I love a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, but the cost of a daily Starbucks run adds up quickly. And while it would be ideal to make my own at home…I don’t. So to find an acceptable store-bought option I enlisted my family and did a blind taste test of 15 grocery-store single-serve coffees.
Lucky for you, I didn’t put a whole lot of stock in my kids’ ratings.
There are millions of options on grocery store shelves. To limit our test I stuck with ones that had milk (or cream) and were sweetened. I avoided flavored coffees but if there wasn’t a simple “coffee” flavored option, selected Vanilla since that seemed to be the most basic. We judged each drink on its coffee flavor, creaminess, and sweetness. And let’s just get this out of the way right now: Nothing comes close to a freshly-crafted cup of coffee from your favorite barista. But here some options you might come across if you’re looking for a convenient and affordable option.
Everyone’s preferences vary so I’m not ranking them, but giving you more information so you can decide yourself if they’re coffees you want to try.
Blue Bottle New Orleans Style Iced Coffee (Original)
This one is not widely available, but after reading reviews about it I really wanted to give it a try so I tracked it down. This had some of the boldest coffee we sampled which was pretty good, but I wasn’t crazy about the added chicory flavor. It was pretty creamy and not overly sweet; I think I would have liked this better without the chicory. But overall, it was a pretty strong contender.
Volume: 10.6 oz
Calories: 160
Sugar: 17 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $3.99 (Whole Foods)
Califia XX Espresso Cold Brew Coffee with Almondmilk
This dairy-free vegan option needs to be kept refrigerated; it has a non-dairy flavor which was abundantly clear in the blind taste test. It came in as our creamiest option and slightly sweet, however the coffee flavor itself was very weak which took away the draw of this as a “coffee” beverage. If you’re not crazy about strong coffee, you might enjoy this one.
Volume: 10.5 oz
Calories: 100
Sugar: 13 g
Caffeine: approx 100 mg
Price: $2.99 (Whole Foods)
Chameleon Organic Cold-Brew Whole Milk Latte
This canned latte is made with organic whole milk and sweetened with a little organic sugar. Its creaminess is middle-of-the-road with just a touch of sweetness and a pronounced coffee flavor – coffee is the star of this drink. Unfortunately, it’s not great coffee. This wasn’t one of our favorites.
Volume: 8 oz
Calories: 70
Sugar: 6 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $2.99 (Whole Foods)
Dunkin’ Iced Coffee (Original)
Want a coffee treat? This was surprisingly good – but it’s very sweet so if that’s not your thing, this isn’t your drink. It didn’t taste chemical-y or like fake sugar (like several of the other options), so this could be a decent treat drink once in awhile if that’s what you’re looking for.
Volume: 13.7 oz
Calories: 260
Sugar: 39 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $2.49 (Fred Meyer)
High Brew Cold-Brew Coffee (Double Espresso)
If you like black coffee with barely a touch of cream and sugar, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s strong coffee and tastes fairly acidic but the coffee itself isn’t bad. Honestly I couldn’t tell that there was any milk or sweetener in it. Maybe if you’re a black coffee drinker, you can.
Volume: 8 oz
Calories: 50
Sugar: 6 g
Caffeine: 140 mg
Price: $2.99 (Albertsons)
High Brew Cold-Brew Coffee (Mexican Vanilla)
This was my personal favorite. The coffee was strong and good, it’s creamy and not overly sweet, and has a unique hint of vanilla. If you want coffee to be the star but still want a rich & creamy drink, try this.
Volume: 8 oz
Calories: 90
Sugar: 14 g
Caffeine: 130-150 mg
Price: $2.99 (Albertsons)
Kitu Super Coffee (Vanilla)
This is an energy drink masquerading as coffee. It also contains 10g of protein. I’m definitely not looking for a caffeine boost, but decided to try it because since it’s sweetened with monk fruit it’s a low-carb option to review. All I can say is WOW this was sweet, and it was clear in the blind taste test it was a sugar substitute. If you’re watching carbs but still have a sweet tooth, you might love this. It’s thick and the protein will keep you full so it could be a great mid-afternoon snack.
