My husband does not drink coffee, never has, never will. His parents were big coffee drinkers. She always had a pot on the counter. Me I have one cup a day and it is instant. I'm no longer drinking coffee anymore as it seems to affect my stomach. Makes me ill. I do love to smell coffee brewing.

I'll see if they sell it locally... it's always good to have instant coffee available. I had to cut back on caffeine so often drink instant decaff now. I wanted something better and just tried Gevalia's decaff coffee (not instant) and really like that!

I'd like to find the BuenDia in decaf. Walmart doesn't carry it, but I'll look further. All I can handle is a half-cup of the regular.

Wow... $13 !!?? It had better be tastier than a regular brewed coffee!

Every once in a while I enjoy a cup of instant. When I was a young teenager I worked on a friend's farm. Our friend's father must have known how difficult it would be to get teenagers up and ready on a Saturday mornings, so to get an early start, we would sleep over Friday night. During the summer it would be all week long.

We would be awoken at 5 a.m. to a bowl of Wheatena and a cup of instant coffee. It was so distinct from what I had at home (where we were discouraged from drinking any coffee at all, and wheatena was too old-school for mom,) to this day I will , every so often, get a jar of instant coffee (usually Maxwell House or Folger's Crystals) and ask a family member traveling down from somewhere they sell Wheatena to pick me up a box or two. As soon as I smell it, I am 'instantly' flooded with those youthful memories.

Ah, Weatena! I used to love it. I think my husband introduced me to it. Haven't had it in years, but now I want it. Thanks, Rgreen. I think. :-)

Yeah, Amazon's price factors in shipping. I linked it just so people could see what the jar looks like. As I said, I paid around 4 bucks at Walmart.

Oh, I missed the $4 price in your comment. That should teach me to read more thoroughly... It won't lol, I'm too set in my bad habits :-(

I'll look for it in the stores. $4 seems quite reasonable for a jar of decent instant coffee. Enjoy the Wheatena!

I like the Folgers singles, similar to a tea bag, only with coffee.

I drink too much of Nescafe Taster's Choice instant coffee but it is pricey. I'm going to try to find the one that you suggested Alisande.

rgreen48 - You're funny.

I'm kinda like most of you...I happen to love coffee, but I am having trouble with my ONE cuppa day. (Makes me itch). I got some Starbucks in those tubes and packaged at Costco. Very good, but I don't let myself have more than a few cups a week. Pricy, but a coupon made it (Costco coupon) reasonable. Wish I knew what part of the coffee makes me itch...sometimes (not often tho) when we eat breakfast out, the coffee doesn't make me itch). Another gift from growing older?

Nanny, could it be that whatever you put in your coffee is what makes you itch?

Alisande, I always have instant coffee on hand, for flavoring certain things (roasts, steaks, burgers) as well as an occassional cuppa. My British SIL makes the best cup of coffee....always instant. I'll have to ask what kind she uses.

I like my decaf k-cups. But, nice to know there are other options. It's true, instant coffee has a bad rap. And, decaf is usually so bad, that I opt for tea instead when dining out.

I don't drink coffee, but my daughter does. We were in Texas this summer and ate at a Jamaican restaurant. They had a little shop of groceries and she wanted some of the Jamaican instant coffee. She says it is really good!

Include me in the "it's an oxymoron" group. As with any food product, there's fresh (or for veggies, plain frozen packages with nothing added that can be as good as fresh) and "everything else". "Everything else" never tastes as good. Even freshly roasted coffee (which I buy in bean form) begins to degrade after a week or so.

My son and daughter-in-law would agree with you, I'm sure, Snidely. They roast and grind their own beans. And some of my coffee-loving friends would be right behind them. But as my grandmother was fond of saying, "'Everyone to their own taste,' said the woman as she kissed the cow." ;-)

snidely, do you believe freezing it halts the process enough? I love coffee, but I have to say, I don't see much difference when I buy beans, freeze them, and only grind what I'm going to use.

blfenton - Taster's Choice is DH's favorite instant coffee. He made a cup to go every morning before leaving for work in the morning. Now that he's retired he still favors T.C. When we have company we'll brew a carafe of coffee in our old fashioned pour-over Melitta but otherwise we drink the T.C.

