I tried cheap Poundland coffees – the winner was only 10p and better than Starbucks

WHEN I saw a box of 10 coffee sachets for £1 in Poundland, I snobbishly assumed they wouldn’t taste amazing.

But I was just looking for something cheap and half-decent I could throw in my bag to take to work, and it seemed hard to go wrong for 10p per drink.

I found six boxes of different coffees in Poundland that worked out as cheap, if not cheaper than the own-brand versions on offer at bargain supermarket Aldi.

The most expensive coffee I found was 12p per sachet for a latte by a well-known brand – the same price as Aldi’s version.

But some coffees were as cheap as 8p per drink.

We decided to put all of Poundland’s coffees worth 12p or less to the test to see if any rivalled a more expensive high street brew – and we were really impressed by some of the results.

Mokate Gold Latte Classic

• £1 for 10 sachets

I’ve never been one for instant lattes as I like a proper milky brew, but these powdered sachets pleasantly surprised me.

They come in a nice gold wrapping that makes them look more expensive than they are.

This latte has quite a mild flavour, which I like, but leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.

It’s also relatively “low fat” compared to other brands as it uses skimmed milk powder.

Despite this, the consistency isn’t too watery and I hardly noticed the difference.

It did the job and I’d happily have one of these a day to wake me up gently.

• TASTE: 6/10
• Price: 9/10
• Overall: 15/20

Mokate Gold Latte Caramel

• £1 for 10 sachets

I have a sweet tooth, so this tasty caramel latte was definitely the winner for me.

The caramel flavour is quite mild, but it is definitely noticeably sweeter than the regular latte and leaves a more pleasant aftertaste.

Plus, the price is very hard to beat at just 10p per sachet – 2p cheaper than Aldi’s own-brand version.

I’d definitely pay a lot more to be served this at a cafe and would have no complaints.

In fact, I’d pick this over a regular latte at Starbucks – which would cost £3 more.

I’ve now started taking these to work as a mid-morning pick-me-up.

• Taste: 9/10
• Price: 9/10
• Overall: 18/20

Mokate Gold Cappuccino Classic

• £1 for 10 sachets

While I generally prefer a latte to a cappuccino, this drink has a bit more of a kick than the latte by the same brand and the flavour is stronger without being overpowering.

The milk powder is still skimmed but you wouldn’t know as the final product feels quite full and creamy.

I was pretty impressed overall for 10p.

• Taste: 6/10
• Price: 9/10
• Overall: 15/20

NY Coffee 3 in 1 Instant White Coffee

• £1 for 12 sachets

This was the cheapest coffee I tested at just 8p per sachet, and I was really blown away by the flavour.

You’d never guess from the final product it came out of a packet as there’s a good froth of milk on top.

NYCoffee offers both a 2 in 1 and a 3 in 1 version of its instant coffee, the latter of which has sugar included.

I opted for this one as I have a sweet tooth, but I’m sure the 2 in 1 would be as good if you prefer a more bitter coffee.

If you’re not a coffee snob, it’s hard to go wrong with this one for 8p.

• Taste: 6/10
• Price: 10/10
• Overall: 16/20

Maxwell House 2 in 1 White Coffee

• £1 for 10 sachets

I think of Maxwell House as being a fairly upmarket coffee brand, so I was shocked to see a bag of 10 coffees for £1.

This drink is a similar powdered substance to the latte, but it has a stronger kick to it and would be a good one to start the day.

I was really impressed for the bargain price of 10p.

• Taste: 7/10
• Price: 9/10
• Overall: 16/20

Maxwell House Latte

• £1 for 8 sachets

Maxwell House’s lattes weren’t much more expensive at 8 for £1, or 12p per drink.

But I would say the extra 2p made a noticeable difference – the drink tasted more full and creamy than the cheaper lattes and the flavour was stronger.

As it says on the packet, this drink is definitely on the milkier side – good news if that’s your preference.

• Taste: 8/10
• Price: 8/10
• Overall: 16/20

We recently tested canned coffees including Starbucks and Costa, but a supermarket version trumped them.

And one of our reporters tried instant latte sachets from big brands like Nescafe and Starbucks and all the major supermarkets, finding a 95p own-brand box came out on top.

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