Resident Alien (USA Network & SYFY, 9:00pm) — Alan Tudyk (who genre fans know and love from Firefly, Rogue One, and many more entries) is still a freaking alien in this adaptation of the Dark Horse comic of the same name. If that’s not enough to stoke your curiosity, then please know that he’s also an alien who decides to become a small-town doctor as a cover for his true desire: to murder humans. Somewhere along the way, he decided to reevaluate that mission and then decided to help solve a murder. This week, Harry returns to earth but has no idea what’s up, but Asta does.
Batwoman (CW, 8:00pm) — This episode is called “Toxic,” which puts an interesting spin on Batwoman as she struggles to overcome Jada’s demands. Meanwhile, Mary’s dealing with a new romance while all manner of loyalties find themselves tested.
The Book of Boba Fett: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — The iconic bounty hunter returned, and this week’s episode will follow up on that production error seen ’round the world. That’s part of the fun.
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow (CW, 8:00pm) — Sara discovers an aberration and Zari and Spooker are both attempting to be less awkward while the rest of the Legends do an actual mission.
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Halle Berry, Dave Franco, Dijon
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Cynthia Nixon, Annaleigh Ashford, Del Water Gap, Larnell Lewis
In case you missed this streaming pick from last week:
Too Hot to Handle: Season 3 (Netflix series) — If you want to watch a bunch of beautiful people who are also sexually frustrated, then this is the dating show for you. Netflix is officially describing them as “horned-up hellraisers,” and yes, that sounds perfectly accurate. They’re all banking on being able to abstain from both sexual contact and solo gratification while playing this game for prize money…. and maybe some love? And yes, this one was inspired by Seinfeld. Watch out for those Costanzas.
While Kanye West’s latest single has understandably caused consternation among members of his ex’s household, with Pete Davidson reportedly increasing his security after Ye threatened to beat him up on “Eazy” and Kim Kardashian supposedly barring him from his daughter’s birthday party (he later posted a video from the party, suggesting it wasn’t that serious). However, there’s at least one other person who wasn’t feeling Ye’s “Eazy” bar: radio host Charlamagne Tha God, who called the line “corny as hell” in a new episode of his podcast.
In the song, Kanye references the 2003 collision that left his mouth wired shut (something he rapped about on “Through The Wire”), rhyming, “God saved me from that crash/Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” Charlamagne, who hosts the Brilliant Idiots podcast with comedian Andrew Schulz, didn’t varnish his opinion of the line. “I thought Kanye’s bar to Pete [Davidson] was corny as hell,” he said. “I didn’t like it. What happened to Jesus? What happened to God? You weren’t even cursing on your records and now all of a sudden you wanna beat up Pete Davidson?”
Interestingly enough, Kanye went to Charlamagne for a two-hour interview when he was under fire for supporting Donald Trump in 2018 and needed a sympathetic outlet (consider that on the same day, TMZ’s Van Lathan practically cursed him out on live television for his recent shenanigans), but in recent months, it seems even Charlamagne’s patience has worn thin. In August last year, the radio host slated Kanye’s albumDonda, calling it “lackluster,” and now, he’s unsubtly calling out the corniness of Kanye’s latest antics, which is especially unsettling for making me agree with Charlamagne for once.
You can watch the latest episode of the Brilliant Idiots podcast above.
At this point, the standard and spicy chicken sandwiches are both menu staples at fast food restaurants across the country, and for good reason. Fast food fans are clearly living through a chicken sandwich renaissance thanks to Popeyes, but if there was a third iteration of the almighty chicken sandwich that deserved permanent menu placement, what would it be? You could make the case for the grilled chicken sandwich or maybe a Nashville hot chicken sandwich, but for us, the answer is easy — it’s the buffalo chicken sandwich.
Unfortunately, aside from Arby’s, no fast food chain has really stepped up and tried to make the buffalo chicken sandwich the staple it deserves to be. Until now.
