What is coffee made from. How instant coffee is made

How and from what they are made instant coffee?

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There are many myths around instant coffee, and the main question, the answer to which only manufacturers know, remains open: what is instant coffee actually made of? How natural is it and how is the powder or granules obtained? How exactly is instant coffee produced and what are its differences? different manufacturers? We understand together with the founder of the company "KLD Coffee Importers" Andrei Elson and a former employee of the Mospishchekombinat enterprise, who still works in the coffee industry, but asked not to disclose his name.

The process of producing instant coffee is divided into several stages. First, the green grains are cleaned and sorted. Then they are fried and not very finely ground. After the mixture is loaded into extraction batteries (approximately the same as a coffee maker), where the extraction process takes place, that is, brewing: high pressure, flow hot water through which ground coffee particles are passed. There is nothing supernatural in the extraction process, it also occurs, for example, in a Turk, only in our case on an industrial scale. The resulting extract is collected in tanks, where excess moisture is removed from it (by analogy with how, for example, from regular milk make condensed). Further, the concentrated extract is processed using one of two technologies: "spray dry" or "freeze dry". During the "spray dry", the extract is sprayed with hot air, which "seizes" the coffee droplets, after which they turn into powder. This is an old technology, now it is rarely used. Most manufacturers work using the “freeze dry” technology - freezing: the extract is fed into sublimators, sprayed and frozen.

Former employee of the enterprise "Mospishchekombinat"

I am a grain trader green coffee over 20 years. Our company works with large companies, such as Product-Service, Strauss, Live Coffee, Russian Product, Moscow Coffee House on Equity, as well as with small roasters who work in the premium segment in almost all regions of Russia. They make both roasted ground and instant coffee from our beans.

Most instant coffee is made from Robusta, Arabica is rarely used. But not because Robusta is cheap or bad, but because it has more caffeine and high extractivity, which ensures the solubility of the product, these are essential factors for production. The caffeine content of Robusta averages 2.2%, while Arabica coffee averages 0.6%. The production of instant coffee is built in such a way that during the process the coffee loses some amount of caffeine and extract. If it is made from Arabica, there will be practically nothing left of it.

Briefly, the process looks like this: coffee is roasted, ground, brewed, moisture evaporated and ground. They do it quickly - it takes about 15 minutes to roast, and everything else takes about two hours.

There are two production technologies: “spray dry” and “freeze dry”. In the first process, the moisture is evaporated from the coffee, the extract is pulverized, and it turns into a powder. In the "freeze dry" the same stages, only at the end the extract is frozen and served in a slow stream to the drum, the temperature of which is about minus 60 degrees: coffee particles stick to the drum while it is spinning, the moisture freezes out, and the mixture crumbles no longer as a powder, but granules.

There are three types of instant coffee: powder (“spray dry”), compressed powder (also “spray dry”; for example, Nescafe Classic) and granules (“freeze dry”). During production, nothing is added to coffee (sugar, flavorings, and so on), it is done only during packaging.

There is such a parameter as glucose content. If, in addition to beans, coffee husks are used in the production of instant coffee (the pulp of the coffee berry contains sugar), it increases the glucose content.

Every company, be it Jacobs or Nestle, has its own standards. The consumer may not feel a big difference, but usually there is: after all, companies use different raw materials, different roasts. For example, if you take three types of Black Card coffee - Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia - you will understand the difference in taste: Ecuador buys a lot of Vietnamese and Indonesian Robusta; Brazilian producers make coffee from conylon, Brazilian Robusta, it has a completely different, more tart taste; There is no Robusta in Colombia, only Arabica.

If you simply try instant coffee from a tape, it will have practically no smell. The aroma is influenced by the addition of coffee oils, which are obtained in the process between roasting and brewing. This is a technology for collecting aroma, liquefying it and returning it to instant coffee, but there is no chemistry there. essential oil very little, but it gives aroma; it is also added to instant coffee already at the time of packaging.

AiF decided to find out whether instant coffee can be trusted

It is customary to scold instant coffee - and, they say, its taste is not real, and the aroma is not the same. Nevertheless, millions of people cannot do without this drink, since not everyone has the opportunity to drink coffee freshly brewed in Turkish.

Natural or artificial?

