Why Aldi's Instant Coffee Completely Failed Our Taste Test

Aldi has a great range of high-value products related to coffee. One of the products that shoppers loved most last year was Aldi's Barissimo Barista Cold Foam, and there's a wide range of celebrated whole bean and ground coffee on the shelves, too. Beaumont Instant Classic Roast, however, leaves a bit to be desired, especially stacked up against the other brands Chowhound tried in our ranking determining the best instant coffee for iced coffee.

Boomi Instant Coffee came out on top with a strong flavor profile that didn't turn bitter and tasted like it was brewed somewhat fresh. In the taste test, we also tried instant coffees from Starbucks, Maxwell House, Mount Hagen, Dunkin', Café Bustelo, Nescafé, and Folgers. Beaumont Instant Classic Roast Coffee presented the opposite experience from the winning brand, with a flat, watery flavor that made our reviewer wonder if they'd looked at the recipe wrong.

We approached Beaumont's instant coffee knowing what it is — a convenient and inexpensive backup for when your coffee maker breaks, your recipe calls for some ground coffee, or you go camping. After our taste test, though, we suggest going for a different instant coffee option to keep in your pantry. Here's why.

Beaumont is among several private-label coffee brands from Aldi and you can get more than just instant coffee from the company. In addition to instant coffee, you'll find Beaumont ground coffee sold at the store in both decaf and fully caffeinated versions. You could say Beaumont Instant Classic Roast is Aldi's answer to Folgers; the two do have a similar style of packaging. But where does the coffee sold under the Beaumont name come from? 

That answer is difficult to come by. We know Aldi partners with many suppliers to source coffee from around the world for its brands. But, the grocer doesn't provide a lot of information about its suppliers.

Aldi shoppers don't seem to need to know where the coffee comes from in order to have an opinion on the product, though, as Beaumont Coffee has landed into the crosshairs of disgruntled customers. In 2020, customers sued Aldi and its two coffee suppliers for underfilling the Beaumont coffee containers. That lawsuit was dropped in 2021.

While some customers may consider keeping this instant coffee around for a rainy day, it wasn't just the taste that disappointed our testers. In our review (we've also ranked the best bottled iced coffees!), the fragrance, body, and overall style of this instant coffee was just weaker than other options, so you're best off buying a different brand. It even under-performed Folgers instant coffee, which came across a bit bitter, though it dissolved quickly in hot water.