The Truth About Instant Coffee: From Commodity Beans to Specialty Innovation
Instant coffee was the inky fuel that assisted me through University.
And actually was probably the reason why I really started to love coffee in the first place, almost the gateway drug into the speciality coffee world.
Back then I didn’t think much about the taste or quality of the coffee, It was just a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee topped with red hot water then a splash of milk lobbed in for good measure.
It wasn’t until I moved over to Australia, I released what coffee could actually taste like when it didn’t just come out of a jar.
Instant coffee serves the purpose of caffeinating many people throughout the world kickstart their days but what actually is it and is it any good?
Instant coffee is made from brewed ground coffee that is dried in various ways creating water-soluble fragments or powder which can be rehydrated with water to make an instant coffee.
Let’s go back to the origin…
When I visited my first coffee farm in Panama I was shocked when I saw the raw coffee that was going to be sold as commodity-grade coffee and eventually turned into instant coffee.
The green beans were spread across a patio loaded with bugs, stones and twigs.
Photo: Visiting a Panama Coffee Farm
A far cry from the speciality grade coffee that is carefully washed and pulped before getting raked out on drying beds and attentively turned each day.
Instant coffee is commodity coffee which is essentially the lowest grade raw coffee beans there is.
Anything that will pass as coffee gets lumped into a sack and then sold throughout the worlds exchange markets.
From there the green beans (after sometimes sitting in warehouses for years) eventually turn up at a huge industrial coffee processing plant where it gets roasted to a profile that eliminates any of the subtle nuances that were left.
The coffee is ground and brewed into a thick concentrated liquid ready to be dried and sold as instant coffee.
For many people, instant coffee is the only point of reference they have when it comes to the flavour of coffee.
The burnt and bitter taste of a cup of black instant coffee is so far from the subtle complex notes that you will find in freshly ground coffee.
Apart from the obvious lack of flavour, there are also issues surrounding sustainability and fairtrade.
The price at which commodity coffee is sold on the Exchange markets is called the C price and is the base at which all other coffee prices are calculated.
Graph; Macro Trends
Unfortunately, many coffee farms have operating costs extremely close to and sometimes over the C price making commercial coffee farming unsustainable.
The speciality coffee industry is operated slightly different, the supply chain tends to be smaller and farmers are financially incentivized to grow a higher quality of coffee, so everybody wins.
With instant coffee roasted to a darker profile and for a longer period of time it creates a higher content of acrylamide - a naturally forming chemical that is linked to various health risks including cancer.
Acrylamide is also found in many other foods including many potato products so don’t go throwing away all of your Nescafe Azera, the quantities are still minute.
There is no denying the convenience of instant coffee.
Often there is no alternative when you’re running late on a midweek morning.
Photo: Raw Instant Coffee
Wait a Second... Specialty Instant Coffee?
You don’t have to always sacrifice quality as over the last few years there has been a few speciality coffee instants on the market.
I found this out when I turned up late to public cupping (coffee tasting) and missed Paul Ross from Kiss the Hippo who was leading the cupping preparing the lineup and slipping a sachet of instant into one of the cups.
Out of the 10 coffees that night I found that one the most complex and floral, which turned out to be a Gesha that he’d sent over to the states to get artisanally freeze-dried.
Although the few that are available today come in single-serve packets and are astronomically more expensive coffee per cup than you’re average shop-bought instant, the coffee used is of a far higher quality.
Plus the fact that it’s on a relatively small scale at the moment means the cost of producing speciality instant is also higher than usual.
However, in years to come, there is no reason why we won’t be a regular in our homes.
Here are a couple of Speciality Instant coffee brands:
These guys are some of the pioneers behind instant speciality coffee.
Kent Sheridan began the project in 2016 and after 2 years of relentless experimenting with brewing and processing the coffee he finally came up with a formula that encapsulates the unique flavours of speciality coffee as instant coffee.
Voila also work with coffee roasting partners throughout the world to turn their coffee into speciality instant.
Notes are a pretty big deal when it comes to speciality coffee roasters in the UK.
They are based in London but supply their coffee to cafes throughout the UK.
They have teamed up with Voila to create instant coffee packets from some of their favourite origins.
