Enjoying Instant Coffee At Home And Away
Like tea, instant coffee has been a perennial favorite for several decades in millions of homes around the world. And there are more reasons than one why this mood-uplifting, drink continues to be one of the most popular aromatic, refreshing and rejuvenating beverages, whether served hot or cold.
As life grew busier over the decades, especially those of working people, time became a precious commodity, where minutes saved were minutes gained. This is precisely when Instant coffee made its appearance felt, becoming a convenient, time-saving and tasty alternative to traditional brewed coffee.
Instant coffee is made from “robusta” beans that are native to some parts of Africa. A complex production and brewing process is involved in the making of this coffee with the end product retaining all the exclusive attributes of freshly ground and brewed coffee, smell and taste in particular. So, what’s the steamy, story behind the making of your favorite type of wholesale coffee? Here’s a brief overview of the process that ends with that steaming or iced cup of coffee in your hands.
Extraction – This involves the injection of water through several cylinders filled with ground robusta beans. Each cylinder is then heated to varying temperatures extending from 90° up to a peak of 180°C to achieve optimum extraction.
Filtration – Here the coffee solution that accrues from the extraction process is filtered several times in order to remove any foreign particles. This is done prior to the concentration stage.
Concentration – In essence, this technique involves the removal of water from the solution to strengthen the natural coffee flavor. This is achieved through evaporation as a result of further heating of the solution obtained after filtration.
Dehydration – Converting the coffee concentrate into a dryer form is the main objective during this stage of production. There are primarily two options used to reach this goal. The first option is the ‘spray-drying’ method which involves the passing of heated air through the concentrated solution to evaporate any residual water that may be retained in it.
The second is the ‘freeze drying’ method, whereby the concentrate is first frozen into cubes and then ground or broken up into minute portions. Following this, the ice built up on the portions is vaporized through heating and a drier concentrate is thus obtained.
Flavoring – Owing to the high temperatures involved in the other stages of production, the natural flavor and aroma of the coffee is slightly lost. To prevent this loss, the natural odors of the dry coffee concentrate that evolve during the various stages are collected and the dry coffee powder is finally sprayed with them to restore its unmistakable flavor.
So, now that you know how instant coffee is made, go ahead and indulge in one of the tastiest, trendiest and exhilarating drinks around. And if you’re looking for another quick option made from ground beans try the Lavazza blue capsule for a cup of coffee in less than a minute.