For examination in the testing center of the Sergiev Posad branch of the Mendeleev Center for Standardization, Metrology and Certification, we gave five types of instant coffee bought in Moscow stores.

The first thing we found out is that almost all instant coffee presented in the middle price segment, despite foreign names, is produced in our country (see table), and only one sample was from Brazil.

According to the standard, there are three types of natural instant coffee: powdered, granulated (in the form of even round granules) and freeze-dried (dense particles of various shapes and sizes, with uneven edges). Most of the samples studied by experts belong to freeze-dried coffee, only one type, “Cafe Pele”, is powdered coffee. Which one you choose does not matter - it does not affect the taste.

Instant coffee is natural, not "chemistry", as many people think. It is made from coffee beans. The powder we see in the jars is the natural roasted coffee extract. First, the coffee beans are ground, brewed, and then the water is evaporated - this is how instant instant coffee is obtained.

Since it is a processed product, it has a specific taste that many picky consumers don't like. But it is precisely because of the naturalness of instant coffee that you need to take it seriously: many people think that it does not have as much caffeine as brewed coffee, and they are mistaken: due to the fact that the product is concentrated, it may even contain more caffeine. Therefore, without measure, drinking instant coffee, as well as natural, is impossible. And people with chronic diseases, such as the cardiovascular system, need to be especially careful.

Deception under cover

Experts drew attention to indicators that reflect the quality of instant coffee. First of all, this mass fraction caffeine, an indicator of the naturalness of the product. The larger it is, the better - after all, we expect a charge of vivacity, toning the body from coffee - and this is precisely what the substance caffeine provides. According to the test results, Black Card Gold coffee turned out to be the most tonic. But Tchibo Exclusive had the least amount of caffeine.

The next indicator is the mass fraction of moisture. Of course, it should not exceed the norm, otherwise mold develops in coffee and the product quickly deteriorates and becomes unsafe. However, our samples successfully passed this test - we did not find the missing coffee.

The mass fraction of ash is an indicator of the quality of the product. It is tested by burning and crushing raw materials. If the ash content is higher than normal, it means that, in addition to coffee beans, other vegetable raw materials have been added to the product - for example, cheap chicory, acorns.
In our case, in terms of ash content, the record holder is Black Card Gold coffee, and Nescafe classic has the lowest ash content.

Equally important is how quickly coffee dissolves in water, which is its main function. The sooner this happens, the better for the consumer. In hot water, coffee should dissolve in no more than half a minute, in cold water - no more than three minutes. And if you bought coffee that does not dissolve in water - in front of you coffee drink with very different properties.

Experts have found that the most instant coffee is Tchibo Exclusive and Black Card Gold. But "Jacobs" and "Nescafe" are preparing a little slower.
“Instant coffee is usually made from Arabica beans,” says Roman GAYDASHOV, an expert at the Public Control Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights. — It is cheaper compared to other varieties. Sometimes they use robusta, which is more expensive. Perhaps the manufacturer mixes the two varieties. True, this information may not be on the packaging.

Be careful when choosing coffee. Extraneous tastes and smells in the jar are not allowed. If they are, it means that they were not stored correctly in the store or in the production of coffee, which may affect the quality of the product. At home, keep the jar of coffee tightly closed, away from strong-smelling foods, so that the coffee does not absorb “aromas”.
A separate conversation is about coffee drinks. It's not coffee at all, but very useful product. It is usually made from the chicory plant. However, many manufacturers are cunning: knowing about the popularity of a healthy lifestyle, they add other medicinal herbs to a coffee drink, for example, ginseng extract, and can sell it at the price of natural coffee. Do not fall for this trick - a coffee drink should cost several times less than natural coffee.

