Coffee 101: Instant Coffee vs. Brewed Coffee
What's the differences between instant coffee and brewed coffee? Read our full guide.
The history of American instant coffee dates back to 1851; it was first created for soldiers in the Civil War. The first successful instant coffee process was created by a chemist named Satori Kato in 1901, and was patented in 1903. In 1938 a new type of instant coffee was created, which better dissolved in water, and this was when it began to become popular to the public. Instant coffee has come a long way since then! Nowadays, the preferred method of instant coffee is freeze-drying the beans to make them soluble because it's believed to keep the original taste and preserves their quality.
Freeze-drying in essential is the production of quality instant coffee. First, the coffee beans are roasted and grounded. Then, the grounded beans are dissolved in water and brewed into a very concentrated liquid. After filtration, the coffee liquid is then frozen to about -50 degrees celsius at a very thin layer. It is then broken into smaller pieces and placed into a freeze dryer. The product that comes out is the beloved instant coffee crystals that you see in Waka Coffee's packets.
Watch this "HOW IT WORKS - Instant Coffee" video on YouTube to learn more.
There are some similarities and differences between a cup of instant coffee and a cup of brewed coffee. Most people do not like instant coffee because of its taste, but Waka Coffee has proven this stigma to be false. You can read more here about how our coffee is different than the traditional instant coffees.
People believe that a cup of fresh brewed coffee has a more full and rich taste because it holds onto all the essential oils that are in the coffee beans. Our reviewers actually rated our instant coffee sometime even higher than brewed coffee, so it definitely all depends on the brand you are drinking. Aside from taste, another concern people may have is the amount of caffeine in each cup. An average amount of caffeine in a cup of instant coffee is around 60-80 mg, whereas an average cup of brewed coffee has 60-120 mg of caffeine. Some may enjoy instant coffee more because it contains less caffeine so that you are able to have a kick without being jittery from too much caffeine. Coffee also contains many beneficial antioxidants, which do not get lost in the instant coffee making process.
Instant coffee is essential if your mornings are extremely busy because it can save you 15-20 minutes in the morning; Waka Coffee only takes 15-20 seconds to make. While brewing coffee usually takes between 10-20 minutes. Aside from that, if you are not a coffee expert, it can be hard to brew the perfect cup of coffee. There are so many different appliances to brew coffee, which can be a good or a bad thing. Different appliances work differently with the various types of coffee beans out there, so sometimes you will have to experiment to create the cup of coffee you enjoy. To eliminate that process, instant coffee is the way to go. However, some people enjoy the coffee making process and have made it a part of their everyday routine, which can be very relaxing if you have that extra time in the mornings.
Aside from everything else that has been said, instant coffee is often times used more in baking and other recipes because it can be dissolved faster. Iced coffee is also easier with instant coffee because you can dissolve the coffee crystals with less water and put your ice cubes into it. With instant coffee you don't need to wait for the coffee to cool down in the refrigerator like with brewed coffee. Check out this guide for how to make ice coffee using instant coffee.
Do you prefer instant coffee over a cup of brewed coffee? Give Waka Coffee a try and we will change the way you view instant coffee. We make our instant coffee from 100% Arabica beans so that you can enjoy a quality coffee anywhere you go; the taste is just like a slow drip coffee!
Give our instant coffee brand a try here.
