Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Colombian ground coffee review: smooth, good value and a little mild

If you’re weighing up a Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Colombian ground coffee review before adding a bag to your basket, this one’s for you. It’s Sainsbury’s own-label Fairtrade Colombian, sold pre-ground in a 227g bag for cafetière or filter, and it sits at the gentle end of the supermarket shelf. I haven’t tested this in person. My verdict is based on Sainsbury’s listing, dated UK prices, owner reviews and the published tests I name and link below.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Colombian ground coffee review: the short answer

Buy it if you brew in a cafetière or filter machine and want a smooth, nutty everyday coffee that’s Fairtrade and easy on the budget. It was £4.50 at Sainsbury’s, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), which Sainsbury’s works out at £1.98 per 100g. Owners are mostly happy with it too.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who likes a strong, dark cup with plenty of bite. The one proper panel test I found called it balanced but short on punch.

Skip it if you already own a grinder or make espresso. Pre-ground coffee goes stale faster than beans, and this grind is aimed at cafetière and filter. For beans at a similar price, see my Tesco Finest Sumatra review.

Who it isn’t for: home espresso makers. You’ll want freshly ground beans for that, and my guide to the best burr grinders under £100 is the place to start.

What it costs right now

• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Fairtrade Colombian Ground, 227g: £4.50 at Sainsbury’s, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026). That’s £1.98 per 100g, according to Sainsbury’s. Trolley’s price tracker showed the same figure. See it at Sainsbury’s
• With a Nectar card: £3.37 at Sainsbury’s, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026), or £1.48 per 100g. This is a Nectar Price, so you need a Nectar card to get it. Sainsbury’s doesn’t show when it ends, so it may go back to £4.50 at any point.
• Bigger bag: Sainsbury’s also sells a 454g version. I couldn’t confirm that price on Sainsbury’s own page, so check current price before you buy. Compare pack sizes on Trolley
• Other shops: it’s Sainsbury’s own label, so you won’t find it at other supermarkets.

Cost per cup: Sainsbury’s lists 30 servings per bag. By my maths, that’s about 15p a cup at £4.50, or about 11p at the Nectar price. Your own cost depends on how strong you make it.

What’s in the bag

Sainsbury’s lists this as 100% Arabica from a single origin, grown in the Andes foothills of Colombia, packed in the UK, with all of the coffee Fairtrade certified. It’s ground rather than whole bean, and it carries a strength 3 on the supermarket scale. Sainsbury’s doesn’t name a roast level. One owner describes it as a medium roast, but that’s their opinion, not something the listing says.

The tasting notes on the listing are smooth, sweet and nutty. Good Housekeeping’s panel described it in similar terms (more on that below).

Sainsbury’s suggests brewing it in a cafetière or filter, at one tablespoon to 200ml of water. The pack also advises using it within two weeks of opening and keeping it in the fridge, which is a useful reminder that ground coffee doesn’t stay at its best for long.

Who it isn’t for: anyone using a moka pot or espresso machine. The listing only mentions cafetière and filter, so the grind may not suit other methods.

What reviewers and owners say

The most useful published test is old. Good Housekeeping’s supermarket ground coffee panel, from January 2016, included this Colombian and placed it mid-table. Its testers found it balanced and nutty but lacking punch. That test is ten years old, and the coffee or its packaging may have changed since, so I’d treat it as a rough guide rather than the final word.

For something more recent, i News looked at eight supermarket beans made into oat lattes in August 2025. It gave the whole-bean version of this Taste the Difference Colombian 3 out of 5, noting a sweet finish, a touch of bitterness and that it works well with milk. That’s the beans, not this ground bag, so it’s only a pointer.

I couldn’t find this ground coffee in any other UK test, including i News’s round-up of 15 ground coffees, which covered other Taste the Difference blends but not this one.

Owners are kinder. Across 66 reviews, it scores 4.3 out of 5, as collected by Trolley from Sainsbury’s own reviews. Several owners pick out how smooth it is rather than bitter. The reviews aren’t all glowing, though: alongside the fans, some owners are far less keen.

Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a coffee with a strong test record. The evidence here is mostly owner reviews plus one dated panel.

Sainsbury’s Colombian vs Tesco Finest Sumatra

These two sit at the same sort of price, but they’re quite different coffees.

• Price: the Sainsbury’s Colombian was £4.50 at Sainsbury’s (£3.37 with a Nectar card) and the Tesco Finest Sumatra was £4.30 at Tesco (£3.85 with a Clubcard), both prices at time of research (28 Sep 2026), both for 227g. The loyalty prices may end.
• Form: the Sainsbury’s bag is ground; the Tesco one is whole beans, so you’ll need a grinder.
• Flavour, as listed: smooth, sweet and nutty for the Colombian, against earthy, chocolatey and spicy for the Sumatra.
• Owners: 4.3 out of 5 from 66 reviews for the Colombian and 3.6 out of 5 from 12 for the Sumatra, both via Trolley.

If you want something easy and don’t grind, the Colombian makes more sense. If you’ve got a grinder and prefer a bolder, earthier cup, read my Tesco Finest Sumatra review. And if you’d like another Colombian in whole-bean form, I’m also covering the M&S Collection Colombian beans.

Who it isn’t for: Tesco shoppers. The Sainsbury’s bag is only sold at Sainsbury’s.

Downsides

• It’s mild. Good Housekeeping’s 2016 panel said it lacked punch, and the bean version only scored 3 out of 5 from i News as an oat latte.
• Pre-ground coffee fades. Sainsbury’s own advice is to use it within two weeks of opening.
• Mixed reviews at the edges. Most owners like it, but some really don’t.
• The Nectar Price may not last. Without a Nectar card, you pay £4.50 (price at time of research, 28 Sep 2026).
• Thin test record. I couldn’t find a recent independent test of this exact ground bag.

Where to go next

If you’re thinking of moving to whole beans, start with my guide to the best burr grinders under £100, and weigh your doses with one of the best coffee scales. If you’d rather have fresher coffee delivered, see my best coffee subscriptions. For lattes at home, my best milk frothers guide has options at every price.

FAQ

How much is Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Colombian ground coffee? It was £4.50 for 227g at Sainsbury’s, or £3.37 with a Nectar card, price at time of research (28 Sep 2026). The Nectar price may end, so check on the day.

Is it strong? No. Sainsbury’s gives it a strength 3, and Good Housekeeping’s 2016 panel found it balanced but lacking punch.

Can I use it in an espresso machine? Sainsbury’s only suggests cafetière or filter, so I wouldn’t count on it. For espresso, freshly ground beans are the better bet.

Is it Fairtrade? Yes. Sainsbury’s lists all of the coffee as Fairtrade certified.

How many cups do you get from a bag? Sainsbury’s lists 30 servings per 227g bag, at one tablespoon per 200ml.