Shake Shack will now be offering a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich alongside Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries, and buffalo dusted French fries on menus nationwide for a limited time. The sandwich will be available beginning January 28th (but is already available on the app) and stick around until April 25th. Shake Shack first tested out this buffalo-sauced sandwich last summer at its New York locations and the test must’ve been a success because a three-month run is not the standard for limited menu options at the Shack.
Because of its long run, we’re entering this tasting with a lot of hype and high expectations. Hopefully, Shake Shack can reach that bar because you can never have too many delicious chicken sandwiches on your menu. Check our review of both new menu options below!
Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries
Dane Rivera
Last year we ranked 23 different french fries against one another and Shake Shack came in at number 21. My first sentence in that compendium on Shake Shack: F*ck these fries. That assessment still stands, so anytime Shake Shack attempts to change its fries I’m more than happy to try them out. The Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries don’t do much to change my feelings about these subpar fries though. I will say this, if you like Shake Shack’s fries, and love Shake Shack’s cheese fries (they use a cheese sauce instead of fresh cheese, why?), you’ll probably find a lot to like here.
The buffalo seasoning adds a nice zestiness to the flavor and while I think Shake Shack’s fries are a stain on the menu, I will admit that they have a great crispy texture that holds up well against the generous serving of milky semi-sweet cheese sauce. The fries never get too soggy to enjoy but when the zestiness of the buffalo spice combines with the sharp cheese-y smell of the sauce… it smells and tastes exactly like a high-end Cheeto. It’s sharp, pungent, and absolutely dominates your palate. If that sounds delicious to you, by all means, order this stuff but it’s not for me. I’d much rather order the Buffalo Seasoned Fries, which feature the seasoning and skip the cheese sauce.
The Bottom Line:
If you want a side of Cheetos with your meal, the Buffalo Spiced Cheese Fries are for you!
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Dane Rivera
I’m happy to say that Shake Shack’s Buffalo Chicken Sandwich delivers! For this sandwich, the soft and juicy sous vide cooked filet is doused in buffalo sauce and served over pickles and shredded lettuce on a soft and semi-sweet potato bun, topped with ranch dressing. It is essentially an order of buffalo hot wings in sandwich form, without all of the mess and bones.
Shake Shack’s buffalo sauce is house-made and features a tangy flavor with a lot of sweetness balanced by a hint of spice. It’s not as spicy as it can be, but the lack of heat allows you to focus on the layers of flavors, from pungent garlic to smokey paprika and a noticeably sharp tangy finish.
Dane Rivera
The thick and generously cut pickle chips intensify and double down on those tangy notes while the ranch helps to serve as a cooling counterbalance that keeps the tang from spinning out of control into off-putting sourness. Like most things at Shake Shack (except the damn fries), the whole sandwich is remarkably balanced and well thought out. While it isn’t quite as spicy as your favorite buffalo chicken wings, the cayenne pepper dances on your palate between bites in this really pleasing way that invites you in for another bite. We suggest you take your time here and really savor this sandwich, not go wild like you’re eating a 10-piece order of wings.
The Bottom Line:
It makes the case for why the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich should be a fast food menu staple as common as the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. It’s remarkably balanced with subtle heat, sweetness, and tang. Shake Shack really knocked it out of the park with their best menu addition since the black truffle burger.
Our chicken sandwich ranking might be due for a refresh!
When it comes to astute political analysis on the Supreme Court, Tomi Lahren probably isn’t the first person who comes to mind, so naturally, that’s who Fox News trotted out to comment on news that Justice Stephen Breyer is reportedly retiring. On today’s edition of Outnumbered, host Harris Faulkner tossed things over to Lahren for her thoughts on what could potentially be a “win” for President Joe Biden. However, Lahren used the opportunity as a chance to take a dig at Vice President Kamala Harris and the consensus that Biden may choose a Black woman as the next justice. It was not great.
“We know what Joe Biden does best is placate to the radical element and radical aggressive base of his party that he believes is the majority,” Lahren replied. “I believe he’s incorrect and I believe that they are the minority.