At the time of writing, they were showcasing instant coffees from Colombia, Honduras and Brazil.
The Barn are one of the most well-known speciality coffee roasters in Europe.
Their pioneering coffee roasting in Berlin has seen the Barn become a go-to coffee haunt for anyone visiting Germany.
They have also teamed up with Voila to produce speciality instant coffee from their delicious coffee.
How is flavoured instant coffee made?
The production of flavoured instant coffee involves sophisticated processes that can occur at different stages of manufacturing.
During the production process, manufacturers can introduce flavouring agents directly into the coffee concentrate before the drying phase begins.
This flavouring method ensures a more uniform distribution of flavour throughout the final product, as the natural or artificial flavours become fully integrated with the coffee during the spray-drying or freeze-drying process.
Alternatively, some manufacturers opt for post-production flavouring, where dry flavouring compounds are added to the finished instant coffee powder.
In this method, flavours are typically micro-encapsulated to preserve their freshness, and specialised oils and essences are carefully sprayed onto the coffee granules. This approach is particularly common in commercial production due to its cost-effectiveness and flexibility in producing different flavoured varieties.
The flavouring agents themselves come in two main categories: natural and artificial. Natural flavours are derived from genuine sources such as vanilla beans, cocoa, nuts, spices like cinnamon and cardamom, and various fruit extracts. Artificial flavours, on the other hand, consist of synthetic compounds and nature-identical flavours, often enhanced with specialised flavour molecules and stabilising agents to ensure consistency and longevity.
The addition of flavouring agents can impact various properties of the instant coffee. While the caffeine content typically remains unchanged, the shelf life may be shorter due to the presence of flavoring compounds. Solubility can be affected, particularly when oil-based flavourings are used, and the nutritional value might include additional calories depending on the type of flavouring used.
The aroma profile is notably enhanced with volatile compounds, creating a more complex sensory experience.
Instant Coffee to Water Ratio?
There are no really precise measurement as you will find in speciality coffee or any real technique in brewing the coffee, I guess the clue is in the name as to what people are expecting with instant.
If you do like a measurement though, try 1 heaped teaspoon to around 180 ml of coffee into your favourite coffee mug.
What Has More Caffeine Instant or Ground?
Ground coffee has nearly three times more caffeine than Instant coffee.
If we take the recommended brew ratio of instant coffee above then the caffeine content is 57mg per 8oz (236ml) whereas a regular black filter coffee has 163mg per 8oz (236ml) of caffeine.
Where Can I Buy Instant Coffee?
You can buy instant coffee such as Azera coffee from pretty much any shop or online.
Speciality instant coffee is slightly different and is sold only through certain coffee roasters throughout the world.
Notes and The Barn are two listed above but there are plenty of others.
If you visit Voila they normally list who they are currently partnering with.
If you instead have a brew method such as a cafetiere then check out Batch ground coffee subscription.
What Are Instant Coffee Brands?
There are a number of instant coffee brands in the UK. Nescafe, Kenco and Douwe Egberts are the main commercial instant coffee brands.
Smaller brands that produce luxury instant coffee are Truestart and Little’s instant coffee
Is Powdered Espresso Instant Coffee?
Essentially they both go through exactly the same procedure; raw coffee is roasted, ground, brewed and then the mixture is dried in various ways.
Espresso powder is a little more concentrated and often the coffee is roasted to a darker roast to give a stronger (or more accurately, burnt) taste.
Can Instant Coffee Go Bad?
Because instant coffee is either spray or freeze-dried it means that its moisture content is pretty low therefore it has a fairly long shelf life of up to two years before it starts to turn bad.
Although it may start to taste flat, unless the coffee is mouldy it shouldn’t make you sick.
Is Instant Coffee The Same As Real Coffee?
Essentially, yes. Instant coffee and ‘real’ coffee both originate from the same raw product (most of the time).
Coffee is grown, harvested, processed, exported and then roasted before coffee beans are either sold as they are to brew and extract fresh coffee or are then processed further to become dried instant coffee that we purchase on supermarket shelves.
Which is healthier instant coffee or fresh coffee?
Fresh coffee is generally considered to be healthier than instant coffee because it typically contains more antioxidants and nutrients.
When coffee is brewed, compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeine are released, which have been shown to have various health benefits, including reducing the risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and liver cancer.
