Instant Coffee Vs Fresh Ground Coffee
Instant coffee is by and large coffee itself and is produced by the same coffee cherry and the seed inside it but the real difference is in the way it is brewed.Have you ever wondered why instant coffee dissolves in water or milk and ground coffee does not? It's because of something called as extraction of coffee . Approximately 28% of the organic and inorganic matter contained in roasted coffee beans will readily dissolve in water, this is measured by the TDS of a coffee (i.e. Total dissolved solids). This 28% will give you the aroma, flavor and varying taste in coffee. The remaining 72% is cellulose bean fiber isn’t water soluble under normal brewing conditions and that is why you can see that ground coffee is disposed off after brewing (although there are ways to reuse them as well).Instant coffee is produced through dehydration or instadisation, It essentially involves brewing the coffee beans and water together and then separating the soluble and the insoluble particles from the coffee brew. Giving you easy,quick and obviously instant powder which can be dissolved with water or milk to get a cup of coffee.
Dehydration or instadisation can be done through one of two processes: freeze-drying or spray-drying. In freeze drying the coffee extract solution is frozen until it’s completely solid and then broken down into smaller granules.These frozen granules are dried in a mid-temperature vacuum and once they come up to room temperature the frozen water expands into gas in a process called as sublimation and what is left is dried coffee granules. Similarly in case of spray drying the coffee extract solution is sprayed into a chamber containing very hot air. Because of the hot air the water particles are evaporated and what is left is soluble coffee powder which falls to the bottom of the chamber. So this is how your instant coffee is produced, sounds fascinating right? Yes, but there is cost for the ease and convenience that instant coffee gives you and that is the taste. If you are someone who believes Nescafe or any other instant coffee powder is what coffee taste like i would seriously suggest you to go to your nearest specialty cafe and ask for a freshly brewed cup of coffee and judge it yourself. If you are interested in knowing more about how instant coffee is made you can find a video at the end of the post showing inside an instant coffee factory.
Brewing a cup of coffee is half physics, half chemistry and involves bringing out the best of flavors and taste from the beans to your cup which is a fascinating and a complex process, But in case of instant coffee it is already brewed for you and its always gonna taste the same no matter what you do and how you brew it. In case of ground coffee there are so many variables to work with and get the maximum flavor out of it. The process of creating instant coffee loses most of the essential oils and flavors from the coffee beans to reach your final cup. What you get is a bitter and harsh tasting coffee which is not how coffee is suppose to taste. Strongest aromas are always generated when hot water first hits, and reacts with, the dry grounds – a moment that, with instant coffee, would have happened months or even years before you actually make a cup of coffee for yourself.
The focus while producing instant coffee is not on quality but on quantity and price, The process of roasting, grinding and brewing is done at commercial level and hardly any importance is been given to the quality or preserving the natural characteristics of coffee. Most of the times high yield low quality robusta plants are used for making instant coffee and also roasting are done in huge ovens in comparison to a meticulous and crafted roasting done by various roasters across the country (Few of them have been linked in my previous post).
Having talked about all the disadvantages of instant coffee, It's still the only cup of coffee that majority of people around you and me consume on a daily basis. Instant coffee comes with its own advantages of quick and easy coffee fix. All you need is some coffee powder and some milk and it's done. You don't need any kind of brewing equipment and it takes less than a minute to make in most of the cases (not if you fancy Pheta or Dalgona coffee :).
But in my opinion coffee should be consumed as fresh as possible and in the way it is supposed to be done. Instant coffee is surely a quick fix but you have no idea what you are missing on so grab a bag of freshly ground coffee from your local roasters and try making your self a delicious cup of coffee with just a strainer/channi that you must have at home. You can find an amazing video below with a detailed guide of how to brew with a channi by Geetu Mohani.
Instant coffee factory tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G5LcVUcWAg
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