“But I’m wondering the kind of justice that he would nominate,” she continued. “Now again I’m sure it would be, as Guy [Benson] said, a Black woman, he’s got a dedication to that. We saw how well that worked out with Kamala Harris. But here’s to hoping he had a better choice in mind for this position.”
Following her remarks, Lahren started trending on Twitter where she was roundly accused of being “racist” towards the vice president. Lahren tried to dig herself out of the controversy by firing back at political commentator S.E. Cupp, who roasted Lahren for saying the “quiet part” out loud.
“Picking a nominee based solely on race, gender and identity politics is what I’m criticizing, and you know that,” Lahren tweeted back.
Picking a nominee based solely on race, gender and identity politics is what I’m criticizing, and you know that. https://t.co/akIsVuv0Nj
Needless to say, Lahren’s rebuttal did nothing to stem the criticism flooding in as “Tomi Lahren racist” became a top search trend into the afternoon.
You can see some of the reactions below:
White supremacy is Fox Propagandist Tomi Lahren complaining that Biden will nominate a black woman to be on the Supreme Court and deeming all women of color unqualified by using Vice President Kamala Harris as her justification for racist hate for those who are superior to her.
I’m not shocked that Tomi Lahren is racist. I’m more shocked that there are people who still take her seriously after getting destroyed on The Daily Show a few years back pic.twitter.com/OxqVTqt9FY
By condoning the racist rhetoric from Tomi Lahren, who complained that President Biden may nominate a Black woman to SCOTUS, Fox News is proving that they don’t have or want ANY Black viewers.
New York City indie staples Interpol have just wrapped up the recording of their 7th studio album. They worked with producers Flood & Moulder (of Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode production fame) on it in London. And while that’s due out in the near future, the trio has announced its first tour dates in over two years. The tour will take them from the US to Mexico and Europe. their primary support for the tour will be Tycho and Matthew Dear, with additional support from Dry Cleaning on their Mexico City date.
Check out Interpol’s full tour dates below. Tickets go on sale on January 28 here.
4/25 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum*
4/26 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater*
4/28 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre*
4/29 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre*
4/30 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre*
5/02 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union *
5/03 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom **
5/05 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre*
5/06 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom*
5/07 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit*
5/08 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre*
5/10 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
5/11 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner*
5/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia*
5/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre*
5/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre*
5/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Rose Bowl, Pasadena – Just Like Heaven
5/28 – Mexico City, MEX @ Palacio De Los Deportes****
6/08 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sala Apolo
6/09 – Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
6/11 – Porto, Portugal @ Primavera Sound
6/12 – Berlin, Germany @ Templehof Sounds Festival
6/14 – London, UK @ The Roundhouse SOLD OUT
6/15 – London, UK @ The Roundhouse
6/16 – Brussels, Belgium @ Ancienne Belgique
6/18 – Paris, France @ Salle Pleyel
6/19 – Landgraaf, Netherlands @ Pinkpop Festival
*plus TYCHO and Matthew Dear
** Matthew Dear
****plus Dry Cleaning
Nothing about Nicolas Cage surprises me at this point. This is not a criticism, mind you. It’s just that, once you’ve paid $276,000 for a dinosaur skull, which you then had to return because it turns out it was stolen from the Gobi Desert (oops), it’s hard to catch people off guard. For instance, not many people have a crow for a pet, but Nicolas Cage does, because of course Nicolas Cage has a pet crow.
The Los Angeles Timesrecently asked Cage about the things he cares about. The Oscar-winning actor listed his wife, his sons, his two cats, and his crow Hoogan, who “lives in a geodesic dome” in his Las Vegas residence. He’s delighted that Hoogan has “taken to calling me names… It’s comical, at least, it is to me. When I leave the room, he’ll say, ‘Bye,’ and then go, ‘Ass.’ Crows are very intelligent. And I like their appearance, the Edgar Allan Poe aspect.” He — Nicolas Cage, the actor, not Hoogan, the insult comic crow — then added the nine most important words I’ve read today:
Social media can feel like a mixed bag sometimes, so it’s nice to be reminded that our constant connectedness can be used as a force for good.
