15+ Korean Instant Coffee Brands (Korean Coffee Sticks)

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• ☕ Korean Coffee Culture
• 📝 Ways to Doctor Up Korean Instant Coffee
• 🍬 Dalgona Coffee
• 🤩 Korean Instant Coffee Brands
• 💬 Comments

☕ Korean Coffee Culture

South Korea's coffee culture is constantly evolving. In comparison to other regions of the world, where coffee consumption is ingrained in the culture, coffee in Korea is a young and adaptable industry.

Coffee only became a part of South Korean culture in the late nineteenth century. Early records show that Kong Gojon, the first recorded Korean to sample coffee, had it while he was taking refuge at the Russian Legation in 1895, following the assassination of Queen Min. 

He loved the bitter brew so much that in 1890, he commissioned Aleksey Seredin-Sabatin to build an imperial cafe at Deoksugung Palace. Apart from being a part of the royal seal, at the time, coffee could only be enjoyed by royals and the upper classes in Korean society. 

Dabangs, or coffee shops, first appeared in the Myeongdong neighborhood of Seoul in 1927. Dabangs are traditional Korean coffee shops that typically serve savory cakes with their coffee.

Dabangs' birth then paved the way for a cultural revolution. Cafes began to spread throughout the cities of Korea in the 1970s. These upscale coffee shops catered to students and professionals, still the two groups in Korea which most frequent coffee shops.

In 1976, instant coffee also became popular. Instant coffee was first introduced to Korea by the Americans during the Korean war. Maxim coffee sticks, manufactured by Dongsun Foods, were the first to introduce instant coffee mix sachets, which picked up steam incredibly fast.

South Korea had become the world's largest instant coffee consumer by 1990. Koreans came to adore it because it’s trendy, inexpensive, and shelf-stable, in addition to offering the required kick of caffeine.

When I was teaching English in Korea, everyone in my office would start off their morning with at least two scoops of instant coffee with hot water in these tiny paper cups they always keep near the door. Coffee later became a symbol of modernization, and in Korea the brewed form is quite expensive.

This is due to the fact that the price isn’t so much for the coffee, but actually for access to a coffee establishment. With the exception of animal cafe, instead of calling it an entry fee, the cafe will just sell overpriced coffee.

There are many themed cafes in Korea - cat cafes, flower cafes, board game cafes, virtual reality cafes, and even toy cafes. The atmosphere and unique attractions of cafes in Korea are often more important than the coffee, especially in cities like Busan or Seoul.

📝 Ways to Doctor Up Korean Instant Coffee

While Korean instant coffees are already pretty darn good, there are still ways to improve them, to make each cup a little richer and sweeter. Here are my top tips for doctoring up your Korean instant coffee, and making the most out of each packet.

1. Nutella Iced Coffee

If chocolate is your favorite pick-me-up, then this recipe by Coffee Bro will be a welcome addition to your coffee recipe. Using a blender, mix a packet of instant coffee with milk and two dollops of Nutella.

This blend of hazelnut chocolate and milk is a match made in heaven. Add whipped cream and chocolate chips on top if you feel like serving that looks a lot like it came from Starbucks.

2. Instant Coffee Iced Caramel Latte

If chocolate isn't nearby, caramel is my go-to when I feel like having something sweet. Discover MNL recommends a simple hack that upgrades your afternoon break time coffee.

Using a blender, mix a half-cup of water with instant coffee, a generous amount of caramel syrup, several drops of vanilla extract, and a half-cup of milk. Pour in a cup full of ice, and top with whipped cream before drizzling some caramel syrup on top.

3. Irish Coffee Shots

Did you know that you can mix instant coffee with a bit of whiskey? Nescafe’s recipe suggests that you heat both of these in a pan along with two teaspoons of sugar until it dissolves. Pour everything in a heatproof glass mug and top with whipped cream.

This is optional, but if you want to add more spice in this already strong drink, you can add a sprinkle of ground nutmeg on top of the cream.