Volume: 12 oz
Calories: 70
Sugar: less than 1 g
Caffeine: 200 mg
Price: $3.00 (Target)
La Colombe Triple Shot Draft Latte
This nitrous-infused drink is naturally creamy with a touch of sweetness (but not too sweet). You can clearly taste the coffee, though I found myself wanting a little more boldness in the brew. It’s the equivalent of three shots of espresso and though it has milk, it’s lactose free. It wasn’t my favorite, but it wasn’t terrible, either.
Volume: 9 oz
Calories: 100
Sugar: 12 g
Caffeine: 175 mg
Price: $3.29 (Whole Foods)
Rise Nitro Brewing Company Nitro Cold Brew Coffee (Classic Latte)
Both Rise Cold Brews have a super-satisfying extended hissing sound when you pop the top. The nitro makes it naturally creamy, smooth, and not bitter and leaves an authentic Nitro Cold Brew foam on the top. As with most of the other coffees, I found myself wanting a stronger coffee flavor but overall this was one of my top contenders.
Volume: 7 oz
Calories: 120
Sugar: 17 g
Caffeine: 80 mg
Price: $2.99 (Albertsons)
Rise Nitro Brewing Company Nitro Cold Brew Coffee (Oak Milk Latte)
I was trying to stick to coffees with traditional milk-based creamers, but saw reviews online touting the deliciousness of this coffee so I had to try it. It’s dairy-free and vegan, and again has the fantastic Nitro creaminess and foam. Unfortunately, we found the coffee flavor to be very watery and weak.
Volume: 7 oz
Calories: 110
Sugar: 12 g
Caffeine: 80 mg
Price: $2.99 (Albertsons)
Starbucks Doubleshot Espresso (Espresso & Cream)
This was sweeter than I expected it to be; the coffee flavor was strong (though not as good as you get in an actual Starbucks store, of course) and it was pretty creamy. This is a decent store-bought option if you don’t mind the sweetness.
Volume: 6.5 oz
Calories: 140
Sugar: 18 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $2.19 (Fred Meyer)
Starbucks Frappuccino (Coffee)
Full disclosure, I’m addicted to these. They are my go-to for a coffee treat – but with the highest calorie count and most grams of sugar of the bunch, it’s not exactly a healthy choice. But it is sweet and creamy so if you want a treat, this could be something you’ll love. The “coffee” version is a touch less sweet than the other flavors.
Volume: 13.7 oz
Calories: 300
Sugar: 47 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $2.99 (Fred Meyer)
Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew (Vanilla Sweet Cream)
I LOVE Nitro with a splash of sweet cream at Starbucks. Like, LOVE LOVE LOVE. I tried this canned version once in the store and wasn’t impressed but after reading reviews realized I did it wrong. Serving is fairly complex – you have to chill, then gently tilt the can one time, pop the tab, and pour it out. There are mixed reviews online about whether this “works” but apparently when it does, it’s just like the real thing. When I tried it this time there was a satisfying foam (though nothing like what you get in-store) but the taste fell flat. The coffee wasn’t nearly as rich and it had a finish of slightly fake sweetener. As a standalone chilled coffee drink it’s actually not bad (though there are better options out there). But if your brain is comparing it to the in-store Nitro, you’re going to be disappointed.
Volume: 9.6 oz
Calories: 70
Sugar: 11 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $3.49 (Fred Meyer)
Stumptown Original Cold Brew Coffee with Cream & Sugar
This coffee is produced by a PNW company (Portland) and is made with half & half, setting this one apart from most of the others which are made with reduced-fat milk. The downside is that, unlike most of the other varieties, it is not shelf-stable and needs to be stored in the refrigerator. I was really excited to try this one since I thought a PNW company was bound to offer fantastic coffee. Unfortunately the drink was thin and the coffee flavor weak & watery. If you don’t want a strong coffee flavor but enjoy creaminess without too much sweetness, you may like this one better than I did.
Volume: 11 oz
Calories: 150
Sugar: 14 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $3.99 (Fred Meyer)
Victoria Allen’s Iced Latte (Vanilla)
I wanted to offer a super budget-friendly option, so this one comes from Dollar Tree. This was one of our sweetest and creamiest drink options, though I tasted a small hint of fake sweetener. All in all, it’s a rich treat that was better than I expected for a one-dollar coffee. It was pretty light on the coffee flavoring, though.
Volume: 11 oz
Calories: 200
Sugar: 32 g
Caffeine: not listed
Price: $1.00 (Dollar Tree)
What’s your favorite single-serve iced coffee?