How wonderful it is to drink a cup of aromatic, steaming coffee in the morning, which can give you a boost of energy for the whole coming day just by its smell! And of course, it’s best if you take a handful of fragrant coffee beans and grind them into powder to prepare it. And then cook your portion magic drink in a small copper pot, or in a coffee maker. Only very often we simply don’t have enough time for unnecessary troubles, especially in the morning. And then, in order not to deny ourselves the pleasure at all, we find an alternative and, instead of freshly brewed coffee, drink instant coffee.

Of all the types of instant coffee drinks, and there are three of them - granular, powder and freeze-dried, the latter has a higher rating and its price is an order of magnitude higher. Why does this happen and what is freeze-dried coffee?

"FROZEN-DRIED"

Coffee sublimation (crystallization) is a process during which a substance immediately changes from a solid to a gaseous state. The technology consists of instant freezing and simultaneous vacuum drying of coffee concentrate. At the same time, frozen coffee crystals do not turn into a liquid state and bypass the melting phase, and therefore retain their taste, color and aroma.

Sublimate is also called freeze dried (“frozen-dried”). The technology was developed back in the 60s of the last century. This is a rather lengthy and expensive process. Manufacturers of the freeze-dried drink assure that both in properties and in quality it is absolutely similar to freshly brewed, and therefore its rating is quite high. True, to be frank, the raw materials used for the production of freeze-dried coffee are, alas, not chosen by the most premium. However, as for making any other type of instant coffee.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

Each manufacturer tries to keep the details of the coffee drink production technology secret. But general description the process is still known. So, how is freeze-dried coffee made?
First of all, the coffee bean (mostly, they try to use the inexpensive Robusta variety) is roasted and ground to flour.

Further coffee powder boiled for several hours in extraction tanks under high pressure.
After this, some of the moisture is evaporated from the coffee extract, placed in special tanks, collecting the vapor of essential oils.

Then a very quick freezing raw materials with simultaneous vacuum drying. During this procedure, all the liquid evaporates instantly, and the coffee concentrate is converted into a dry substance. All that remains is to crumble the dried coffee bar into small granules.

AND The final stage– enrichment of coffee granules with essential oils collected at the beginning of the process, additional flavors and taste enhancers.

WHAT INSTANT COFFEE SHOULD I CHOOSE?

When purchasing instant coffee, the question may arise: which type is better? To understand this, let’s look at how freeze-dried coffee differs from its granulated or powdered counterpart.

Firstly, this is production technology. Unlike the complex and time-consuming process of producing freeze-dried coffee, the powdered and granulated versions require less effort. And it can be done much faster. After roasting and grinding the coffee beans, the extract is also boiled from it. But then coffee extract Simply spray and evaporate. What remains is the powder - the basis for the cheapest option instant drink. And the coffee granule is obtained in result of lung wetting this powder.

As we can see, the process of producing granulated and powdered instant drinks is less labor-intensive, and therefore the price of such coffee should be different. And it is 30-50% lower than freeze-dried. And this is the second distinguishing point.

Also, due to special processing, freeze-dried coffee differs from granulated and powdered coffee in its organoleptic properties. It has a richer taste. And its appetizing light caramel color and neatly shaped granules look much more attractive. Undoubtedly, it is these properties that help the freeze-dried drink maintain its rating in the coffee market.

BENEFITS AND HARMS OF COFFEE SUBLIMATE

Doctors have long found out that instant coffee not very useful for humans and does more harm than good. But, at the same time, it is believed that its sublimated version is less harmful. All this, again, thanks to production technology. So, freeze-dried coffee – benefits and harms. Let's start with negative influence on the human body:

Tannins - irritate the walls of the stomach and can cause problems with the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

A large amount of caffeine can lead to an excess of adrenaline in the blood and, as a result, cause unpleasant symptoms - nausea, dizziness.
Excretion from the body necessary calcium– is also very harmful to the body.
Excessive consumption of coffee drink can negatively affect male potency.
Since the instant drink contains aromatic additives, it frequent use may cause allergic reactions and dermatitis.

But, not everything is so sad. Freeze-dried coffee, the harm of which we have already found out, also has beneficial properties.

The same caffeine for people with low blood pressure could be a real salvation.
Nicotinic acid, which appears during the processing process, is necessary for our blood vessels, as it lowers cholesterol.
Antioxidants help us maintain beauty and youth.
In addition, coffee improves mood and performance, relieves fatigue, and activates brain activity.

WHICH TO CHOOSE?

Freeze-dried coffee, which brand do you prefer? Let’s try to find out this based on the “top 5 best samples” rating:

1. Bushido, manufacturer: Switzerland;
2. Grandos, Germany;
3. Maxim, South Korean coffee;
4. Egoiste, Switzerland;
5. Today Pure Arabica, British brand, prod. Germany.

Instant coffee is very popular nowadays, but it was first introduced for consumption in 1901. This happened at the All-American Exhibition in Buffalo. And at that time, the quality of coffee caused controversy, although now many simply cannot imagine their morning without a cup of instant drink.

