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Most instant coffee fades under milk. Intense is built for the opposite job: a dark jar whose bitterness is the structure that keeps a big milky mug tasting of coffee.
Instant with roast coffee in it
L'Or describes Intense as a blend of finely ground roast coffee and instant coffee, which is why it carries more roast character than a plain soluble jar. L'Or's Artiste Vigoroso instant is built the same way. Of L'Or's two everyday instants, Classique is the rounder, shorter one; Intense goes darker and heavier, with a long, dry, cocoa-edged finish.
On the nose it is toast and cocoa, and in the middle there is a bitterness that belongs there. That bitterness is what lasts to the bottom of a 300ml mug, where a softer jar has faded out. If you like a soft, sweet cup you will find it severe, and no amount of kettle technique will change that.
Water, dose and milk
Let the kettle rest for thirty seconds to a minute after it boils. Instant is already brewed and dried, so water at a full boil adds nothing and scorches the aroma, pushing a dark roast towards harshness. One rounded teaspoon, about 2g, is enough for a 200ml mug. Intense rarely needs more for strength, so a strong-coffee household gets through a jar no faster than it would a milder blend.
A half-milk mug wants two level spoons instead of one rounded, because milk thins the flavour as well as the colour. By our own reckoning a 150g jar gives around 75 mugs at a rounded teaspoon each. And if a mug ever tastes sharp rather than deep, stir a few grains of salt into the dry granules before reaching for sugar: salt tames bitterness, where sugar only covers it.
Why keep a jar beside the capsule machine
There is a practical case for a jar even in a kitchen with a capsule machine. A mug of instant uses about 2g of coffee and leaves nothing behind: no grounds, no filter, no capsule. It will not taste like a freshly ground cup, but for the mugs made on autopilot it creates less waste. We stock L'Or on both sides for that kind of kitchen: one brand for the capsule machine and for the kettle.
If you would rather refill than buy a new jar each time, we also stock the Intense Paper Refill, made for topping up the jar you already have. Keep the lid on tight either way, because aroma is the first thing a jar left open loses, and a freshly made mug smells strongest in its first few minutes.
The packs we stock
- L'Or Intense Instant Coffee, 150g (barcode 8711000380741)
What to eat with it
- Maryland Cookies Double Chocolate, 200g: Double chocolate matches the cocoa edge of a dark instant, and a milky mug softens both.
- Border Butterscotch Crunch Organic Biscuits, 135g: Butterscotch sweetness is the counterweight to the dry, bitter finish of Intense.
- Maryland Cookies S'wich Choc Creme Biscuits, 150g: A creme-filled chocolate cookie beside a big milky mug makes an easy afternoon break.
Elsewhere in the L'Or range
- L'Or Artiste Vigoroso Intensity 8 Instant Coffee, 95g
- L'Or Classique Instant Coffee, 150g
- L'Or Espresso Colombia Intensity 8, Aluminium Coffee, 10 Capsules
- L'Or Espresso Destinations Santorini 10 x Intensity Coffee, 52g
- L'Or Espresso Lungo Profondo Intensity 8 Coffee, 40 Pods 208g
- L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g
The full range is on the L'Or brand page.
FAQ
How is L'Or Intense different from ordinary instant? L'Or blends finely ground roast coffee with the instant, so the mug carries more roast character than a plain soluble coffee.
How much should I use per mug? A rounded teaspoon, about 2g, per 200ml mug, or two level teaspoons for a half-milk mug.
Why does my instant taste bitter? Usually the water is too hot. Let the kettle stand for thirty seconds to a minute before pouring.
Should I choose Intense or Classique? Intense if you take plenty of milk or find instants thin; Classique if you prefer a rounder, softer cup.
How many mugs does the jar make? Around 75 at a rounded teaspoon each, which is our own reckoning rather than a figure on the jar.
Curator's note: Make it strong, add your milk and let the bitterness do its job; it is what carries the mug. Try the pinch of salt before you decide it is too sharp. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.
In short: L'Or Intense Instant Coffee: Making a Strong Mug Properly
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Brand | L'Or |
| Packs we stock | 150g |
| Category | Instant Coffee |
| Caffeine | caffeinated |
| Dose | One rounded teaspoon per 200ml |
| Water | Just off the boil |
| Best with | A double chocolate cookie |
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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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