Kenco Omdömen 

What a self sabotage! Kenco Rich has been my only morning coffee for as long as I can remember. Fell for the new design con and only noticed the ingredient change when my first cup tasted awful and was left caked in brown sludge. Say goodbye to approx £15 every month from me Kenco, idiots.

We bought a new jar of Decaf with red lid and it is absolutely abysmal! It’s bitter, sludgy and doesn’t dissolve properly when adding the hot milk. I have tried putting sugar in it and it still tastes dreadful. I think we’ve bought and enjoyed Kenko for 30 years with no problems. We don’t care if the jar is smaller or if the price goes up as long as the coffee remains the same. Not buying Kenko again and going to try Douwe Egberts Prima Decaf. Frustrating that some idiot thinks this was a good move and the company probably wont listen to the consumer. Wait and see your profits plunge Kenko.

Made a complaint to Kenko re the above and they emailed today as follows. What a waste of time giving feedback!

“Thank you for contacting us.
The Kenco blends have been carefully developed to deliver a premium in-cup experience. As part of this, the Kenco Smooth Rich range includes 10% finely ground roast and ground coffee.
Because the product contains finely ground coffee, you may notice a small amount of coffee residue or sediment left in the cup or mug after preparation. This is a natural result of the blend composition and is expected with this recipe.
We hope this helps explain the change you have noticed.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please get back in touch.” !!!!

Since they changed the packaging from a blue top to a red one, they have changed something and it is not as good. I tried to ask them but they didn't accept my query.

Oh dear, what have you done Kenco. I've never tasted anything so awful. I've been drinking Kenco Smooth for decades, not any more. The obvious reason for buying the smooth is because I dont like bitter grounds, which you now add. It tastes dreadful, leaves gritty bits in your mouth and a black sandy sludge in the bottom of the cup. Shame on you, you're putting anything in your recipes now to bulk it out and charge more for less. Idiots!!!

Like everybody else here, I have been very loyal to Kenco. However this is a big own goal so to speak. Not only is the jar smaller but the lid is terrible to fit on properly. The rich coffee tastes ok but definitely not as enjoyable as the old rich brand and there is a sludge at the bottom. Why change Kenco?? I will be looking for another brand today. Another customer lost.

The person who signed off the decision to change the formula for Kenko smooth should be in prison for at least 20 years, harsh labour. I will never forgive you for what you have done.

Kenco coffee now leaves sludge in bottom off cup and tastes crap. Been kenco drinker for many year now have to find another make can not drink this crap.
Very disappointed with them
Quality is rubbish

They have started to add filter coffee to their Really Smooth red jars, and they have reduced the size of the jars. The coffee has a horrible grainy residue in the bottom and tastes bitter and less smooth.

Im a long time Kenco Rich drinker, i loved the old Blue lid version. Goodness me the new Red lid tastes like a cheap coffee and is absolutely awful. I cant get used to drinking it at all. its that old saying " if its not broken don,t fix it. Nescafe did the same thing with their Brown lid to a red lid years ago and I moved to Kenco back then on a recommendation by a friend, I'll be searching for something better again , really disappointed, poor quality.

What on earth?! The new taste is awful! Really unpleasant - even with 2 sugars and milk, it's rank. Sorry, Kenco, you've lost another customer.

I no idea what Kenco has done to its coffee but the flavour has changed completely and there is a sediment in the bottom of the cup when it’s finished. I have been drinking coffee now for over 50 years and will not be drinking kenco coffee anymore.

Got up to have my normal Kenco rich roast coffee this morning that my husband had made me and yuck I was nearly sick . I said what have you done to the coffee? He said I have opened the new jar . Oh my god I have never tasted such vile coffee. We have had Kenco rich for years and years and loved the taste but now it’s vile, doesn’t dissolve and leaves sludgy residue in the cup .
Sorry but all your taste team needs sacking and also the person who signed off this vile tasting coffee . I have 2 new jars in my cupboard that will be thrown away and will be looking for a new coffee ☕️ to have . Heads should roll for this abomination. I will be writing to Kenco and head office .

It has been THE coffee for us for years… this new recipe is just awful. We ditched this new blend after 3 cups (we only gave it 3 cups to try and give it a fair trial) and resorted to our back up stash, alas that is our last jar of Rich….
Thank you Kenco for the past coffee, but for us now, it is goodbye.

I have drank Kenco decaffeinated coffee for years. Recently the taste is like nothing I have experienced before. The coffee has a flat nasty taste instead of being creamy and smelling lovely. KENCO YOU JUST SHOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT!! If it aint broke don't fix it.

Tastes awful. I thought there was something wrong with the water supply at first, then my soya milk. Turns out it was the coffee all along. I will try and find the old type when I next do a shop. If not available I will look for an alterative brand as this stuff is horrible. As a previous reviewer said, it was absolutely spot-on previously so what possessed them to change it! A very disappointed customer.

What on earth has happened to Kencio Rich coffee. Drank this brand for years and always enjoyed.
Purchased the new jar, only 190gm instead of 200g and its totally tasteless and like drinking water...
The coffee dosemt disolve amd also leaves residue at the bottom of the cup....
What a shame ..
Wont be purchasing this ever again .
...

I rarely buy Kenco now as I much prefer Lidl Colombian coffee or their Brazilian coffee and now that Kenco has reduced its jar size, I will be avoiding it all together.
It’s a shame that Kenco has succumbed to the same misguided shrinkflation as brands such as Nestle.
Also the price seems to vary wildly in Tesco where I often shop and at full price over £8 a jar, it’s a definite no-no. It is usually cheaper in places like B&M, but I don’t shop there very often.
Lidl coffee is considerably cheaper and much better value and good tasting.
As there’s a lot of negative feedback from the new Kenco jars tasting bad, it will be off my shopping list.

As of July 2026, Kenco have changed 'Rich' blend with the blue label. What a farce that they should release such a disaster. It takes forever for it all to dissolve now and even then, large black globuals of undisclosed coffee remain. More worryingly is that is now far weaker than it used to be. Lastly, there is a sludge remaining in the bottom of the mug that settles whilst consuming.
I am now seeking a different brand altogether as they did the same years back with Gold Blend and made that weaker. Goodbye Kenco.

Dear oh dear. Kenco, what on earth have you done to our beloved Rich. What we have now is a substantially watered down version of what used to be and a dark sludge left in the bottom of the cup. We have used this since it first came out but are thinking the time has come to experiment with other brands. We also feel that this change in flavour has been brought in by stealth.

Bought kenco rich for years but the new one is awful im now changing brands as you have destroyed this at home and work we use around 5 200g jars a week not anymore