I've found the cheapest price is at various drug store chains when they put it on sale. CVS, Rite Aide and Walgreen's will advertise it for $6.99 for a 7 oz. container. My best purchase was 2 weeks ago when Walgreen's advertised it for $5.99 for 7 OZ. Occasionally they will sell it for buy one get one free which might be cheaper depending on what the price is - sometimes it's $9.99.

Thank you for the review, I'm ordering this coffee through Walmart.

As far as the debate about whether fresh is the best, I am one of those people who need my first cup of coffee ASAP. Delicious freeze dried is my friend. I'm not knocking those who grind beans, I'm happy for them. I suppose I could buy a contraption on a timer that would grind the beans and make coffee, but I wake up anywhere from 3-5 AM and I want my coffee that minute.

Coffee, schmoffee. I want to hear about the down and dirty 'party' in Alisande's photo -- the one with the bottle on the desk, no glasses or mix in sight, out-of-a-box crackers, held in an (evidently unheated) office. Sorry to have missed that one.

LOL Chisue. That's one of many office photos my dad took in the 40s and 50s. Most are much more fun than this one. I'd love to get a grant to put together an exhibit one day. They're not only fun, but I think they're interesting from an historical perspective.

I'll have instant on occasion, but use pre-ground, and prefer that.

We've been able to get 200 grams (454 make a pound) of Max Hs instant, when on sale, for $3.00 from time to time ... but recently gone up, saw a display the other day at around $6.00, so I'm rather glad that I have a few on hand.

That's Cdn $ - purchasable for about U.S. 75 cents.

My friend gave me a "Cup at a time" brewer a while ago, which I like and have plugged in at a distance from the kitchen, as I have a shortage of 3-pronged plugs.

I can seem to drink four or five cups of coffee a day without any problems, including getting to sleep.

A can of about 2 lb. of Max Hs. pre-ground here has been available for a time when on sale for about $6.00 - 7.00 ... but has recently gone up to about $8.00 ... $10. - 12. regular price, if I remember correctly (but I don't buy at reg. price, so lack exact memory. Same as with tubs of yogurt.)

ole joyfuelled ... who's not sure whether the coffee adds more than a miniscule amount to the "fuelling"

rob, I haven't found freezing coffee beans to work well. Nor storing in the refrigerator.

I've tried it over the years - mostly frequently with remaining amounts of decaf beans I'd purchased for guests' use. I've tried using them two ways - first by defrosting before grinding, and then also the impatient way of grinding frozen beans and using that immediately.

Because I make coffee using the pour through method (with a ceramic cone sitting on a cup), even the frozen grounds should defrost immediately when hit with hot water. Sniffing the spent grounds and tasting the resultant coffee (both with decaf and regular beans), the flavor has always seemed dull and less bright than with the same beans pre-frozen.

When preparing a meal for guests who I know drink decaf (which we don't), I'll buy a quarter or half pound of decaf coffee. I always offer the remaining beans as a doggie bag item for the departing guest. I otherwise will throw it away if I don't have another option for use in a week or two.

.

I continue to love coffee....just coffee with no adds and fresh filtered water. It does puzzle me...my itching problem....and since I only drink one cup, it isn't practical for me to do an extensive research. I just LOVE having it when in a good restaurant and appreciate it more. (Also Olives and Olive oil make me itch!)

I drink decaf Taster's Choice. I like it. Will have to try the Juan Valdez.

I haven't tried it yet but I bought a jar at Walmart today. I drink a cup of Kuerig in the morning and sometimes would like about a half cup more so maybe this will work those days I need a little extra boast. I think the price was $4.48.

I hope you'll like it, Jkayd!

I will have to look for that coffee at our Walmart. I love having a good cup of coffee and usually it is always fresh brewed until I got my Tassimo. I can't for the life of me make a good cup of coffee no matter what I use which is why I got the Tassimo. I always used filtered water, and beans which I grind but lately when I am out of pods, I use McDonalds ground coffee which is pretty good to make at home using the Melita cone over my cup. I can't make good coffee using my coffee maker, I make a better coffee using the drip method over my cup and the Tassimo makes the best coffee because it is out of my hands. Whenever I make instant coffee no matter the brand it tastes like Rice Krispies, when my friend makes me a cup of instant at her house it always tastes good. I always say it is her water that makes it taste good. Maggie, coffee makes me sleepy also. After having 1 cup of coffee I just want to curl up and go to sleep, it feels like I took a sleeping pill which I have never had. After the 2nd cup if I have one the sleepiness goes away.

