Modern brands provide coffee lovers with an extensive range of raw materials for preparing their favorite drink. So, instant coffee is considered an alternative to ground beans. Many people love this drink for its ease of preparation and original taste. What is this product and how is it produced? Is it possible to enjoy the exquisite taste of instant coffee by preparing a drink at home?
The process of creating instant coffee is somewhat different from the procedure for making ground coffee, although initial stages these actions are quite similar.
The production of raw materials for instant coffee involves the following sequence:
- Purification of coffee berries, obtaining coffee beans. 1 centner of raw materials yields 20 kilos of grains.
- Roasting of raw materials and its cooking under pressure of 15 atm for 45 hours. The process continues until all the substances in the composition of the grains evaporate.
- The finished extract is cooled, filtered and evaporated.
- During brewing, most of the aromatic compounds evaporate, but they are collected at the end of the preparation of this type of coffee by artificial means.
The composition and calorie content of the drink
The main component in natural instant coffee is, of course, caffeine. Minerals, vitamins and water are also present here. Coffee does not contain carbohydrates, but it has proteins in the amount of 15 g and fats - 3.5 g.
The calorie content of instant coffee is within 94 kcal for every 100 grams of the product.
What is freeze-dried instant coffee
Freeze-dried coffee is considered a separate type of instant drink. It consists of various types of granules, which most often have the shape of light brown pyramids.
Freeze-dried coffee poured with boiling water instantly dissolves, forming foam on the surface of the drinks.
The main differences between freeze-dried coffee and instant coffee:
- The aroma of a sublimated drink is as close as possible to natural.
- The price of sublimated coffee is much higher than that of instant coffee. The reasons lie in the peculiarities of the production process using dry freezing.
The production technology of freeze-dried coffee includes the following steps:
- Roasting coffee beans, grinding them.
- The process of cooking grains. It is carried out in a large container with special pipes for removing steam. The procedure lasts about 3 hours.
- The resulting concentrate is frozen to preserve the aroma and taste. The liquid remaining during the cooking process is extracted by freezing.
- After freezing excess fluid the concentrate is crushed, forming small pyramids. The resulting raw material has no aroma, and therefore, to restore it, they add essential oils obtained during the evaporation process.
For your information. Freeze-dried instant coffee is considered an elite variety. Cheaper coffee counterparts use artificial flavors.
Top 5 Delicious Instant Coffees - Names
How to choose a really high-quality instant drink among the huge variety of modern products?
Those who love delicious instant coffee should pay attention to the following list of its types:
- bushido. The famous coffee comes from Japan. It is considered one of the best brands, according to the reviews of grateful customers. Taste qualities and a diverse range of types of this drink helped him gain many fans around the world.
- Egoist. European coffee produced in factories in Switzerland and Germany. In the process of preparation, Kenyan Arabica is used. It is distinguished by a variety of products, among which you can even find a mixture of instant and ground Arabica.
- Grandos. German coffee, sold mainly in online stores. The composition includes only natural Arabica.
- TUCC. Japanese trademark, whose plantations are located in Brazil. The taste of TUCC coffee is bright, noble, deep, completely devoid of bitterness.
- Carte Noire. popular coffee american brand, is considered the highest quality product in its price segment. Coffee is made from Arabica coffee blends with 4% caffeine content. The deep rich taste of coffee is replaced by a bitter aftertaste.
Benefit and harm to the human body
The effect of coffee products on the body is ambiguous, and has both benefits and harms. Instant coffee is no exception.
This drink has the following positive effects on the human body:
- produces a slight rise in blood pressure;
- improves reaction and attentiveness, raises the tone of the nervous system;
- eliminates headache;
- enhances peristalsis of the intestinal muscles;
- stimulates metabolism.
The harm from instant coffee is brought by the caffeine in its component composition.
Such a drink is contraindicated in hypertensive patients and people with pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Advice. The last cup of instant coffee should be drunk no later than 3-4 hours before going to bed. You can not drink a drink in parallel with taking sedatives. Coffee should not be given to children.
How to make delicious instant coffee
Instant coffee is a rather controversial product. But it is indisputable that a drink made from such raw materials has a noble taste. To give coffee original taste, you can add additional ingredients to it.
Below are the most popular recipes instant coffee.
Cinnamon
Cooking Ingredients:
- coffee - 2 tsp,
- sugar - 1/3 tsp,
- cinnamon - 1/2 tsp,
- water - 1/2 tbsp.
Preparing instant coffee with cinnamon:
- Add sugar and cinnamon to a bowl.