There are many myths around instant coffee, and the main question, the answer to which only manufacturers know, remains open: what is instant coffee actually made of? How natural is it and how is the powder or granules obtained? How exactly is instant coffee produced and what are its differences between different manufacturers? We understand together with the founder of the company "KLD Coffee Importers" Andrei Elson and a former employee of the Mospishchekombinat enterprise, who still works in the coffee industry, but asked not to disclose his name.

former employee of the enterprise "Mospishchekombinat"

The process of producing instant coffee is divided into several stages. First, the green grains are cleaned and sorted. Then they are fried and not very finely ground. After the mixture is loaded into extraction batteries (about the same as a coffee maker), where the extraction process takes place, that is, brewing: high pressure, a stream of hot water through which ground coffee particles are passed. There is nothing supernatural in the extraction process, it also occurs, for example, in a Turk, only in our case - on an industrial scale. The resulting extract is collected in tanks, where excess moisture is removed from it (by analogy with how, for example, condensed milk is made from ordinary milk). Further, the concentrated extract is processed using one of two technologies: "spray dry" or "freeze dry". During the "spray dry", the extract is sprayed with hot air, which "seizes" the coffee droplets, after which they turn into powder. This is an old technology, now it is rarely used. Most manufacturers use the "freeze dry" technology - freezing: the extract is fed into sublimators, sprayed and frozen.

I have been trading green coffee beans for over 20 years. Our company works with large companies, such as Product Service, Strauss, Live Coffee, Russian Product, Moscow Coffee House on Equity, as well as with small roasters who work in the premium segment in almost all regions of Russia. They make both roasted ground and instant coffee from our beans.

Most instant coffee is made from Robusta, Arabica is rarely used. But not because Robusta is cheap or bad, but because it has more caffeine content and high extractivity, which ensures the solubility of the product - these are essential factors for production. The caffeine content of Robusta averages 2.2%, while Arabica coffee averages 0.6%. The production of instant coffee is built in such a way that during the process the coffee loses some amount of caffeine and extract. If it is made from Arabica, there will be practically nothing left of it.

Briefly, the process looks like this: coffee is roasted, ground, brewed, moisture evaporated and ground. They do it quickly - it takes about 15 minutes to roast, and everything else takes about two hours.

There are two production technologies: “spray dry” and “freeze dry”. In the first process, the moisture is evaporated from the coffee, the extract is pulverized, and it turns into a powder. In the "freeze dry" the same stages, only at the end the extract is frozen and served in a slow stream to the drum, the temperature of which is about minus 60 degrees: coffee particles stick to the drum while it is spinning, the moisture freezes out, and the mixture crumbles no longer as a powder, but granules.

If instant coffee just try from the tape, it will have practically no smell. The flavor is affected adding coffee oils, which are obtained in the process between roasting and brewing

There are three types of instant coffee: powder (“spray dry”), compressed powder (also “spray dry”; for example, Nescafe Classic) and granules (“freeze dry”). During production, nothing is added to coffee (sugar, flavorings, and so on), it is done only during packaging.

There is such a parameter as glucose content. If, in addition to beans, coffee husks are used in the production of instant coffee (the pulp of the coffee berry contains sugar), it increases the glucose content.

Every company, be it Jacobs or Nestle, has its own standards. The consumer may not feel a big difference, but usually there is: after all, companies use different raw materials, different roasts. For example, if you take three types of Black Card coffee - Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia - you will understand the difference in taste: Ecuador buys a lot of Vietnamese and Indonesian Robusta; Brazilian producers make coffee from conylon, Brazilian Robusta, it has a completely different, more tart taste; There is no Robusta in Colombia, only Arabica.

If you simply try instant coffee from a tape, it will have practically no smell. The aroma is influenced by the addition of coffee oils, which are obtained in the process between roasting and brewing. This is a technology for collecting aroma, liquefying it and returning it to instant coffee, but there is no chemistry there. There is very little essential oil, but it gives aroma; it is also added to instant coffee already at the time of packaging.

Recently, the technology of adding ground microparticles to instant coffee has appeared. For example, microparticles of roasted ground coffee are interspersed inside the granules of instant coffee. Thus, the aromatics and taste are not changed by adding oil, but by ground coffee.

Illustration: Katya Baklushina

Among world sales of coffee, the leading positions remain with its instant version. This is not surprising, because it is enough to pour boiling water over it, and the fragrant drink is ready. But how is instant coffee made? What is it made from? When was this technology invented? Who invented it?

Instant coffee is surrounded by a real halo of myths. He was first scolded for the lack of expression of taste and aroma, they found a lot of additives in it. Then, after the sublimation technology was invented, this product began to be praised and put almost on a par with natural ground insoluble coffee obtained from beans. But the truth lies somewhere in the middle. We will not claim that instant coffee has the same bright taste and a bewitching aroma, like ground. It really has additives that bring its color, aroma and taste closer to natural. To understand what to expect from instant coffee, you need to understand how and from what it is made.