Instant coffee, on the other hand, is made from coffee beans that have been roasted and ground, and then processed into a fine powder.
The processing of instant coffee can result in the loss of some of the beneficial compounds found in fresh coffee, such as antioxidants and minerals.
In addition, some brands of instant coffee may contain added sugars or artificial flavorings, which can have negative health effects if consumed in excess.
However, it's worth noting that the difference in health benefits between instant and fresh coffee is relatively small.
Both types of coffee can be part of a healthy diet when consumed in moderation, and the health benefits of coffee are mainly due to the presence of caffeine and antioxidants, which are present in both types of coffee.
Ultimately, the choice between instant and fresh coffee comes down to personal preference, as well as factors such as convenience and taste.
Does all instant coffee have acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can be formed in some foods during high-temperature cooking, including the roasting of coffee beans. Instant coffee is made by processing roasted coffee beans into a soluble powder, so it is possible for instant coffee to contain acrylamide.
However, the amount of acrylamide present in instant coffee can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the type of coffee beans used, the roasting process, and the method of instant coffee production.
Some brands of instant coffee may have lower levels of acrylamide than others, and some may even have their acrylamide levels monitored and controlled to minimize exposure.
To reduce the risk of acrylamide exposure from coffee, it's recommended to avoid over-roasting coffee beans and to brew coffee at lower temperatures.
Additionally, it's important to maintain a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods to minimize potential exposure to acrylamide from all sources.
Overall, while some brands of instant coffee may contain acrylamide, it's important to consider the overall diet and lifestyle factors when evaluating potential risks associated with acrylamide consumption.
Why does instant coffee taste different from regular coffee?
The distinct taste difference between instant and regular coffee stems from several interconnected factors, primarily rooted in the processing methods and chemical changes that occur during production. The impact of processing is perhaps the most significant factor, as instant coffee undergoes multiple heating cycles, including roasting, brewing, and drying. This repeated exposure to heat leads to the loss of volatile compounds and changes in the coffee's chemical structure, while simultaneously developing new flavor compounds that aren't present in regular coffee.
Oxidation plays a crucial role in taste development, as the extended exposure to oxygen throughout the production process leads to the breakdown of flavor molecules, the creation of off-notes, and a general loss of freshness indicators.
These chemical changes fundamentally alter the coffee's flavor profile, with many desirable compounds being lost during processing, including volatile aromatic oils, delicate flavor notes, fresh coffee acids, and complex sugars. Meanwhile, new compounds are created, including concentrated bitter compounds, caramelization products, and oxidation byproducts.
The quality and selection of beans used in instant coffee production also significantly influence its taste.
Manufacturers often use robusta beans, which are naturally more bitter and less complex than arabica varieties, or lower grade arabica beans. The beans are typically older and stored for longer periods, and the emphasis is placed on blend standardization rather than highlighting unique origin characteristics. The roasting profile tends to be darker, which creates a more generic flavor profile while sacrificing the nuanced origin character of the beans.
Structural differences between instant and regular coffee also affect the taste experience.
The physical state of instant coffee, being dehydrated rather than freshly extracted, means different molecule sizes and altered oil distribution patterns. The brewing dynamics are entirely different, with instant coffee experiencing rehydration rather than the gradual extraction process of regular coffee. This means there are no new compounds created during preparation, and the interaction with water is limited compared to traditional brewing methods.
The resulting flavor profile of instant coffee notably lacks certain elements common in regular coffee, such as complex acidity, floral notes, fruit brightness, and subtle undertones. Instead, instant coffee tends to feature more prominent bitter notes and a basic coffee flavor with a simpler taste structure.
However, the taste can be improved through attention to several factors. Using high-quality filtered water at the optimal temperature (between 85-95°C), storing the coffee properly in an airtight container away from light and strong odors, and employing precise measurements and proper stirring techniques can all help enhance the flavour experience.
Understanding these differences in taste and production methods can help consumers make informed choices about their coffee consumption and potentially improve their instant coffee experience through better preparation techniques.
While instant coffee may never fully replicate the complexity and nuance of freshly brewed coffee, recognising its unique characteristics and proper preparation methods can lead to a more satisfying cup.
