The opinion that instant coffee has nothing to do with natural coffee is fundamentally wrong. After all, a high-quality instant drink is made from coffee beans. And only of them! Modern technologies allow you to preserve the taste, aroma and benefits of natural coffee.
Instructions
Step 1
First of all, the way of producing an invigorating drink is responsible for the taste of coffee. Depending on the technology, it can be powder, granular or freeze-dried.
To obtain powdered coffee, raw beans are roasted and crushed. After they are treated with hot water under high pressure, a viscous thick drink is obtained. With the help of spray drying - a jet of scalding hot air - water is evaporated and a fine powder is obtained. This is the cheapest and lowest quality type of instant coffee.
If the resulting powder is compressed with the addition of a small amount of moisture, you get granular coffee. Oddly enough, but granular coffee is valued above powder, although it has a common brewing technology with it. This is due to the better preservation of the taste and aroma of coffee granules and their good solubility in water.
To obtain freeze-dried coffee, the brewed liquid is frozen to minus 40 degrees, and the liquid is evaporated under high vacuum conditions. The dehydrated mass is crushed to obtain granules of irregular shape. Instant coffee made using this technology retains all the beneficial properties, aroma and taste of coffee beans. Its caffeine content is also identical to natural. Therefore, freeze-dried coffee is considered the best instant coffee. Its high taste is also evidenced by the price, which cannot be low.
Step 2
Read the packaging before buying coffee. First, find out about the production technology by which this instant drink is made. Second, pay attention to the composition. Natural instant coffee should not contain any additives! The presence of dyes, preservatives, flavors, acorn extract, barley extract or chicory indicates that the contents of the can cannot be called natural coffee. Thirdly, quality coffee cannot have a shelf life of more than 18 months.
Step 3
The packaging material does not affect the taste of the product. But it is worth knowing that the cheapest coffee is packaged in foil bags, and the best is poured only into glass containers. It allows you to evaluate the appearance of the coffee in the store. For example, a color that is too dark will indicate that the beans have been overcooked and the drink may taste bitter. If you buy coffee in a metal can, then pay attention that it does not have rusty spots and is not damaged. In such low-quality packaging, coffee can acquire a metallic taste.
Step 4
You can evaluate the quality of the purchased product already during its brewing. Good coffee should dissolve immediately. If diligent stirring is required to dissolve it, then such a product cannot be of high quality. Instant coffee should have a rich, freshly roasted coffee bean aroma with a slight sourness. A bitter taste in the mouth after drinking an invigorating beverage indicates a low-grade coffee.
