We’re lucky enough to live in a country that ranks as the third biggest coffee producer in the world. With coffee aplenty, you’d expect to find delicious coffee in Indonesia. So I decided to try and rank some of the most common everyday coffee drinks enjoyed in the country.
Just to put it out there: I’m not a coffee snob. I’m not interested in expensive brews from world-famous coffee house franchises or from your neighborhood indie café (those drinks tend to taste more like hot chocolate than coffee, in my opinion anyways). No, I tend to stick with the coffee you can buy for next to nothing from mobile coffee on bikes or street side coffee stalls – ie the instant kind that comes in those convenient little sachets.
Instant coffee is quick and easy, but does that mean you necessarily have to sacrifice taste to enjoy it? I scoured a local supermarket to find some of the most popular Indonesian instant coffee brands to put them to an unscientific taste test.
In this first part of a series of these Coconuts Common Man coffee reviews, I tasted five instant black coffees with sugar and scored them head-to-head with our very own Coconuts scale (five shells being the highest score). I sacrificed a good night’s sleep for this taste test so I hope you appreciate it.
Kapal Api Special Mix (Rp 5,400 for 5x25g sachets)
Largely a disappointment as this brew is simply too sweet. Perhaps that is not surprising since the Kapal Api Special Mix has more of a sweet scent than a delicious coffee aroma. The slight bitterness in this brew is not nearly enough to counter balance the sweetness.
Residue from ground coffee beans, or coffee dregs, are generally unavoidable with instant coffee, but the problem with Kapal Api is that the residue is rough and really unpleasant on the throat if accidentally swallowed. You have to wait for at least five minutes for all the dregs to settle at the bottom of the cup.
Coconuts’ Common Man rating: 
Nescafé Classic (Rp 5,200 for 10x2g sachets)
It appears as if Nescafé Classic is the most potent brew of all, as it comes in much smaller 2g sachets compared to the standard 25g sachets of other brands. True enough, this brew had the manliest, most bitter aroma compared to the others.
But the tiny 2g portion of coffee powder proved to be the Classic’s downfall. Despite all appearances, it is such a bland and watery drink. I found the Classic to be too acidic. It couldn’t even be salvaged by adding more sugar.
The only plus point to the Classic is that its powder completely dissolves into the drink, which means you don’t have to worry about coffee dregs.
Coconuts’ Common Man rating:
Ayam Merak (Rp 5,500 for 5x25g sachets)
My Ayam Merak brew had the aroma of expensive coffee, so that was a good start. However, I had to wait longer than usual for the ground coffee residue to settle, as this is a thick drink.
That issues aside, the Ayam Merak had what is, for me, a perfect combination of sweet, bitter, and acidic, as all three tastes lingered on the tongue without overwhelming each other. Despite taking in a fair bit of residue with each sip, the dregs proved to be so fine that they weren’t bothersome at all.
Ayam Merak is definitely a must-try for coffee lovers. Serve this at an established coffee house and I’d bet that no one would know that it’s instant coffee that only costs Rp 1,100 per sachet.
Coconuts’ Common Man rating:
Top Coffee (Rp 2,500 for 4x25g sachets)
The Top Coffee brew gave off a very subdued aroma, but it tasted better than it smelled. While the drink’s sweetness slightly overpowered everything else at first, it was quickly counter balanced by a lingering bitter aftertaste.
The downside, once again, has to do with the coffee dregs. My Top Coffee had the most stubborn floating dregs and it was hard to avoid them. I often found myself chewing ground coffee beans with each sip, which could be a novelty on its own.
Coconuts’ Common Man rating:
Tora Bika (Rp 5,500 for 5x25g sachets)
The Tora Bika had the strongest, most overwhelming aroma of any of the other instant coffees on this list. The first sip was like a strong punch of pure, unadulterated bitterness that is sure to delight strong coffee lovers. With each subsequent sip, however, the drink got gradually sweeter and sweeter until it was a just a shadow of my initial high expectations.
The brew also lacked any distinct aftertaste. The dregs are as stubborn as they come and really rough on the throat. You’d have to wait a really long time for the residue to settle down, at which point the drink might have lost its warmth.
Coconuts’ Common Man rating:
The winner: A two-way tie between Ayam Merak and Top Coffee. Despite both brands receiving four Coconuts, they are actually two different brews for two different purposes. Want to put your feet up and enjoy a cup of coffee on your lonesome as the rain pours outside? Brew yourself a Top Coffee drink. Want to impress your mates? Definitely serve them the more sophisticated Ayam Merak.
Enjoy your kopi!
Reader Interactions