- Pour instant coffee and pour the mixture with boiling water.
- Brew the drink for 30 - 60 seconds.
By the way. You can use either ground cinnamon or Alternative option in the form of crushed pieces of sticks of this spice.
Instant coffee with milk
Ingredients:
- instant coffee - 1 tsp;
- milk - 100 ml;
- ground cinnamon - 1⁄2 tsp;
- sugar - to taste.
Cooking:
- In a cup, mix coffee with cinnamon and sugar, pour boiling water over the ingredients.
- Mix the drink and leave for 3-5 minutes.
- Heat milk and beat until light foamy.
- Pour the milk as carefully as possible into the coffee cup. It is necessary to try so that milk foam remains on the surface of the drink.
With cognac
Suitable for this recipe ground coffee(1 tsp per 200 ml of water), and soluble (2 tsp).
1 teaspoon of sugar and 30 ml of cognac are added to the finished coffee.
Advice. In the process of making coffee with cognac, you can experiment with the sequence of adding components. For example, add sugar not to coffee, but directly to cognac, and then mix all the ingredients.
How to make a cappuccino with instant coffee
A great alternative to traditional coffee with milk - a cappuccino with a rich milk "cap" as a decoration.
Ingredients:
- instant coffee - 45 g;
- milk - 150 - 170 ml;
- cream - 35 ml;
- cinnamon, sugar - to taste.
Cooking:
- Heat the milk in a water bath, stirring constantly. The composition must not be boiled.
- Pour instant coffee into a separate mug.
- Add sugar to taste and about 15 ml of boiling water.
- Pour in hot milk.
- Pour in the cream, stirring continuously.
As soon as the foam begins to rise, stir the coffee with a teaspoon. Sprinkle the finished drink with cocoa or grated chocolate, it is acceptable to use chopped nuts.
Delicious drink with cardamom
Ingredients:
- water - 1 l;
- coffee - 4 - 5 tbsp. l.;
- cardamom - 5 tsp;
- sugar - 2 tsp
Cooking:
- Boil water, add coffee and cardamom.
- Boil the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Pour the drink into a thermos and leave for about half an hour.
Instant coffee is a product no less popular than its ground counterpart. And while the two products differ in their brewing process, pricing, and finished coffee taste, brown instant granules have a lot of fans. There is an opinion that high-quality instant coffee is almost impossible to find. Nevertheless, having made a purchase of products from trusted manufacturers, you can get incomparable pleasure from drinking a cup of aromatic instant drink.
Very often we are faced with a situation where ground coffee suddenly runs out. We have to be content with a soluble look. But few people know that such a drink, properly brewed, has good taste and may well replace a cup of real coffee.
How to choose a soluble type?
First you need to choose a variety that contains the minimum amount of caffeine. The soluble form, made by manufacturers in powder form, is the most a budget option. Distinctive feature is the content of a huge amount of caffeine. It is recommended to use it with cream or with the addition of milk.
Powdered coffee drinks differ in taste and aroma from granulated and freeze-dried instant types, not for the better.
There are varieties in the form of granules. The taste is more saturated, but the coffee aroma is not pronounced enough. Produce a granular appearance from powdered coffee by moisturizing.
The softest, containing the minimum amount of caffeine, is the freeze-dried look. It is made from Arabica beans. This is a more expensive type of coffee, but the richest and most aromatic.
It is no secret that it contains artificial flavors that are added during production to enhance the flavor. Under the influence of boiling water, it begins to emit a strong smell of chemical additives, and not coffee. The taste becomes sour.
Therefore, before cooking, it is necessary to clarify what the temperature of the water should be so as not to spoil the taste. Many manufacturers recommend brewing hot water and not boiling water.
The optimum water temperature should be around 80-90 degrees.
Cooking method
Connoisseurs of instant coffee are advised to brew it according to a special recipe, this will help reveal the flavor notes.
To enjoy an excellent coffee drink, do not rush. To begin with, warm the cup thoroughly with boiling water. Then pour one or two teaspoons of instant coffee into a heated empty cup and add sugar. Mix the contents of the cup and pour a tablespoon of hot water. We grind until a homogeneous mass is obtained, the granules and sugar must be dissolved in water. Next, add hot water and stir. Under no circumstances should you use boiling water.
Additives
With the help of additives, instant coffee drink will acquire a unique taste. For example, if the taste is slightly bitter, you can add grated chocolate, a little cinnamon, or a few drops of orange juice. Then an instant coffee drink will perfectly invigorate and cheer you up.
