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Instant coffee?

30 replies

DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 11:03

Any suggestions for cutting my coffee bills?
We've cut down the shopping bills tremendously by switching to Aldi/Lidl, getting milk delivered (so as to limit emergency trips to Tesco)... But one of the few things I can't give up is nice coffee - hence the trip to Tesco where I come out having spent £30 and wondering why I set foot in the place. Blush
We usually but Douwe Egberts or the kendo milicano, in refil packs but there must be a better alternative?
Tried Aldi's... Beyond awful. Lidl's fair trade one is good but still pricey given its a smaller jar (we get through a lot of coffee!).

We have Costco and JTF membership, won't buy Nestlé.
Anyone tried the Kirkland one form Costco?

TIA

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DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 11:05

Kenco, darn autocorrect

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AmberLeaf · 27/04/2013 11:07

I was going to suggest the Aldi columbian one, is that the one you tried?

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YohedYoshoulderYonisandYotoes · 27/04/2013 11:09

FALSE ECONOMY!!!

Here goes..
NEVER compromise on coffee -it isn't worth it!
Don't buy instant - its too expensive!

Here's how to do it..
IKEA real coffee is the cheapest with good quality coffee (about half the price of Lavazza)
Get a stove-top espresso machine - Ikea also sell these cheap, but so do others
Pack the coffee into the stovetop (don't damp it down but do make sure it is full), make super strong espresso. Put THIS into a jug in the fridge and use that to make instant coffee instead (lasts for two or three days, but make fresh after that).

You will have great tasting fast coffee with no compromise!

[Grin]

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NorbertDentressangle · 27/04/2013 11:15

You can get a double pack of Segafredo espresso coffee (so 2 x 250g) from B&M Bargains for £2.99 if you want to stick to the real stuff.

Don't buy and drink lots of cheap instant, just drink less of the real stuff!

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ilovepowerhoop · 27/04/2013 11:24

douwe egberts is on special offer in morrisons just now

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DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 11:33

Yohed wow, genius! Then maybe I'd also spend less on Starbucks lattes. Sounds amazing!
Do you mean this one?

Amber I think it might've been. Rainforest on the jar? The offending item is still in the back of the cupboard somewhere so I'll take a look and give it a go if not the same one.

Thanks for the other tips too :)

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YohedYoshoulderYonisandYotoes · 27/04/2013 11:40

yes - you can get cheaper elsewhere actually - bialleta are the best, but debenhams seem to do one cheaper (according to google shopping)

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amessagetoyouYoni · 27/04/2013 11:45

Waitrose own brand is half the price of Dougwe Egberts and almost (a smidgen less Grin) nice.

I balk at seven quid for a jar of instant coffee, too, and am always strying out budget brands - Waitrose def the best of the inferior bunch!

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DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 11:49

Thanks so much everyone.

Yet another example of why MN is better than google Grin

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ItsAllTLAsToMe · 27/04/2013 11:50

Yohed, that is amazing / life changing Grin. Do Ikea only sell ground coffee, or do they sell beans too?

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YohedYoshoulderYonisandYotoes · 27/04/2013 11:51

Yup they sell beans too!

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NorbertDentressangle · 27/04/2013 11:58

What are the Ikea beans like Yohead as we've recently bought a grinder?

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AmberLeaf · 27/04/2013 12:00

Doing

The one I have is;

Specially selected.
Columbian.
freeze dried instant coffee.

its a 100g jar, blackish label, with a picture of the sun rising over a black mountain with a red sky backdrop!

My Dad drinks Kenco millicano and he said my Aldi one was perfectly acceptable in the absence of Kenco.

Yohed, that sounds good, don't know if Id be able to keep that up though!

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ItsAllTLAsToMe · 27/04/2013 12:01

Great, thanks Smile.

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YohedYoshoulderYonisandYotoes · 27/04/2013 12:01

I think they are pretty good. Lavazza and Kimbo are better IMO, but IKEA are only shades different, and much cheaper - best ones, again in my opinion are the dark/italian roast, but if you are using milk other more rounded milder ones might be better.

The dark espresso has a rounded complete taste though, not like some (dougwe egberts!) beans/ground that are too one-dimensional..

HTH

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NorbertDentressangle · 27/04/2013 13:49

Thanks Yohed - definitely sound worth a punt.

The worst case scenario is if they're a bit harsh or bland then they can always be blended with some other ones which is what we've done if we've tried a ground coffee that has been a bit rough (mainly cheap ones we've bought abroad and thought we'd try)

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coffeewineandchocolate · 27/04/2013 13:51

I like the aldi caramel hinted one in the refill bag...

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enormouse · 27/04/2013 13:57

Yohed is right. But you can also pick up a little stove top coffee maker from John Lewis's, debenhams and asda too. My DPs dad got our little two person stove top from avoca. It makes about 6 shots of coffee.

Lidl do great coffee. I buy their ethiopian ground for £2 a bag. Their Colombian and Javanese is similarly priced.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 27/04/2013 16:01

YohedYoshoulderYonisandYotoes That is genius.

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DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 17:26

Yohed, I'm blaming you for my mid-afternoon ikea jaunt! I have a shiny new 6-cup thingy (yeah, I'm impatient!!). It's lurvely! We've been sipping espresso con panna feeling

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DoingTheSwanThing · 27/04/2013 17:31

Oops, 8 month old just made her first post Smile
Feeling rather grown up!

Amber, I take it back - it was aldi's fair trade one that's undrinkable. I'll keep an eye out for your suggestion, ta.

Brew

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jenduck · 28/04/2013 07:32

I am rather partial to the Sainsbury's Basics Instant Coffee - sounds like it should be awful, but the nicest instant I've tasted! Although my Sainsbury's doesn't seem to do it any more Sad

I have instant in the week & then at weekends I have some French filter coffee (bought on holiday), made in my cafetiere or a Tassimo (machine cost £4 as we bought it with cashback plus voucher codes), then I feel like I've had my treat for the week.

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trinity0097 · 28/04/2013 12:59

Just wanted to say have you tried cravendale milk (or tesco pure)? It really does last a week once opened and is probably cheaper than paying for milk delivery. It also has a long shelf life, so you can buy a few bottles at a time.

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serin · 28/04/2013 14:06

Morrisons often have Douwe Egberts on offer, I just stock up then.

Have never seen Sainsbury's Basic coffee but their basic tea bags are great and are less than 30p for 80.

I am trying really hard to cut back on caffeine.

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DoingTheSwanThing · 30/04/2013 11:45

Thanks Trinity :)
Paying 5p/pint over supermarket prices, supporting the local economy and all that. Plus eggs & potatoes are cheaper do it does even out. (and I just have to ring if I run out of bread etc... Lazy but no public transport or local shop here so a loaf of bread or pint of milk is a 3mile drive away. Rubbish or what.

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