Fans of the late, great Betty White have proven that point with the overwhelming success of the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
When Betty White passed away on December 31, 2021, the world let out a collective, “Well, damn.” Everyone knew it was going to happen sometime—she was 99 years old, after all—but people hoped she’d make it to her 100th birthday, which was a mere couple of weeks away.
After her passing, fans wanted to do something to honor her. White had been an outspoken animal lover—a “zoo nut,” as she called herself—and did a lot of work for animal welfare when she was alive. So prior to her birthday, January 17, a campaign emerged on social media to raise money for animal shelters and rescues in her honor. No one knows who started it, but it was dubbed the #BettyWhiteChallenge and it soon spread to all corners of the internet.
On January 21, Variety reported that $12.7 million had been raised via Facebook and Instagram, according to parent company Meta. The money was donated by more than 390,000 people.
Best Friends Animal Society shared a video shared by Betty White’s publicist on January 18 with a final message to her fans, writing, “We are so very grateful for all Betty White did for animals in need during her lifetime. We were absolutely blown away by the support we received during the #BettyWhiteChallenge and can’t thank everyone enough for their donations. At last count, we raised over $340,000, which will make a huge difference in the lives of homeless pets across the country. Thank you, Betty White!”
So many Humane Society locations and other animal welfare organizations shared the incredible donations they received in Betty White’s name.
From hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands of dollars, animal shelters and rescues received a deluge of donations thanks to Betty White’s life of service to animals and reputation for being an all-round delightful human being. She will be missed, but she leaves an incredible legacy, which now includes thousands more animals who are being better cared for thanks to her influence.
I’m not one of those “don’t talk to me until I’ve had my morning coffee“-types of people (which is to say, not an asshole), but… I sympathize. Nothing kicks off your day like that first cup. It jolts you straight from the serene embrace of slumber and sharpens your mind for the work day. It snaps you to attention, gets your heart beating, and sends energy coursing through your veins (it’s cocaine lite!).
But running to grab that coveted morning coffee doesn’t always fit in with your routine. Even the drive-thrus can become a mission. Which is where instant coffee comes in. Yes, we know how that sounds, but fear not — instant coffee has come a long way. For every jar of basic ass Folgers, there’s a new, sustainably sourced upstart trying to do instant coffee “different.”
Are the bold claims from new brands meaningful or is it all just marketing jargon? To find out, we bought up 14 of the most popular instant coffees on grocery market shelves and available online. From the stuff your grandpa drinks to the coffee they sip at SpaceX, this blind test will make it crystal clear who deserves a permanent spot in your kitchen cupboard for those days that hitting the coffee shop is impossible.
Let’s drink!
Methodology
For this blind taste test, I had each coffee prepared for me following each brand’s specifications. This was to ensure the most consistent concentration of coffee and avoid any issues that might arise from bad math or skewed ratios. I then sampled three sips from each brew in groups of four, swishing lemon water between each sample, followed by a big gulp of plain water to cleanse the palate. Next, I jotted down some tasting notes and then laid down until my heart stopped going nuts.
Each coffee was tasted black with no sugar.
Here are the brands in this tasting:
Cafe Bustelo — Espresso Instant Coffee
Deathwish Coffee Co — Instant Coffee
Folgers — Classic Roast
Intelligentsia — Instant Coffee House Blend
Maxwell House — The Original Roast Instant Coffee
Mount Hagen — Organic Fair Trade Instant Coffee
Nescafe — Classico
Nescafe — Taster’s Choice House Blend
Simply Truth Organic — Instant Coffee
Starbucks — Via Instant Pike Place Roast
Waka Coffee — Light Roast
Whole Foods 365 — Instant Coffee Vienna Roast
What Makes Good Coffee Good?
