10 Best Japanese Instant Coffee 2024 | Start Your Mornings Right!

Whoever created instant coffee, bless their soul! It's great for those on the go. Here are the best Japanese Instant Coffee so you can start every morning with a smile!

Dive into the world of delicious and convenient Japanese instant coffee! Known for smooth taste and unique flavors, these coffees go beyond the bitter brew. Explore rich black coffees, creamy cafe au laits, or adventurous flavors like black sesame latte. Find your perfect cup of Japanese instant coffee, ready in seconds.

 

Which is the best Japanese instant coffee?

AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait is the best Japanese instant coffee. This sugar-conscious option offers a rich, deep roast flavor with a mild sweetness, perfect for those watching sugar intake while still enjoying a creamy coffee experience.

Best Japanese Instant Coffee -- Quick Summary

Best Japanese Instant Coffee	Type
AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait (No Sugar)	Coffee Stick
AGF Blendy Cafe Latory Assortment - 2 Flavors	Coffee Stick
AGF Blendy Cafe Latory Assortment - 5 Flavors	Coffee Stick
AGF Maxim Luxurious Coffee Special Blend	Coffee Powder
UCC The Blend Charcoal Roasted Sumiyaki Instant Coffee	Coffee Powder
UCC The Blend No 114 Instant Coffee	Coffee Powder
Kuki Sangyo Kuro Goma Latte	Coffee Powder
AGF Maxim Aroma Select Blend Instant Coffee	Coffee Powder
UCC The Blend No. 117 Instant Coffee	Coffee Powder
AGF MAXIM Black In Box Assortment Instant Coffee - 4 Flavours	Coffee Stick

Top Japanese Instant Coffee

AGF Blendy Coffee Japan Reviews

AGF Blendy Cafe Latory Assortment - 5 Flavors

Here’s another Blendy instant coffee assortment pack I found on Amazon. This assortment comes in 5 different flavors - so if you’re having a hard time choosing a single flavor, you can get this assortment pack and decide which one these best Japanese instant coffee sticks is your favorite. This is also an amazing gift for a coffee lover! 

 

Once you place the order though, you’ll receive a random selection of assorted flavors. However, let me list down my favorites! 

#1 Blendy Cafe Latory Rich Caramel Macchiato 

If you love caramel flavor, you’re definitely going to enjoy this! It has a mellow sweet and savory profile with a blend of creamy caramel and rich coffee. It contains 37 mg of caffeine. 

#2 Blendy Cafe Latory Milk Cafe Latte Non Sweet

This is great for those who want to watch their sugar intake or individuals with diabetes. This sugar free series of instant coffee by Blendy is nice and creamy without the sweetness. It has 63mg of caffeine. 

#3 Blendy Cafe Latory Rich Creamy Cappuccino 

This flavor is also a great option for coffee lovers. It has a distinctive taste and will definitely give you a boost to get through the day. 

#4 Blendy Cafe Latory Hazelnut Latte 

I absolutely love the hazelnut flavor in general so without a surprise this will definitely be on my list. It tastes absolutely amazing and you definitely taste the hazelnut flavor with every sip. It contains 57mg of caffeine. Definitely, one of the best Japanese instant coffee stick! 

#5 Blendy Cafe Latory Rich Creamy Caffe Latte Decaf

If you’re trying to reduce your caffeine content or you love coffee but your body doesn’t - then this decaf latte by Blendy is a great option for you. This instant coffee only has 5mg of caffeine with concentrated milk.

How To Use 

Hot: 

• Empty one sachet of Blendy instant coffee into a cup of hot water (160 ml)
• Stir well 

Cold:

• Empty one sachet of Blendy Instant coffee into a cup of hot water (80 ml)
• Add ice cubes, stir well until it becomes cold

AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait (No Sugar)

The first one of this list of best Japanese instant coffee is Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait. The only problem with 3 in one coffee sticks was that you couldn’t skip on the sugar. But here’s a sugar-free coffee stick by Blendy that is individually wrapped. 