Do not add cold milk: it will muffle the flavor. The taste will be much more aromatic and pleasant after adding hot milk.
With the help of nutmeg, you can feel the refined, refined taste of the East. Anise will give a sweetish aftertaste.
Flaws
It is worth noting that instant coffee drinks (in addition to positive properties) have a large number of disadvantages. Experts do not advise people with cardiovascular diseases and stomach diseases to abuse such coffee due to the high caffeine content and high acidity.
But soluble It also has an adverse effect on the functioning of the kidneys.
Therefore, no matter how good the taste of such a coffee drink is, you should not get carried away with it too often. Real ground coffee is much healthier and tastier. You can also brew ground coffee in a cup.
It would seem that coffee has long and firmly entered our lives. Today, very few think of their morning without a cup of this invigorating and fragrant drink. But only a select few know about its correct brewing. Say no to coffee machines and throw them away wastebasket that bright jar labeled "instant". Today we will teach you how to brew coffee correctly, and, therefore, to get maximum pleasure from its taste.
Where did he come from?
Of course, this drink came to us from Arab world. Coffee - from the Arabic "kahwa". The homeland of coffee tree grains, rich in aromatic substances and alkaloids, mainly caffeine, is South Arabia (Yemen) and Ethiopia. They still grow there the best varieties coffee - mocha (from the distorted Mecca) and Arabica. Wild forests of the coffee tree are common in Africa, in Madagascar.
However, the main suppliers of coffee to the world market today are the countries of South America (Brazil and Colombia provide 60% of coffee to the world market), where it was brought by greedy Europeans. These varieties are worse than real African and Arabic grains in terms of their biochemical parameters. The best coffee from Latin America now supplies Costa Rica, Colombian is in second place in quality, and the most massive, medium or even the worst quality- Brazilian.
How to brew coffee?
Properly prepared coffee should be thick, strong and aromatic. He is able to drive away sleep, cheer up. To begin with, the Turk needs to be slightly warmed up - for this, rinse it with boiling water. Then pour in the coffee. The usual norm is 2 teaspoons per 100 - 150 ml of water. Now pour boiling water over the coffee, and try not to have any powder on the surface of the water. And do not forget - clean water should be used to make coffee.
Now heat the water, but not too fast. Bring the drink to a boil, but do not boil. As soon as the foam rises to the edge of the dish, immediately remove the drink from the heat. Wait a little for the thick to settle, and serve coffee to the table. You can speed up the settling process if you drop a few drops of cold and necessarily boiled water on top.
If you don't want to bother with pre-boiling the water, you can slightly modify the described cooking process. Pour into coffee pot cold water, bring to a boil. After that, remove from heat, quickly add coffee, stirring until a thick foam forms. When it settles, put the Turk back on low heat and bring it to the moment when the foam "breathes". This can be repeated 3-4 times, as a result, a lot of aromatic and flavoring substances accumulate in the coffee foam.
In Brazil, a slightly different order is adopted. First, ground coffee is poured into the bottom of the Turks, then poured with boiling water, mixed and filtered into a vessel previously scalded with boiling water. There are also quite unusual cooking options. For example, a pound (0.45 kg) of medium-ground coffee is immersed in a quart (0.95 L) of cold water for a day. The extract is then filtered. To prepare a coffee drink, the cold extract must be mixed with cold water.
Try the same oriental way. This will require a small conical saucepan with a long handle called a cezve. This method requires finely ground coffee. Put sugar and coffee in the cezve, pour water and heat slowly over low heat. As soon as the foam rises, immediately remove the cezve from the heat, making sure that a layer of foam remains on the surface of the coffee.
Coffee should languish for some time, inside the cezve, covered with foam, like a lid. Repeat the heating process 2-3 times. The second option is also possible. Put sugar in the cezve, pour cold water and bring to a boil. Then remove the cezve with boiled water from the heat and pour coffee into it, stirring quickly with a spoon. A thick foam should rise. After the foam settles slightly, put the vessel back on low heat. After several heatings, the drink will be ready.
If coffee for you is just something from a professional coffee machine or the result of the transformation of an instant powder, then we will surprise you - coffee is something more. HLEB learned how to start an alternative acquaintance with this drink, how to make it enjoyable to prepare, and why it is needed at all
Where to begin
Before you go shopping for your perfect coffee, decide how you see it. Be sure to tell the barista (you went to a professional store, not a supermarket, right?), what kind of coffee you prefer, how you are used to preparing it, and what you are looking for in this drink. Do not be afraid to admit that you drink instant, yet this is the easiest way. Don't forget that a barista is not just a person who knows how to turn on a coffee machine, but a person with a deep understanding of coffee. good craftsmen they drank thousands of mugs, ground tens of kilograms of various varieties and already by sight they distinguish one grain from another. So they are worth listening to.