A lot of things go into making good coffee good. The quality and type of beans, the roast (though this is more preferential), the ratio of water-to-bean, the grind, the brew time, the preparation — there are a lot of variables. Of course, we’re dealing with instant coffee, so the subtleties and complexities are much more muted here.
Most instant coffees play fast and loose with their ratios, using directions like “a rounded teaspoon” or “to taste” or call for an amount of water anywhere between six and ten ounces. That’s sacrilege to a certain sect of coffee snobs, but it’s not a bad thing. Instant coffee knows its lane.
Depending on origin — which is another thing instant coffee doesn’t really concern itself with, for the most part — great coffee can be fruity, earthy, floral, nutty, and/or toasty. A good brew strikes a nice balance between acidity, aromatics, and sweetness. It’s always bitter but shouldn’t be wince-inducingly so. A great brew can recall roasted nuts, deep chocolate notes, floral undertones, rich caramel flavors, and nods to stone fruit like cherries, plums, or apricots (which makes a lot of sense when you consider coffee beans themselves are the pits of a stone fruit). Sometimes, depending on the brewing method, a single bean can present all of those flavors at once. It’s complex stuff, and while instant coffee isn’t quite as nuanced, we’re still looking for a brew that is balanced, offers a layered flavor notes, and takes us on a journey.
The Tasting
Taste 1
Dane Rivera
Surprisingly smooth, this coffee isn’t too bitter and has a nice sweet vanilla lift on the backend. It leans on the light roast side, with a brightness to it that never overstays its welcome on the palate.
Taste 2
Dane Rivera
Awful. This is the sort of stuff coffee snobs imagine when they hear the words “instant coffee.” This is honestly some of the worst coffee I’ve ever had, it’s highly acidic with an overly bitter aftertaste and comes off as dirty. It’s as if the liquid was strained through the roots of a house plant. That might sound like a weird descriptor, but there is an undeniable plant-y quality here that isn’t present in any coffee I’ve ever tasted.
From my notes: “It’s what I imagine mold to taste like.”
Taste 3
Dane Rivera
Pretty good and a leap up from the last taste. It has a slightly rich body with warm toasted hazelnut notes but leaves your palate with a thud of bitterness that you’ll want to mask with another sip. That’s not uncommon of instant coffees though and this isn’t bad by any means — a perfectly serviceable cup but nothing to write home about either.
Taste 4
Dane Rivera
Nutty on the nose with a toasted flavor and a bit of caramelized brown sugar on the backend. It’s dessert-like and naturally sweet. On its own I don’t love it but it seems an ideal candidate for some milk and cream.
Taste 5
Dane Rivera
This one is really pleasing. On the nose, I’m getting distinct chocolate tones with a really complex body. This tastes very reminiscent of actual dark chocolate, with an intense but sumptuous bitterness that makes you eager for the next sip rather than bracing yourself for it.
From my notes: “By far the best up until this point.”
Taste 6
Dane Rivera
Incredibly neutral. It has almost nothing to grasp onto, there are gentle toasted notes, and hints of vanilla, but overall this one comes off a bit flavorless. It’s not off-putting by any means and has a nice smoothness but desperately needs milk, sugar, creamer… something. ANYTHING.
Taste 7
Dane Rivera
Significantly darker than the other brews up until this point. Toasted almonds and nutmeg dominate the flavor, which is complex and distinct on the palate but leaves a dull metallic after-taste that is pretty off-putting.
From my notes: “A surprisingly disappointing finish for such a strong start.”
Taste 8
Dane Rivera
A bit creamy with a balanced blend of cocoa and molasses flavors, but, like the last taste, this has a blunt, bitter finish that lingers way too long. There is a slight sourness to this one, but that’s something that I imagine can be easily masked with sugar or creamer.
