Jun 07 2010
Instant Coffee
Many coffee drinkers won’t go near a cup of instant coffee while others don’t have a preference, they simply want their caffeine. Instant coffee has been a topic of controversy for decades. Many coffee drinkers don’t consider instant coffee to be a true coffee. The truth is that it is made from the same bean that conventional coffee is made from, the difference being that it has been dried to an instantly usable form using either a freeze-dried or a spray-dried method.
Instant coffee is dehydrated coffee in the form of a powder or coarse granules that are used to make coffee by adding only hot water. There are retail advantages to instant coffee, the top one being that it has a longer shelf life than coffee beans or ground coffee because it doesn’t lose its flavor as fast.
On the other hand, instant coffee will spoil if it is not kept very dry. Any moisture will spoil the coffee and make it unusable. Instant coffee does not have the same amount of caffeine as other coffees and is often slightly bitterer than traditional brewed coffee.
Instant coffee is often used for making iced coffee drinks and is an excellent substitute for brewing coffee for these drinks. Many people keep instant coffee in their pantries for emergency situations when they don’t have power and want a cup of coffee. In recent years instant coffee has been packaged in individual packets that make one cup. Technology has also improved the quality of instant coffee and some big name companies have begun cashing in on the ease of making one cup of coffee. Starbucks recently released a portable one-cup instant coffee packet in retail grocery stores.
Instant coffee is also useful in recipes that call for coffee and in making coffee rubs for barbecuing. These uses don’t require brewed coffee but need the coffee flavor, which is where the use of instant coffee becomes ideal.
Cakes, desserts and pastries can all benefit from instant coffee. There are many different pudding and sauces that call for instant coffee to create that unique coffee flavor. Tiramisu is a popular Italian desert that calls for instant coffee to give it that special taste that only comes from coffee.
There are also gourmet instant coffees and coffee drinks that give coffee lovers more variety in the instant coffee area. Instant cappuccino mixes, lattes and flavored coffees are available on the grocery store shelves. Some, such as General Foods International Coffees, have become quite popular over the years. They make a relaxing cup of flavored coffee without going to the coffee shop or having to make a pot of coffee and they are tasty at the same time.
It is doubtful that many people would say a cup of instant coffee is better than a fresh brewed cup of coffee but there are many brands of instant coffee that do make a decent cup of coffee that suffices when the need arises.
-Sharon Chapman
do you know where i can purchased jars of flavored instant coffee, thank you, my zip is 11516