Starbucks' new instant coffee: Hit or miss?

As a coffee lover and skeptic, I just had to take the Starbucks' challenge last weekend. You probably saw the ads. They were everywhere. The Seattle-based java giant dared consumers to tell the difference between Via Ready Brew, its new instant coffee that was rolled out nationally last week, and a freshly brewed cup of the chain's Pike Place roast, the default coffee served at all 11,266 Starbucks shops after 12 noon. The challenge began on Oct.2 and ended on Monday.

Frankly, I didn't have high expectations. I've tried instants from Folger's Freeze Dried to Nescafe, and never had trouble differentiating them from a pot I brewed myself. Moreover, Our Consumer Reports tasters did their own formal in-house comparisons during the summer when Via was in test market in Chicago, Seattle, and London. Their verdict: Starbucks instant and brewed Colombian coffees were, in fact, similar in quality, but that quality was merely good, not great. Tasters said that the brewed coffee had the signature bitterness and darker roast we've found in previous tests of Starbucks Colombian. They described Via instant as  more subdued and less bitter, with a slight cereal taste. 

Still, I wanted to judge for myself in light of the hype. Starbucks described Via as a product 20 years in development, made possible only as a result of a unique, patent-pending  micro-grind technology designed to preserve the coffee's quality and freshness. All that fancy talk alone inspired me to take the challenge, which I did at five different Starbucks locations. And every time, I got it wrong, according to the baristas in charge of the tastings. I didn't see that coming.

Ann-Marie Kurtz, who described her title as the chain's manager of the coffee experience, said in an interview that Via incorporates the same Arabica beans that go into Starbucks brewed coffee and, unlike other typical instants, doesn't include any chemical products. When you mix the instant coffee with water to create the final product, she explained, you'll see actual sediment at the bottom of the cup, which contributes to the mouthfeel, flavor, and aroma of the brewed beverage.

My untrained palate had trouble telling the coffees apart. But what about the rest of America? Could they tell the difference? A Starbucks public relations spokeswoman insisted that the company didn't count the number of consumers who took the challenge or keep track of the percentage of those that correctly identified the instant. The company was convinced the response would be positive based on customer comments during the trial period, she said.

But if Starbucks is convinced that America will love Via as much as they do, aren't executives at least somewhat worried that coffee-shop sales, already hurting, might suffer further if customers start buying the less-expensive instant coffee at retail to prepare at home or at work? Starbucks' Kurtz sloughed off any concerns, saying the company thinks Via will bring in new customers. That remains to be seen. An single packet of Via sells for less than $1, and makes an 8-ounce cup. If you buy a 12 pack, the price comes out to 83 cents. The price drops to 72 cents a cup based on the purchase of a 48-pack. By comparison, the price of a like-size  'short' cup of brewed coffee will run you between $1.40 and $1.60. A standard 'Tall' coffee (12 ounces), ranges from $1.55 to $1.70.

For now, you can buy Via at any Starbucks, on the chain's Web site, and at select stores including Costco, Target, Officedepot.com, and apparel retailer REI. It will also be offered at Omni hotels and aboard United Airlines flights scheduled for two hours or longer. The company plans to sell Via at supermarkets next year. 

What's your take on Via? Isit a winner or wannabe? If you took the challenge, could you pick out the instant from the fresh-brewed? If so, do you think the new product is so good, economical, and convenient that you'll actually buy less brewed coffee at your local Starbucks shop?