Instant Coffee - Soluble Coffee Flavoring

sol·u·ble (sŏl'yə-bəl) adj.

1) That can be dissolved, especially easily dissolved. - The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language.

Retail marketed as "Instant Coffee", it is the solubility of these coffees that gives them their distinction over roasted and ground coffee. After green coffee is roasted and brewed, the extract is then processed into various types of soluble coffees.

Spray-dried: Spray drying produces fine, rounded particles. Due to the cost effectiveness of spray drying, the greatest variety of soluble coffees is produced using this method.

Freeze-dried: Freeze drying involves the removal of water by sublimation through freezing. This is a more expensive process than other methods of drying, but produces a soluble with larger granules for a more favored visual aesthetic.

Agglomerated: Agglomerated soluble coffee is often described as somewhere between spray-dried and freeze-dried. Produced using the spray drying method, the fine particles are then gathered into larger particles using a re-hydration process. This produces a visually more favorable product, with a slight increase in solubility.

Coffee is grown in over eighty distinct regions in the tropical areas of the world. Different climate, soil types, and horticultural, picking, and processing methods contribute to the distinct coffee flavors associated with each region.

There are two major types of coffee beans used for the beverage we know and love: Arabica and Robusta. (A third, Liberian coffee, is quite rare.) The Arabicas are grown at higher elevations, usually over four thousand feet, and are generally more carefully tended than the Robustas. The Arabica berries are often hand picked at the optimum ripeness for each berry. They produce the finer grades of coffees enjoyed by the discerning coffee drinker.

The Robustas have been developed as a hardier tree and can be grown at much lower elevations. They are often machine harvested. They produce a coffee with a harsher and stronger flavor, as well as a higher caffeine content. The Robustas are valuable in blends, and are used in solubles and extracts to provide a strong flavor punch for flavoring food products. They are also much more affordable than the Arabicas.

Recent studies have begun to show that coffee has numerous beneficial health effects. From helping to prevent certain cancers, to supporting liver, kidney, and intestinal health, as well as providing other physical and psychological benefits, coffee can be a healthy addition to your diet. (See Health Benefits of Coffee for a more complete discussion.)

Incasa Coffee can provide wholesale soluble coffee, green and roasted coffees from around the World.