Kenco Millicano Dark Roast - dark but fair ! (review)

Madhouse Daddy loves his coffee. I don't think he could function in the morning without a cup of the dark stuff actually (he's French so he drinks it black and very strong). He usually makes a cup with our Dolce Gusto machine but he was gutted to find that it was clogged up with limescale last week and needed descaling before it would work. Kenco to the rescue - they'd sent us through a tin of their newest creation to try out : Kenco Millicano Dark Roast, along with a rather lovely mug.

Madhouse Daddy's first reaction was to turn his nose up, thinking that instant coffee wouldn't be able to rival his freshly brewed cup, but Kenco Millicano Dark Roast is designed to give you a richer coffee experience, promising a distinctive dark roasted taste and a full-bodied flavour. It contains finely milled whole beans giving the premium taste reminiscent of roast and ground coffee. First giving it a tentative (but approving) sniff in the tin, Madhouse Daddy made a cup and had to agree that it wasn't bad at all - it tastes almost as good as his usual cup made with the coffee machine and is a lot less hassle, particularly first thing in the morning. He also likes the fact that he could make several cups of decent tasting coffee after a meal when we have friends over, rather than making them one at a time with the Dolce Gusto, which is pretty laborious.

So, full marks for taste and convenience, but you may be wondering about the "dark but fair" bit of the title. Well, Kenco have launched a project called ‘Coffee vs. Gangs’ which aims to give young people in Honduras an alternative to gang life and the opportunity to choose a more positive future by training as coffee farmers and learning entrepreneurial skills. The sale of Kenco products supports this initiative.

I received a voucher by email for £1 off Kenco Millicano Dark Roast - I'm not sure if it will work for everyone or if it's personalised but feel free to give it a go ! Kenco are also pledging to donate £1 to Coffee vs. Gangs participants when the voucher is used.

I couldn't help but smile this morning. The Dolce Gusto has been unclogged and is in full working order again but I noticed Madhouse Daddy reaching for the Kenco before heading off to work - "well, it tastes almost the same and it's quicker", he said. High praise indeed from a French coffee-snob !!

RRP : £4.39 for 95g

Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.