• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Tiny Urban Kitchen
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • Michelin
  • Subscribe
  • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • Michelin
    • Subscribe
    • Taiwanese
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Restaurant

    Starbucks VIA Brew (Instant Microground Coffee)

    Published: Oct 7, 2009 · Modified: Oct 28, 2014 by Jennifer Che

    Starbucks VIA brew

    Have you tried the VIA brew challenge?  Apparently Starbucks spent almost 20 years developing a form of instant coffee that is supposed to taste indistinguishable from freshly brewed coffee.  It differs from traditional instant coffee in a few ways.

    First, they really use top quality Arabica beans to make this coffee.  Arabica beans are milder, more aromatic, and contain less bitter aromas.  Arabica beans are also more expensive because the beans take longer to grow and the plants are not as hardy. Cheaper coffees typically use Robusta beans, which are so named because they are "robust" and can grow readily in a variety of climates.  Robusta beans have higher caffeine content and more bitter compounds.

    In general, Arabica beans are considered "better" because they have more aroma and taste milder.  Having said that, the Europeans do enjoy blends that contain Robusta, partly because of the high caffeine content and also because Robusta beans create better crema (the creamy foam you see on top of an espresso drink). 

    The second reason why this instant coffee is different is that instead freeze drying the coffee or processing it under harsh conditions, VIA is actually micro-ground coffee beans.  The beans are ground so finely they can actually dissolve when you add water (at least that's what the barista told me).  What's cool is that it works with either hot or cold water.

    Right now, they are offering free blind taste challenges for you to determine whether you can tell the difference or not.

    I was VERY curious about how this instant coffee tasted.  I had actually heard that it was pretty good, and I had to see for myself.  Luckily, it seems like most Starbucks cafes are offering this free taste test.

    Starbucks VIA brew Taste test

    The barista handed me two small cups filled with the dark liquid.  The one on the left was lighter in color, the one on the right was darker.

    I tried the lighter one.  Yum . . . very balanced, nutty flavor.  Not a hint of burnt flavor nor sourness.  Very yummy.  Very good.  I could definitely drink this black no problem.

    I tried the slightly darker cup.  Pretty good.  Stronger, darker flavor.  Slight burnt flavor and a hint of sourness, but over all, not too bad.  It tastes similar to the Starbucks coffee that they brew at my workplace when it's been sitting out for just a bit too long.  Not bad. Not bad.  Pretty good . . .

    Turns out, the lighter one was Pike's Place Roast and the darker one was the VIA brew, Colombia roast.

    So, I guess I can still tell a difference, but I must agree that it's the best tasting instant coffee I've ever had.  Honestly, there have been times when I have ordered drip coffee at Starbucks and it has tasted like that - slightly burnt and just a bit sour.  I just happen to love Pike's Place Blend (I think it's my all time favorite Starbuck's flavor) so I may have been a bit biased.

    It's quite possible that the VIA brew tastes the same as the fresh drip version of another roast, maybe Verona or Sumatra (ha ha, or the Colombia, if there is such a roast at Starbucks?)

    In any event, this stuff is the real deal, and really tastes surprisingly good.  It's not cheap.  A 3-pack costs $2.95 and a 12 pack costs $9.95.  I didn't buy any, since I have ready access to fresh coffee both at work and at home.  I think it's a bit pricey, but I guess it's worth it if it saves you from spending $2 or more on a fresh cup of coffee from a local coffee shop.

    ©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
    All Rights Reserved

    More Restaurant

    • La Dame de Pic - Paris France
    • Mono Hong Kong
    • Nostalgic Reminders of Home: Five Guys Hong Kong
    • Divino Patio Hong Kong

    Recent Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain January 16, 2023
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars December 29, 2022
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia December 9, 2022
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia December 5, 2022
    • Llisa Negra Valencia Spain December 1, 2022
    • Central Bar by Ricard Camarena - Valencia Spain November 29, 2022
    • Casa Ripoll Valencia - Beachside Paella November 27, 2022
    • Valencia Spain Trip Report - Itinerary November 23, 2022

    Primary Sidebar

    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

    More about me →

    Explore

    • Recipe
    • Restaurant
    • US Travel
    • World Travel

    Popular Posts

    • La Salita Valencia Spain
    • El Poblet Valencia Spain -2 Michelin Stars
    • MercatBar by Quique Dacosta - Valencia
    • La Pepica Waterfront Paella - Valencia

    Recipes

    • Appetizer
    • Snacks
    • Meat
    • Vegetables
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Seafood
    • Noodles

    Recently Traveled

    • Hong Kong
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Boston
    • California
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • Spain

    Support Us

    Recognition


    Featured on the front page
    of the FOOD Section: 2015

    Best Food Blog Awards:
    Restaurant & Dining 2012

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Equipment
    • In the Press
    • Project Food Blog
    • Privacy Policy

    Eating Guides!

    Eating & Travel Guides
    Trip Reports
    "Kawaii" (Cute Foods)
    Around the World

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    • Mail
    • RSS Feed

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Shop at Amazon

    Copyright © 2022 Tiny Urban Kitchen