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Instant coffee: how it is made and whether it can be good

Instant coffee has a bad reputation among coffee lovers - it is associated with a cheap, flat substitute for real coffee. But is it justified? Instant coffee is a fascinating technological product: it is simply dried brewed coffee, which you only have to add water to. Interestingly, there are two different methods of producing it, giving different quality, and the best instant coffees can be far better than many think. In this post you will get to know how instant coffee is made, how spray drying differs from freeze drying, why freeze-dried keeps more aroma and whether instant coffee can really be good. It is a sober, interesting look at the most often slighted type of coffee. Let us start with what instant coffee actually is.

What instant coffee is

Instant coffee is simply dried brewed coffee. The process is essentially simple: first coffee is brewed on a large scale, obtaining a strong, concentrated brew, and then water is removed from it, leaving a dry powder or granules. These granules only have to be covered with hot water to dissolve back into a brew - hence the name instant (soluble). In other words, all the work of brewing is done in the factory, and the consumer only reconstitutes the finished brew. This makes instant coffee extremely convenient: fast, simple, with no need for equipment or skill. Instant coffee is a mass product, dominant in many markets of the world. The key to its quality is the way the water is removed from the brew - because it decides how much aroma survives. Understanding that instant coffee is dried brew is the key to this post. So let us get to know the two main methods of producing it, because they decide the quality.

Two methods of drying

There are two main methods of producing instant coffee, differing in the way the water is removed: spray drying and freeze drying. It is a key distinction. Both begin the same way: with a strong, concentrated coffee brew. They differ, however, in how they remove water from it - and this fundamentally affects the quality of the finished product. Spray drying uses high temperature to quickly evaporate the water. Freeze drying uses extremely low temperatures to remove the water by sublimation (the transition of ice into vapour skipping the liquid phase). These two completely different approaches give coffee of different quality, aroma and price. The drying method is the most important factor distinguishing cheap instant coffee from a better one. That is why it is worth knowing which method a given coffee was produced by. So let us get to know both methods more closely, starting with the cheaper and more common - spray drying.

Spray drying

Spray drying is the cheaper and more common method of producing instant coffee. It involves spraying the concentrated coffee brew into a fine mist of droplets by means of a centrifugal nozzle, which is then combined with hot air, leading to swift evaporation of the water and obtaining a fine coffee powder. Key here are high temperature and speed. It is an efficient and cheap method: fast, simple and less complex than freeze drying, which makes it cheaper to produce. It has, however, its price in quality. The high temperature used in spray drying can lead to the loss of some delicate aromas and flavours of the coffee. In other words, heat destroys the volatile aroma compounds, giving a coffee of a poorer, flatter profile. That is why most cheap, mass instant coffee is spray dried. Spray drying in return gives coffee of a fuller, smoother body, which some markets prefer. It is a method of compromise: cheap and efficient, but at the cost of some aroma. That is why cheap instant coffee is sometimes flat. So let us get to know the better method - freeze drying.

Freeze drying

Freeze drying is the more expensive, but better-quality method of producing instant coffee. It involves submitting the coffee brew to the action of a freeze dryer operating at extremely low temperatures, where water is removed by sublimation - that is the transition of frozen water (ice) directly into vapour, skipping the liquid phase. Key here is low temperature. Why is it better? Because the absence of high temperature protects the delicate aroma compounds that heat would destroy. Freeze drying excellently preserves the original aroma and flavour of the coffee, giving a fuller and more complex flavour profile. It also keeps more polyphenols than spray drying. In other words, freeze-dried coffee tastes far closer to real, freshly brewed coffee than that which is spray dried. The price is the cost: freeze drying is more expensive, because the process is more complex, and producers need more time for each batch. Freeze drying is a method of quality: more expensive, slower, but preserving aroma. That is why better instant coffees are freeze-dried. We write more about how coffee is made in our post on how coffee is made.

