For many people, coffee in the morning is part of getting the day off to a good start. But not all powdered coffee is good. As the results of ÖKO-TEST show, even well-known brands such as Dallmayr, Eilles and Jacobs Krönung cannot convince in the test. Read here what the testers have to complain about and which coffee is the test winner.
Coffee should cheer you up and of course taste good too. But between an aromatic, full roasted taste and a bitter tasting disappointment, there is a wide range on the shelves of discounters and supermarkets.
In a study by ÖKO-TEST magazine of 20 ground coffees with a medium degree of strength, the taste rating ranged from “very good” to “poor” (Edition 11/2021).
Well-known brand names are just as little a sure indicator of the quality of roasted coffee as the price, the study shows. But the sensor technology wasn’t the biggest point of criticism. Because twelve products – and thus the majority – convinced with good or very good partial notes in terms of smell, taste and balance. You can read the detailed test for a fee at ÖKO-TEST.
Coffee powder: This is the test winner
In all test criteria, i.e. taste, ingredients, coffee cultivation and transparency, only one product was good or very good: “Fair pound of organic coffee from fair trade, ground” by Gepa (to Greenist). It was also the best coffee among the six organic products in the test.
Among the conventional roasted coffees was “Amaroy Extra, ground roasted coffee” from Aldi Süd (to Aldi) right at the front. It scored “good” in terms of taste and ingredients and was rated “satisfactory” for coffee cultivation and transparency.
Ground coffee: These brands cannot convince
The magazine had much more to complain about when it came to pollutants. For example, she rated the acrylamide values measured in 13 products as elevated.
However, ÖKO-TEST sets a strict benchmark: In the study, it was already considered increased when the applicable EU guideline values for acrylamide in roasted coffee were exhausted by more than half. The substance forms when the coffee beans are roasted and is considered to be potentially carcinogenic.
The affected products include the following six coffees:
- Alnatura ground coffee
- Good & cheap gold aromatic roasted coffee
- Melitta Auslese Classic
- Jacobs coronation
- Dallmayr Classic
- Tchibo The hearty one
- Eilles coffee gourmet
The latter scores only “unsatisfactory” in the test and fails. In terms of cultivation and transparency, the product cannot convince either.
Read the detailed test for a fee at ÖKO-TEST
Exploitation and Deforestation: The Downside of Coffee
ÖKO-TEST criticizes the lack of transparency in many roasted coffees with regard to cultivation conditions and supply chains. The magazine asked the providers, for example, whether they are actively trying to ensure that the people on the coffee plantations are paid decently. The magazine also asked whether the producers can prove that the destruction of forests can be ruled out for the cultivation of their coffee beans.
According to the report, the answers were sometimes comprehensive and sometimes poor. In any case, these ecological aspects are difficult to understand for consumers.
Advice from ÖKO-TEST: Anyone who attaches importance to the fact that neither nature in the growing country is unduly damaged nor the local people are exploited for coffee enjoyment should make sure that there is an organic label and a certificate for fair trade on the coffee package, for example Fairtrade or hand in hand. That is at least a good sign for appropriate efforts.
The best filter coffee machines
For good coffee you not only need good coffee powder but also a good filter coffee machine. Stiftung Warentest has tested a total of 15 devices. The test winner delivers the best smell and taste and can also score with a fair price. We show you a quick overview of the four best models here. You can find more information in our detailed purchase advice.
The best fully automatic coffee machines
Fully automatic coffee machines conjure up a particularly good coffee. However, the selection is large and finding the right machine for your own requirements is not that easy. We therefore show you five short questions below. After answering the questions, we will show you the machines that suit your needs particularly well.