Which Coffee is Good for You: Instant, Roasted Beans or Filter?
Have you ever thought “why coffee is so much popular”? Maybe the major reasons are its instant freshness and the variety in taste.
For the last five centuries, this particular beverage has undergone to a plenty of experiments. From the health benefit to the effect on the brain, everything was the part of these experiments.
Meanwhile, another group has tried to ease the process of coffee making. As soon as they found the most efficient process, they named it “instant coffee”.
What do you prefer – Instant or coffee beans?
The answer differs from person to person. In my experience, people who have enough time are the instant coffee-lover. It shortens their time and increases the productive time. But, you will find another group who love preparing coffee from beans.
If you are stuck between these two groups, you have some good news! This discussion is exactly for you.
What is Instant Coffee?
The name says it all. The instant coffee is the quickest way of making coffee. It looks like a soluble powder.
All you need is a cup of water. Mix and stir. Your coffee is ready!
Before the powder was invented, the coffee-making process was quite a hard and time-killing task.
Not everyone loved to spend time in grinding coffee beans and preparing it. So, the experimenting began.
American Civil War played an important role in discovering the process of instant coffee.
Then, coffee was already known as an energetic beverage.
So, the military supplied “coffee cakes” to the soldiers to keep them energized. The modern version of instant coffee took more time to arrive in the market for people.
You will be amazed to know the name of the first inventor of instant coffee. George Washington! No, he was not the president of America. George C. L. Washington, an American businessman discovered the method of making soluble coffee powder.
He launched it for the first time in the market from his company. And, people came to know about a more timesaving method of enjoying this beverage.
What about Coffee Beans?
Kaldi, a herdsman was the first discoverer of coffee beans. Consequently, he found out the roasted beans are tastier and easier to process.
In the last three centuries, coffee has seen plenty of modifications in its preparation. New tastes, new processes, and new varieties have become popular.
The whole evolution of coffee has been possible because of the beans.
Though it takes time to prepare a cup of coffee from beans, the taste is totally authentic.
Are you thinking about the authenticity of instant coffee?
Hold it right there!
We will discuss it after a while.
How Instant Coffee is Processed?
Making coffee from roasted beans requires plenty of effort. On the other hand, instant coffee takes a few minutes. But, the process of making a soluble version is quite time-consuming.
There are two ways of manufacturing instant coffee. The first one is the freezing method and the second one is spray drying.
The freezing method takes more time and costs more than the second method. At first, they dry the roasted beans properly.
Then, keep it for freezing for a long time. When the beans are perfect for grinding, they make the soluble powder using extreme pressure.
Finally, the processed sugar powder and milk powder are mixed with ground coffee powder. The mixture is pressurized again. And, it is done!
The best part of the process is having a perfect mixture of three different ingredients.
What about the Authenticity of Instant Coffee?
Here we come! A lot of people storm the internet forums asking, “is the instant coffee tastes the same as regular coffee?” To answer the question, it does not taste like regular coffee.
About authenticity, instant coffee has the same ingredient that you use for your regular coffee.
Because of the processing and external factors, the taste gets distorted somehow. And, this does not affect the taste. It remains almost the same.
The final thought of the instant coffee, “This is the same as the regular coffee”.
Coffee Preparation from Roasted Beans
Actually, this is the oldest way of preparing coffee for drinking with morning breakfast or evening snacks. The process is described step by step.
Step 1: Grinding: Coffee beans or seeds look like peanuts. The coffee beans you buy from the market are the roasted beans.
No wonder you cannot make coffee from them. You need to process them through grinding.
So, put the beans in a grinder and make fine coffee powder.
Step 2: Espresso Machine: Most of the varieties of coffee are made from the espresso machine. The easiest way of explaining the process is the extraction of coffee from the beans.
In the market, you can find specialized machines for the purpose.
However, if you want to save some money, espresso coffee can be made without the machine. Use a French Press, Moka Pot or AeroPress.
Step 3: Mixture: With the espresso coffee, mix milk (depends on your preference), sugar (as much as you need), and drink with joy.
Instant Coffee Making
By now, you have already got the process. Just add hot water and mix the soluble coffee. Stir it for a while. Done!
Filter Coffee: Is it another version of instant coffee?
Nope!
Filter coffee is basically an Indian-originated variety of coffee. In recent years, western countries are adopting the process for making a soft and sweet coffee.
The process is quite simple. First, the beans are ground perfectly. Then, the hot water is added using a special metal filter.
The brewing method makes all the differences with the cappuccino and latte. Milk and sugar are added accordingly. It takes less time than the espresso coffee.
On the other hand, filter coffee does not have any relation with the instant coffee. So, it will be better to keep them in different categories.
Brewed Coffee: A Universal Method for a Perfect Cup of Coffee
Like espresso coffee, brewed coffee has its own way. Actually, espresso is a brewing method.
You will find more like filtering, pressuring, or similar types of brewing processes.
Amongst all, espresso is the best way to get the exact amount of extract.
How Do Brewed Coffee and Instant Coffee Have Different Taste?
The temperature does all the magic.
For instant coffee, freezing is the most deliberately used method.
The low temperature dries all the seeds and keeps only the useful parts of beans. And, what is the process of brewing?
For brewing, the hot water is added to the ground coffee in different measures. It helps to dissolve each part of the beans and increases the taste.
This is why the tastes are different.
Are Ground or Roasted Coffee Beans is Better Than Instant Coffee?
Not in every way, but in most cases the traditional coffee-making process with roasted and ground beans is better. Let’s compare them in different aspects for getting the true idea.
How much customization do they offer?
For instant coffee, you will not get enough opportunity to apply your creativity. You need to follow the exact formula stated on the package.
Doesn’t it irritating? Think about the boundary. You may want a strong black coffee.
But the instant coffee is giving you only a cup of cappuccino without frothing.
On the other hand, consider every possible way of making coffee from beans. It opens up all the ways and gives you full freedom to customize the taste.
So, roasted beans have better customizability. Instant coffee is like the cereal you drink. Everything is formulated.
Do Tastes Vary?
Of course!
Instant coffee has a constant taste. But the traditionally-made coffee may have different results depending on different methodologies.
Do they have Equal Health Benefit?
This has become a recent topic. After some studies, scientists have found out external ingredients used in instant coffee.
Well, most of them are responsible for high blood pressure and type-2 diabetes.
At the same time, coffee from roasted beans can cure those diseases. Without any doubt, the traditional way sustains in this field too.
Which One is Good for getting Energy?
Both of them are.
But, you should not exceed the limit of drinking coffee. Even for instant coffee, the suggested limit is four cups a day. Remember, four is the maximum number.
Are they Nutritionally Suitable?
While processing the instant coffee, the nutrition values are marked on the package. The only thing that can bother the drinker is the amount of fiber.
Roasted beans contain more fiber than the instant coffee. If you are trying to lose some pounds or repair your digestive system, roasted coffee is the best option.
What Will You Pick?
For coffee lovers, they should keep roasted beans, instant coffee, and filter coffee at home.
You know why? Apparently, each of them worth drinking!
What is your choice?
Let us know how you prepare the coffee for yourself. Get a suitable variety of coffee for yourself. Enjoy!
About the Author Timothy
Hi, this is Timothy Cary & welcome to my blog CoffeeFuzz.com. I started this blog to reward the coffee lovers with most useful coffee information’s available in online.