Comparison of freeze-dried and granulated instant coffee

Every second drank instant coffee at least a few times in his life. This product can hardly be called refined and incredibly tasty, however, many people periodically use it for certain reasons and are very careful in choosing the right one. There are several varieties of instant coffee, the most popular of which are freeze-dried and granulated. Which, after all, is better and is there any difference between them in addition to appearance? Our experts have figured out the answer.

Freeze-dried coffee: features, manufacturing technology

The sublimated version is created by the method of dry freezing. Natural coffee is used as a raw material for the manufacture of this product. By the way, the first step in creating any instant coffee drink is almost identical:

1. First of all, coffee beans are roasted, then crushed and poured with hot water;

2. For several hours, the grains are boiled in sealed containers and the accumulated steam is removed;

3. The next stage is the extraction of oils from the semi-finished product. By the way, it often coincides with the stage of removing moisture with steam;

4. Placement of coffee grounds in special chambers for instant freezing. The crystals obtained in this way are «disposed of the liquid» using vacuum chambers. So that essentially coffee grounds do not lose their properties, the process is carried out very quickly;

5. The finished dry mass is crushed to a state of small, heterogeneous size of pyramidal granules;

6. The last stage is the saturation of the finished coffee with oils, the addition of flavors. Well-known brands claim that only natural ingredients are used for their product. True, it is not possible to verify this, since the full composition of freeze-dried coffee is rarely announced.

So, in simple terms, freeze-dried coffee is frozen, devoid of liquid, brewed natural coffee. The finished product is a dense, dry coffee mass, which is ground to a state of not very large granules.

Granulated coffee: features, manufacturing technology

Granulated coffee product, like freeze-dried, is obtained from natural coffee beans, only by a different method. It’s about drying, not freezing. The first production stage is the same as in the first case: the grains are crushed after roasting, then boiled with steam removal.

But then the technology changes: the semi-finished liquid product is sprayed in a uniform layer and dried under pressure. It turns out a not very dense mass in the form of a powder, processed in the final step with steam. Under its influence, the powder is converted into granules — granulated coffee is obtained. The main difference between coffee granules and powder is that they do not stick to the spoon.

Comparative characteristics

So, we found out that both varieties of the instant drink under consideration are partially produced using identical technology, and the same raw materials are used in production — natural grains. What is the difference then? Let’s try to figure it out.

How to choose the right option?

It should immediately be clarified that there are simply no particularly strict rules for choosing the best instant coffee. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Packaging material is very important — it is better to give preference to a glass jar or soft packaging, but it is advisable to avoid plastic;

2. Pay attention to the time of manufacture of the product — you should not buy one that has been gathering dust on store shelves for more than 2 years;

3. The packaging must be airtight;

4. Pay attention also to the price (especially for the sublimated version) — a cheap product simply cannot be of high quality, which is due to the technology of its manufacture.