Today, the coffee machine remains the most popular method of making coffee, but there is a growing focus on alternative brewing methods. Their main advantage is the ability to get a new drink every time, the way you want according to your mood. This is a whole field for experiments: you can try different varieties and change the conditions - the amount of coffee, brewing time, water temperature. You shouldn't be afraid. Basically, there are no wrong ways to cook. The main thing is to understand how changes in proportions affect the taste and strength of coffee, what leads to what, and which option is closest to you.
Why Rareness and Grinding Matter
Because the taste of coffee directly depends on it. For example, grinding can be fine, medium and coarse, and this affects the brewing time - large particles need more time. The main thing is that the grinding is uniform. If you want to dive head first into the art of coffee and grind your own beans, then this is great for many reasons.
First, your coffee will always be fresh. Secondly, you yourself can control the degree of grinding by adjusting the millstones. It is better to choose coffee grinders with ceramic burrs, they give a more uniform grinding than blade grinders, and the coffee is less likely to overroast. Thirdly, many people find the process of rotating a coffee grinder (we are talking about manual) awakening, pleasant and, contrary to popular belief, not taking much time.
If you are not ready for this yet, you can buy coffee in small portions. For example, in Kafema, which helped us prepare this material - they grind it in a professional coffee grinder, and it is always freshly roasted. It is best to store ground coffee in a ceramic or glass (by no means iron), opaque jar with a rubberized lid. These can be found at any grocery store and home improvement store.
Standard coffee roast is medium. It is she who reveals the taste of coffee most harmoniously and brightly. But there are other roasts, for example, light. It gives coffee a slightly viscous herbal taste, a kind of pea, a hint of undercooked rice or underbaked bread. If the roast is dark, then burnt sugar will be felt, because the grain contains sugar, and it is released precisely with excess heat. If you open a pack with such coffee, you can notice with the naked eye a slight caramelization of the beans. Such coffee will be bitter, burnt, although some consider it tasty, for example, Italians, and it is from this that they make espresso. But you need to understand that they simply swallow 35 ml of such coffee, get cheerfulness and run further, savoring the pleasant taste will not work with it. All alternative brews require medium rare. Otherwise there will be either acid or bitterness.
What about varieties?
And finally important step- the choice of coffee, but here, as with perfume - you have to try, otherwise you can’t choose. In total, there are two well-known varieties of coffee in the world - Arabica and Robusta. In world markets, Arabica is valued much higher than Robusta. There are various international associations that select the best Arabica beans in coffee-producing countries (for example, the Cup of Excellence). Leadership in the quantity of coffee grown is not always leadership in quality: now coffee from small family plantations, with its own stories and growing characteristics, is a reality, and it costs much less than the famous Kopi Luwak. On this moment coffee is grown in North America(Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba), in South America(Peru and Colombia), Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cameroon) and Asia (Vietnam, India, Indonesia).
To cater to one or another common taste need, various blends of Arabica or Arabica with Robusta are created. Mixtures are easy to prepare and also easy to drink, sometimes they wear downright talking names such as Harmony.
Cafema has the entire world coffee belt and, choosing varieties from different countries, you can make small gastronomic trips around the world. To get them off to a good start, you can ask the barista to sample a portion of any coffee variety that interests you in some alternative way.
A lot of things affect the taste of coffee (just like wine). Firstly, the place where the grains grew (soil, air, monsoons, winds), secondly, the type of grain processing (dry, washed or semi-washed) and, finally, thirdly, the roasting technology. Coffee can have anything in its bouquet: nuts, fruits, berries, honey, bread crusts, chocolate, etc. or, if something went wrong at any of the steps, the coffee may have unpleasant grassy or rancid undertones in the taste.
Coffee is bad
Not really. If you do not drink liters of Robusta (the strongest variety with bright bitterness), then nothing bad will happen. Doctors believe that without harm to health, you can drink up to four cups of coffee daily, with or without milk - at the discretion of everyone, but it is better without sugar (it overshadows the taste of coffee and spoils everything). If you feel that something has gone wrong (sleep has disappeared and your hands are shaking), it is better to consult a doctor. Perhaps everything is in order with coffee, caffeine is simply contraindicated for you, and then decaffeinated coffee will be the way out.
