Starbucks recently announced that they will be pushing their Via instant coffee out to grocery stores and other retail outlets.  Prepare for the Via onslaught, people!

Now a lot of people like to hate on Starbucks just for being Starbucks.  That's fine.  It's like a political position.  I can hardly blame someone for taking a stand on something.  And if you are fortunate enough to live near a small local espresso house, then you should count yourself lucky.

But even a few Starbucks haters I know have sheepishly confessed that the Starbucks instant coffee is not entirely terrible.  It may not compare well to your hand ground French press coffee, but compared to other instant coffees, Starbucks Via is a clear winner.  Heck, compared to their own drip coffee, Starbucks Via is a clear winner.

The only thing not to like about Starbucks Via is that it leaves behind a distinctive sediment in the bottom of the cup.  If you have a very powerful imagination, you can imagine that you are drinking French press coffee, and this is the leftover "texture."  If your imagination isn't up to the task, then I recommend just pitching the last half inch or so.  It hurts to discard coffee, I know, but that bit at the bottom kinda makes me gag.

I have become a semi-regular purchaser of Starbucks Via in the past six months or so.  At first I bought a three pack to keep in my emergency supply stash, for winter storms.  I live in a fairly remote rural area, and winter storms are a fact of life.  In the winter of 2008 I was stuck at home for 17 days because of the snow.  5 of those days I was without running water.  3 of those days I was without electricity.

You can see how a really good instant coffee would be an excellent addition to my emergency stash.

I have a part time job in an office after hours on Sunday afternoons.  They don't have a coffee maker there, just a water cooler with a hot water tap thingie.  (I guess everyone in the office drinks tea, the freaks!)  It isn't easy to find a cup of coffee in that part of town late on a Sunday afternoon, you're talking about walking down the three flights of stairs (no elevator for this historic old building) and driving 15 minutes to the nearest coffee place.

Presto, the Starbucks Via!  Instead of making this big huge slog, or trying to pretend like I don't really need that afternoon shot of caffeine (who am I kidding?) I just tap the magic powder into my coffee cup and add piping hot water.  You barely even have to stir it, which is good, because there are never any clean utensils in the kitchenette.

The final and best use for Starbucks Via is for travel. Having had my share of terrible airport coffee, and having been stuck in a hotel without an in-room coffee maker, AND having had to work at a conference where the nearest coffee was a half mile walk away in the other wing of the conference center?  Let's just say I'd never leave home without it.

Creative Commons-licensed image courtesy of Flickr user abaranda