Starbucks has introduced a line of instant coffee that it believes will give it a chance at brewing its own batch of the discount coffee market that is worth an estimated US$21 billion worldwide.

The so-called Via coffee will allow Starbucks patrons to have a cup of java for about $1, and the coffee company believes its product is a better instant coffee than can be bought elsewhere. It officially debuted in U.S. and Canadian stores on Tuesday.

In a media release, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz claims that it took the company two decades "to create a coffee that delivers Starbucks coffee quality in an instant form," which he says will leave customers unable to tell the difference between Via and the company's brewed coffee.

The company is rolling out the product alongside a set of new TV ads -- the first-ever for the Seattle-based company -- after testing out Via with customers in Chicago and Seattle over the past few months. Starbucks even shelled out for a cross-continental road trip, in which a promotional Via car brought awareness of the ready-made coffee to Vancouver, Denver, Chicago, Boston and New York, among other places.

It's a bold move for a company that is known for its Tall, Venti and Grande coffees that otherwise come at a premium cost. Starbucks has also shut down hundreds of its ubiquitous stores during the current recession, trimming thousands of jobs along the way.

But the company remains confident with the latest cup of coffee that it will offer to its customers.

In a recent conference call with journalists, Schultz called the recent test run a "success" that has led the company to conclude that "we're sitting on a very big opportunity."

"What's going to sell Via at the end of the day is that (it) delivers in the cup. Most people will not be able to tell the difference," Schultz said.

Starbucks watchers and beverage analysts, however, aren't sure that the introduction of instant coffee will be so sweet for the company's bottom line.

Bob Goldin, a Chicago-based food consultant, says Starbucks has two problems to contend with the launch of Via -- both perception and price. In other words, the instant coffee clashes with the coffee chain's upscale image and even at $1, it is still much more expensive than brewing instant coffee at home.

And the hype about Via didn't do much for the company's stock market value, either. By the midday on Tuesday, millions of Starbucks shares had traded hands on the New York Stock Exchange, but at values less than a half-dollar above and below its Monday close of US$20.62.

But Starbucks says it has a plan for the coffee drinkers who won't be knocking on the doors of its North American stores, intending to sell it through other retailers, including through Costco Wholesale Corp. and Target Corp. stores. In total, the company intends for some 1,500 non-Starbucks stores to sell its line of instant coffee. Via will soon be available on some United Airlines flights and at Omni Hotels and select Marriott locations, as well.

With files from The Associated Press