What is instant coffee?

Instant coffee, derived from genuine coffee beans, is the desiccated rendition of coffee. Following the extraction of the soluble and volatile components of the beans, the subsequent step involves removing the water, resulting in either a concentrated soluble coffee or a powdered form.

In the commercial sphere, instant coffee solids are generated using two primary techniques: freeze-drying and spray drying. Both methods facilitate reconstitution. The spray-drying procedure entails the dispersion of coffee extract into heated air, inducing swift desiccation of the droplets and their transformation into fine powder or small fragments.

Conversely, freeze-drying entails the freezing of the coffee extract, which is then fragmented into small pieces. Subsequently, these fragments are subjected to low-temperature desiccation under vacuum conditions.

Instant coffee demonstrates a proclivity for absorbing moisture from the surrounding environment, leading to clumping when the moisture content reaches around 7-8% w/w.

A solitary teaspoon of instant coffee may harbor between 30 to 90mg of caffeine, while a cup of ground coffee can contain 70-140mg.

Instant coffee boasts extensive popularity in numerous regions globally, occasionally constituting over 50% of coffee consumption in specific countries. Moreover, instant coffee offers the advantages of swiftness, cost-effectiveness, and ease of preparation compared to regular coffee.
What is instant coffee?