In such a java-focused world, where there are coffee shops on every corner and new innovations are coming out everyday that help you be your own barista at home, I think it’s safe to say that instant coffee is not the most delicious version out of coffee there. (Although there are a few nearly good ones—just check out the Sporked ranking of the best instant coffee.) Nonetheless, it has its place—like, say, a nuclear submarine or apocalypse shelter. In situations such as these, you may not be able to locate an entire espresso machine, so let’s find out the answer to the question: What is instant coffee?
What is instant coffee?
Is instant coffee “real” coffee? Yes, it’s just a powdered, dehydrated form of it. You may also know it as granulated coffee.
How is instant coffee made?
Instant coffee begins life like all other coffee, as a coffee bean, which is then roasted, ground, and brewed. After this point, the liquid is removed through freeze drying or a similar process, and, voila, the resulting concentrate is instant coffee.
How do you make instant coffee?
Instant coffee typically comes in a jar or tin and to make it, you simply mix the crystals or powder with hot water, or, if you prefer, hot milk. Its name is not a lie, it is instant, like a grown up version of Quik Mix.
Does instant coffee have caffeine?
The short answer here is yes. There is caffeine in instant coffee, unless you are purchasing instant decaf coffee, which will have significantly less caffeine (although still a tiny bit). That means if you’re craving a quick fix of caffeine, instant will do the trick.
How much caffeine is in instant coffee?
When it comes to instant coffee vs ground coffee, the instant variety is slightly less caffeinated. While a regular cup of coffee will usually contain about 95 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent cup of instant coffee will contain 64 milligrams. Keep in mind, of course, that the more concentrated you make your instant coffee, the more caffeine it will have.
Does instant coffee go bad?
Longevity is one of instant coffee’s greatest virtues—the other being that it is very easy to make. But how long is its long shelf life? Instant coffee should last at least two months once it’s been opened, though you can probably get away with using it even a year later.
Unopened, instant coffee will last much longer: You could open a jar of instant coffee from up to ten years ago and not notice a depreciable decline in quality. Though, again, for the highest quality cup of coffee, you might want to go with freshly brewed beans. But for convenience, instant cannot be beat.
Who drinks instant coffee?
While it’s not particularly popular in the United States, in the UK, instant coffee still makes up 75% of all coffee sales. And apparently, it’s good for more than just drinking. Instant coffee can be used in spaghetti bolognese or chili and as a rub for steak.
Finally, did you know you can actually use instant coffee to develop film? It’s true! The process is called Caffenol and involves combining caffeic acid with sodium carbonate to develop black and white photos. It uses entirely household products, so it’s nice to know that you’ll still be able to pursue your passion for photography when you’re stuck in your bomb shelter with nothing but instant coffee to drink.
