Originally Posted By: ame
Maxim coffee sticks from Korea:

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Maxim-Mocha-Gold-Mild-100-sticks-Coffee-mix-Korea-/180490134792

Try your local Asian supermarket (there are Japanese, Thai and Singaporean equivalents of the 3-in-1 instant coffee packets). The stick form is the most convenient, as you can use the packet as a stirrer. Inside is a measure of instant coffee granules, creamer and sugar. You can grip the stick near the end to trap some or all of the sugar. Each stick makes a small cup (about 4oz), but you can adjust this to taste.

There are other brands here in Korea. Maxim is the best, and Taster's Choice is awful. Each brand seems to have three levels of quality. Red- low level (not entirely unpleasant). Yellow- medium (drinkable). Brown- high quality (noticeably better, but still instant). There is also green for decaf.

Very common and very popular over here, together with little paper cups to make it in.

A


Never tried the Starbucks instant coffee. Some of their coffee drinks I like. But, I can't go in the place without thinking of comedian Jackie Mason's bit on Starbucks: "They soive boint (translation: burnt) coffee in Starbucks! You can go down to the corner diner and get great coffee for a quarter. But you go in Starbucks and pay $3.50 for a cup of what? Boint coffee!!"

Also, I know Susan said "straight" coffee, but for those of you who might be interested, I found a gold mine of instant coffee for those who like Thai coffee (sweet, creamed, moderately strong coffee). It's the DeDe brand (made in Thailand) of "Instant Thai Coffee Drink". It's another example of the 3-in-1 stuff, but unlike a lot of it, this one doesn't list corn sweeteners as one of the ingredients--only sugar. It's delectable, even better with some hot half 'n half added. I can lift my pickup with my non-dominant hand after drinking a cup of it. The only place I've seen it, though, is at the Hawaiian Grocery in "new" China town in Alhambra east of Los Angeles. FYI, they also make DeDe Instant Thai iced tea drink that's phenomenal. The secret to that is to mix it up in a half cup of very hot water, then fill the cup the rest of the way with ice. Deeeeelectable, and so convenient, too!