Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee, Medium Roast, 6.7-Ounce, 190g (Packaging May Vary)

If you have ever stayed in the Netherlands or even visited during a vacation, chances are you have had some Douwe Egberts coffee while you were there. This brand is a staple of the Dutch, and as the label depicts, the brand has been around for some 200 years. I was a bit skeptical when I saw this on Amazon as an instant, freeze-dried variant, but because I've had "the real thing" so many times, I wanted to give it a try.I'm very glad I did. This is the best instant coffee I've had, with the exception of "the other brand" which will point you toward financial ruin if you drink more than one cup a day. The taste is flavorful, and medium (they also make a dark roast, if you prefer that), with a wonderful aroma that is certainly half of the coffee experience. The coffee comes in the original glass jar that they have been using for years, with a rubberized plastic seal underneath the top of the glass handle (yes, the ENTIRE bottle is glass, other than the airtight seal itself), so nice that you will not want to throw it away when you are finished. The coffee dissolves instantly and effortlessly with just a few stirs, and you might be excused for thinking that it was an actual brewed coffee were you just to smell it without seeing it made.I'm so pleased to see Amazon selling it, and my only fear at this point is that it might be a temporary thing. Let's hope not. This is the perfect intersection of quality and price, and I can't recommend it highly enough. If you are not familiar with this brand because you have never been to Holland (more correctly, "the Netherlands;" "Holland" is a province within the Netherlands, although we often use the names interchangeably), and you have a need for instant coffee, run, don't walk, to buy either this one (a medium blend) or the darker roast variant. Five big Dutch Stars!

This company is European and has been in business since 1773, started by a general grocer and his wife. Though the years, I believe the company has perfected the choice of beans, the roast of beans and the high quality of production to make such a satisfying instant coffee. With the first taste, you will know how unique and different it is and comfortingly satisfying.

Great flavor for an instant coffee and comes in a perfectly sealed jar.

I am reviewing several instant coffees at the same time, and the same review will be found for all of them.My reviews are based on two criteria: How it tastes, and how well I wake up with it.Quick disclaimer, I am generally a health nut, with one exception, coffee. I am aware that instant coffee is not exactly in the healthy food category, but this is a choice that I make because I just don't have time to brew an actual pot of coffee.I'm starting with my worst, and will work my way down to my favorite, also note, I drink my coffee black.6th Place: Davidoff Cafe Rich Aroma Instant CoffeeThis coffee has a great aroma, but tastes like Folgers (dirty dishwater). I was actually very disappointed as I had high expectations. I can deal with Folgers flavor, but this coffee made me feel awful; the same sick feeling that I get from Folgers instant coffee. (I swear Folgers must have some sort of contaminant in it.) I gave it a second chance, and felt just as bad. In the recycling it went. I tried to save the glass container, but the design is so ridiculous, that I couldn't even find a use for it.Flavor Rank: #6Stimulant Rank: #65th Place: Jacob's Coffee Jacobs Kronung InstantI would say this coffee is a little better in flavor than the Davidoff, but not by much. And this coffee didn't make feel particularly well either. I wouldn't waste my money on either this one or the Davidoff brand.Flavor Rank: #5Stimulant Rank: #54th Place: Buen dia by Juan Valdez Classic 100% Colombian Freeze Dried CoffeeThis coffee is okay in flavor, I don't feel sick from it, and the stimulant effect is moderate - more than the Mount Hagen, but less than some of the others reviewed. So the flavor is middle of the pack, and the stimulant effect is middle of the pack. It's okay if you're a moderate coffee drinker, but there are definitely better options.Flavor Rank: #4Stimulant Rank: #33rd Place: Mount Hagen Freeze Dried Instant CoffeeThis coffee is absolutely yummy! The flavor is delicious, and just really makes you enjoy your first cup of coffee. But the weakness of the stimulant effect placed it below some of the others. I need three cups of this just to get going. I now only drink this one if I want to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, but have no need for large amounts of caffeine.Flavor Rank: #1Stimulant Rank: #42nd Place: Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant CoffeeThe flavor of this coffee is quite good (not as tasty as the Mount Hagen organic stuff, but it is definitely more caffeinated). This coffee was on the top of my list until I found that Douwe Egberts offers a stronger flavor/darker blend (the next review). The stimulant effect is good, and the flavor is good. However the flavor of this one is a little weaker than the darker roast Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence. If the Pure indulgence wasn't available, I would settle for this one.Flavor Rank: #3Stimulant Rank: #1 (tie)1st place: Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence Instant CoffeeThis one is the winner. The Pure Gold is lighter in flavor than this one, and I don't care for it quite as much. Both have equal stimulant effect; with either of the Douwe Egberts two cups and I'm good for the day. I often feel I don't need a third cup half way through my day to keep going. The flavor isn't quite as good as the Mount Hagen, but it is the next best. And what it lacks in flavor is made up for in better stimulant effect. Thus is this my number one choice for now.Flavor Rank: #2Stimulant Rank: #1 (tie)

I've never been a coffee drinker until recently - and the coffee at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts never appealed to me. But then I decided to find an instant decaf I would like, and after being very pleased with Douwe Egberts decaf, started ordering their pure gold medium roast regular coffee.Wow! I'm hooked.......especially when I combine it with the super-healthy raw organic cocoa powder I bought from Amazon, and a bit of almond milk. But it's delicious by itself........and better than the brewed coffee available at most coffee places. My guess is that this is indeed the best instant coffee available. Highly recommended! (And if you combine it with raw cocoa for a rich mocha taste, it will last longer too!)(Later: While I still find this to be the best instant coffee available, I am now very annoyed by the constant price increase. Very soon after I signed up for subscribe and save money, the subscribe and price went up full 30%. And now I see, for the next month, that it's going up another 30%. That's a 60% increase in two months - from around $12 to almost $20. This is NOT OK! I will be looking for other sources for this delicious coffee.)