Taste 9
Dane Rivera
Very easy to drink, almost water-like. Light cocoa notes on the nose with a slightly nutty, almond flavor. It’s ultimately kind of boring, I wish those flavor notes were a bit richer. It’s a struggle to really taste this one — it feels noticeably weaker in comparison to the others.
Taste 10
Dane Rivera
The flipside of Taste 9, this one is dark and distinct with a very robust character. I’m getting slight notes of tobacco leaf, chocolate cocoa, clove, and molasses. A real journey of flavors that ends with a pleasingly bitter aftertaste.
Taste 11
Dane Rivera
Perhaps this one is suffering from following the bouquet of flavors that was Taste 10, but this one is flat, generic, and lacking character. All I’m getting here is a roasted quality with a neutral aftertaste.
From my notes: “Pretty boring.”
Taste 12
Dane Rivera
Bitter and bland. It has high acidity with a slightly sour after taste and a blunt finish. A sad, sad close.
Who is drinking this stuff, cowboys? How is Folgers this big a brand with coffee this rancid? It is by far the worst coffee I’ve ever had. No doubt at all.
Folgers’ Classic Roast is classified as a medium roast. The quality of this coffee is noticeably poor and (almost suspiciously), Folgers doesn’t make any big claims on their site — no words about sustainability, fair trade, or their production methods. What are they hiding from us?!
This is as factory-produced as coffee gets and it tastes like death. Too harsh? Try it. If anything I”m being too nice.
The Bottom Line:
We dare you to attempt to drink this stuff without wanting to spit it out as soon as it hits your tongue. It’s everything bad about instant coffee in a single product.
Nescafé claims that they use 100% pure coffee (as opposed to what?) from respectfully grown coffee beans that have been “carefully” roasted, but it’s marginally better than Folgers. It’s a much darker roast and that bitterness helps to mask that there isn’t a lot of complexity going on here.
It’s not poison, but it’s not enjoyable enough to warrant a grocery store pick up.
The Bottom Line:
This is Nescafé’s bottom of the barrel blend. The brand sells a more flavorful and distinctive brew for just a few dollars more and it’s worth every penny, whereas this isn’t worth a cent! Skip it.
10. Waka Coffee — Light Roast (Taste 11)
Dane Rivera
Average Price: $11.99 (8 Single Servings)
The Coffee:
Waka is a brand that loves its buzzwords. The coffee is single-origin from India and made from 100% Arabica beans which are supposed to offer a rich and complex flavor. The coffee is freeze-dried to preserve maximum flavor. That sounds great on paper, but unfortunately, you can’t really taste any of it. I’m not saying those terms are meaningless, but when it comes to this brand’s actual flavor, all of those terms don’t make it taste any better or more noteworthy.
The blend we chose for this blind taste testing was the brand’s light roast, so… maybe try the dark?
The Bottom Line:
If you want to feel good about the coffee you’re buying, sure, give Waka a try, but for the money, there are better brands.
9. Maxwell House — The Original Roast Instant Coffee (Taste 8)
Maxwell House offers about the same quality as Folgers but the flavor is a lot less offensive. The blend is based on Maxwell House’s Original Roast ground coffee, but I can’t speak to how well it mimics the flavor as I’ve never had the ground version. According to Google, the brand’s instant coffee was discontinued in 2018 but it can still be found at a whole host of retailers which I’d take as a pretty bad sign overall.
It’s still not the worst coffee in this line-up. It’s a bit more distinct and characterful than the Waka brand, but the aftertaste is pretty unpleasant and dull.
The Bottom Line:
It’s still not the worst coffee in this line-up. It’s a bit more distinct and characterful than the Waka brand, but the aftertaste is pretty unpleasant and dull.
8. Simple Truth Organic — Instant Coffee (Taste 9)
Simple Truth is organically grown, fair trade certified, kosher and doesn’t feature any preservatives or GMOs. It’s part of Kroger’s Simple Truth organic label which produces just about everything, from plant-based meats to pasta sauces. Being under such a vast umbrella of products might be why this blend lacks distinction, but it’s a step up production-wise compared to brands like Folgers and Maxwell House and tastes better too.
