by Nigel Ong
Most of us like a cup of joe to start our day. However, not many of us have the luxury to grind our beans and slowly brew a cup. At the same time, we also dislike the idea of simply drinking cheap instant coffee; they just don’t taste right.
Enter premium instant coffee. Mix them with hot water; your coffee should taste better than basic instant coffee. One such premium instant coffee you can try is the Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso.
In this post, I’ll give the coffee a try and share with you how it tastes and if this coffee will suit your palate. I’ll also experiment with different flavorings and see how it changes the taste of the coffee.
What Is The Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso Coffee?
The Prontissimo Intenso, which I bought especially for this review.
Lavazza is a popular coffee brand, especially in Europe. It was founded in Turin, Italy, in 1895. Today, Lavazza offers a wide range of roasts, blends, and instant coffee worldwide.
Lavazza named its range of premium instant coffee the Prontissimo, meaning ‘very quickly’ in Italian. The Prontissimo is a blend of 90% instant coffee and 10% finely ground coffee. It is made from 100% Arabica beans.
This makes it different from regular instant coffee and should give it a better aroma and taste. There are several options you can choose from:
I have enjoyed the Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso in the past. Still, I thought I’ll resample the coffee again to describe the taste more accurately.
When you pop open the plastic lid, there is a thin sheet of aluminum cover. Pull the sheet away using the tab, and you’ll see the granules inside.
When I opened the tab, I smelled no coffee aroma. I must bring my nose closer to the granules to smell something. To me, the coffee granules smell a little like dried seafood. A bit odd, but let’s give this coffee a chance before judging it too soon.
There is also a hint of coffee smell, not as strong as if you tear into a fresh bag of coffee beans.
The instructions to make the coffee are simple. Just mix two teaspoons of the coffee with about 6 oz of water (180ml). Lavazza advises that you use hot water, not boiling ones. 185°F (85°C) seems to be the perfect temperature.
I went ahead and made a cup of coffee. The color is dark brown, and it still allows some light to pass through it. Some coffee particles can be seen floating inside. They may be the 10% finely ground coffee in the instant coffee.
The coffee actually smells pretty good, although I would not say my whole kitchen smelled like coffee. It is there, but it is not strong.
How Does Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso Taste?
Flavoring | Taste |
Black | Smoky, earthy bitterness that is not too overbearing |
With Sugar | Less smoky, and bitter, with a silky smooth texture. |
With Sweetener | Less smoky, with espresso-like bittersweet taste. |
With Creamer | Mild smoke, with silky smooth texture. Bittersweet aftertaste. |
Iced | Strong smoke and earthiness, similar to burnt espresso. |
Black
The first thing my palate picked up was the smokiness of the coffee. This could be the ‘Intenso’ part of this instant coffee blend. Once the smoke went away, I picked up earthy notes.
I think this is the part where this Prontissimo Intenso stands out. With many instant coffee, the earthy taste may actually be too strong, making the coffee taste like dirt. With the Intenso, it is more manageable.
The earthy bitterness also seems to have a very slight sweetness, although I only notice this after several sips.
With Sugar
I proceeded and added some white cane sugar to the coffee. The sugar helps remove the earthiness slightly and mutes the smokiness. The coffee becomes silkier to the palate and nicer to sip too.
This should make the coffee smoother and more enjoyable. This may work well for you if you like black coffee with sugar. However, I am no fan of having sugar in my coffee and will gladly pass on this.
With Sweetener
I made a new cup of Intenso, and this time, I added two drops of Equal artificial sweetener. Equal is basically Aspartame and has a sweetness profile different from regular sugar.
With the Prontissimo Intenso, the Equal surprisingly helped to improve the coffee. It mellows down the earthiness and cuts into the smoke of the coffee.
The earthy bitterness turns into a bittersweet taste and reminds me of what a fresh cup of espresso is like. I took a couple more cheeky sips, since I kind of like the taste.
With Creamer
I used the Coffeemate coffee creamer to add some fat to the coffee. I used the powdered version of the creamer, but they should also taste the same as the liquid ones.
The creamer also helps to mellow the coffee down by taking away its earthy and smoky edges. The fat also makes the coffee even smoother and easier to sip.
I also noticed the creamer added some sweetness to the coffee’s finish. Once I swallowed the coffee, my tongue seemed to have a bit of a sweet sensation, making me want another sip.
With Ice
Finally, I decided to make another fresh cup and throw in some ice to make iced coffee. This was when I was shocked by how the coffee tasted.
The ice seems to intensify the smoke and earthiness of the coffee instead of muting it. The bitterness and smoke actually got a little too overbearing for me.
In fact, the coffee actually tasted like burnt espresso shots, or over extracted coffee to me. The Prontissimo Intenso is unsuitable as iced coffee, at least to my tongue.
Prontissimo Intenso vs Regular Coffee
The Prontissimo Intenso is a premium instant coffee. This means, in general, it should taste better than regular instant coffee. It should also mount a worthy challenge against regular coffee brewed from beans.
To my palate, the Prontissimo Intenso will definitely be better than your regular instant coffee. I’m talking about those Folgers, Nescafe, or Maxwell House instant coffee from the shelves.
The difference is in how the Prontissimo Intenso manages the ‘earthiness.’ It is there, but mellower. This prevents it from tasting like ‘dirt,’ unlike regular instant coffee.
I also think the Prontissimo Intenso can challenge regular dripped coffee. It has a stronger and more intense taste, which may appeal to those that want a stronger cup of joe.
Regular dripped or brewed coffee may lack the ‘punch’ of flavor and may not satisfy heavier palates. The Prontissimo Intenso will do the job here.
Who Is Lavazza Prontissimo Intenso Instant Coffee For?
If you are tired of regular instant coffee like Folgers, this blend may work well for you. It allows you to move up into something fancier, and not blow a large hole in your pocket.
The Prontissimo Intenso may also be a good place to start if you have never explored Euro-style instant coffee.
I also see the Prontissimo Intenso working well with those who like a stronger coffee punch since this is a darker roast. If you enjoy your instant coffee with milk and sugar, this coffee should taste great too. If you enjoy iced coffee, I think you want to avoid this instant coffee. You may get better-tasting coffee with lighter roasts like the Prontissimo Classico.