The International Taste Institute (ITI) held its annual Superior Taste Awards, where over 250 chefs and sommeliers evaluated a variety of coffees based on taste. This event is considered highly prestigious in the food and beverage industry. Coffees evaluated included whole-bean, ground, instant, capsules, pods, and decaf varieties, with many achieving recognition for their superior taste.

Judging Process

The judges evaluated the coffees in a blind testing process conducted in silence. They were not informed of the product details beyond the category. Each product was assessed based on first impression, vision, olfaction, taste, and texture or final sensation. Coffees scoring above 70% received the Superior Taste Award, indicating undeniable quality.

Products were rated with one, two, or three stars. Nineteen coffees received three-star ratings. Some of these are available in the United States through specialty retailers or online importers.

Top-Rated Coffees

Among the top-rated, two Lavazza brand coffees, La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Colombia and Tales of Italy Canal Grande, are notable. La Reserva de ¡Tierra! Colombia boasts a balanced blend with notes of tropical fruits, lime zest, and jasmine. It is a 100% Arabica blend ideal for espresso. Tales of Italy Canal Grande, a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans, features chocolate notes and scores an 8 out of 10 in intensity.

Five whole-bean coffees from Italy, three from Spain, and one each from South Korea, the UK, Germany, Turkey, Japan, and Taiwan received three-star ratings. The only ground coffee honored was Café San Alberto by Café San Alberto of Colombia.

Coffee Pod and Instant Categories

Costa Coffee from the UK secured three three-star awards in the pod/capsule category with Signature Medium Decaf, Podio Capsule, Signature Medium Roast, Podio Capsule, and Colombian Character Roast, Podio Capsule. Oriental Kopi Classic White Coffee by Oriental Coffee International of Malaysia was the only instant coffee to earn three stars.

Product Ratings

Products scoring between 70% and 80% are classified as high quality, one-star products. Two-star items, scoring between 80% and 90%, are prominent within their category. Three-star products, with scores above 90%, are deemed exceptional and of top quality by the judges.

Teresa Mull contributes as a freelance writer to the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.