(Image credit: nescafewithcoffeemate.com)
Smiley360 was kind enough to allow me to participate in the Nescafe with Coffee-Mate mission. One I was honored to accept due to my absolute love for flavored coffee.
I own a Keurig, a multi-cup coffee maker, and a stove-top espresso maker. I love my coffee. But I don’t consider myself a coffee aficionado. I buy coffee based on type (light/blonde roast) and price (the cheaper the better). I flavor it with either powdered or liquid creamers and I love adding ice because iced coffee is easier for me to drink than hot coffee….and it tastes better! When I run out of creamer, I flavor my coffee with milk, Splenda, and cinnamon. Sometimes, I’ll even add vanilla extract if I happen to have a bottle handy.
I’ve experienced both Coffee-Mate (most of the creamers I buy is of this brand) and Nescafe so when I found out they have a product featuring both brands I almost had a heart attack (in a good way…well…as good as a heart attack can be). Almost the second I received the bottle of French Vanilla in the mail, I ran, not walked, to my Keurig and got myself a cup of hot water to add the Nescafe with Coffee-Mate.
First Impression: It smelled sweet and good. It tasted just as it smelled; sweet and good. The caffeine was enough to get me out of my slump.
The bad: The aftertaste is atrocious. That’s typical of my experience with instant coffees. Usually the aftertaste is the worst thing about it and this product was no different. Luckily, that experience didn’t hit me until after I drank the full cup so I was able to enjoy the coffee before the aftertaste bit into me.
The creative: I decided that in order to cut the aftertaste bit out of the experience, I may need to approach this product at a different angle. I decided to use it as a creamer instead of an instant coffee. I just see it as adding a bit more jolt to my already strong coffee. So the next day I made my regular coffee in my Keurig and instead of adding my usual creamer I used this Nescafe with Coffee-Mate. Three heaping spoonfuls of it and voila! a delicious cup of sweetened, creamy, coffee with enough caffeine to have me bouncing off the walls for hours – and this part is important, no aftertaste!
Final Impression: I don’t know if I plan to buy this in lieu of my regular creamers. I do like the idea of adding that extra zip of caffeine to my regular coffees but I’m not sure if the cost is worth it. For the same price, I can get a larger container of sweetened creamer (without the instant coffee). So when I go shopping, I’ll have to weigh it out: Do I want more zip in my regular coffee or do I want more creamer that will last longer? Depending on my answer will depend on whether or not I start purchasing Nescafe with Coffee-Mate. But I do recommend this product to anyone who drinks coffee. At least give it a try because it might become a staple in your home.
You can visit the Nescafe with Coffee-Mate Smiley 360 page here!