More Brits choosing coffee pods over instant coffee

Is instant coffee on its way out?

Coffee machines are becoming more popular, with more consumers than ever opting for coffee pods. Meanwhile, instant coffee sales continue to fall, with just one-in-five consumers drinking the beverage more than once a day. 

Instant coffee sales were 3% lower last year compared with 2013, while sales of coffee pods are on the rise, according to a new report from Mintel.

Coffee drinkers could be falling out of love with instant coffee, the report suggests, with just one-in-five drinking the beverage twice a day or more.

Thinking of making the switch to a coffee machine? Head to our coffee machine reviews to make sure you find the very best.

Growing taste for espresso

Many consumers are now opting for the flavour and convenience of coffee pods, with around a fifth now owning a capsule coffee machine.

Our coffee expert Yvette Fletcher says: ‘It’s not surprising to see that more people are buying coffee pods. Once upon a time instant coffee was the only choice for a speedy cuppa, but capsule coffee machines are a great choice for espresso-lovers, and for anyone who wants convenience and variety.’

To find out which coffee machines topped our tests head to our coffee machine Best Buys.

Coffee machine reviews

If you’re going to invest in a coffee machine, you’ll want to be sure that you’re going to get the best flavour. When we test coffee machines, we get expert tasters to rate each machine’s coffee on taste, aroma, texture and that all-important crema.

Coffee machines are designed to be convenient, so you also need to be sure that the coffee machine you go for won’t leave you waiting around for your caffeine hit. We’ve found that while a great coffee machine will whip you up a delicious espresso and stop dripping in 30 seconds flat, a poor machine can take over a minute.

We also rate each coffee machine on noise, ease of use, volume of espresso and, where applicable, milk frothing.

Read More: Coffee capsules