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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 398 reviews, most reviewers were let down by their experience overall. Consumers expressed deep frustration over the drastically changed coffee recipe, noting that it tastes extremely bitter, harsh, and completely unappealing compared to previous favorites. Buyers also heavily complained about the poor product quality, explaining that the drink fails to dissolve properly and leaves a thick, powdery sludge at the bottom of the cup. Additionally, people are very upset about higher prices paired with smaller jar sizes, providing much lower value for money overall. However, some customers also noted that the updated jar and packaging design looked modern, nicer, and much easier to close up securely.

What people talk about most

Product

Consumers find product dissatisfaction is widespread after the recent recipe change, with reviewers noting a... See more

Quality

Reviewers express profound dissatisfaction regarding the recent recipe change, frequently reporting a bitter... See more

Price

Reviewers highlight negative aspects of price, expressing widespread frustration over recent shrinkflation... See more

Customer service

Customers had negative experiences with customer service, expressing deep frustration over unaddressed... See more

Value for money

Users describe strong disappointment regarding value for money, noting that they are getting less product in... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I can accept thr shrinkflation with the 200g jar being replaced by a 190g jar at the same price, however, the powdery residue is disgusting and totally destroys the pleasure of drinking this brand. I... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bad move changing the formula of your coffee. It is now undrinkable. Tastes foul, does not dissolve properly and leaves a horrible brown sludge in the bottom or your cup and around the sides.... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Recipe changed in new har of Smooth Kenco. Leaving horrible residue around rim and in bottom of cup. When I cant find old shape bottle anymore I will stop buying Kenco. Dowe Egberts slightly more e... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

What in earth happened to my favourite Kenco instant coffee!! It tastes absolutely horrendous. Bottom of cup is covered black horrid stuff and have to rince cup afterwards. Mouth feels bad afterwards.... See more


1.1

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

491 reviews

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1.1

All reviews

(491)

446 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Kenco you've ruined your coffee

When something isn't broken why change it? I've been a Kenco really rich drinker for over 10 years. But I'm afraid I won't be doing from now on. The new style coffee is abysmal. It doesn't compare to your previous product, it's lost its rich flavour. It looks like mud and leaves a powdery sludge in the bottom of the mug. Time to find a new favourite coffee I'm afraid.

September 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointed

Very disappointed – Kenco has ruined a coffee I’ve bought for years.
I’ve been buying Kenco coffee for years and have always been a loyal customer, but whatever changes have been made to the recipe are a huge mistake. The new coffee tastes awful compared with the old one, and it even leaves a horrible slushy/gritty residue at the bottom of the cup.
If it wasn’t broken, why change it?
To make matters worse, the jars now contain 10g less coffee for the same price. So we’re getting less product, paying the same money, and the quality has noticeably gone downhill. That’s extremely disappointing for long-standing customers.
Kenco had a product people were happy to buy, and now you’ve changed it and risk losing those loyal customers. I certainly won’t be recommending it anymore and will be looking for an alternative.
Please bring back the old recipe and stop giving customers less for the same pric

September 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I am really disappointed

I love the Kenco really rich coffee, I purchaaed the jar with the blue label and the red cap, it is absolutely disgusting, I feel like I am drinking clay, I have spent the morning trying to sieve the dust out of it!!! Barista my backside, just stick to what is loved!!!

September 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Found piece of plastic in jar

Found piece of plastic in jar. Tried contacting kenco with their online form and they did not even respond they do not seem to be bothered by foreign objects in their jars

September 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Kenco rich has totally changed

kenco rich has totally changed. Red lid instead of the blue, 190g instead of 200g and the flavour is not the same. The black ‘sludge’ left in the bottom of your mug is very off-putting. We’ve drank Kenco for years but will be changing to a different brand now.

September 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I have been drinking the red label…

I have been drinking the red label Kenco smoot coffee for approaching 20 years. Always my go to coffee. Then I buy the new style jar to find that the coffee itself tastes inferior, the jar holds less coffee and that it leaves a nasty brown sludge at the bottom and the rim of the cup.
Why oh why have you changed a much loved formula? I can only surmise that it’s to save money.
You’ve now lost a long time customer.
Come on Kenco- bring back our favourite coffee please!

September 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just awful

Just awful, you have destroyed my favourite coffee, Kenco rich, now bitter, weaker and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth and 10grams less. Not a happy bunny anyone found anything to replace it with.

September 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Kenco Rich is horrible now.

I’d been drinking Kenco Rich for over 15 years, now, rebrand to a different jar with 10g less coffee. Absolute rubbish. I have now started drinking Nescafé Alta Rica and wouldn’t touch Kenko again if it was free. Whoever made this change is not a coffee drinker. Awful stuff. 🤬🤬🤬

September 2, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Kenco, you have ruined my coffee!

They have ruined my coffee! Unforgivable.
Not even worth a 1 star! I have used Kenco smooth for years and years, and now I am changing to another brand. It is just a disgusting sludge. Not the same taste at all and even the shrinkflation has annoyed me. The rebranding isn't good either. To add insult to injury there is 10g less per jar which equates to 5/6 cups and sold at a slightly lower price. What on earth were you thinking of? Now I have to find a coffee I like and probably waste more money.

August 27, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

So disappointing……..

I thought at first maybe I was imagining it but no the quality of Kenco has really gone down hill. I have been drinking this brand for many years and have been very happy with it. The new formulation is horrible and I will be looking for a new brand to replace it . What a shame, I can only imagine it has been done as a cost cutting measure. And don't think I did'nt notice the sneaky 5% shrinkflation too!

September 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Absolute ruined what used to be a reliable, smooth coffee

Absolute ruined what used to be a reliable, smooth coffee. The new "jewel" jar design is just a cover-up for a terrible recipe change and blatant shrinkflation (the jar is now smaller at 190g).Whatever they have done to the blend has completely ruined the taste. It is incredibly bitter, but the worst part is the texture. It leaves a thick, dark, gritty sediment at the bottom of the cup that looks like muddy puddle water and tastes disgusting. Instant coffee is supposed to dissolve fully—I don't want a mouth full of grit at the end of my drink. After years of loyalty, I'm binning this jar and switching to a brand that actually dissolves. Avoid.

September 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Poor quality kenco

I have drank kenco instant for many years. The addition of microgrounds to the freeze dried coffee leaves a horrible sludge in the last couple of mouthfuls. I do not drink ground coffee because I dislike this. I will use another brand of freeze dried coffee from now on. Also it is a premium priced product and the new style jar is smaller thus giving you less value for money.

September 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Kenco coffee

Totally ruined kenco blue lable. Will not be buying any more after many years of drinking this brand. If I could have given 0 I would have . Very disappointed customer.
It has a film on it when made. Tastes awful and leaves a residue in the bottom of the cup.

September 6, 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

After the rebrand the Kenco Rich coffee…

After the rebrand the Kenco Rich coffee is disgusting. It tastes like dishwater and leaves a sludge like residue at the bottom of the cup. I will not be buying this coffee again unless the recipe is changed back as it was previously. This used to be my favourite coffee, now I will have to find a new instant coffee. Very disappointing.

September 11, 2026
Unprompted review

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