The main advantages of instant coffee are ease of preparation and long storage. If natural coffe in the process of evaporation of oils loses its aroma, then instant coffee even with long-term storage practically no different from freshly prepared. Although instant coffee has many disadvantages. One of these is the weaker aroma of real coffee, since during the heat treatment useful material and the oils evaporate. If we take expensive ones, then their manufacturers are struggling with the problem and adding artificial or natural coffee oils to coffee. After this, instant coffee is more reminiscent of natural coffee, both in taste and aroma.

As for the taste, the taste of regular instant coffee is very different from natural coffee; this is especially noticeable in cheap brands of instant coffee. Instant coffee contains much less caffeine, although the bitter extract is stronger. Quite often, coffee beans are used to make instant coffee. Low quality- these are broken grains, overcooked and dried out. The best coffee beans are sold whole. And those that are not suitable for sale are ground and processed into an instant drink.

The process of preparing granulated instant coffee is quite simple. You just need to pour boiling water over it and that’s it. As for improving the quality of the drink itself, there are no ways. During the production and processing of instant coffee, all aromatic and flavoring substances are practically lost, so it will not be possible to make instant coffee more aromatic and similar to natural coffee. There are some little tricks though. It is best not to brew granulated coffee with boiling water, but to let it sit for a little while. In this way, you can preserve at least some remnants of natural coffee that have not evaporated after processing.

If the instant drink somehow resembles natural coffee, then this is only thanks to special substances that were added during the technological production process.

If there are any rules on how to properly prepare another drink to improve the taste, then granulated coffee has no rules. If you ask a real coffee lover how to drink coffee granules correctly, you will get only one answer - it’s better not to drink granulated instant coffee at all.

Coffee is already a special culture that has developed over the years all over the world. In our country, coffee is not treated in the same way as in other countries, but they still give a special place to coffee in their lives. The population of our country prefers more a simple drink– instant coffee. As for this type of drink, there are still a lot of quarrels and prejudices swirling around it. Some consider it not quite coffee, since the raw materials for production consist of inferior beans. Granulated coffee Made from real coffee beans, but mostly low quality Robusta.

As mentioned earlier, the cheapest instant coffee is powdered. Before cooking, coffee beans are fried, crushed and soluble elements are extracted from them. Then the grains are processed under high pressure. After drying and filtering, coffee powder is obtained. As for granulated coffee, it is prepared in the same way as powdered coffee, but goes through one more stage - under high steam pressure the powder is churned into granules.

Only freeze-dried coffee differs from previous types of instant coffee. It is considered the most expensive method, since its production requires additional costs. First, a coffee decoction is prepared from coffee powder, which is then frozen and crushed into small crystals under high steam pressure. This coffee is more reminiscent of natural coffee, since some of the beneficial substances of coffee are preserved.

If you take granular or powdered coffee, then it is much different from natural. Under the influence of external factors taste qualities of such coffee change significantly. In freeze-dried coffee, the amount of caffeine remains virtually unchanged. Therefore, you can drink this drink only in small doses, just like Brewed coffee. As for powdered and granulated coffee, you can drink it per day, since it is better not to exceed 2 cups of freeze-dried coffee.

Instant powder or granulated coffee also has several advantages: low cost and ease of preparation. There is often no time to organize coffee ceremonies, but in the modern rhythm of the world, it is best to drink instant coffee.

What else is so attractive about instant granulated coffee?

1. Long shelf life of coffee. If natural coffee beans or powder is not stored for very long, since essential oils dry out and the coffee loses its true taste and aroma, instant coffee retains its taste much longer.
2. Simplicity and speed of preparation. There is no need to brew it or follow any recipes. Instant coffee just needs to be poured hot, or even cold water, whichever you like best. Yes, instant coffee dissolves even in cold water.
3. There is no need to buy a coffee maker to make instant coffee.

It is thanks to such important positive qualities instant coffee, it has gained such popularity. This drink is purchased much more often than natural coffee.

Russia is the world leader in instant coffee consumption. This can be explained by the fact that, firstly, the culture of coffee consumption in our country is just beginning to develop.

The second reason for the popularity of instant coffee is that it can be used to prepare coffee drink quickly enough, just by diluting the powder with water.

Just like ground coffee, instant coffee is made from coffee beans. As a rule, to prepare this type of coffee, the Robusta variety is used.

Depending on the production technology, instant coffee is made in three forms: powdered coffee, granulated (high-temperature process) and freeze-dried (low-temperature process).

With high temperature method, which is also called the spray-drying method, raw coffee undergoes cleaning, after which it is fried and the grains are crushed to particles measuring 1.5-2 mm. The next stage is the extraction of soluble substances.

To do this, finely ground coffee is processed for 3-4 hours. hot water under a pressure of 15 atmospheres. Then the resulting mass is cooled, after cooling it is filtered, insoluble and resinous substances are removed and dried with hot air. Then the finished powder is cooled again.

In the production of granulated coffee, the same technology is used, but at the end the powder is turned into lumps by exposure to steam under pressure.

Low temperature process is called "sublimation". Sublimation is dehydration, drying of frozen foods in a vacuum.

