What is Single-Origin Coffee? How Does Single-Origin Coffee Differ from Instant Coffee?

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The Impact of the Third Wave Coffee Movement

With the influence of the third wave coffee movement, more and more people are choosing to buy whole beans, but it's undeniable that instant coffee still holds a significant market share.

What's the Difference Between Instant Coffee and Whole Bean Coffee?

What exactly sets instant coffee apart from whole bean coffee that requires grinding? How is instant coffee made? Which one should you drink?

Is Instant Coffee Really Made from Real Coffee?

First, instant coffee is indeed made from coffee. However, coffee beans are not actually "beans" but rather seeds.

Coffee is a fruit, often called "coffee cherries" due to their round, red appearance. Typically, one fruit contains two seeds, with a small percentage containing only one seed, known as Peaberry. After coffee farmers harvest the fruits, they undergo a series of processing methods, with variations depending on how the pulp surrounding the seeds is removed. Different processing methods all affect the coffee's flavor profile. This is followed by drying and roasting before brewing a cup of coffee.

It's at this stage that instant coffee and whole bean coffee begin to differ.

How is Instant Coffee Made?

Whether you drink two-in-one or three-in-one instant coffee, they are all products of science.

When you visit an instant coffee factory, you'll see large vats of brewed coffee liquid ready to be processed into instant powder. The process is quite simple - it's just dehydration. When the water is extracted from the coffee liquid, what remains is the instant powder that you scoop from coffee jars. The instant powder retains the water-soluble coffee substances.

The dehydration process mainly consists of the following two methods: freeze-drying and spray drying.

It's worth noting that the processing process causes the loss of certain substances in coffee, particularly caffeine and aromatic molecules. Even though the quality of the coffee powder is greatly related to the drying process. Some manufacturers even add certain substances to compensate for these lost flavors.

Differences in Brewing Methods

Instant coffee is very simple - just mix the instant powder with water, and it's ready to drink.

For whole bean coffee, however, there are different preparation procedures. You need to grind the coffee beans and brew them (usually using filter paper), then discard the coffee grounds after brewing. These brewing processes deeply attract many coffee enthusiasts, who can experiment with different brewing methods, various powder-to-water ratios, water temperatures, etc., to brew a cup of coffee they love.

If you want a rich, full-bodied coffee, you might use a French press or AeroPress instead of a V60 dripper. To reduce the bitterness of coffee and enhance sweetness or acidity, you can lower the extraction rate by using coarser grinding, shorter brewing time, or lower water temperature.

The same type of instant coffee always tastes the same. In contrast, with ground coffee, you can taste the brewer's technique.

Which is Better: Whole Bean Coffee or Instant Coffee?

Instant coffee is usually cheaper, and you can drink it just by adding hot water, which offers convenience. In terms of convenience, instant coffee has a slight advantage.

However, in terms of coffee quality, whole bean coffee is better because when drinking whole bean coffee, there's more emphasis on the coffee's flavor and inherent quality, while instant coffee doesn't have such refined considerations.

How to Choose Whole Bean Coffee?

At FrontStreet Coffee, you can find many types of whole bean coffee. Basically, coffee from Asia, Africa, and America can all be found. With dozens of coffee bean varieties, you can always find the one that suits you.

About FrontStreet Coffee

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small shop but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services at https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473