8 Instant Latte Mixes, Ranked Worst To Best

I love a fresh-brewed cup of coffee, whether from a classic drip machine, a swanky Chemex, or any other contraption that results in toasty smells filling the air and something hot filling my cup. However, brewing that first cup of coffee is sometimes more of a necessity in the early mornings before work than a leisurely activity — a necessity that requires a bit of haste. For those occasions, when I don't quite have time to grind beans and pack a portafilter, a quick cup of instant coffee is a great option to have on hand.

The only thing that can improve instant coffee is the cream that goes with it. This gives you the option to make a quick latte whether you're at home, camping, out and about, or just don't have milk in the fridge. It's everything you need (for the coffee drinker who can't go without creamer) in one container.

Finding a good instant latte brand to have on hand is another challenge. Some instant coffees don't seem to taste like coffee at all, while others are too sweet, too milky, or too bitter. Choosing the product that's not too far off from the real deal is the best way to ensure you're starting your day right — and we're here to help. I tried and ranked eight different brands of instant latte mixes, breaking them down in terms of which tastes the best, searching for the quick fix that most closely resembles the real deal.

The boldest flavor of the bunch, these Frozen Bean packets smell delicious. From the moment you tear off the first top, the aroma of Cookie Butter is prevalent, tantalizing your nose with creamy cookie smells. Needless to say, I was looking forward to drinking this cup of coffee, hoping for the toasted, almond notes of the cookie-based spread to meld seamlessly with the coffee.

To my dismay, this was not at all the result. The first sip was the best, as the smell of Cookie Butter fills your nose, but it finishes with an unnatural aftertaste that overwhelms each sip. As I continued drinking it, the chemical taste became more noticeable until I couldn't bring myself to continue.

It was my least favorite of the instant latte mixes I tried, as I simply couldn't bring myself to keep drinking it. The smell was wonderful, and it was so close to the actual flavor of Cookie Butter that I wish I could put it into a candle — but smell alone does not make a good cup of coffee.

Laird's instant latte mix is no joke. With impressive quantities of calcium, iron, and potassium, and a list of ingredients that will please any health-conscious individual, it's an instant-coffee alternative for those who prefer superfoods to start their day. While freeze-dried coffee is still a main ingredient, this blend also includes lion's mane, chaga, maitake, and cordyceps mushroom extracts. It's also dairy-free, utilizing coconut milk powder rather than milk powder. Like many other health-focused mushroom brands that have come to market in recent years, Laird appeals to a crowd interested in more than just a caffeine boost (although this brand still has 100mg of caffeine in each packet). For the average consumer who just wants to enjoy a cup of coffee, however, the bold flavors in this drink are likely to rub you the wrong way.

Surprisingly, it isn't the mushrooms that stand out the most flavor-wise — it's the coconut milk. I love coconut milk in coffee, but somewhere in the process of de- and re-hydrating, the best parts of it are lost in translation. It tastes more like coconut oil than milk, with a thicker texture that coats your mouth and lingers quite strongly. For someone who is prioritizing potential health benefits over flavor, this could be a great option. When comparing it to products that just taste like a pleasant cup of coffee, though, there isn't much competition.

Maxwell House is a brand of coffee that's commonly sold in most grocery stores. They have a few flavors available, including vanilla, hazelnut, mocha, and vanilla caramel. I tried the vanilla caramel latte, which has a rich, buttery caramel smell coming from both the container and the coffee once you brew it.

The most noticeable aspect of this blend was the foam on top, so thick it looked as though I'd used a milk frother to fluff it up, despite using only a spoon. The mouthfeel of the foam is wonderful and mimics the steamed milk of a barista's latte, but perhaps the ingredients used to create it would be better removed, as there's a pungent aftertaste that can't be ignored. I enjoyed the initial caramel flavor, but it quickly faded into a bitter, indistinct aftertaste that made the whole drink unpleasant.

While the luxurious foam coating the top of the cup won them extra points as compared to Laird and Frozen Bean, the flavor still isn't what I'm looking for. It lacks any real coffee notes and finishes in a foul way, making me think that if I can't brew a regular coffee, I may be better off just skipping it altogether.

There are countless brands of instant coffee on the market (that we've also ranked), but finding one that also includes milk is a little less common. Cafe Tastlé offers several flavors of basic coffee, but what if you've run out of milk and can't enjoy your cup of coffee without it? For this dilemma, they've made vanilla-flavored latte packets that are easily transportable.

