Why Do So Many People Dislike Instant Coffee? What's the Difference Between Freeze-Dried and Freshly Ground Coffee?

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Recently, a netizen posted about a rather amusing phenomenon: "In the coffee world, those who drink estate auction coffees look down on those who drink Yunnan small-bean coffees; those who drink light roast coffee beans look down on those who drink dark roast coffee beans; those who drink pour-over look down on those who drink Americano;

those who drink Americano look down on those who drink milk coffee; those who drink milk coffee look down on those who use drip bags; those who use drip bags look down on those who drink freeze-dried; those who drink freeze-dried look down on those who drink 3-in-1 instant coffee... And those who drink instant coffee think everyone else is just showing off..."

This netizen mentioned that most of the time, don't people drink coffee just to refresh themselves and quench their thirst? Occasionally, coffee is used for social purposes, for taking photos and sharing, but the ultimate goal is the same: to drink it. Why has drinking coffee somehow formed a "coffee鄙视链" (coffee chain of contempt), with instant coffee at the bottom of this chain?

Looking back, many household cabinets in China used to display coffee glass jars labeled with Nestlé/Maxwell House, and classic red and white Nestlé coffee cups would sit on desktops.

In that era, what people valued wasn't just the refreshing function of instant coffee, but that coffee, as a rare commodity, was a symbol of high-end life. The emergence of instant coffee sparked the first wave of modern coffee. Why is it that drinking instant coffee today is considered "low" by others?

Is Exquisite Flavor the Only Standard for Good Coffee?

Must one drink coffee with exquisite flavors for it to be considered good coffee? Must coffee beans score above 80 points according to SCA standards to be considered good? No, because not everyone has such extreme pursuits when it comes to coffee.

Undeniably, today's specialty coffee culture has provided consumers with a better opportunity to understand coffee, to learn the stories behind the entire supply chain, and to realize that delivering a good quality coffee requires very professional supervision, monitoring, and preparation. These processes also provide consumers with excellent experiences and a sense of participation.

But not everyone has such deep knowledge and understanding of coffee, nor does everyone need professional, ceremonial service at all times. There are still many people who need coffee simply for refreshment, and many consumers feel that various types of freshly ground coffee are priced too high, making them products that cannot be consumed daily.

The Important Role of Instant Coffee

Although the coffee market is continuously expanding, there are still many places where buying a cup of freshly ground coffee is not convenient. Therefore, instant coffee remains the most consumed coffee product among general consumers, and it is still the first cup of coffee for many people.

In fact, without instant coffee to introduce people to coffee, without chain coffee shops to introduce people to freshly ground coffee, and without affordable chain coffee shops promoting freshly ground coffee through infiltration, how many people would be willing to try specialty coffee or pour-over coffee today?

When people are willing to try specialty coffee and pour-over coffee, it's simply because these consumers want to understand coffee more deeply, but it doesn't mean other consumers also need to know how to appreciate and taste coffee.

Coffee Choice and Personal Preference

The choice of what kind of coffee to drink is personal preference and need. There's no need to look down on others for what they drink. To learn more about the stories and unique characteristics of coffee, one will naturally choose different types of products.

People care too much about others' opinions; they should just care about whether they themselves like it or not. Coffee itself has great inclusivity - it can be enjoyed sitting in a beautifully decorated coffee shop with professional interpretations, or it can be as simple as tearing open a package, pouring it out, adding warm water, stirring, and drinking it down.

What changes is just the preparation method. What remains unchanged is that they are all a cup of coffee.

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