Best Instant Coffees

Instant coffee was first invented in 1881, and there were several variations in its preparation before it became commercialized. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it is so easy to prepare--all you have to do is add hot water, and you’re done! It also leaves absolutely no waste--as opposed to Turkish coffee or percolator coffee, there are no coffee grains to have to throw out. It is easier to transport and store than coffee beans, and it has a very long shelf life--as long as you keep it dry.

Even though it is a very commonplace product, there is actually a lot of preparation for it. The coffee bean is actually the pit of the fruit of the coffee plant--much like the pit of a cherry. In brief, the process is as follows:

• Roasting: The beans are roasted at 200 ℃, and then ground into a powder.

• Extraction: The ground beans are then cooked by steam and high pressure, until achieving a syrupy extract.

• Freezing: This extract is then frozen at -50 ℃, to preserve its flavor.

• Granulation and dehydration: The frozen extract is then pulverized into granules, and then dehydrated at 60 degrees. The dehydration is either done by spray drying, by blowing 250 ℃ degree air on the granules, or by freeze drying, at low-temperature and under a vacuum. This gets rid of any excess water--this retains flavor and gives the coffee a long shelf life. The granules can then be packaged in the familiar jars that you see at the supermarket.

With all that processing, there is still a lot of room for variety. Just one instant coffee giant, Nescafe, makes over 30 varieties of instant coffee, differing in flavor or in serving size. Then there are organically grown coffees, as well as different varieties of coffee beans.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting instant coffee. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of instant coffee,

• See useful tips about that particular type of instant coffee,

• Read reviews of different instant coffees, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of instant coffee, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Types of coffee beans: There are 50 species of coffee in the world--but you’ll see two main species of coffee beans used in instant coffee: Arabica and Robusta. Growing conditions and the climate where they grow will create different nuances in flavor, even among the two species:

  • Arabica Beans: This species is native to Yemen and Ethiopia, but is grown in South America and Asia as well. The plant is grown at high altitudes and produces a more mild and aromatic coffee. These beans are roasted in a medium-length process, to intensify its flavor. 55% of the world’s coffee is Arabica coffee. Anthony's Premium Organic Instant Coffee is made from Arabica beans.

  • Robusta Beans: This species is usually grown at low altitudes, and is native to central and western Africa. Robusta beans are smaller than the Arabica bean, and produce a more bitter coffee, but have a more intense, rich flavor. They are significantly higher in caffeine, with 50% more caffeine than the Arabica type. They are roasted in a short process. Nescafe’s Original and Gold Blend use Robusta beans in their blend.

• More economical: Many people buy coffee as part of a morning ritual. But, if they prefer saving money, even an organic instant coffee that you prepare yourself will save you substantial amounts of money. A cup of Mount Hagen Organic Freeze-Dried Instant Coffee comes out around 33 cents per cup.

• The number of cups per jar: A resealable jar will ensure that the coffee retains its flavor, even if you buy a large quantity so that there are more cups per jar. Of course, you'll modify the quantity of coffee in your cup to your particular tastes.

• Decaffeination: For people who love the taste of coffee, but don’t want so much caffeine, most companies market a decaffeinated version of their coffee. The caffeine is removed by a type of osmosis or dilution. One method is by soaking the beans in hot water or a coffee solution. They then transfer the coffee beans to another container, soaking it again, but this time in coffee oils. This dilution manages to extract only the caffeine from the beans, leaving the other aromatic compounds behind. Thus, the beans are decaffeinated without affecting the taste of the resulting coffee.

• Freeze-dried vs. spray-dried: The spray-drying method of drying out the coffee granules is more common, but the freeze-dried method is said to taste significantly better. This is because the freeze-dried method removes water from the granules without heating them. This retains the flavor of the coffee better than the spray-drying method, which involves reheating the granules.

• Differences in roasting: You’ll see coffees graded by the degree to which the beans are roasted. Nescafe’s Taster’s Choice House Blend is a light-to-medium roast. On the other hand, their French Roast is a medium-to-dark roast, yielding a stronger, more full-bodied flavor.

• 3-in-1: For even greater convenience, there are packets of “3-in-1” instant coffee. They contain instant coffee, creamer, and sweetener at once. A packet will contain a single-serving size (2 grams) of coffee, 7-8 grams of non-dairy creamer, and 9-10 grams of cane sugar.

• Anthony’s Goods--was founded by Alex Avakian and Anthony Zanontian. They specialize in organic and gluten-free products. Some of their products include almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, mustard seeds, organic coffee, and chicory root.

• Nescafé--is the brand of coffee manufactured by the Nestle corporation. The Nescafe brand was started in 1930, making coffee in the form of a dissolvable coffee powder that became very popular. They make over 30 types of instant coffee, as well as specialty coffees. Taster’s Choice, Gold, 3-in-1 coffee sticks, house stick blends.

• Mount Hagen--was founded in 1986 by Joachim Bauck and Raimund Remer. They are makers of organic coffee, especially from Arabica beans. Their coffee is named after the location of their coffee plantation in Papua New Guinea.

• Maxwell House--was founded in 1892 by Joel Cheek and Roger Nolley Smith. It is named after a hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, that served their coffee. They are presently owned by Kraft-Heinz, and have their headquarters in Tarrytown, New York. Maxwell House makes ground coffee, pods, iced coffee, and instant coffee.