Instant coffee gets a bad rep in the coffee community. For a long time, I was ashamed to admit that my first experience with coffee was a weak cup of instant. The colour was light, mud-like brown and the taste was not much better. Sugar and milk were essential to round off the bitterness and after a while I found the right balance that I quite enjoyed. I remember my first experience with fresh coffee, the grounds looked similar to the instant granules but that is where the similarities ended.
It turns out instant is very similar in a lot of ways to ground coffee. It’s made from brewed coffee that has been processed and dehydrated to powder form. The health benefits are very similar to fresh coffee and it contains less caffeine.
What is Ground Coffee?
Ground coffee or coffee grounds are made from the whole coffee beans, the fresh bean is processed on the plantation and shipped out to coffee shops and factories ready to be roasted to give it that lovely dark flavour. The roasting brings out all the rich oils and gives the coffee it’s sweetness.
Coffee beans can be roasted for longer or shorter periods of time to affect flavour. For example, the espresso roast is bit longer than coffee roasted for a filter machine. Once the bean is cooled, it’s almost ready to brew, the final step is the grinding of the whole bean into smaller particles, also known as coffee grounds. The size of the coffee grounds is important when it comes to brewing that delicious cup. A fine grind is ideal for an espresso machine whereas a much courser grind Is needed for a French press.
If you’re in need of a lovely fresh coffee then why don’t you take a walk to friargate Preston to the coffee shop Townhouse, they serve the most amazing coffee and do take a book with you as once you go in you won’t want to leave.
https://www.instagram.com/town.house.coffee62/?hl=en
If you are walking past Winckley Square then this hidden gem is defiantly worth a visit. They serve the most wholesome fresh doughnuts and ethical coffee and honestly you will be back for more for sure!
https://www.instagram.com/holygrounds_/?hl=en
What is Instant coffee?
Instant coffee differs from the fresh coffee in that the dry coffee completely dissolves when added to water. It can be brewed in a mug with no specialist equipment needed. Instant coffee is made from dehydrated fresh coffee. The coffee is brewed and then dried out to leave a powder which can be stored and rehydrated at any point. The instant coffee is very similar to fresh coffee as it shares the same origin.
Caffeine
One of the biggest differences between fresh coffee and instant coffee is the caffeine content. Caffeine is a small molecule that acts on your body to give you that alert, awake feeling. Caffeine improves alertness and wakefulness and has been linked with a few major health benefits. Studies have shown that caffeine in coffee can lower cardiovascular disease, lower risks of mortality, and less impact from liver cirrhosis.
Caffeine intolerant people find that high levels of caffeine causes anxiety, insomnia, and jitters. If you suffer from this after drinking coffee than minimizing your coffee intake is advisable.
Taste
The great taste of your morning cup of java all comes back to the bean quality and processing. It’s taken me years to find the perfect instant coffee and now I enjoy my coffee without no milk or sugar and oh wow it tastes amazing.
Cost
Fresh coffee is more expensive compared to instant coffee and instant coffee is similar to fresh grounds. Its just brewed, dehydrated and freeze-dried. My verdict is that fresh coffee has to take the upper hand but when am watching my pennies instant coffee more less does the same job!