We don't drink instant coffee, but I do keep instant espresso (great in brownies, cocoa cupcakes, and for making hot mochas, yummmm....) in the pantry. Been using the Medaglia d'Oro brand for years, nice small 2 oz bottle.

If I ever run across the Juan Valdez instant we'll have to try some just to see what it's like. Thanks for the tip, Susan. We don't usually go into Wal-Mart, just a personal preference.

I think if you drink it black, it's a lot easier to tell the difference between coffees but if you're a heathen like me and require ample cream and sometimes sugar, it all tastes the same!

I've been enjoying the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte instant packs. I have a Keurig but I don't drink much coffee so I keep it around mostly for guests. I have some instant coffees too for when a craving hits so thanks for the recommendation!

No sugar here, but I do like soymilk.

Uh-oh . . . I think I hear the coffee purists gagging. Sorry! :-)

No gagging from me about soy milk. Much more gagging when thinking about instant or decaf coffee.

Just got the BuenDia coffee shipped from WM, enjoying it in one of my new Snoopy coffee mugs. Good coffee!

For home food storage I vacuum-seal instant coffee crystals, which is said to have a nearly indefinite shelf-life. I'll have to look for Juan Valdez BuenDia freeze-dried Colombian coffee at Wal-Mart my next visit. I have a few recipes I use instant coffee in for the flavor, so I may as well have something that also tastes good if I needed it by-the-cup.

About the only coffee I drink is occasionally at the neighbors. They LOVE their coffee.... They buy green coffee beans and roast as needed, so they don't go stale, like SnidelyWhiplash noted above.

You can also make mock "INSTANT" coffee with whole roasted beans. It's a method people use who have stomach issues with the acidity and bitterness of coffee.

How to:

Place 2 T. whole roasted coffee beans per 6-ounces boiling water in a Thermos. Lay on side for 1-hour. Serve. The coffee is lighter in color, but no bitterness.

Thanks for the feedback, Lucille. So glad you like it!

I guess there's no decaf version?

Grainlady--Have you tried that coffee steeped in a thermos? Does it taste weak?

Sjerin, I wish I could find a decaf version, even though I suspect it wouldn't taste the same. Amazon shows the decaf product, but says it has been discontinued. It isn't available at my Walmart, although I suppose I could ask. They sometimes sound like they want to stock products we like.

Thanks for letting me know, Susan. Lots of people don't understand our need for good decaf. :)

sjerin-

I tried the Thermos method once, and yes, it was weak, but still tasty and low-acid. But I'm not a big coffee person, so weak works for me! I could see using this method in an emergency situation (ice storm and no power to grind whole coffee beans), which is where I share this recipe - in a class for self-sufficiency entitled "Just In Case".

Thanks, Grainlady!

I bought some - it's good! Thanks for the tip.

You're very welcome, and thanks for letting me know! I'm glad you like it.

lucillle, I should preface with, I don't drink anywhere near the amount of coffee I used to drink and for a couple reasons switched more to tea but I used to keep some instant around for a quick cup or two. But I found the coffeemaker could make it as fast as messing with instant. You still have to heat the water. My coffeemaker can make 10 cups in about 4.5 minutes (eat your heart out Keurig!) so by the time I start it going and get a mug out it's going to be dripping out coffee within a minute or so. I'd pull the pot and hold the mug under and get the first cup right away. Microwaving water takes what, a couple minutes anyway? Heating it on the stove is slow. And I certainly don't have one of those fancy-schmancie instant or on-demand hot water faucets at the sink. Actually I use my coffeemaker for a pseudo instant heater when I need hot water for cooking. I bought an electric kettle but have never used it, probably due to latent luddite tendencies. Or laziness.

Speeding the process, one could have the coffee measured, in the filter and water in it and just flip the switch while one does their morning routine.

Cynic,

It's not that I haven't tried a coffeemaker, I have. More than one. I had a nice one, gave it to my son.

Good instant is fine with me, it is fast and I'm happy with it.

My late mother in law was a fantastic Northern Italian cook but she ALWAYS served instant coffee after dinner. (Folgers Crystals) Yuck! Today, she's been gone for years but I am close to her single daughter "Pat". I noticed Pat offered instant coffee at her home also. Last yearfor Christmas I gave Pat one of those single-cup coffee brewers. She loves it! And I feel like I've broken the family curse of bad coffee!