If you want to improve your Korean instant coffee game even further, make sure to buy quality instant coffee. More and more specialty roasters are making instant coffees that offer markedly better quality than commercial brands out in the market. Up your instant coffee drinking experience with these simple tips.

• Make it with less water than suggested, and top with milk or cream.
• Use the entire coffee (coffee only, without added sugar) and mix it with another sweetener of choice. Think honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or other flavored syrups like chocolate, caramel, salted caramel, or hazelnut.
• Make a Coffee Smoothie with your instant coffee stick or sachet.
• Try this affogato recipe by adding in a dollop of ice cream.
• Why not try your hand at making the Tik Tok sensation, Dalgona coffee? More on this coffee below.

4. Pumpkin Spice Whipped Coffee

This amazingly rich and tasty whipped coffee recipe by The Gunny Sack only requires instant coffee, sugar, and pumpkin spice to make the frothing on top. In a mug, combine two teaspoons of each of these three ingredients, and then add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice seasoning.

Whisk all of it using an electric mixer and pour over iced milk.

5. Banana & Honey Coffee Smoothie

Bananas and coffee actually go insanely good together, so you have to try this FoodTube recipe at home. Combine two teaspoons of instant coffee and honey into 90ml boiled water and stir. Use this mix to blend together two sweet bananas, sugar and ice cubes into the blender until smooth. Lastly, you pour this mix over ice.

For a dairy-free version of the recipes mentioned above, you can use coconut whipped topping instead of whipped cream, and use soy or almond milk instead of regular milk. As for a low-calorie version, skip the whipping cream and use skim milk.

🍬 Dalgona Coffee

History of Dalgona

Dalgona coffee was introduced well after the iconic dalgona candy, but it’s just as popular, if not more so. When the world was in lockdown due to COVID-19, dalgona coffee became a massive Tik Tok sensation, with everyone, even Hallyu stars, attempting to replicate the coffee trend at home.

It’s made from instant coffee, sugar, and a strong base of milk. Dalgona is a coffee-flavored beverage served with iced milk. It's quite difficult to make (based on the number of times we've attempted it during the lockdowns), but once you've succeeded, it's easy to see why people have fallen in love with it.

Every sip has a frothy elegance that can only be surpassed by the sense of accomplishment that comes from managing to make it correctly. The cloud-like consistency of the fluffy coffee top brought joy to many in the midst of isolation.

The quick whisking required to achieve the delicate froth on top can be messy and time-consuming, but the result is a creamy and milky treat with a delightful texture. This quick dalgona recipe shows you how to make it at home.

The origins go back a long way in South Korea, however, to the Korean War. Dalgona was a popular candy for young children back then, and it came as part of a game.

There were numerous dalgona vendors on the street following the war, each with a portable charcoal stove that allowed children to make their own dalgona candy. They only paid a few pennies.

The exchange began when the vendor handed you a low-cost ladle containing a small amount of sugar. Squatting down, you place the ladle directly on the briquet and stir the melting sugar with a disposable wooden chopstick until it caramelizes. 

When the sugar turned a deep amber color, a small amount of baking soda would be added, then the contents of the ladle would transform into a golden bubbly mass. You quickly turned it over onto a flat surface. 

Then the vendor pressed the mass down with a hotteok press to flatten it, and gently made an indentation with a shaped cutter. The game would be to eat the shape from out the middle without breaking the border; if you could do it, you got another treat for your trouble.

🤩 Korean Instant Coffee Brands

Maxim Original

Nothing beats the original flavor, especially Maxim’s, because locals swear that this is better than regular coffee. Just the perfect mix of sweet and bitter, with just the right amount of creamer and sweetener inside. A bit expensive for regular coffee, but worth the money.

Maxim Arabica 100

Maxim White Gold

From popular instant coffee manufacturer Maxim, the quality of the coffee beans used for their Gold line is much higher than the original blend. Thus the Gold line is more expensive and tastes even milder than the Original line.

