Instant coffee can be found anywhere in the world but do you actually know what it is? 

What is it?

OK, let’s start with the obvious, yes instant coffee is made from real coffee. Whole beans are roasted, ground and then brewed. What makes regular coffee instant coffee is when all the water is removed from the brewed product, leaving behind just dehydrated crystals of coffee.

Instant coffee can also be referred to as coffee powder, soluble coffee or crystal coffee. 

How is it made?

In general, instant coffee is made from Robusta coffee beans, but when it comes to process there are actually two methods: freeze-drying and spray-drying.

Freeze-drying preserves the most coffee flavour, which is why we, at Café 1936, use this method. In this process, the coffee is rapidly frozen to around -40 celsius. It is then placed into a drying chamber, a vacuum is created in the chamber and then the chamber is heated. The frozen water is rapidly gone while the frozen coffee warms up, leaving dry grains of coffee: Instant coffee. 

Spray-drying makes instant coffee almost instantaneous, in just 5 to 30 seconds only. In this method, coffee is sprayed from a high tower in a large hot-air chamber. As the droplets fall, the remaining water evaporates. Dry crystals of coffee fall to the bottom. 

A little bit of history

We could think that instant coffee was originally from South America or Mexico, like the beans, but the first “instant coffee” was made in Britain in 1771. It was called “coffee compound” at the time. However, it wasn’t until the Pan-American Exposition of 1901 that instant coffee received widespread attention and was introduced to the world. 

Not just coffee

Instant coffee is not just a drink, it has lots of health benefits for the human organism. 

Alzheimer, dementia, diabete, cancer, blood pressure… Lots of research has been done on coffee and instant coffee, and it’s proven that this beverage, full of antioxidants, is good for your health. 

Did you know?

We work hard to produce the best coffee possible, whether it is in taste, flavours or health benefits. That is why we specially made our recipes so that we have less caffeine and more antioxidants in our instant coffee than the competition. What does that mean? Coffee antioxidants prevent brain cells degeneration and amplify cognitive functions, while low caffeine levels help prevent diabete and sleep. 

Benefits of instant coffee vs regular coffee?

Not sure what to choose between instant coffee and regular coffee, here are some facts for you:

• Instant coffee is “instant”. Just pour warm water on it and voila! Your instant coffee is ready

• Instant coffee is convenient. On the road, at the office, on vacation, you don’t need a coffee machine or a grinder. All you need is your cup of coffee, your favourite instant coffee and warm water

• Instant coffee is better for your health than regular coffee, especially Café 1936 products. Why? Because we have more antioxidants and less caffeine that our competitors' coffees. 

• Instant coffee can be kept longer, on average twice as long (18 months) in comparison to regular coffee, once opened

• Instant coffee is versatile and can be used in your favorite coffee recipes (tiramisu, coffee cake…)