It has a slightly bitter taste with a rich deep roasted flavor. It has 66 mg of caffeine and is perfect for those who are watching their sugar intake. One set has 30 sticks in it.  All you have to do is add hot water. 

How to use:

Hot:

• Empty one sachet of Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait in a cup 
• Add hot water (180 ml) and stir well 

Cold:

• Empty one sachet into hot water (90 ml)
• Add ice cubes
• Stir well until it becomes cold

AGF Blendy Cafe Latory Assortment - 2 Flavors

Blendy is one of my favorite Japanese instant coffee brands. I love most of the flavors offered by this coffee brand. Which is why I prefer getting an assortment pack like this one. In this one, you get two flavors - Blendy Cafe Latory Milk Cafe Latte and Rich Bitter Cafe Latte. 

Blendy Cafe Latory series offers a high-quality instant coffee. Honestly, it tastes like a freshly brewed cup of coffee you’d get at one of those fancy coffee shops. 

The milk cafe latte flavor is rich and creamy with 63mg caffeine and the Rich bitter cafe is comparatively darker and slightly bitter with 82mg caffeine. Both these are definitely one of the best Japanese Instant coffee!

How To Use

Hot: 

• Empty one sachet of Blendy instant coffee into a cup of hot water (160 ml)
• Stir well 

Cold:

• Empty one sachet of Blendy Instant coffee into a cup of hot water (80 ml)
• Add ice cubes, stir well until it becomes cold

AGF Maxim Luxurious Coffee Special Blend

AGF Maxim Coffee is another one of the best Japanese instant coffee brands. It has a rich flavor and aroma that can be attributed to Maxim’s T2ACMI Roasting method. It suppresses the bitterness and sourness and enhances the flavor and aroma of the coffee beans.

This one is not the stick type. You get premium quality instant coffee powder so you can choose to either make black coffee or milk coffee. Why I love this type of instant coffee is that you can control the strength of the coffee by adding as much (or as little) coffee powder you want!

The Maxim Luxurious Coffee Special Blend has a deep refreshing aroma and a fine rich full bodied flavor with a clear aftertaste. The coffee is made with coffee beans from Brazil and Colombia. It contains about 50-110mg of caffeine per 2g (about one teaspoon)

How To Use

Hot:

• Add one teaspoon of Maxim Luxurious Special Blend in 140-180ml of hot water.
• Alternatively, you can also add milk
• Stir well and enjoy

Cold:

• Add one teaspoon of Maxim Luxurious Special Blend in 70-90ml of hot water
• Add several pieces of ice cubes
• Stir well until becomes cold

AGF Maxim Aroma Select Blend Instant Coffee

The AGF Maxim Aroma Select Blend Instant Coffee has a rich aroma and a deep smooth flavor. This best Japanese instant coffee blend was roasted with carefully selected coffee beans from Colombia and Vietnam. This instant coffee powder is very rich. You can slightly taste the bitterness but you won’t feel overwhelmed by it. Every 2g of the instant coffee powder contains 40-100mg caffeine. 

How to Use:

Hot:

• Add 2 teaspoons of AGF Maxim Aroma Select Blend Instant Coffee to hot water (140 ml)
• Stir well and enjoy!

Cold:

• Add 2 teaspoons of  AGF Maxim Aroma Select Blend Instant Coffee to hot water (70-90ml)
• Add some ice cubes

AGF MAXIM Black In Box Assortment Instant Coffee - 4 Flavours

Here’s another one of the best Japanese instant coffee sticks for you! AGF Maxim is one of the best Japanese instant coffee powders and they have different flavors available. If you don’t have a favorite, check out this assortment pack with 4 flavors:  

#1 Brazillian Blend 

This coffee is made with coffee beans from Brazil and Indonesia. It contains about 50-110mg of caffeine per 2g. 

