The 55p supermarket iced coffee that's better than a Starbucks carton

Scottish Sun

13-07-2025

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CAFFEINE KICK The 55p supermarket iced coffee that's better than a Starbucks carton
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NOTHING tastes better on the early commute or school run than a refreshing iced coffee on a rushed summer morning.
No wonder iced coffee sales have shot up 22% in the UK over the last five years, according to trend-watcher Innova 360.
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Lucy Tobin has tested iced coffees on sale in supermarkets
Credit: Peter Jordan
The cheapest way to make them is, of course, to do it yourself at home.
But if you love the luxury treat of a barista brew, there's an easy way to replicate it for less.
Just pick up a canned iced latte for as little as 55p from your local coffee shop or supermarket.
That's an absolute bargain compared to high street options: Starbucks is currently selling its venti iced latte for over £5 in London stores.
Below I put iced coffee to-go to the test, pitting big brand names like Starbucks and Nescafé against budget rivals from the supermarkets.
Emmi Caffè Latte Cappuccino Iced Coffee
230ml
£1.85 from Sainsbury's
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Emmi's iced cappuccino is the perfect drink for those who want a refreshing morning caffeine hit
Credit: Louis Wood
This might just be the perfect cool drink for people who don't like the bitterness of coffee but want a refreshing morning caffeine hit.
Emmi Caffè has a milky taste, chocolate overtones, a creamy texture, and slips down very smoothly.
It's sweetly delicious - low-fat cocoa powder is one of the ingredients and, at 145kcal, it might not be a dieter's choice.
The only other downside is that this coffee comes in a plastic cup rather than a can, where the cup's rim was a bit sharp when drinking straight from it.
Worth it, though, for one of the tastiest brews we tried.
4/5
Ueshima Iced Latte
250ml
£2 from Ocado
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Enjoy a premium drink from the canned coffee investors
Credit: Peter Jordan
This is a premium drink from the Japanese inventors of canned coffee.
The story goes that Mr Ueshima bought a coffee at a train station in the 1960s, but had to leave it behind to catch his train - so spent a year working on canned coffee and started selling it in 1969.
This one tastes like it's been improved over decades, with a rich and refreshing taste.
Being only 75kcal in the can, one of the lowest-calorie canned coffee drinks, it doesn't taste as sweet as some others - anyone who likes a traditional coffee over ice will enjoy this one.
At £2, though, it's not far off the cost of a coffee shop treat and wasn't distinctive enough for the price to seem worthwhile.
3/5
Jimmy's Iced Coffee Original
275ml
£2.10 from Tesco
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Use this bottle for water once you'ved finished your coffee
Credit: Peter Jordan
This is a super refreshing choice, and comes in a classy and recyclable silver-coloured bottle which we found perfect for refilling with water later on.
The coffee is the perfect consistency: not too thick or runny, and full of flavour without being overly sweet.
It's just over 100kcal per bottle, despite containing more coffee than the other products thanks to its larger bottle size.
Jimmy's comes in a range of flavours, from gimmicky "iced coffee donut" flavour to the usual mocha, caramel and extra-protein options.
You can buy Jimmy's in slightly smaller 250ml cans, starting at £1/25 at Iceland.
4/5
Starbucks Caffè Latte Iced Coffee
220ml
£2.20 from Tesco
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It's clear Starbucks has spent a lot of thought on its iced latte
Credit: Peter Jordan
As you'd expect from one of the kings of high street coffee, Starbucks has put a lot of thought into its iced latte.
It came in the easiest to drink packaging: a cup with a recyclable lid and straw which is perfect to sip on the go.
The Starbucks latte - espresso plus creamy milk - is a flavoursome brew, sweeter than others and very moreish.
But the calorie content showed the sweetness too, coming in at a hefty 165kcal per cup.
Price-wise, I'd avoid it for £2.20.
3/5
M&S classic latte
250ml
£2
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The overriding flavour of the M&S coffee is creaminess
Credit: Peter Jordan
There's a double shot of espresso and semi-skimmed milk in this generous-sized can.
It's not too sweet, but it also doesn't have a particularly strong coffee flavour: the overriding flavour is creaminess.
Despite that, there's only 100kcal in each 250ml can, and it was a refreshing caffeine hit: I definitely felt extra alert after this double shot of espresso.
Anyone who likes their coffee to taste like milk with a dash of Arabica will love this can - but hard-core bean fans may find it too creamy.
3/5
Nescafé Iced Coffee Latte
750ml
£3 (£2.50 on Tesco Clubcard deal)
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Nescafe's iced coffee comes in a bigger bottle
Credit: Peter Jordan
This is a larger bottle, perfect for keeping in the fridge at home.
The bulk discount means it works out at a cheap 83p per 250ml portion - but it's too big to cart around so minus points for the convenience factor.
As it has UHT milk inside, though, it doesn't need to be stored in the fridge until after it's opened.
Nescafé's latte tastes like a sweeter drink than Ueshima and Jimmy's- it comes in at 93kcal per 250ml portion - but lacks the chocolatey taste of some others.
It's a mild, creamy latte that's a good value option if you like to have an iced coffee to grab at home, but I prefer the convenience of cans and cups to multitask as an on-the-go refreshing treat.
3/5
Lidl Latte Macchiato
250ml
55p
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Lidl's 55p was crowned a joint winner
Credit: Peter Jordan
The cheapest iced coffee by miles - and it tastes great too.
Lidl's latte has a mild coffee taste, with a creamy, slightly thicker texture - which might be why it packs a stonking 200kcal in per portion.
The packaging is a bit of a drawback, too: it has a thin foil covering the plastic cup at the top.
I'd be too nervous to chuck this iced latte into my bag as any jostling during the commute would see it burst, unlike Starbucks' cup design which has a plastic lid for security.
Other can designs are more robust too.
Still, overall this macchiato slips down really easily and is a refreshing, sweet coffee that tastes even better when you know how much of a bargain it is.
4/5