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 Our coffee expert was impressed by this corner of the coffee aisle, describing the microgrounds as ‘a great creation. The blend works very well, increasing the coffee character and flavours. The fineness of the ground coffee prevents any gritty effect, and they all brew easily and cleanly'. Contrary to popular opinion, don’t keep your coffee in the fridge or freezer - the moisture can cause it to absorb other smells, and dampen the flavour.

Our expert tried out five Colombian instant coffees (this is the most popular regional type) and was pleasantly surprised. In fact, Giles said these coffees were 'a leap ahead' from the plainer, everyday instants and the gold blend range. Giles says: 'Full cream is the richest option and creates a heavier, creamy note, while semi-skimmed milk is good as it's smooth and doesn't dominate the coffee.' 3. Store your coffee properly For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. 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.

The choice of milk these days can seem endless. Our coffee expert experimented with dairy and plant-based options, and found all of them will sweeten and soften your coffee, but some will cause subtle changes in flavour.

We enlisted the help of our long-time coffee expert Giles Hilton to bring you unrivalled insight into what's on the shelf. 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. Enjoy the delicious taste of Kenco Millicano Barista Style Rich Americano Instant Coffee. The medium roast of high quality coffee beans gives a distinct and full bodied coffee. This instant coffee has a rich scent that triggers your senses and let you experience a perfect coffee moment. The arounded, heart-warming taste with a rich, welcoming aroma and a smooth and balanced finish makes you appreciate this coffee sip after sip. Perfect for professional use through vending machines or as a refill. 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. 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.

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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 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. 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. 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.