#2 Mocha Blend

The mocha blend is made with coffee beans from Ethiopia and Brazil. You can definitely taste the subtle chocolate flavoring. Extremely delicious and a great ‘pick-me-up’ every morning. It contains 40-100mg of caffeine per 2g. 

#3 Colombian Blend

The coffee beans for this blend are sourced from Brazil and Colombia. The flavor and aroma of this one is definitely refreshing. It contains 40mg-100mg of caffeine. 

#4 Kilimanjaro Blend 

The coffee beans for this blend are sourced from Tanzania and Brazil. It contains about 40-100mg of caffeine per 2g. 

UCC Coffee Reviews

UCC The Blend Charcoal Roasted Sumiyaki Instant Coffee

UCC is another famous Japanese coffee manufacturer. UCC The Blend is one of the best Japanese instant coffee and you simply have to get it, especially this series. This instant coffee powder comes in a jar. It has a rice aroma and a charcoal flavor.

You can smell the freshly ground coffee every time you open the jar. If you love that bitter taste of coffee then this one will definitely be the best Japanese instant coffee for you! UCC uses its patented ‘Super Aroma Production Method’ which gives this Instant coffee powder its rich flavor and aroma. This coffee is made from beans grown in Ecuador. 

How To Use:

Hot: 

• Add one teaspoon of The Blend Charcoal Roasted Sumiyaki Instant Coffee powder to hot water (140ml - 180ml).
• Stir well and enjoy

Cold:

• Add one teaspoon The Blend Charcoal Roasted Sumiyaki Instant Coffee powder of  in 70-90ml of hot water
• Add several pieces of ice cubes
• Stir well until becomes cold

If you liked this UCC coffee review, check it out below!

UCC The Blend No. 114 Instant Coffee

UCC selects its coffee carefully to create the perfect blend. Master coffee appraisers tasted 500 different samples of coffee and finally selected a few coffee blends. And of the blends selected was No. 114, one of the best Japanese instant coffee blends! It comes in a jar and is just plain instant coffee powder. 

The Blend 114 Instant Coffee by UCC is very popular in Japan and has been since 1988. It has a rich flavor with a soft taste but you’ll also feel the bitterness. It was blended with coffee beans that were carefully selected from Brazil and Ecuador. 

How To Use:

Hot: 

• Add one teaspoon of UCC The Blend No 114 Instant Coffee powder into hot water (140ml - 180ml).
• Stir well and enjoy

Cold:

• Add one teaspoon UCC The Blend No 114 Instant Coffee powder of  in 70-90ml of hot water
• Add several pieces of ice cubes
• Stir well until becomes cold

UCC The Blend No. 117 Instant Coffee

Here's another UCC coffee review for you!

This is another one of the best Japanese Instant coffee powder to be selected from 500 different coffee blends by the UCC’s Master Coffee Appraisers. This plain coffee powder comes in a jar and is very rich in flavor and aroma. It’s not very bitter and has a mellow taste. 

How to Use:

Hot:

• Add 2 teaspoons of UCC The Blend No. 117 Instant Coffee to hot water (140 ml)
• Stir well and enjoy!

Cold:

• Add 2 teaspoons of  UCC The Blend No. 117 Instant Coffee to hot water (70-90ml)
• Add some ice cubes and stir 

Kuki Sangyo Kuro Goma Latte 

Kuki Sango Kuro Latte Instant Coffee is one of the best Japanese Instant Coffee you have to give a try! This instant coffee powder has a sweet flavor of black sesame and raw sugar. The coffee is made combining black sesame powder, Domestic Kinako, and steamed sugar using sugarcane from the Amami islands. Kuki Sango Kuro Latte Instant Coffee is free of artificial flavoring, sweeteners, colorings. 

How To Use:

Hot:

• Add 2 teaspoons of Kuki Sangyo Kuro Goma Latte powder to hot milk or soy milk (140 ml)
• Stir well and enjoy!

Cold:

• Add 2 teaspoons of Latte powder to Milk or Soy milk 
• Add some ice cubes

How To Use Japanese Instant Coffee Sticks?