Spray drying versus freeze drying

The comparison of both methods shows a clear compromise between price and quality. Freeze drying excellently preserves aroma: the absence of high temperature protects the delicate compounds, giving a fuller, more complex flavour and more polyphenols. Spray drying uses high temperature, which destroys some delicate aromas, giving a poorer profile - but in return a fuller, smoother body and a lower cost. In other words: freeze drying wins on aroma and complexity, spray drying on price and production time (it is faster and cheaper). That is why freeze-dried instant coffee is more expensive, but better, and spray-dried cheaper, but poorer. The choice of method is a deliberate decision of the producer between cost and quality. For the consumer it is a practical hint: looking for better instant coffee, it is worth choosing freeze-dried. Spray drying versus freeze drying is a classic quality versus price compromise. Knowing this difference lets you buy consciously. It is the key to understanding why some instant coffees are better than others.

Can instant coffee be good

The most important question is: can instant coffee really be good? The answer is more optimistic than many sceptics think. Yes, instant coffee can be of good quality - especially freeze-dried varieties, although they come at a higher price. Freeze drying preserves aroma and flavour well enough that the best instant coffees can be quite satisfying, far from a flat substitute. What is more, the specialty coffee market has begun experimenting with high-quality instant coffee, using good beans and freeze drying, which raises the level. Of course, even the best instant coffee rarely matches freshly ground and brewed specialty coffee - it is still a product with certain limitations. But as a convenient, fast option, good instant coffee is far better than its reputation suggests. Can instant coffee be good? Yes, especially freeze-dried - it is worth giving it a chance, dropping prejudices. It is a product that evolves and surprises. Instant coffee does not have to be bad - what matters is the method and the quality of the beans. It is a sober, optimistic truth.

Advantages and limitations

Instant coffee has its clear advantages and limitations, worth knowing. Advantages: first, convenience - instant preparation, with no equipment, skill or time. Second, shelf life - a long use-by period and resistance to conditions. Third, mobility - ideal in travel, at work, on an expedition. Fourth, in the freeze-dried version it can be quite tasty. Limitations: first, quality - even the best instant rarely matches freshly brewed specialty. Second, less complexity and depth of flavour than coffee from beans. Third, cheap, spray-dried coffee is sometimes flat and bitterish. Fourth, the lack of the ritual and experience of brewing, which for many are part of the pleasure. In other words, instant coffee is a compromise: convenience and shelf life at the cost of peak quality and ritual. It is a product for particular situations, not fully replacing well-brewed coffee. The advantages and limitations are worth considering, choosing instant coffee consciously. It is a matter of matching the product to the need. Instant coffee has its place - just choose wisely.

Instant coffee in a table

Let us set both methods of producing instant coffee side by side:

The table shows the key difference between the methods. Spray drying uses hot air to quickly evaporate the water - it is cheap and fast, but the high temperature destroys some aromas. Freeze drying removes water at a low temperature by sublimation - it is more expensive and slower, but excellently preserves aroma, flavour and polyphenols. It is a classic quality versus price compromise. Looking for better instant coffee, it is worth choosing freeze-dried. The drying method decides whether instant coffee is good.

Why it is worth knowing this

Understanding the production of instant coffee enriches the knowledge of coffee and lets you choose consciously. First, it breaks prejudices: instant coffee does not have to be bad, especially freeze-dried - it is worth giving it a chance. Second, it gives a practical shopping hint: look for freeze-dried for better aroma. Third, it explains why some instant coffees are flat, and others quite good - it is a matter of the drying method. Fourth, it shows a fascinating technology: instant coffee is dried brew, reconstituted with water. Fifth, it helps appreciate when instant coffee makes sense (convenience, travel), and when it is better to reach for freshly brewed. A conscious coffee lover knows that even instant coffee has its nuances and better and worse versions. Next time, buying instant coffee, it is worth checking whether it is freeze-dried. It is knowledge that lets you choose wisely and draw the best from instant coffee. Instant coffee is a product of greater depth than its reputation suggests.

The key points in a nutshell

Instant coffee is dried brewed coffee, which you only have to add water to. It is made by two methods. Spray drying sprays the brew into hot air, quickly evaporating the water - it is cheap and fast, but the high temperature destroys some delicate aromas, giving a poorer profile (though a fuller body). Freeze drying removes water at an extremely low temperature by sublimation - it is more expensive and slower, but excellently preserves aroma, flavour and polyphenols. Yes, instant coffee can be good, especially freeze-dried, although it rarely matches freshly brewed specialty. Looking for better, choose freeze-dried. Want to compare coffees and record your impressions? Keep tasting notes in the GustoNote app. See also our posts on how coffee is made and on storing coffee.