Giraldo Farms vs Nescafé: Which Instant Coffee Actually Wins?

Nescafé wins on price and shelf space. Giraldo Farms wins on consistency: every jar, decaf and flavors included, is freeze-dried 100% Colombian Arabica.

Nescafé says people drink about 6,100 cups of its instant coffee every second. Giraldo Farms is a small, woman-owned brand from New York, started by two founders from Colombian coffee families. On size, it's no contest.

But size isn't what you taste. If you're looking for the best instant coffee, the questions that matter are simple. What beans are in the jar? How was the coffee dried? What does a cup really cost?

Yes, you're reading this on the Giraldo Farms blog. So we'll link every source and say plainly where Nescafé comes out ahead.

The quick verdict

Pick Nescafé for the lowest price and a jar in every store. Pick Giraldo Farms for freeze-dried Colombian Arabica across its whole line.

Both give you coffee with no machine, no pods, no cleanup. After that, they part ways.

Giraldo Farms vs Nescafé at a glance

Nescafé's Clásico line is spray-dried and its Taster's Choice line is freeze-dried. Every Giraldo Farms jar is freeze-dried 100% Colombian Arabica.

Most instant coffee brand comparisons miss this. "Nescafé" isn't one coffee. The US lineup runs from Clásico to Gold Espresso, and the beans and drying method change from jar to jar. So we compared the specific jars you'll find on a US shelf.

Giraldo Farms prices come from giraldofarms.com. Nescafé prices come from Walmart.com, except Taster's Choice 100% Colombian, from Kroger.com. Nescafé's US FAQ says Clásico is "sprayed into a hot chamber" and Taster's Choice is "frozen before being dried."

Where do the beans come from?

Giraldo Farms uses only Colombian Arabica. Nescafé Clásico Dark Roast blends in Robusta, though two Nescafé jars are 100% Colombian Arabica.

Nescafé: a global blend built for scale

Nescafé launched in Switzerland in 1938. Nestlé created it after Brazil asked for help using a huge coffee surplus.

Today, Nestlé says 90% of Nescafé's coffee comes from Brazil, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, and Vietnam. The flagship Clásico Dark Roast is "a blend of premium Arabica and Robusta coffee beans."

To be fair, the Nescafé vs Colombian coffee choice isn't either-or. Nescafé sells two 100% Colombian jars. Clásico Colombia uses Arabica grown around Santuario, in Risaralda. Taster's Choice 100% Colombian also uses only Colombian Arabica.

Giraldo Farms: one country, one species

Every Giraldo Farms jar holds 100% Colombian Arabica, medium roasted. That includes the Organic, the Decaf, and the Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Amaretto flavors.

The people behind it know coffee country firsthand. Co-founder Andrea Giraldo is a native New Yorker who made her first trip to Colombia's coffee region at eight days old. Co-founder Andres Arango has worked in coffee for more than three decades. He trained as an agronomist and has given technical help to more than 1,500 coffee farmers.

In a 2013 interview reposted on our News page, Andrea said the coffee was sourced from her hometown of Manizales, in Caldas. Caldas is part of Colombia's UNESCO-listed Coffee Cultural Landscape. So is Risaralda, where Nescafé's Clásico Colombia beans grow.

Colombian coffee even has a legal identity. WIPO notes that Colombian coffee is 100% washed Arabica. In 2007, "Café de Colombia" became the first product from outside the European Union to earn the EU's protected geographical indication.

Why Arabica vs Robusta changes your cup

Robusta costs less than Arabica and tastes more bitter.

In August 2026, the International Coffee Organization put Colombian Milds at 387 cents a pound. Robustas averaged 181 cents, less than half. The US International Trade Commission says Robusta "is primarily used for the production of soluble (instant) coffee and for blends."

Flavor follows the bean. World Coffee Research says Robusta is often "lower in acidity, higher in bitterness, and more 'full-bodied.'" A 2020 review by Kansas State University taste researchers cites a cold-brew study. In it, Robusta scored higher for smoky, ashy, burnt, and acrid notes. Arabica scored higher for nutty, sweet, floral, and fruity ones.

Colombia is also experimenting with Robusta. The research agency AGROSAVIA and Nestlé are testing it in low areas where coffee isn't usually grown. In 2023, Nestlé pledged to buy the project's harvest for its Bugalagrande factory, per AGROSAVIA. If bean type matters to you, look for "100% Arabica" on the label.

Freeze-dried vs spray-dried: what does drying do to flavor?

