Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence: the dark roast jar

Richness and strength are different things, and Pure Indulgence is the clearest proof of that on our instant shelf. It is deeper, rounder and longer than Pure Gold, yet it has no hard edge, so anyone expecting a punch will be surprised.

Depth without bite

Douwe Egberts calls Pure Indulgence rich, full bodied and a classic dark roast, and labels it freeze dried instant coffee. In the mug the depth comes from roast character rather than bitterness: a round body that fills the cup, a warm roasted sweetness, and a finish that carries on well after you swallow. Bitterness stays low, much as it does in the everyday jar.

That combination is rarer than it sounds. Most coffees that taste darker also taste harsher, which is why one mug of this tends to feel like enough. Expect a jolt and you may be let down; expect length and you will see what the jar is for. The darker roast also carries heavier, caramelised aromas, and they are the first thing to rise from the mug.

Indulgence or Gold: choosing between them

Taste a mug of each and the difference arrives after the swallow. Pure Gold finishes quickly and leaves the palate clean, the right behaviour for a working morning. Pure Indulgence lingers, so it suits the cup after dinner or the weekend mug you actually sit down with. It works well as a second jar next to an open Gold, one for fuel and one for pleasure.

Pure Gold and Pure Indulgence both come in 190g jars, each giving about 95 mugs at a rounded teaspoon, so choosing between the two is about flavour, not size. If caffeine late in the evening is the worry, Pure Decaf is the third jar we stock from the range, and the 400g Pure Gold Medium Roast covers the busy office kettle.

Brewing the richer jar

Aroma is what a darker roast gives you and what boiling water takes away first. Let the kettle rest for thirty seconds to a minute, so the water sits at about 90 to 95°C, and more of that depth stays in the mug instead of escaping as steam. With a jar bought for its richness, this small pause matters more than it does with an everyday coffee.

One rounded teaspoon, around two grams, is enough for a 200ml mug; the body is already there, so there is no need to heap the spoon. It stands up better than Gold in a big mug, black or with a little milk. Put something buttery or dark chocolate beside it, because a long finish carries a rich biscuit in a way a lighter coffee cannot.

The packs we stock

• Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence Instant Coffee, 190g (barcode 8711000279410)

What to eat with it

• Thomas Fudge's 6 Dark Chocolate Florentines: Dark chocolate beside a dark roast is the most natural match on this list, and the long finish carries it.
• Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies, 340g: Plain butter cookies step back and let the roasted depth of the coffee do the talking.
• McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestives Biscuits, 266g: A milk chocolate digestive softens the finish for anyone who takes the coffee with a splash of milk.
• Border Butterscotch Crunch Organic Biscuits, 135g: Butterscotch picks up the warm roasted sweetness that sits in the middle of the cup.

Elsewhere in the Douwe Egberts range

• Douwe Egberts Pure Decaf Instant Coffee, 190g
• Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Instant Coffee, 190g
• Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Medium Roast Instant Coffee, 400g

The full range is on the Douwe Egberts brand page.

FAQ

Does Pure Indulgence hit harder than Pure Gold? Richer rather than harsher. It is the classic dark roast of the range, with more body and a longer finish, but its bitterness stays low.

Is Pure Indulgence a freeze dried coffee? Yes. Douwe Egberts labels it freeze-dried instant coffee.

When is Pure Indulgence best drunk? After dinner or at the weekend, when there is time to notice the long finish. For a quick morning mug, Pure Gold is the better fit.

What is the right amount of Pure Indulgence for one mug? One rounded teaspoon, about two grams, per 200ml mug. The body is already full, so there is no need to heap it.

Is Pure Indulgence a good choice for a large mug? Yes. Its fuller body stands up better than Pure Gold in a large mug, black or with a splash of milk.

Curator's note: Save this jar for an evening mug on the sofa and put a square of dark chocolate beside it. Of the four Douwe Egberts jars we carry, it is the one I actually sit down with. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Douwe Egberts Pure Indulgence: the dark roast jar

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• Tea vs Coffee: Taste, Caffeine and Switching
• Caffeine in Tea
• Tea vs Coffee
• Tea for Coffee Drinkers: Where to Start
• Chai vs Coffee
• Best Instant Coffee UK

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