Let's make a reservation right away that many manufacturers hide which method of instant coffee production they use. However, seeing the end result, we can easily guess about it ourselves. It is important to understand that instant coffee from different manufacturers can vary significantly. At the same time, not only the technological process of its production plays a role, but also what raw materials are used for this.

History of appearance

Instant coffee has three creators at once. At different times, they put a lot of effort into developing the technology of its production.

• In fact, the idea of ​​producing instant coffee appeared quite a long time ago, in 1899. Its first author was an American scientist with Japanese roots, Satori Kato. Initially, his goal was to find a way to make instant tea. And this way was found. Kato then decided to adapt it for coffee as well. This is how the first instant coffee was born. The product turned out to be very successful and after three years it began to be produced on an industrial scale. It is curious that instant coffee became a mandatory issue for soldiers during the First World War. It has become an integral part of the soldier's rations. But coffee beans were absolutely not suitable for this purpose. It had to be boiled, which was not possible in the field. It soon became very popular among soldiers and officers. Instant coffee powder was also given out during World War II. When peacetime came, this invention quickly entered civilian life. Coffee lovers quickly appreciated all its benefits.
• For the first time, instant coffee hit the world market in 1909. It was called Red E Coffee. This was the merit of another scientist. The English inventor George Constant Washington lived then in Guatemala. He accidentally drew attention to the fact that on a silver spoon, which he took out of a cup of coffee, there was condensate in the form of the smallest coffee powder. It was this coffee dust that gave him the idea that it was possible to create an instant version of everyone's favorite coffee.
• There is another important date in the history of instant coffee - 1938. It was this year that became the official date of birth of instant coffee. It is celebrated even now. The fact is that this year in Brazil they harvested a surprisingly generous crop of coffee. Despite the huge volumes of sales, there were still surpluses. Coffee beans are a perishable product. During storage, they quickly lose their aromatic substances. Therefore, the problem of what to do with the surplus became extremely acute. Here, a chemist from Switzerland, Max Morgenthaler, came to the aid of the coffee magnates. It is he who is now respectfully called the father of instant coffee. He proposed to obtain a soluble powder by extraction. So Morgenthaller invented instant coffee. But his brainchild did not immediately gain popularity. Coffee connoisseurs considered that a drink made from such a powder turns out to be non-aromatic and without a pronounced taste. By the way, they were right. Due to the fact that coffee is exposed to high temperatures, it loses a lot of aromatic oils and other beneficial substances. The final product is obtained without a pronounced taste and enchanting aroma. But the surplus still had to be processed somehow, and Nestle began the production of instant coffee using the Morgenthaler technology. This is how the Nescafe brand was born. Now she has gained just enormous popularity, and in those early years it seemed that the idea was doomed to failure.

The real popularity of instant coffee brought, oddly enough, the Second World War. He was truly appreciated by the soldiers. As part of the ration, they received exactly instant coffee. It was quickly brewed, instantly infused, and the soldiers received a hot and quite aromatic coffee-flavored drink. At the front, he was quickly appreciated and loved. American soldiers have become true fans of this handy product. When the war ended, it was they who brought instant coffee to civilian life. He first gained popularity in the United States, and then quickly spread around the world. Thus began the triumphal procession of instant coffee around the world.

Instant coffee - what is it

It's hard to overestimate how popular instant coffee is these days. Are you wondering what instant coffee actually is? Let's figure it out. In fact, he has both fans and those who are very cool about this drink. It is believed that instant coffee is significantly inferior in terms of palatability and natural aroma ground coffee. In addition, it is believed that it contains many additives, the task of which is to improve these same taste and aroma. Barley, chicory, and dyes can also be added to it to improve the color of the drink.

Instant coffee, indeed, is somewhat inferior in its characteristics to the coffee that is obtained from ground beans. But it does not need to be boiled, just pour the powder or granules into a cup and pour boiling water over it. If desired, you can add sugar, milk, cream. Immediately clarify that instant coffee is also different. There is quality product from global manufacturers who do not allow themselves to use all sorts of tricks and tricks. It is important to adhere to the technology of its manufacture. But small companies cannot always afford to strictly fulfill all stages of the technological process. They produce a low quality product. To increase it, flavors, dyes, flavor enhancers, etc. can be added to instant coffee.