A fairly new method of producing instant coffee. It is the most expensive, but it allows you to preserve the basic biological qualities of the material, since during such treatment oxygen is not oxidized and the volume of the product does not change.

The essence of freeze-dried coffee production is that the coffee beans are again boiled, then frozen, then the coffee ice is crushed, and, finally, the product is fed into a vacuum tunnel, where the ice evaporates, bypassing the liquid state.

The amount of caffeine contained in freeze-dried coffee is not much lower than in natural ground coffee.

Powdered and granulated coffee have one advantage- relatively low price. They also contain less caffeine than freeze-dried coffee.

The disadvantage of these types of instant coffee is that, due to the peculiarities of their production technology, neither the powder nor granules obtained as a result of processing retain the properties of natural coffee.

Do you love flavored coffee in the morning? Instant or freshly brewed? Powdered, granular or freeze-dried? Let's figure out together which instant coffee is better.

Which coffee is better - freeze-dried or granulated?

From time immemorial, in Latin American countries they grew great amount coffee beans. And everyone knows that coffee is a perishable product. Therefore, it was decided... to dry it. This is precisely the main method of preparing coffee from beans. Depending on the production method, instant coffee is divided into powdered, granular or freeze-dried. What's the difference between freeze-dried and granulated coffee? Let's figure it out.

Powdery

Raw coffee is cleaned, roasted and crushed. These treated grains are then extracted with hot water under pressure. soluble substances. Then it is all cooled, filtered, insoluble substances are removed and dried with hot air.

Granulated

Hot steam collects coffee powder into small lumps, then moisturizes it again, and so on until larger particles (granules) are obtained.

Sublimated

This coffee is the most expensive and aromatic of all the coffee varieties. soluble varieties. Under vacuum, the ice crystals of the coffee decoction are dehydrated, resulting in preserved coffee large quantity natural useful properties. This method allows you to preserve the maximum of useful substances inherent in ground coffee. By appearance this variety can be easily distinguished from granular. Granulated coffee has regular lumps round shape, and the sublimated one has an irregular polygonal shape.

Pros and cons of instant coffee

Instant coffee has many advantages.

Easy to prepare

• A minute is enough to pour boiling water over your coffee and get aromatic drink.

Shelf life

• Instant coffee is stored much longer than natural coffee, maintaining its unique rich taste and aroma.

Acceptable price

• All together provided instant coffee with a huge number of fans in all corners of the world.

It used to be believed that coffee was harmful to the body. great harm, but the more research was done, the clearer it became that coffee in small portions very good for health. It prevents sclerosis and contains a sufficient amount of ballast substances - these are chemical compounds that play a significant role in digestion and maintain normal blood sugar levels. This aromatic drink, whether brewed from ground grains or instant, necessarily contains soluble sugars and cellulose, which are the necessary ballast substances. Doctors advise limiting coffee consumption for those who have diseases such as acute cholecystitis, hepatitis and serious liver diseases.

History of instant coffee

Instant coffee, widely known today, was created by the Swiss chemist Max Morgenthaler, who, in July 1938, adopted the experience of his Japanese colleague Satori Kato, who invented the manufacturing technology powdered tea, made powdered coffee. But then neither consumers nor experts were able to fully appreciate the aroma, taste and ease of drinking. Perhaps no one would have ever appreciated the new product if not for the Second World War. IN large quantities this drink, simple and instant cooking, needed the front. This is where we remembered Morgenthaler.

The Swiss chemist's product was a great success among soldiers, since the drink could be brewed right in the trench. The popularity led to the fact that the company where the famous chemist worked was able to conclude a huge number of contracts to supply American soldiers with its products.

Today, more than two billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day, most of which are instant.

Types of invigorating drinks

Eat different technologies preparing coffee beans. And as a result, a variety of drinks - powder, granular and freeze-dried. In the photo they are easy to distinguish from each other.

Arabica is practically not used to create instant coffee, because it is not strong enough and loses its taste after processing. Robusta from Africa contains much more caffeine. This variety is perfect. Robusta produces a richer drink.

During the preparation process, the grains are first roasted, then ground and made into granules or powder using special technology.

Advantages and disadvantages of instant coffee

The main advantage of an instant drink of vigor is its ease of preparation and long shelf life. In addition, its price is low. There is no need to use coffee makers, coffee grinders or Turks for preparation.

However, there are also a number of disadvantages. For example, a weak aroma. This is explained by the fact that when heat treatment oils and nutrients evaporate. Manufacturers of more expensive brands of drinks add artificial or natural ingredients to combat this problem. coffee oil with packaging composition. The taste of instant coffee is very different from natural coffee. If only because the overwhelming majority of manufacturers use low-quality grains for raw materials, mostly broken, dried out, overcooked.

Granules and powder - what's the difference?

Coffee granules and powdered coffee have almost no differences. This is practically a granular product soluble powder, compressed into granules under additional steam treatment. However, coffee granules are of higher quality. Higher quality raw materials are used for its production. As for the amount of consumption, the granulated version can be drunk up to five cups per day. How to cook it? Yes, very simple. Pour approximately one or two spoons of raw materials into a cup (if desired) and fill with water. All! The process is complete.