You know what? There's a big wide world out there, it's called 'real life' - I suggest some of you...
You know what? There's a big wide world out there, it's called 'real life' - I suggest some of you get out and see a bit of it! I'm off now so I'll see ya round.
Member since:22.11.2002
Reviews:216
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Having a Baileys & coffee last night (see Baileys op coming VERY soon) I realised I've not yet done an op on my favourite thing in the world (well, nearly) - Nescafe Gold Blend. :o) And it's unfortunate for Marks wallet that my favourite thing in the world is one of the most expensive instant coffee's on the market. And I drink a lot of coffee......... I usually put the cost of the product at the end of the op but the sheer cheek of Nescafe for charging £3.59 for a 200g jar of coffee has forced the pricing details to the top of the op! Standard Nescafe is around £2.69 for 200g and I'm probably just moody because I buy 2 jars a week (heaving the shopping bill up by £7) but it seems a huge price increase when Nescafe is known as one of the best coffee manufacturers anyway! Rant over, on with the op. :o)
Gold Blend is one of the huge variety
of coffee's produced by Nescafe. Nescafe was first introduced in Switzerland in 1938 and has since grown to be one of the largest and most well respected brands on the market.
oOoOo THE JAR oOoOo
The jar I have sitting in front of me is a 200g jar. Its a bulky rectangular clear glass jar with sides that curve in. It screams quality at you. The label on the front is cut to fit the wavy design of the har and is varying shades of gold. The label simply says Nescafe GoldBlend in large white writing and 'Fresh taste and rich aroma' in smaller black writing at the bottom of the label. There's a large drawing of a gold scoop filled with coffee beans emblazoned with the Nescafe logo. Turn the jar round and you have the same label as on the front except the label is a rich brown colour and all the writing is gold. You're reminded that it's Nescafe Gold Blend and are told ' we capture the rich golden aroma and smooth, fresh coffee taste for your senses to savour.' The size of the jar is also stated and the jar can be recycled but if you can't be bothered then please dispose of your rubbish in a bin. ;o) There are contact details at the end of the op. On the back of the jar you're shown the Nestle logo (3 birds in a nest) and told 'Nestle's expertise makes Nescafe the best tasting coffee worldwide.' I agree with that. The top of the jar is gold coloured plastic which I've always thought looks cheap and nasty and I'm sure Nescafe could design a better looking top! It's a hexagon top with the Nestle logo.
oOoOo AND THE COFFEE? oOoOo
When you open the lid you have to get through a gold security seal before you get to the coffee but as soon as the seals split the rich aroma that Gold Blend is known for comes out. You can smell the quality of the coffee and although instant coffee however good can't compare to 'real' coffee you know you're going to have a good cup! The coffee is in granule form (freeze dried) and is a dark brown colour flecked with lighter brown granules. I think granules make for a richer cup of coffee rather than powdered coffee - this is reflected in the amount of coffee brands that have switched to granules, it's getting harder to find powdered coffee (mum loves it so keep a jar of Mellow Birds in too!).
I find the best way to make Gold Blend is to add boiling water to just the coffee and add the sugar and milk afterwards as the granules are hard to disolve and if you put the milk in first you'll end up with loads of black bits floating on the top of your drink. I take 2 sugars in my coffee,, but with Gold Blend I can drink it however it comes. I love Gold Blend first thing in the morning with 2 spoons of coffee and no milk or sugar. When you pour the water on the coffee the aroma comes out really strong. It's a fresh, rich smell and from the aroma you can tell the coffee is going to be nice and strong. The granules do take a bit of work and this is really the only drawback to the coffee, you have to stir for a while and it's best to let it stand for a minute before adding your milk in order to get the granules fully disolved.
The taste is of a full, rich coffee. Gold Blend is made from a blend of specially selected coffee's and they all work brilliantly together. The coffee has a slightly bitter, 'nutty' taste but it's also smooth and rich. You can't gulp this coffee down, the cup demands to be sipped and savoured. For an instant coffee it's excellent. When you have Gold Blend black the bitter taste comes out and it gives you a pick up (Gold Blend is LOADED with caffeine!) but my favourite way to drink it is with 2 sugars and cream. MMmmmm The cream blends in deliciously with the coffee and gives an ultra smooth, creamy drink that feels so elegant! lol The aftertaste of Gold Blend is suprisingly pleasant compared to other instant coffee's. It's slightly bitter but still full of the taste of coffee, although in a fainter way. Nescafe also do a de-caffinated coffee (although not Gold Blend) for those of you who can't handle proper coffee! lol
You can buy Gold Blend just about anywhere in 100g jars for around £2.39 or a 200g jar for £3.59. They also do a HUGE 500g jar but I've never plucked up the courage to find out how much one of those would cost! lol
I've had to rate the coffee as excellent value for money cos it IS good value even though it's expensive. If you see what I mean! lol But it's had to lose a star in the overall rating simply based on the price.
If you want to contact Nescafe you can write to: Nestle Consumer Services, PO Box 207, York, YO91 1XY or you can call freefone 0800 00 00 30.
Thanks for reading. :o)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Lovely taste. Good substitute for the "real" thing. Disadvantages: It's still an instant, and although good, doesn't hold a candle to freshly made ground coffee.
Advantages: well packaged, readily recognisable on shelf, great taste, fab aroma Disadvantages: unethical marketing and sourcing with pony show responses that lack true substance and action
![Nescafe Gold Blend Instant Coffee Granules Stick Sachets Ref A00502 [Pack 200]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/117744611.jpg "Nescafe Gold Blend Instant Coffee Granules Stick Sachets Ref A00502 [Pack 200]")
very helpful by (100%):
![Nescafe Gold Blend Instant Coffee Granules Stick Sachets Ref A00502 [Pack 200]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/126218596.jpg)
