The process of making instant coffee involves several steps, including brewing regular coffee, dehydrating the brewed coffee, and then grinding the dehydrated coffee into a powder form.
What is Instant Coffee and How it is Made?
Instant coffee is a type of coffee that is created from brewing normal coffee that uses actual ground coffee beans. Initially, instant is produced in the same way to that as regular brewed coffee, such as drip brewing or French press brewing. The brewed coffee is then allowed to cool before being dehydrated using one of two dehydration methods: spray-drying or freeze-drying procedures to yield a powder or granulated form that is easily soluble.
Method 1: Making of Instant Coffee via Spray-Drying Process
The spray-drying process involves spraying a fine mist of brewed coffee into a drying chamber, where it is exposed to hot air that evaporates the water content of the coffee. The resulting dry coffee powder is collected and packaged.
This is how the spray-drying method of dehydrating brewed coffee produces high quality instant coffee:
Brew the coffee:
The first step in the spray-drying process is to brew the coffee using hot water and coffee grounds. This creates a liquid coffee solution that contains the flavour and aroma compounds from the coffee beans.
Filter the coffee:
The brewed coffee is then filtered to remove any solids or other impurities. This ensures that the coffee solution is clear and free of debris.
Spray the coffee:
The filtered coffee solution is then sprayed into a drying chamber through a fine mist. The mist of coffee droplets is exposed to hot air, which evaporates the water content of the coffee.
As the water evaporates from the coffee droplets, they become dry coffee powder. The dry powder is collected and packaged.
Method 2: Making of Instant Coffee via Freeze-Drying Process
The freeze-drying process involves freezing brewed coffee and then exposing it to a vacuum, which causes the frozen water in the coffee to sublimate (i.e. change directly from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid state). This leaves behind a dry, porous coffee powder that can be easily reconstituted with hot water.
The following steps are involved in understanding how the freeze-drying process works on brewed coffee:
Brew the coffee:
The first step in the freeze-drying process is to brew the coffee using hot water and coffee grounds. This creates a liquid coffee solution that contains the flavour and aroma compounds from the coffee beans.
Filter the coffee:
The brewed coffee is then filtered to remove any solids or other impurities. This ensures that the coffee solution is clear and free of debris.
Freeze the coffee:
The filtered coffee solution is then frozen to a temperature below its freezing point. This causes the water in the coffee to solidify into ice crystals.
Apply a vacuum:
The frozen coffee is then placed in a vacuum chamber, where the air pressure is reduced. This causes the frozen water in the coffee to sublimate (i.e. change directly from a solid to a gas without passing through a liquid state).
Which Process is Better?
Although both freeze-drying and spray-drying are efficient processes for dehydrating brewed coffee and creating instant coffee, their flavour and nutritional profiles differ. But, both methods result in instant coffee that is easily reconstituted and enjoyed anytime, anyplace. With hot water, you can dissolve instant coffee powder, which rehydrates the coffee and creates a beverage that tastes like freshly brewed coffee is produced.
Which Chemicals are used in the Instant Coffee Manufacturing Process?
Some instant coffee products include additives like sugar, creamers, flavours, palm oil, and other ingredient combinations to give the coffee a unique taste. These components are not required to make instant coffee; they are added after the coffee has been brewed and dried.
If consumed in excess, these extra sugars and flavours might cause weight gain and temporarily raise blood sugar levels. The presence of palm oil, which has a high level of saturated fat, may make you more likely to develop heart disease. Therefore, it is best to stick to a few cups rather than overindulging and, whenever feasible, use freshly made coffee.
If you are concerned about the potential presence of other chemicals in your instant coffee. You can check the ingredients label on the packaging to see if any chemical additions have been included. Other than the common chemical Acrylamide, which is commonly found in processed meals, we haven’t discovered additional chemicals in instant coffee.
