It’s 6:19am and I’m not quite ready to get out of bed. I need some sunlight to greet me and encourage me to rise. Instead of the sun gently waking me up, my 4 year old is climbing all over my head as he tangles up the covers and rattles off a list of demands for the day.
Maybe you don’t have a rambunctious 4 year old jumping on your bed before the break of dawn, but chances are an alarm, an appointment, school, work demands, or something is pushing you out of bed. And you probably need a cup of coffee to make the morning run a little smoother.
And as much as I love a slow morning rhythm with a meticulously-made cup of specialty pour over coffee, it’s just not always feasible. We don’t always have time to make that perfect cup. Coffee set ups can get pricey and take up a ton of space. So what’s a good alternative?
The answer, my friend, is Specialty Instant Coffee.
Back in 2020 the world went a little crazy. As the world was falling apart, my family and I decided it was time to leave Atlanta and find a new place to call home.
As we traveled from coast to coast in search of our new home, we ran into a problem— all the coffee shops were closed. Even the Green Mermaids that dotted the interstate refused to let people through their doors. And we seriously needed some coffee to fuel our journey.
Luckily, a specialty coffee roaster in Wilmington, Delaware called Brandywine Coffee Roasters was making specialty instant coffee and shipping it all over the nation. Now all we needed was a cup of hot water, which could be found at most gas stations.
Thus began my love, and slight obsession, with specialty instant coffee.
A few Specialty Coffee Shops started offering limited-edition instant coffee. But, it was just about a year ago that Specialty Instant Coffee became a regular offering from all of my favorite coffee roasters.
Specialty Instant Coffee is not your grandparents jar of crystalized Folger’s Coffee. This new wave of Specialty Instant Coffee makes a beautifully crafted cup of coffee that you can make in 30 seconds, but sip and savor like a fancy pour-over. And all you have to do is add hot water!
My husband and I LOVE specialty coffee. We jumped on the third wave bandwagon over 15 years ago and never looked back. We attended numerous coffee cuppings and hosted them ourselves. I was even a SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) judge when we lived in Atlanta. Some people even referred to us as “coffee snobs” because we had very high standards.
In the past, whenever we traveled, we would pack up our kettle, grinder, scale, Frenchpress, Aeropress, Chemex and drag them along with us. This summer, all we took was a sandwich-sized ziplock bag with packets of Onyx and PERC Instant Coffee. And we enjoyed fabulous cups of coffee every single morning.
So, whether you are too busy, don’t have the set-up, don’t have the room or want to spend the money for a fancy set-up, or simply want to make an easy and quick fantastic cup of coffee — Specialty Instant Coffee is the answer.
Here are some of my favorites.
PERC
PERC started as a coffee roaster in Savannah, GA in 2010. In addition to their Savannah location, they now have several retail shops dotted around my home-town of Atlanta, Georgia.
I went to a coffee cupping at PERC’s roastery in 2014 when I was pregnant with our first child. We cupped a decaf coffee and my mind was blown! PERC continues to roast my absolute favorite decaf coffee and I make sure to stay stocked up on their Specialty Instant Decaf. It tastes like nuts and a warm brownie. Their Columbia Young Producers Instant has tasting notes of Pink Starburst and Frosting– it is next level.
I love PERC’s playful and curious approach to coffee. And the hand-written notes on every order always make me feel like they really care about their customers.
Onyx Coffee Lab
Onyx is one of the reasons that I moved to Bentonville, AR. No joke. But, that is a story for another day.
Onyx seeks to produce the highest level of coffee and they have a strong emphasis on transparency. It is owned by husband and wife Jon Allen and Andrea Allen. Andrea was the 2020 US Barista Champion and the 2021 Runner-up World Barista Champion. And their headquarters in Rogers, Arkansas was named the number one coffee shop in the world for 2026 by The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
Their Specialty Instant Coffees are smooth and worth savoring. Their famous blends are regularly stocked but they rotate through various single-origin coffees throughout the year. My favorites are Tropical Weather, Decaf, and their Single-Origin Mexican Puebla Puhuac.
Partners Coffee Roasters
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Partners Coffee Roasters Specialty Instant Coffee is that perfect middle of the road coffee. It is on the darker side, with nutty notes, and deep chocolatey flavors. Their Brooklyn blend is the coffee I reach for when I want to add a splash of milk to my coffee.
These are just some of the Specialty Instant Coffees available across the US. New Specialty Instant Coffees are coming out all of the time. Give my recommendations a try and let me know what you think! You just might find your new favorite cup of coffee.