The best supermarket coffee is crowned as Aussies switch to brewing at home

Australia’s best supermarket instant coffee, coffee beans and pods have been revealed, as fans continue to cut back on cafés in favour of making it at home.

Aldi took out all three categories in the 2026 Most Satisfied Customers Awards for Coffee by Canstar, with their Alcafe instant coffee being named the best instant option out of a total of nine contenders.

Nestlé, the makers of Nescafé, took out second place, followed by Coles’ home brand instant coffee, Nescafé’s iconic Blend 43 and Nescafé Gold in fourth place. International Roast, Moccona, Robert Timms and Woolworths brand also made the list.

Meanwhile, Aldi’s Lazzio coffee beans were named the best across the supermarkets, beating out seven competitors.

In second place is Campos, followed by Lavazza, Urban Coffee Culture, Grinders, Coles Simply in sixth, Woolworths, and Vittoria coffee beans in eighth place.

Aldi’s Espressi pods were named the best in the coffee pods category, followed by Nescafé in second place, Nespresso, Starbucks coffee beans, and L’OR in fifth place.

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Taste and value of money were the primary drivers of customers satisfaction for instant coffee and coffee pods, Canstar reports.

Beans were judged using roasting accuracy, which is consistency in the coffee’s roast and strength matching customer’s preferences.

In the survey, 1,113 Australians were asked for their feedback on the instant coffee brands they have purchased to brew at home in the last three months.

The coffee bean category received feedback from 655 people, while 365 were asked about their coffee pod preferences.

Aussies making more coffee at home

More than one in four Australians have given up buying takeaway coffee in a bid to keep a lid on living costs, new Canstar research has revealed.

The average cost of a café coffee is now $5.90, having increased by approximately 37.5 per cent over the past four years.

Canstar.com.au’s consumer expert Eden Radford says with the average takeaway coffee creeping close to $6, the daily cup has quickly become a notable line item in the household budget.

“However, Aussies aren’t giving up their daily caffeine hit, they’re getting smarter about where they get it instead,” she said.

“Cost of living pressures are having an impact on household coffee habits, as Canstar’s survey shows nearly three in 10 Australians have completely ditched the café run to make their coffee at home instead.

Those surveyed reported buying an average of four takeaway coffees each week, spending around $23.60.

Twenty-nineper cent of those surveyed say they have stopped buying coffee from cafés altogether and make it home instead, while 19 per cent have purchased a coffee machine to avoid buying takeaway coffee.

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At-home coffee machine sales in Australia have experienced accelerated growth according to Ken Research, growing by 6.26 per cent annually.

The Australia Coffee Machine Market is projected to expand from $295.05 million in 2025 to $414.49 million, led by premium residential espresso systems, automated milk preparation, integrated grinders and workplace bean-to-cup installations.

Twenty-seven per cent of those surveyed by Canstar say they now prefer home-brewed coffee to takeaway, while 45 per cent report they buy the same supermarket coffee brand. This increases to 50 per cent for instant coffee drinkers.