This instant coffee mix has an extremely smooth flavor and contains a delicious blend of coffee, but unlike the other blends is inherently creamier and sweeter. Like many Maxim individually wrapped instant coffee packets, it has a sugar control feature; you simply pinch the packet at the end to control the amount of sugar in your final cup. 

Maxim Mocha Gold Mild

Maxim Supreme Gold

If you happen to have a sweet tooth, you will absolutely love this version of Maxim Gold. Note that this is extremely sweet, but this still deserves a shout-out because it is the ideal Korean stick coffee to use for a quick latte. Just heat a little bit of water and use two packs. Then you add milk, and voila – you have the perfect iced latte.

Maxim KANU Dark Roast Americano

Namyang French Café

If your local mart ran out of Maxim sticks, this is an equally tasty substitute. It has a pleasant and delicate balance of caffeine and sugar. For those who want their caffeine and don’t care how, I recommend you use three packets instead of two.

Holly’s Coffee

Hollys Coffee is another well-known coffee chain in South Korea. The first espresso coffee house in Korea claims to have pioneered the second-generation coffee culture in the country, at a time when instant coffee dominated the market.

While the brand's primary focus is already on global expansion, their instant coffee line deserves to be included on our list. Holly's Coffee instant coffee sticks contain high-quality coffee powder, remarkably obtained by the espresso method, which retains more flavor at the cost of requiring a low temperature and offering a lower yield.

Their instant coffee line consists of Ice Cold Brew, Real Belgian Chocolate Latte, Americano Dark, Decaf Americano, Vanilla Delight, Cafe Latte, Signature Americano, and Hazelnut Americano. Most significant is the Ice Cold Brew, because instant coffee is usually made hot, but this instant coffee is best iced. 

From my extensive taste testing, the yummiest is the Real Belgian Chocolate Latte. It's the perfect after meal indulgence, with a good caffeine kick and a well-rounded chocolate flavor.

Namyang French Café Arabica

Another Arabica-flavored choice if you’re looking for something convenient. Totally eliminates the need to stop by a local coffee shop and spend around a ocheonwon ($4) for something that tastes similar. Two sticks are enough to fuel you for an entire day, and at the same time, help you save some money.

Namyang Lookas 9 Double Shot Latte

Namyang Lookas 9 Americano

Namyang Lookas 9 Vanilla Latte

Another Lookas 9 brand you don’t want to miss. Compared to the Maxim KANU Vanilla Latte, this choice has less sugar and can still satisfy your craving for something sweet.

EDIYA COFFEE LAB Hand-drip Coffee

EDIYA COFFEE Beanist Toffee Nut Latte

A nutty latte with a decadent flavor, this stick-type instant coffee offers a fun spin on your daily craving, as it uses single-origin Colombian beans. With an exquisite balance of toffee and cocoa undertones, you can pair this stick latte with your meal for a pick-me-up at any point of the day. 

EDIYA COFFEE Beanist Chocolate Chip Latte

I may be biased, but this is the best instant coffee you can get in Korea, thanks to the added taste of Belgian chocolate chips. They add to the deep flavor chocolate enthusiasts love, though I can’t speak to the actual origin. Add extra milk and a dollop of whipped cream if you want something comforting on a cold winter evening.

Maxpresso 3-in-1 Instant Coffee Packets

Another good Korean instant coffee brand to try is Maxpresso. It distinguishes itself through its expert bean selection and unique manufacturing process - in which instant coffee granules are freeze-dried at -40 degrees Celsius. 

The freeze-drying process protects the quality of the coffee crystals. It also keeps the aroma and flavor profile intact. It’s most well-known for its Mild Espresso blend, which requires only 2.5 oz of hot water to dissolve the instant coffee powder. 

This stick coffee comes with a non-dairy coconut oil creamer, and a moderate amount of sugar that is both convenient and adjustable. If you want a stronger, more bitter coffee, use less sugar. This stick coffee is unusual in that it can also be used to make hot or cold coffee.