Do not be prejudiced against him. Decaffeinated coffee is made from good coffee beans, using the same technologies, only caffeine is “taken out” from it, leaving all the other pleasant properties - taste, color and aroma. Great option, for example, for pregnant women. Everyone else should adopt only the rule that in the evening it is better to reduce the strength of coffee. In Russia, there are no special rules for drinking coffee, as, for example, in Italy. There, cappuccino is ordered only before lunch, and a person who drinks it after 12 noon immediately betrays a tourist in himself. If you are in Rome, don't forget.
What is bad soluble
In essence, nothing. If it exists, then someone needs it. The main thing is to choose the right manufacturer and check the composition - there should be only natural ingredients (instant coffee often sins with artificial flavors or frank coffee waste), and it should be produced no more than six months ago. And it is also believed that freeze-dried coffee is better than granulated and powdered coffee.
Alternative ways to make coffee
Chemex
The device consists of an Erlenmeyer flask (the author of Chemex is an American chemist who wanted to get his perfect coffee, and, like any scientist, he just had the flask at hand), and a glass funnel, which can also be ceramic and plastic. Coffee in Chemex is brewed using the pouring method - boiling water from a teapot is poured into a funnel, where coarse coffee passes through a paper filter and pours into a flask, becoming light and clean. According to the fortress, it is best suited for the afternoon and evening.
Time: about 2-3 minutes.
Coffee: large, coarse grind.
A portion: in a large Chemex you can make up to 6 servings, in a small one - up to 3.
Aeropress
The main advantage of Aeropress is mobility and simplicity. You just need to pour coffee, pour water (the recommended temperature is from 80 to 95 degrees) and press the press, which will release all the oils, and the coffee will turn out to be fragrant. It's almost as easy as brewing ground coffee in a mug, but more pleasant - the paper filter will keep all the particles, and the taste of the coffee will be brighter.
Time: 1-2 minutes.
Coffee: from medium to coarse grinding.
A portion: 15-20 grams of coffee will give about 200 ml of coffee.
Turk on water or milk
Turks are different: from copper, ceramics, clay. Each type has its pros and cons, it is worth determining which is more suitable for you. For example, ceramics store heat well and slowly release it. In such a Turk, coffee is brewed evenly, but there is a risk of overcooking, so you will have to hone the skill of removing it from the stove before it “explodes” (the foam will come to the neck). The same problem is not terrible for copper - it cools quickly, and it is recommended to remove it from the fire at the very moment when the foam has already appeared. And clay Turks are suitable for those who have clearly defined their favorite type of coffee, because clay tends to store the aroma of the drink that has been in it.
In Turkey, where the method of brewing coffee in a Turk (otherwise “orientally”) comes from, there is also a special gesture - before serving coffee, they break the foam on it and knock the Turk on the table with a muffled sound several times so that the remnants settle down below and do not fall into the mug, and did not spoil the enjoyment of the drink. And lovers of spices can safely add them to coffee right during brewing. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, dried mint, and even salt (it enhances the flavor greatly) will do. And if you brew coffee with milk instead of water (it is better to choose fatter - 3.2-3.5%), you will get a delicious coffee drink.
Time: from 3 minutes on low heat.
Coffee: fine grinding, "to the dust."
A portion: a teaspoon of coffee with a slide for 100 ml of water. It is important to always completely fill the volume of the Turks with water. They come in 100 ml to 600 ml.
Siphon
Siphon (aka gabet) is another alternative way to brew coffee. Pour into the lower flask hot water, a burner is placed under it, water rises into the upper flask through a filter (disposable paper or reusable rag), and coffee is brewed there. This method will be very popular with those who like to cook in a Turk, but are already fed up. And also for those who love rich, pure coffee without suspension.
Time: about a minute.
Coffee: medium or coarse grind.
A portion: for a large siphon (500 ml) - 27-30 grams of coffee, for a small one (300 ml) -18 grams.
* in a regular teaspoon there are about 6-7 grams of medium-ground coffee, in a tablespoon - 11-12 grams.
In Cafema, 100 grams of the most budget coffee will cost about 133 rubles. A good plantation Arabica costs 258 rubles, and the auction grade Salvador is sold for 458 rubles. Buy these and many other varieties of coffee, all coffee paraphernalia and get valuable advice from the barista is now available in the new Cafema store at the address: st. Dzerzhinsky, 40.
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