What is instant coffee made from?

Arabica coffee is considered the highest quality coffee. It is in its grains that the maximum concentration of all useful substances, including aromatic coffee oils, is contained. That is why coffee brewed from "arabica" is able to turn heads with its aroma and unique taste. rich taste. It is he who allows you to make a thick cap of foam on the drink. But for the production of instant coffee, the Arabica variety is not used. It would be too expensive. Most often, manufacturers use the Robusta variety. It is inferior to "arabica" in aroma, but it gives a stronger drink. By the way, Arabica beans are about 10 times more expensive than Robusta beans. That's why you shouldn't trust labels that tell you that only 100% Arabica coffee was used to make instant coffee. Such instant coffee would simply amaze with its price. It is simply unprofitable to use high-quality beans of a high standard for the production of instant coffee. So what is instant coffee made from? For him, at best, they take grains of the second grade.

Robusta is much more common than Arabica. It is easier to grow, not so whimsical, because its yields are many times higher than the yield of "arabica". Top grade"Arabica" is quickly snapped up at auctions. It is purchased by those companies that have chosen as their specialization only the roasting of beans on an industrial scale. These are suppliers of natural insoluble coffee.

If you love instant coffee, what is this product made of? For its production, the Robusta variety is used. But do not think that this is a low quality variety. It just has different characteristics. The Robusta variety has its advantages. Of course, it will not give such an amazing aroma and rich taste as "arabica". However, it contains a much higher concentration of caffeine. This means that it is Robusta that has the maximum stimulating effect, it is from it that the coffee turns out to be the strongest. This is a huge advantage that instant coffee manufacturers are using. Thanks to the strength of Robusta, you can get a fairly strong instant coffee. In addition, Robusta is much better extractable than Arabica. This means that the substances contained in such grains dissolve better.

If you tried the resulting instant coffee immediately at the factory, you would clearly be disappointed. When leaving the conveyor, it has almost no flavor. In order to restore this aroma, good manufacturers add coffee oil to the product, and bad ones add flavorings. By the way, sugar or flavors are added to coffee already in the process of packaging. Some manufacturers also use coffee husks as well. It contains sugars, therefore, such a product will have an increased content of glucose.

Scientists who conducted research on the composition of instant coffee powder came to a disappointing conclusion - in the composition of the soluble analogue, the share of coffee itself is no more than 15%. The rest is all sorts of impurities. They decided to find out what instant coffee actually consists of. It turned out that in many samples, on average, contained about 20% of all kinds of additives, 20% of dyes, 20% of flavors and about 20% of flavors, acidity regulators, hardeners. As you can see, the composition of the instant coffee variant is not encouraging.

The father of instant coffee, Max Morgenthaler, had no illusions about the quality of his offspring. He was well aware that instant coffee cannot be 100% pure coffee. At best, the share of coffee in it reaches 19%. It is this figure that makes up the share of the maximum useful extraction from coffee beans of those soluble substances that it contains. The rest of the substances that are in coffee beans simply cannot be extracted. Therefore, one cannot hope that everyone will get into instant coffee. useful material contained in the grain. It's just not possible.

Manufacturing companies are trying to win their niche in the global coffee market. Therefore, they set certain standards for themselves, including for the production of instant coffee. This is necessary so that each batch produces approximately the same product, and the buyer decides what he wants to buy. For example, if you compare Jacobs products with Nestle, you will notice that they are slightly different. This is due to the fact that manufacturers take different raw materials and use different production technologies. Even coffee producers of the same trademark, which are in different countries, will offer the buyer a product that will be slightly different.