The Bottom Line:
Much better in production practices than the big brands like Folgers and Maxwell House and similarly priced. We’d still say this brand isn’t worth your money though.
7. Starbucks — Via Instant Pike Place Roast (Taste 4)
This is the first brand on this ranking so far that we’d actually recommend you spend money on. It’s far away from my favorite but I have to admit, as someone who thinks Starbucks makes some pretty awful coffee, this is easily one of the better instants. According to Starbucks the medium roast coffee is ethically sourced and ethically grown and is made using 100% Arabica beans. It is named after the Starbucks Seattle location in Pike Place.
The Bottom Line:
A bit sweet but all-around pleasant. If the other Starbucks Via Instant blends are half as good as this one, we’d say Starbucks has a pretty strong roster of instant coffees. If only their ground coffee was this good.
6. Nescafe — Taster’s Choice House Blend (Taste 3)
This one truly surprised me. Nescafé’s Clasico blend is so acidic and bland that I was expecting this to be a marginal step up but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this “Taster’s Choice” brew has a lot to offer. This roast is much lighter than the Clasico, presenting toasted notes of hazelnut, and it doesn’t suffer from the slightly sour qualities of the cheaper blend.
The Bottom Line:
Noticeably light with a nice and pleasing nutty body. One of the best brands for the money.
I’m not at all surprised that a majority of the top five brands on this ranking are on the pricier end. For the most part, coffee is like whiskey — the more money you put into it the more distinct the character and the better the overall experience. But it doesn’t explain how Cafe Bustelo, which is easily the cheapest brand on this list, has ranked this highly. Yes, the aftertaste is dull, bitter, and overstays its welcome but on the palate this coffee is full of character, offering deep hazelnut notes with a chocolatey finish.
The Bottom Line:
It doesn’t taste the best but it truly punches above its class and offers the best value on this list. In a pinch it gets the job done.
When I reached out to friends about their favorite instant coffee brands, the name Mount Hagen came up again and again. I get it, it’s pretty good and the production practices are great. The coffee is organic and fair trade certified and the brand touts that every granule was planted, cultivated, harvested, processed, and packed by workers that are paid both fairly and respectfully.
Just hearing that makes you want to believe it tastes better and it does taste a lot better than a lot of the other brands on this list, but it didn’t have enough of a distinct character to really win me over. This is a neutralness to this coffee that I just found a bit boring flavor-wise.
The Bottom Line:
It’s definitely worth picking up, especially if you’ve always been curious about this brand. Flavor-wise it’s a bit too neutral to earn top-three status though, but it’ll probably work great if you don’t drink your coffee black.
I never like Whole Foods branded products, so when it was revealed to me that Taste 1 was Whole Foods I was pretty shocked. The coffee isn’t organic and Whole Foods makes no mention of fair trade practices but it is certified Kosher and features a medium-dark roast full of character and distinct flavor.
The Bottom Line:
It might be just a bit overpriced for what you get, but the flavor is on point and is one of the best brands you can find under the $10 mark.
2. Deathwish Coffee Co — Instant Coffee (Taste 10)
Death Wish Coffee Co’s instant coffee was invented specifically for astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Rocket, meaning when you drink this stuff, you’re drinking the coffee of astronauts. I have to admit that’s pretty f*cking cool, but I also wanted to hate this brand for charging $14.99 for an 8 count of single-serving packets.
That’s almost $2 per packet, which is absurd when a brand like Cafe Bustelo exists. Money aside though… this stuff is pretty damn good.
The Bottom Line:
It’s a bouquet of flavors with a strong kick that will literally help you power through a space mission. This brand comes with a lot of hype and I’m happy to say that it’s all justified. The price isn’t, but we can’t deny that this was one of the best-tasting brews in the lineup.
