Calling all coffee lovers! It is halfway through the semester. You have a cold. Fourteen assignments due in two days. You haven’t slept in a week. You can’t remember the last time you ate something other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

You only have one source of caffeine that isn’t chocolate—coffee. But like many college students, you do not want to spend 20 euro a week on Starbucks, you don’t want to clean a French Press, and you want coffee now.

Instant coffee is dried coffee extract. You can simply make a cup by adding a teaspoon or two to a cup of hot water or milk. Fun Fact—People have been drinking instant coffee for over 250 years! First enjoyed in England in 1771, instant coffee has been mass produced ever since.

Instant coffee has beneficial antioxidants, boosts your metabolism, improves mental health, and promotes similar health benefits to other types of coffee. Over the past few weeks, I have tried nearly every instant coffee brand in Tesco, SuperValu, and our beloved Aldi. Below are my choices for the top ten instant coffee brands. Check them out!

10.) Maxwell House—7.99 from Tesco

9.) Tesco Gold—1.50 from Tesco

8.) Kenco Smooth—3.00 from SuperValu

7.) Nescafe Original—4.15 from Tesco

6.) Carte Noire Instant Classique—4.00 from Tesco

5.) Bewley’s Gold Roast—4.99 from SuperValu

4.) Nescafe Gold Blend—8.99 from Tesco

3.) Kenco Millicano Americano—3.49 from SuperValu

2.) Nescafe Azera Americano— 4.39 from Tesco

1.) Arabica Medium Roast Columbian Specialty Select—4.99 Aldi

Arabica Medium Roast is my absolute favorite instant coffee brand! It has a perfectly light yet bold flavor, more caffeine than most instant coffee brands, and comes in a sizable container for the price. Add a little bit of cream and hot cocoa powder, you have the perfect mocha! Forget waiting in line for a cup of coffee, get you some of this instant coffee stuff today!