Production technology

Let's take a look at some numbers. As you know, coffee berries are used to produce coffee. If we take a centner of these berries, during the technological process, at best, only 20 kg of pure coffee beans can be obtained. They are cleaned, sorted, fried and crushed. Then the resulting mixture must be loaded into a special battery for extraction. Such batteries are arranged in the same way as a cooking machine in a coffee shop or in your home. They are just industrial. Here, under high pressure, it is boiled for about four hours. This process is called extraction. In fact, this is the brewing of coffee, which lasts about 4 hours. In this case, ground coffee particles are passed through a jet of hot water under very high pressure. The purpose of such digestion is to transfer all useful substances into liquid. In this case, far from all the substances contained in coffee are extracted, but only a fifth of them. This is how coffee extract is obtained. It is loaded into huge tanks. Next, the extract must be cooled, filtered and evaporated to obtain the maximum concentration of the substance. This technology resembles the process of producing condensed milk. Excess moisture is also evaporated here and a concentrated product is obtained.

This concentrated extract is then processed using one of two technologies:

1. Spray dry. It uses very hot air to atomize the extract. It is he who turns the coffee drops into a dry powder. But this technology is already outdated and is now rarely used.
2. Freeze dry. It's over modern technology. It is also called sublimation or freezing. In this case, the extract enters special sublimators. Here it is sprayed and quickly frozen.

As you understand, under the influence of temperature and steam, many volatile compounds simply evaporate. But these are the aromatic oils that give coffee its unique magical aroma. Responsible producers even try to collect them in special containers, from which they then return to coffee again. But not very responsible manufacturers are trying to enhance the aroma, taste and color with special additives. Next, the coffee concentrate obtained by the extraction method must be dried. For this in technological process three methods are used:

1. Powder. This is the cheapest way to get instant coffee. In this case, the raw material is not of very good quality, since many volatile compounds are lost. After the cooling process, the coffee extract is filtered. This removes resinous insoluble substances. Then the resulting substance is dried in special dryers with sprayers. In this case, the powder lends itself to very high temperatures. The resulting powder is then cooled. The result is the cheapest version of instant coffee, a fine powder that sticks to a spoon and gives the drink an inexpressive taste and aroma.
2. This is coffee granules.. This option is also called agglomerated. Coffee in granules is considered to be of higher quality. But this is debatable. The fact is that at first all the same steps are used in its production as for powder. Then it lends itself to additional processing to obtain granules. In this case, the raw material lends itself to additional exposure to high temperatures. This reduces its quality. In order to obtain granules, fine powder is knocked into hard lumps. For this, steam is used, which lends itself under high pressure. It is because of the pressure that the structure of the coffee molecule is destroyed. For this reason, the granular version also does not have a pronounced aroma and taste. The entire production cycle of granules is very similar to the production of instant coffee powder. The main difference is the last technological stage, during which the granules are knocked down with the help of steam.
3. Sublimation. This is the most modern way instant coffee production. The essence of sublimation is that the product is first frozen in a vacuum and then dried. It is also called freezing. This method is not only the most modern, but also the most expensive. Therefore, such coffee can often cost even more than natural beans or ground coffee. The result is a relatively high-quality product. During sublimation, coffee crystals with clearly defined edges are obtained. Manufacturers insist that thanks to sublimation, all biological characteristics are preserved. coffee bean. They assure customers that they are offered a quality and healthy product without additives. But it should be remembered that even with sublimation, coffee is first brewed for 3-4 hours under high pressure. At the same time, 50% of all substances contained in the grain are dissolved. Is it then possible to say that this product Are all organoleptic characteristics preserved? By the way, espresso is brewed for only 20 seconds at a temperature of about 90 degrees. This makes for a magical drink. Instant coffee cannot stand any comparison with such a drink. So, even sublimation does not save instant coffee from the damaging effects of pressure and high temperatures. As a result, the same soluble powder with an inexpressive taste is obtained. The only merit of sublimation is that such coffee is not as harmful as the previous two options.

Of course, instant coffee also has its benefits. The main one is that it is very easy to prepare. It does not need to be ground and then boiled, adhering to all the subtleties of the recipe. The main thing is to fill it with hot water and the drink is ready. In this form of coffee, some useful components are still preserved. He can even cheer up a little. Another plus of instant coffee is that it is not so harmful to the heart and blood vessels. This is due to the fact that it does not have such a high concentration of caffeine. The main thing is to buy high-quality coffee, which will not contain a huge amount of additives. By the way, recently, in order to return the aroma to instant coffee, ground microparticles are added to it. It has a very good effect on the aroma and taste of this product.