Nescafé Original vs Gold Blend: Taste, Jars and Method

Nescafé Original: The Bolder Everyday Jar

Nescafé Original is the jar most people picture when they hear the words instant coffee, and it is deliberately the harder-edged cup in the range.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Nescafé Original: The Bolder Everyday Jar, in summary: Original is the bolder, more bitter granule beneath freeze-dried Gold Blend, built to stand up to milk and sugar. Pour just off the boil, use a teaspoon per 200ml mug, and pick the jar by household size.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Nescafé Original is the jar most people picture when they hear the words instant coffee, and it is deliberately the harder-edged cup in the range. Its bitterness is not a flaw to apologise for; it is the reason a mug with milk and two sugars still tastes of coffee right to the bottom.

Original and Gold Blend, side by side

Within the Nescafé range, Original is the standard soluble granule and Gold Blend is the freeze-dried tier above it. Of the two, Original is the bolder and the more bitter, with Gold Blend the gentler choice. Drunk black, Original gives a harder, drier, shorter cup with an edge some people find harsh. Drunk with milk, that same edge turns into backbone.

Its label reads simply soluble coffee, and the published list names none of the 14 major allergens. The profile is strong and dark-leaning with a medium body, because instant carries almost no coffee oils and its weight comes from how much you spoon in. That makes it a coffee to judge by consistency: the same mug, made the same way, every single morning.

Hot water, a teaspoon and an iced glass

The biggest single improvement is water that is not boiling. Boiling water scalds the granules, pulls the bitterness to the front and sends the aroma up as steam, so give the kettle about thirty seconds and pour at roughly 90 to 95°C. The pack's guide is one teaspoon, 1.8g, per 200ml mug; a large milky mug may want two.

Instant also makes a good base for iced coffee. Stir four rounded teaspoons into 200ml of hot water until dissolved, adding any sugar at this stage while it is warm enough to melt. Make it up to a litre with cold milk or water, chill it, and pour over ice. The bitter edge that suits a milky hot mug keeps a cold glass tasting of coffee too.

Which jar for which house

All three jars hold the same coffee, so the choice is about how quickly you get through it. The 100g jar suits a light or occasional drinker and stays fresh while it lasts. The 190g jar is the middle road for a couple. The 300g jar is for houses where several people drink coffee; at the pack's guide it makes about 166 mugs.

The empty jar is glass, which kerbside schemes generally take: rinse it, remove the lid, and see whether your council collects lids separately. And if a mug later in the day is the problem, a decaffeinated version of the same jar exists, so the household can keep the flavour and simply change which jar comes out after lunch.

The packs we stock

Nescafe Original Instant Coffee, 100g (barcode 5011546415468)
Nescafe Original Instant Coffee, 190g (barcode 8445291963764)
Nescafe Original Instant Coffee, 300g (barcode 5011546415499)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Nescafe Original Instant Coffee, 300g (barcode 5011546415499) names none of the 14 major allergens. Check the bolder Original jar before buying, since Nescafé can revise the recipe and its allergen advice.

Ingredients, as published: Soluble Coffee.

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The Original jar in your kitchen decides.

What to eat with it

McVitie's Original Hobnobs Biscuits - The Oaty One, 255g: A sturdy oat biscuit holds up to a quick dunk in a strong, bitter-edged mug.
Lotus Biscoff Caramelised Biscuits, 250g: Caramelised biscuit sweetness is the natural foil for Original's roast and bitterness, especially if you drink it black.
Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: Ginger warmth and dark chocolate match a dark-leaning roast instead of being drowned by it.

Elsewhere in the Nescafé range

The full range is on the Nescafé brand page.

FAQ

Is Nescafé Original stronger than Gold Blend? It is the bolder, more bitter of the two, and Gold Blend is the freeze-dried tier above it. Strength in the mug still depends on your spoon.

Does the big jar hold a different coffee from the small one? No. The jars differ only in size, so buy by how quickly your household gets through it.

How many mugs does a 300g jar make? Roughly 166, if you follow the pack and use a 1.8g teaspoon for each 200ml mug. Doubling the spoon halves the count.

Should I use boiling water for Nescafé Original? No. Let the kettle stand for about thirty seconds and pour at roughly 90 to 95°C; boiling water makes it harsher.

Is Nescafé Original caffeinated? Yes, it is standard caffeinated coffee. If you want the same taste later in the day, there is a decaffeinated version of the jar.

Curator's note: Take it with milk and sugar without apology. The bitter edge is there precisely so that mug still tastes of coffee. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Nescafé Original: The Bolder Everyday Jar

Field	Detail
Brand	Nescafé
Packs we stock	100g; 190g; 300g
Category	Instant Coffee
Allergens (as published)	Nescafé's published Original ingredients feature not one of the 14 major allergens.
Caffeine	caffeinated
Character	Bold, dark and bitter-edged
Best with	Milk, with or without sugar
Water	Just off the boil, 90 to 95°C