The Big Brand Behind The Absolute Best Flavored Instant Coffee

Whether diehard French press users would admit it or not, instant coffee is a workhorse that totally gets the job done. But add a hint of flavoring into the mix, and your convenience-centric brew gets a little "instant" je ne sais quoi. In our ranking of the 12 best flavored instant coffees, we ranked Dunkin' Cold Caramel as the best. The main reason that Dunkin' Cold Caramel instant coffee beat out other popular instant coffee brands like Nescafé was due to its desirable flavor and texture. 

Most importantly, we found that it had the perfect balance of coffee and caramel flavors. The only ingredients listed on the packaging are instant coffee and natural and artificial flavors, and, despite the caramel flavor, the powder doesn't come sweetened, allowing cold coffee-lovers greater control over adjusting their desired sweetness. Dunkin' Cold Caramel also won us over with its full-bodied mouthfeel, which didn't overly dilute or lose its strong coffee flavor when ice was added into the mix.

There's something compelling about Dunkin's unique caramel flavor. After all, the coffee giant's Caramel Craze Iced Signature Latte came out on top in our ranking of Dunkin's iced coffees. Dunkin' itself is seemingly aware of the appeal, because its Cold Caramel comes not just in instant coffee form, but also in packaged ground coffee and K-cup formats. These other formats, however, must be brewed hot and served over ice, whereas the instant coffee version streamlines the process.

Like any instant coffee brand, Dunkin's Cold Caramel puts up major points for shelf life and convenience. In one iconic "Seinfeld" episode (via TheSeinfeldScenes on YouTube), The Library Cop pays Jerry a visit and famously asks, "You got any coffee? You don't drink coffee? How about instant coffee? Who doesn't have instant coffee? You buy a jar of Folgers crystals, you put it in the cupboard, you forget about it. And later on, when you need it, it's there. It lasts forever. It's freeze-dried. Freeze-dried crystals." 

Although, unlike Folgers' large jar of crystals, Dunkin's Cold Caramel instant coffee powder comes in a box of six pre-portioned envelopes. No measuring required. Simply rip open the envelope, dump the contents into a mug, and add cold water and ice. Bada-bing, bada-boom. Your coffee's ready. These individual packets facilitate not just quick preparation, but also total portability for coffee drinkers on-the-go. The fact that it is served iced is a major selling point — Dunkin' Cold Caramel will likely make our next list of the absolute best instant coffees for iced drinks.

No need to shell out for an expensive large iced coffee at the airport: Just get a bottle of water and an ice-filled cup and you'll be set with one of these travel-friendly packets. Add a splash of oat milk, and you're on your way with this unexpected money-saving Dunkin' hack. This is a smooth, strong sip that just tastes like (go figure) caramel-flavored iced coffee — a not-too-sweet instant brew that even black coffee lovers can get behind. Bonus points if you pair your caramel-tinged instant coffee with a Sour Cream Donut – aka the one donut at Dunkin' we're ordering again and again.