Freeze-drying keeps more of coffee's aroma than spray-drying. In one peer-reviewed study, freeze-dried coffee kept 77% of its aroma compounds. Spray-dried kept 57%.

All instant coffee starts the same way. A factory brews roasted coffee into a strong liquid concentrate. Then it takes the water out. How it does that shapes what lands in your mug.

How spray-drying works

Spray-drying uses heat. The concentrate is misted into a hot chamber, and the water flashes off as the droplets fall. What's left is a fine powder. Makers often wet that powder again so it clumps into bigger granules. This step is called agglomeration.

It's fast, and it costs less. Freeze-drying uses three to five times more energy, according to Sucafina, a major coffee supplier.

How freeze-drying works

Freeze-drying uses cold. The concentrate is frozen to about -40°C, which is also -40°F. The frozen slab is broken into granules. Then a vacuum turns the ice straight into vapor, so the coffee stays frozen while it dries. A Politecnico di Torino engineer explains that these low temperatures "avoid aroma and colour deterioration."

What the research says

The 77% and 57% figures come from a 2015 lab study in the Journal of Food Engineering. Researchers dried coffee extract three ways and measured the aroma compounds left behind. They measured smell, not taste. That's strong evidence, but it isn't proof of a better cup.

Drying isn't the whole story, though. Beans and roast matter too. In a 2024 Tasting Table ranking of 14 Nescafé coffees, spray-dried Clásico placed second. Every freeze-dried Taster's Choice jar ranked below it.

Spray-dried coffee has real strengths. Sucafina says it "dissolves faster than freeze-dried in cold water or milk" and often does better with milk and sugar. It describes freeze-dried coffee as "clean, crisp" with "brighter top notes," the traits you notice most in a black cup.

How to tell which one is in your jar

Pour a little onto a white plate and look.

• Freeze-dried coffee looks like small, dark, glassy chips with sharp edges.
• Spray-dried coffee is a fine powder, or soft, rounded clumps if it was agglomerated.
• The label often tells you. Every Giraldo Farms product page says the coffee is freeze-dried. If your jar doesn't say, check the brand's FAQ.

How do Giraldo Farms and Nescafé taste? What testers found

Taste tests split. HuffPost's 2012 blind test ranked Giraldo Farms 6th of 20 and Clásico 17th. Spoon University ranked Clásico first, Giraldo Farms last.

We didn't want to grade our own coffee, so here's what outside tasters found. HuffPost's panel tasted 20 brands blind and put Starbucks VIA Colombia first. Spoon University's 2017 ranking was one writer's take on 10 brands. Tasting Table's 2024 test covered 14 Nescafé coffees and no other brands.

Both tests that tried Giraldo Farms, five years apart, called it mild with a caramel note. Both also mentioned a watery body and a powdery coating on the tongue. If you've had that cup, try a heaping teaspoon or a little less water, and stir until every granule is gone. These tests are years old, so the one that counts is yours (see below).

Critics are split on Taster's Choice House Blend too. Coffee Review scored it 63 out of 100 in 2018 and called it "Not a pleasant experience." Tasting Table ranked it the best of the Taster's Choice jars.

Which costs less per cup?

Nescafé Clásico Dark Roast costs about 5 cents per gram. Giraldo Farms costs 8.5 to 10 cents, or 1.7 to 2 times as much.

Cups-per-jar claims can fool you. Nescafé says its 7 oz Clásico jar "makes up to 100 cups." That's about 2 grams of coffee per cup. Giraldo Farms says its 3.52 oz jar makes 27 to 35 cups, or about 2.9 to 3.7 grams per cup. Both labels say one teaspoon, but the cup counts imply different amounts of coffee.

So we priced every jar by the gram. Then we priced a cup at two common doses.

Shipping counts too. Giraldo Farms charges a flat $8 for UPS Ground. One Large Jar plus shipping comes to about 12.5 cents per gram. Two Large Jars in one order bring it down to about 10.5 cents.

If price is your top concern, Nescafé Clásico wins this round. A bold 3 g cup from the Giraldo Farms Large Jar costs about 26 cents before shipping, or about 38 cents with shipping on a single jar.

Which has more caffeine?

Nescafé's FAQ puts typical instant coffee at about 57 mg of caffeine per 6 oz. Giraldo Farms lists about 44 mg per 6 oz cup.

Nescafé's figure covers instant coffee in general, not Clásico alone. Still, Robusta carries roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica, so a 100% Arabica instant tends to run gentler. For reference, the Mayo Clinic puts a typical 8 oz cup of instant at 62 mg and brewed coffee at 96 mg.