How to hot coffee with Japanese instant coffee sticks

• Pour the contents of the instant coffee stick in your coffee mug
• Add a few drops of water and mix it with a spoon vigorously
• Add more water if required, you want it to reach a paste like consistency
• Now pour 180 ml of hot water into the cup
• Stir and enjoy

How to make cold coffee with Japanese instant coffee stick

• Pour the contents of the instant coffee stick in your coffee mug
• Add a few drops of water and mix it with a spoon vigorously
• Add more water if required, you want it to reach a paste like consistency
• Pour in a little bit of hot water and stir so the coffee blends in
• Then add about 90 ml cold or normal water
• Top it up with ice
• Enjoy

How to choose the best Japanese instant coffee?

Coffee is a staple drink for most people around the globe. If your morning coffee does not serve its purpose by keeping you awake and refreshed then it’s time to switch to another instant coffee brand. If you are wondering how to choose the best Japanese instant coffee, here are a few tips to help you with that.

• Taste Test

Taste comes first on the list. We all want a tasty and rich cup of coffee to start off our day. The taste of instant coffee should not be too bitter. Japanese instant coffee brands generally have a balanced taste of bitterness, sweetness, and a hint of nuttiness.

There are also several flavors available in Japanese instant coffee. The most common instant coffee flavor is coffee with milk and sugar.

This instant coffee has a creamy, milky, and light bitter taste. Other Japanese instant coffee flavors include caramel macchiato, hazelnut latte, cappuccino, and black sesame flavor, etc.

You can choose a Japanese instant coffee flavor according to your preference and enjoy it hot or cold.

• Price

The next important factor is the price. It is always best to choose a Japanese instant coffee that is of good quality, has a well-balanced taste, and which also has an affordable price. Most of the Japanese instant coffee mentioned in this article has an affordable price.

• Form

The coffee sticks are comparatively cheaper than powdered coffee bottles. However, the bottled coffee powder has a richer taste and is made from coffee beans that come from the best coffee producing countries. Hence, it is definitely worth the price and you wouldn’t be disappointed.

Is instant coffee popular in Japan?

Instant coffee is very popular in Japan. The popularity of instant coffee in Japan in because of how easy it is use and since people in Japan are always busy and on the go, instant coffee is a great pick-me-up!

What is the most popular coffee in Japan?

The most popular coffee in Japan is the AGF Blendy Mix Cafe Au Lait.

What is blendy coffee?

Blendy coffee is an instant coffee powder that comes in the form of coffee sticks. The sticks come packed in all-in-one ingredients such as coffee and powdered milk. The most popular blendy coffee is the AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait and it’s convenient to make as you only need hot water to mix.

How much caffeine is in a blendy coffee stick?

The AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait has a caffeine content of 66 mg which is a healthy and moderate amount of caffeine for per day intakes. The caffeine limit for a person per day is nearly 200-300 mg. Hence the blendy coffee stick with 66 mg is ideal for those trying to reduce their caffeine intake.

Is AGF coffee Japan good?

AGF is one of the best Japanese coffee brands in the market. There is a wide range of coffee produced by AGF and their best coffee product is the AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait sugar-free coffee sticks. It has a nice aroma and subtle coffee flavor and is perfect for those who love instant coffee.

What is the difference between UCC blend 114 vs 117?

The UCC Blend 114 coffee has a soft and subtle coffee flavor with low acidity levels that are suitable for those who are concerned with their caffeine intakes. Whereas the UCC Blend 117 has a strong aroma and bitter coffee flavor suitable for those who like strong coffee.

Which is the best instant coffee in Japan?

The best instant coffee in Japan is the AGF Blendy Stick Cafe Au Lait which is a coffee stick that has the ingredients instant coffee, and milk. It’s free from sugar and hence has a slightly bitter taste. Each stick contains 66 mg of caffeine and it’s the most loved Japanese instant coffee brand.