{"id":592422,"date":"2026-09-07T00:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T00:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/592422\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T00:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T00:32:10","slug":"iced-coffee-blind-taste-test-baristas-rate-the-best-and-worst-at-nz-supermarkets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/592422\/","title":{"rendered":"Iced coffee blind taste test: Baristas rate the best (and worst) at NZ supermarkets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daily Bread\u2019s Robbie Dalgetty has over 16 years of coffee experience and says a decent iced coffee should not skimp on the coffee flavour and cut-through.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to taste the coffee and whatever it\u2019s mixed with without it being too watered down,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Atomic Coffee Roasters\u2019 Kary Luo agrees, explaining that her ideal iced coffee is \u201cstrong and balanced with the milk\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just want something refreshing. I think the coffee shot itself is really important as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

We asked our experts to blind judge six randomly selected store-bought iced coffees, across four categories: flavour, acidity, body and aftertaste.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve found the average of their scores out of 10 for each category. <\/p>\n

With no prior knowledge of the products, here\u2019s what they thought, from their least favourite to the best supermarket iced coffee in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

\"BickfordsBickfords Almond milk base wasn’t a hit. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Bickford\u2019s Iced Coffee Almond Milk<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $7.60<\/p>\n

Average score: 2.12 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to say if there is body, it\u2019s definitely not breathing anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still not convinced there\u2019s coffee in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is coffee in this cup, there\u2019s not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, if I wanted an iced coffee and you gave me that, I\u2019d just be very angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tastes like a coffee-flavoured banana bread but made with oat milk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe flavour is nice, but from a coffee flavour perspective, no.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MammothMammoth Supply Co’s iced coffee contained a protein hit. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Mammoth Supply Co. Protein Fix Iced Original Coffee<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $9.98<\/p>\n

Average score: 2.62 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says: <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really thick, and I can\u2019t taste any coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like there has to be protein in it because it\u2019s thick. I might get this if I\u2019m hitting the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell if the lack of acidity is a good or a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not bad to drink if this is a protein shake, but for an iced coffee, I would be disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a meal substitution that sort of smoothie thickness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no aftertaste. It\u2019s just kind of once you swallow everything just disappears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Japanese-createdJapanese-created Boss iced coffees are flash brewed. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Boss Iced Coffee Double Espresso<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $16.67<\/p>\n

Average score: 3.87 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got legs on it, but I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s running.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe actual flavour of the coffee isn\u2019t really there, but I can still taste the sweetness from the milk and the sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoesn\u2019t have that bold coffee flavour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s a medium body, but that\u2019s more from the syrup and the milk, not from the coffee itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt smells like it\u2019s going to be really sweet, but it\u2019s kind of flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKind of like Vietnamese coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PuhoiPuhoi Valley’s iced coffee came second best out of our ‘premium’ products. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Puhoi Valley Arabica Espresso<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $13 <\/p>\n

Average score: 4.25 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely richer on the coffee side, [but it is] still sweet though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not much linger, but it is nicer than a sugar mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s basically like drinking a cream syrup with a touch of coffee flavour in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely uses good quality milk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe aftertaste just disappears real quick. Like, there\u2019s not much to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re starting young, like a 10-year-old who wants to have a coffee, you can give them that. They will be very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AustralianAustralian iced coffee brand Nippy\u2019s was runner up. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Runner up: Nippy\u2019s Double Espresso<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $7.80<\/p>\n

Average score: 4.5 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like the body\u2019s hitting the highest range for me. It\u2019s more like a coffee milkshake.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve definitely bought this after a night out in a dairy somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSmells sweet again. This one\u2019s more vanilla-y though.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like with this one, anyone can drink it, even kids, because it\u2019s really sweet and milky.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt reminds me of coffee-flavoured ice cream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LewisLewis Road Creamery’s iced coffee came out on top. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Winner: Lewis Road Creamery Double Espresso<\/p>\n

Price (per 1 litre): $16.90<\/p>\n

Average score: 6.87 \/ 10<\/p>\n

Dalgetty says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like this was made with quite a high-quality coffee, just because the flavours are very balanced.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives that complex. My whole tongue\u2019s being engaged for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe body\u2019s the best on this one coffee-wise because I can taste it initially, and then I can taste it lingering a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luo says:<\/p>\n

\u201cMore balance with the milk and sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not really bitter like a cheaper one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s obviously been more care put into the coffee being the predominant flavour in comparison to the other ones.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Daily Bread\u2019s Robbie Dalgetty has over 16 years of coffee experience and says a decent iced coffee should…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":592423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[24752,291888,95,1975,291887,121483,4498,3390,23541,138,17379,4509,545,3191,291886,19332,12235,130,111,139,69,19257,96734,7227,48499,765,131,223,165,376,102,8598,1530],"class_list":["post-592422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-ago","tag-algerian","tag-and","tag-at","tag-baristas","tag-battlefield","tag-beat","tag-best","tag-blind","tag-business","tag-coffee","tag-cold","tag-extreme","tag-heat","tag-iced","tag-milk","tag-mixed","tag-more","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-rate","tag-soldiers","tag-supermarkets","tag-taste","tag-test","tag-than","tag-the","tag-their","tag-water","tag-with","tag-worst","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}