Want more kick from Giraldo Farms? Use a heaping teaspoon. More coffee in the cup means more caffeine.

Decaf drinkers have a choice on both sides. Nescafé uses "a specialized water process." Giraldo Farms Decaf is decaffeinated with "a natural water process" and is still 100% Colombian Arabica.

Run your own blind taste test in 10 minutes

Weigh equal amounts of each coffee into matching mugs and have a friend label them. Taste both black, then score aroma, body, acidity, and aftertaste.

Don't take our word for any of this. Here's how to settle it in your own kitchen.

1. Weigh the coffee. Put 2.5 grams of each into matching mugs. Freeze-dried granules are bigger than spray-dried powder, so teaspoons won't give you equal amounts.
2. Label them blind. Have someone else mark the bottom of each mug A or B and keep the key.
3. Use the same water. Pour 8 oz into each mug. Nescafé recommends water at 80°C (176°F), not boiling. Whatever you pick, use it for both.
4. Stir until clear. Keep going until no granules are left on the spoon or the bottom.
5. Smell, then sip. Score each mug from 1 to 5 for aroma, body, acidity, and aftertaste.
6. Taste again in five minutes. Coffee changes as it cools. Professional tasters check it at more than one temperature for that reason.
7. Add your usual milk or sugar. Taste once more. That's the cup you'll really drink.

Tell us who won. Tag @giraldofarms on Instagram with your scores.

The verdict: which is the best instant coffee for you?

Nescafé Clásico is the best instant coffee for tight budgets and milky cups. Giraldo Farms suits black-coffee drinkers who want Colombian Arabica in every jar.

Our take: if you drink three cups a day with milk and sugar, Clásico's price is hard to beat. If you drink your coffee black, the beans and the drying method matter more. That's where Giraldo Farms earns its price.

The best way to settle it is your own mug. Grab a 3.52 oz jar of Giraldo Farms Regular ($9.99, plus $8 flat shipping), set it next to your Nescafé, and run the test above. Want the flavors too? The Taste of Colombia Bundle puts Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Amaretto in one order for 10% off.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best instant coffee?

It depends on how you drink it. For the lowest cost, Nescafé Clásico is hard to beat at about 5 cents per gram. For black coffee, look for freeze-dried 100% Arabica from one origin, like Giraldo Farms or Taster's Choice 100% Colombian. Then run a blind test at home, since your own taste is the final judge.

Is Nescafé real coffee?

Yes. Nescafé says Clásico, Taster's Choice, and Gold Espresso "contain 100% pure instant coffee." The Clásico Colombia jar lists one ingredient: coffee. Instant coffee is brewed coffee with the water taken out. Flavored versions can add other ingredients, so read the label.

Is Nescafé Arabica or Robusta?

It depends on the jar. Nescafé lists Clásico Dark Roast and Taster's Choice House Blend as blends of Arabica and Robusta. Clásico Colombia and Taster's Choice 100% Colombian use only Colombian Arabica. If bean type matters to you, look for "100% Arabica" on the label.

Is freeze-dried instant coffee better than spray-dried?

For aroma, usually yes. A 2015 study found freeze-dried coffee kept 77% of its aroma compounds, compared with 57% for spray-dried. Beans and roast still matter. Some spray-dried coffees beat freeze-dried ones in taste tests, and spray-dried powder dissolves faster in cold drinks.

Which Giraldo Farms and Nescafé coffees are 100% Colombian Arabica?

Every Giraldo Farms jar is 100% Colombian Arabica, and every one is freeze-dried. Nescafé offers two 100% Colombian jars. Clásico Colombia is spray-dried, and Taster's Choice 100% Colombian is freeze-dried. Colombia's commercial coffee is washed Arabica, though a research project is now testing Robusta in lowland areas.

Does instant coffee have less caffeine than brewed coffee?

Usually, yes. The Mayo Clinic lists about 62 mg for an 8 oz cup of instant and 96 mg for brewed. The bean matters too. Robusta has roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica, so blends with Robusta tend to run stronger. Adding more coffee to your cup raises the caffeine.

Why does instant coffee taste bitter?

Robusta beans are a common cause. World Coffee Research describes Robusta as "higher in bitterness." Too much powder can also push a cup toward bitter. For a smoother cup, try a 100% Arabica coffee. Nescafé also suggests water at 80°C (176°F) rather than boiling, to bring out the flavor.