1. Intelligentsia — Instant Coffee House Blend (Taste 5)
Here we are at the number one pick. This coffee comes from the Chicago-based company and retailer, Intelligentsia, which also has a pretty strong presence in Los Angeles. According to the brand, Intelligentsia’s coffee moves from the farm directly to the roasting works in Chicago and LA, where the brand produces over fifty single-origin coffees annually. The instant coffee is based on the brand’s House Blend and overall offers a more distinct journey of flavors than Deathwish.
As soon as we took a sip of this brew we knew it had the number one spot on lock, it’s that good. Yes, Intelligentsia is easily the most “hipster” brand of coffee, beloved by LA coffee snobs and priced ridiculously high to the point of being offensive, but… we have to give it to the hipsters, they know their coffee. This is the best instant coffee you’ll ever drink and single-handedly makes the case for the very existence of instant coffee itself.
The Bottom Line:
It’s like dark chocolate melted down into caffeinated perfection. It’s toasty, sweet, distinct, and completely palatable black, with no cream, sugar, or milk necessary. Adding those ingredients will take it to another world — one that I personally didn’t think could be reached by instant coffee at all.
Over the past couple years, Kesha has been handed some significant losses in her ongoing legal battle with Dr. Luke (real name Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald and also known as Tyson Trax) over allegations of sexual assault and abuse. Around this time in 2020, it was reported that Kesha was ordered to pay the producer nearly $400,000 after it was ruled she defamed him when she sent a text to Lady Gaga saying he had raped Katy Perry.
Now, a similar ruling has been reached: Page Six reports that on Tuesday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Sabrina Kraus ruled in favor of Dr. Luke, saying that tweets from Kesha’s former attorney Mark Geragos, in which he accused the producer of raping Lady Gaga, included “false statements of fact” and were therefore defamatory.
Before the case potentially goes to a jury, the judge has to decide if Geragos acted negligently or recklessly in his statements about Dr. Luke. In a sworn court affidavit from after Geragos’ defamatory remarks, Lady Gaga denied that Dr. Luke raped her.
Meanwhile, Doja Cat recently came under fire for working with Dr. Luke. She responded to the criticism in a Rolling Stone profile from December, saying, “I haven’t worked with him in a very long time. A lot of those songs were… There’s sh*t that he’s credited for, where I’m like, ‘Hmm, I don’t know, I don’t know if you did anything on that.’”
When last we heard from Cleveland, Ohio trap rapper Doe Boy, he was teaming up with two of the biggest producers in trap music for a pair of 2020 mixtapes, 56 Birdz with DJ Esco and Demons R Us with Southside after gaining prominence in 2019 with his feature on Future’s “100 Shooters.” After coasting on the strength of those releases in 2021, the Freebandz artist has returned with a new solo mixtape titled Oh Really, which he released today along with the video for “BIg Oh Really.”
The 19-track mixtape features a who’s-who of rap rising stars including Detroit’s 42 Dugg and Babyface Ray, Chicago’s G Herbo, Memphis’ Lil Double O and Moneybagg Yo, Philadelphia’s Lil Uzi Vert, Jacksonville’s Nardo Wick, Compton’s Roddy Ricch, and Louisville rapper Vory. Vocalist Ty Dolla Sign also appears on the emotional “Cry For Me.” One notable absence is Doe Boy’s Freebandz benefactor Future, but perhaps that just gives Doe Boy more time to shine. The “Way 2 Sexy” rapper likely learned his lesson after throwing his promotional support behind 56 Birdz only to be shouted down by fans angry he wasn’t announcing a new Future album.
Of course, Doe Boy has more than proven that he can stand on his own and deserves fans’ attention as a strong artist in his own right. Could 2022 be the year it all comes together for him? If nothing else, Oh Really offers a strong start, which could end up being the cornerstone for a breakout year. In the meantime, watch the video for “Big Oh Really” above and stream the new mixtape below.
Oh Really is out now via Freebandz and Epic Records. You can stream it here.
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We were absolutely blown away by the support we received during the 