This brand was a solid middle ground. The coffee didn't leave me with any sour aftertaste, but it wasn't very craveable either. There were no strong coffee notes or smooth milky flavors, so much as it just didn't taste bad. There were other brands that came closer to achieving a balance between the coffee and milk, and while Cafe Tastlé has a nice vanilla smell and is relatively smooth, it doesn't taste much like coffee — an aspect that I crave, whether I've got milk in the fridge or not.

Nescafé is one of those brands that everyone knows. They have countless coffee products available, and their espresso-style instant coffee was one of our favorites. It's no surprise they'd have an instant latte, too, but does the latte stack up to the milk-less espresso? The answer: not quite.

In terms of flavor, it's decently smooth. There aren't strong aftertastes or off-putting fake flavors, and while it's slightly smoother than Cafe Tastlé, it still doesn't taste as much like coffee and milk as I want it to. The flavor is a bit weaker than other brands on this list, despite following the serving size directions.

This product came in individual packets, and the serving size was 150ml (or just under 6 ounces of water), so if you were planning on taking a packet in your purse to go, you may want to bring along an extra one to best enjoy a regular-sized cup of joe.

While we didn't love Folger's ground decaf coffee (it's just too expensive for the quality), its instant French vanilla latte is pretty good. It smells milky with a hint of sweet vanilla, and the mouthfeel is creamy and buttery. The flavor is on the sweeter side, with the vanilla very noticeable and so rich that it almost tastes like caramel.

The only reason this product didn't rank higher for me is that it tastes more like milk than coffee. In a good latte, I hope for a creamy flavor backed by the roasted notes of a strong coffee. While I enjoyed it more than any of the other brands, Folger's French vanilla tastes more like real milk than mystery ingredients, and the coffee flavor didn't quite come through.

This product comes in a container you can freely scoop from, so if you're hoping for something you can keep in your pantry and easily use a couple extra spoonfuls of to make your instant latte stronger, it's a good option. In terms of transportability, however, it's not quite ideal.

My main complaint with all of the instant latte products I've listed so far is that they just don't taste much like coffee. If I'm in too much of a rush for a brewed pot, I'd like to at least enjoy an alternative that tastes as much like the real deal as possible. Beanhut's Vietnamese-style instant latte came pretty close to that. The ingredient list is short, featuring both dairy and non-dairy creamers, sugar, salt, Vietnamese instant coffee, and coffee and milk flavors. Perhaps the added coffee and milk flavors, which weren't listed as ingredients on any of the other brands, are what set this one apart. It has a strong coffee flavor, coupled with a signature latte creaminess and a thin foam on top.

Overall, I really enjoyed this instant latte. It doesn't make you question what you're drinking, with coffee and milk flavors the most prominent. It's worth noting that the recommended pour size for each packet is only 3 ounces, so I used two packets to make a 6-ounce cup. Additionally, it's quite sweet, and I found that another brand I enjoyed just a bit more for its balance between sugar and coffee.

My favorite among the instant latte brands is Seoulli, a Korean brand with cute pastel packaging and a smooth latte flavor. There were no odd aftertastes and no strong chemical flavors in this cup of joe. Out of all the brands, it most resembled a medium-roast coffee with milk and a bit of sugar, and if someone were to serve it to me blind alongside a cup of drip with milk and sugar added, I don't think I would be able to tell the difference. Its balanced flavor is exactly what I wished for in an instant latte.

The directions advise mixing one packet with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water, but I found 8 ounces to be a bit watered-down. The flavor is much more pronounced with just 6 ounces of water. Perhaps the only drawback to this brand is the lack of foam, a signature aspect of a latte but one that is hard to achieve in instant-coffee form without sacrificing the overall flavor. If it's just the foam you're missing, use this hack for achieving that froth with just a microwave, a bit of milk, and a glass jar — it's just the thing to take your Seoulli to the next level.

To rank these instant lattes, I was most concerned with how they tasted. Ideally, the resulting cup of coffee would taste similar to a freshly brewed pot and not remind us with each sip of my time constraints. Instant coffee that is noticeably chemical-laden, watered down, or simply lacks the roasted, nutty notes that make coffee so delicious is far from ideal.

I listed information regarding the serving size (or how much water you should add to each pack) for the drinks whose serving size produces less than an 8-ounce cup, as I believe it's important to know when you might want to bring along an extra packet for a full cup of coffee — although this information didn't factor into my ranking. I also tried each brand according to the directions listed on the packaging for a hot cup of coffee. While I felt that some would have benefited from using less water or more coffee mix for flavor, for consistency's sake, I relied on the brand's instructions.

To compile this list, I looked for brands that are commonly available in stores and online. If you don't see one of them in your local grocery store, you should be able to easily order from Amazon.