A supermarket's own-brand coffee has been crowned the best in the UK, outshining popular brands Kenco and Nescafé.

Priced at £7.25 for 200g, customers would pocket over £1 with each purchase compared to the larger brands, whilst receiving more coffee per jar for busy mornings.

A group of 68 coffee drinkers sampled 12 instant gold-roast-style coffees, consuming over 800 test brews.

These encompassed the renowned Nescafé, as well as other familiar brands, Douwe Egberts and Kenco. They were matched against nine supermarket own brands from Asda, Lidl and Sainsbury's.

Two supermarket coffees particularly delighted the tasters, whilst another retailer clinched the Great Value title, striking the perfect balance between quality and cost-effectiveness.

The Nescafé Gold Blend was priced at £8.35 for 190g, the same cost as a 195g jar of Kenco.

The former performed well among the 68 taste testers, narrowly missing out on 'Best Buy' status by a single point. Approximately half were satisfied with the flavour of both Nescafé and Kenco, but a third craved a stronger coffee punch.

The Which? consumer champion survey revealed that two supermarket brands topped the chart: M&S and Waitrose.

"If you want to upgrade from basic instant, bag yourself a tasty brew with our top-scoring gold blend coffee from M&S," it recommended.

M&S Gold Instant Coffee, priced at £7.25 for 200g, received high marks for its flavour, aroma and appearance.

Nearly two-thirds of testers were satisfied with the strength of flavour, whilst almost three-quarters approved of the bitterness levels. It also scored highly on ethical grounds, being one of only two coffees tested bearing the Fairtrade logo.

Waitrose Gold Roast tied for top spot with M&S, also earning the 'Best Buy' label. It performed well in all categories, impressing initially with its appearance and aroma.

Over half of the tasters deemed the coffee's strength just right, and nearly two-thirds relished the bitter kick. This Waitrose coffee was priced at £3.70 for 100g, making it more costly per gram than the Marks offering.

Aldi Barissimo Gold Roast Freeze Dried Coffee was crowned the Great Value choice by Which?, retailing at a mere £2.65 for 200g.

Drinkers appreciated its aroma, the bitterness levels were approved by nearly two-thirds, and the flavour was enjoyed by just under half of tasters. A slightly stronger coffee flavour could have further boosted its appeal.