

Rating: 4.5/10

2. Morrisons

Morrisons’ Savers Instant Coffee, which comes in at £1.15, is another supermarket coffee I wouldn’t recommend. It had next-to-no aroma upon opening, and the smell it did give off was slightly chemical.

After popping two level teaspoons into hot water and adding milk, I found it had quite a bland flavour.

Rating: 3/10

3. Tesco 

This £1.15 coffee from Tesco smelled like chemicals blended with coffee, which was hardly the most promising start.

Once mixed with hot water in my mug, it barely had an aroma at all. All the granules dissolve in seconds, which is faster than most of the others. It tasted quite bitter, but it wasn’t awful.

Rating: 4/10

4. Lidl

Described as a “full flavoured instant coffee”, the Bellarom Rich Roast instant coffee that retails for £1.79 from Lidl is marketed as a four out of five rating for strength, but I have to disagree with this.

I found it lacked aroma when I broke the seal, and, after making a coffee with it, I found it was pretty bland. Whilst I liked the fact there was no bitterness, I really couldn't get much of a coffee flavour either. It was like a coffee-flavoured mug of hot milky water.

Rating: 4.5/10

5. Aldi

Aldi's £1.99 Alcafe Rich Roast coffee smelled sweeter than I was expecting, given its description. The flavour was mellow, smooth, and it didn't have the strength you would expect from a great cup of coffee, but it was still quite pleasant.

Rating: 6/10

6. Sainsbury's 

This £2.30 coffee from Sainsbury's was quite sweet-smelling from the moment I opened it, a feature few of the others had. The coffee did take longer to dissolve in the water but it was a very smooth blend that had a good level of coffee flavour. From just tasting this coffee, I would’ve thought it was Néscafe.

Rating: 8.5/10

7. M&S

When making a cup of M&S' Rich and Smooth coffee, I noticed that it was clear of stray granules, and just like Aldi’s coffee, it was quite mellow and smooth.

However, it didn’t give me that coffee boost I was looking for — but with it retailing at £1.20, I’m not too mad about it.

Rating: 6/10

8. Waitrose

This is a chocolatey-smelling blend which finished with a bitter kick to the nose while undissolved granules sat at the bottom of my mug as I gave it a taste. Despite smelling sweet, this £1.65 coffee leaves a harsh, bitter taste on the palate.

Rating: 3/10

9. Kenco

Expecting this coffee to be up there as a favourite, given the popularity of the brand and that it retails for £7.75, I was shocked that it didn't impress me. The coffee was smooth but had a very subtle smell and taste.

Rating: 6.5/10

10. Néscafe

The Néscafe original instant coffee was one I'd had before time and time again. It was nice and smooth and — in simple terms — you get what you pay for: a good cup of coffee.

However, in the current climate, £7.25 a jar is not something that many can justify on a stretched budget.

Rating: 8/10

Verdict 

In terms of taste, Sainsbury’s and Néscafe were the winners, but Sainsbury’s had the edge for me, given the price. The coffee had a really smooth texture and generally tasted enjoyable. I'd not hesitate to pick another jar up in the future.