Are Coffee Beans Better Than Instant Coffee?
Coffee is the number one most consumed beverage in the world today.
Legend says that Kaldi, a goat herder, was the first to discover the potential of the beloved coffee beans. After his goats ate berries from a specific tree, Kaldi noticed that they became energetic and that they did not want to sleep. This discovery would change the world and monks began to consume the berries so they may stay awake during night prayer.
We drink coffee for similar reasons. It keeps us energized, concentrated, and it allows us to enjoy each other’s company more. The flavor is unprecedented and many of us cannot imagine a morning routine or a friendly gathering without this exquisite drink.
The taste of the coffee we drink may also be influenced by the type of coffee bean used, how it roasts, the amount of grind, and how it brews.
Research has found that coffee beans decrease the risk of certain types of cancer and mental illness. They may boost your mood, metabolism, and psychological and physical performance as well.
Instant coffee undergoes drying and freezing processes, which leads to it losing some of the oils that give standard coffee beans their flavor in the brewing process. Coffee grounds also retain more caffeine, which also impacts flavor, so we usually turn to coffee beans when we have some time on our hands. The arabica found in ground coffee has substances that are less bitter and that have a higher sugar and oil content. This creates an extra-delicate, well-balanced, and flavorsome cup.
So, apart from the unparalleled flavor of ground coffee beans, what are the advantages of whole coffee beans and instant coffee?
Some state that the differences between instant coffee and coffee beans are negligible.
However, there are differences in terms of vitamins, minerals, and caffeine levels. The main difference is in potassium levels. Ground coffee has more than double the potassium of instant coffee. There’s also the possibility that instant coffee retains fewer antioxidants – substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
So, now that we have scratched the surface, let’s find out the subtle, delicate, but significant differences that might affect our choice of coffee in the future.
Coffee beans and instant coffee – cross swords!
Coffee Beans VS. Instant Coffee Brewing
Instant coffee is, well – quick and easy. It does not take as long to make instant coffee as it does regular coffee. It is easier to make as well; pour it into a cup, add hot water, and you are good to go. Ground coffee requires knowing the right mix, the right equipment to use, the right timing, so only the fittest can enjoy its unbeatable flavor.
One of the main differences between the two types of coffee is brewing.
The brewing processes of instant and ground coffee are significantly different.
Instant coffee is a piece of cake to brew. There is no particular philosophy. All you need to do is pour some crystals in a cup, add hot water and any dressing you want, and you are ready to experience a pleasure!
However, it is impossible to have excellent coffee without excellent coffee beans.
With ground coffee, you do have to roll your sleeves up. You’ll need physics, chemistry, and skill to perform this fascinating process. First, grind the coffee, brew it using a filter, and then throw away the usual waste grounds from the process. The advantage is that you can try different brewing methods, mix ratios, and so on, all to create a perfect cup of coffee for you.
To make coffee how you like it best, you need certain freedom and variety in brewing methods, which instant coffee doesn’t offer. Coffee is personal – if you can’t customize it, it kind of sucks.
So, with instant coffee, you do not get the opportunity to be creative and enjoy every step of the process.
Someone did that for you by removing all the water that the coffee brewed in and condensing the coffee extract by subjecting it to temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius. Then they broke it up into small pieces or granules.
Any excess water inside the coffee must be removed. Otherwise, the flavor will not preserve flavor.
Today, instant coffee is highly appreciated; however, should we compromise the quality of a cup of coffee just so we may save time? And how quicker is instant coffee?
Preparation Time
With coffee beans, the brewing process can be more time-consuming than that of instant coffee. However, in a drip system, the brewing time of a regular coffee is approximately 5 minutes. If you are making your coffee using a French Press, the contact time should be 2-4 minutes. The French press is considered one of the oldest and simplest methods to brew coffee. (The most critical part of the process is not leaving the coffee in the French press for too long after pressing.) Espresso has an incredibly brief brew time — the coffee is in contact with the water for only 20-30 seconds. Counting the time it takes to clean and prepare the equipment, you need no more than 7-8 minutes.
Instant coffee requires around 2 minutes to prepare by just heating the water enough to soak the crystals.
That’s no more than a few minutes difference. Minutes that you see matter when you take the first sip of your steaming, gorgeous, fresh, ground coffee. It beats it all.
But, how much does this pleasure cost?
The Price of Coffee Beans Vs. Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is cheaper than ground coffee. The average price for a cup of instant coffee is $0.07, whereas the average price for a cup of ground coffee is $0.37. The cost of preparing ground coffee is even higher because special equipment is often necessary to brew the coffee.
Ok, so ground coffee is more expensive than instant coffee. Why is ground coffee more popular? People seem to acknowledge that, essentially, instant coffee is second-hand coffee as someone has already brewed it once before, which is the main reason why it lacks the freshness of ground coffee.
Remember, buying good coffee is not about spending but investing in the quality of your life. Choose wisely.
Now that we have come to freshness let’s see why ground coffee is so much more fresh and rich in flavor than instant coffee.
Flavor
Some of the flavor factors include:
- The country and region of origin
- The variety of bean – arabica, robusta – or a blend
- The roast type
- The texture of your grind
The main reason coffee has the place it has today is its recognizable rich taste. Freshly brewed coffee beans keep all essential oils and other chemical constituents intact, giving them a fuller taste than most instant coffees. There’s an infinite flavor variety in fresh coffee.
Premium coffee balances acidity, sweet taste, and bitterness in one sip, smooth taste, and no off-notes. What I’m trying to say is simple, good coffee must taste good. It mustn’t taste burnt, charred, or raw.
A well-balanced coffee is one in which no single flavor characteristic dominates or overpowers the others. Many of the best coffees globally are well-balanced, though people seek after some highly rated coffees for their unique, not well-balanced, flavors.
Although one of the main advantages of instant coffee is that it has a long shelf life, nobody can guarantee it can stay there forever without losing flavor. And even if it is as fresh as it can be, remember, it is practically second-hand coffee.
To keep the flavor of instant coffee so that you can drink it months or even years later, remove all the water in the initial stage. This way, you will warm it. While still in fluid form, it will condense and become like a liquid film.
The type of coffee we choose to consume is not necessary only because of its taste, but it also impacts our health. Ground coffee and instant coffee have somewhat different influences.
Health Benefits
Ground coffee doesn’t just give you an energy boost — it can keep you healthy and happy in multiple ways.
Drinking coffee may help to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee may help prevent some cancer forms, including oral cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer. Part of the reason may be that coffee is high in antioxidants, which some studies say can help to prevent cancer.
Studies show that drinking coffee can reduce your risk of cirrhosis, especially when the damage comes from alcohol.
Depression affects more than 18 million adults nationwide. Studies have shown that coffee may help to reduce depression risk, especially if you drink four or more cups per day.
A wisely planned coffee diet can help you lose weight.
While instant coffee offers many of the health benefits that regular coffee does, such as boosting your metabolism, increasing longevity, and decreasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, there are also a few downsides to drinking it.
Instant coffee is so convenient and easy to make that there is the potential of drinking more cups than you would if you had to make a more significant effort at preparation. It is essential to consider this because if you have any sensitivity to caffeine, this could lead to sleep disruption or an upset stomach.
Instant coffee also contains about two times more acrylamide — a chemical formed when coffee beans are roasted — than regular coffee. It may increase your risk of cancer and be harmful to the nervous system.
Let’s see how to steer clear of the unfavorable influences of coffee and kill two birds with one stone. How to drink both healthy and tasty coffee?
Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans – Original Coffee Flavour
Fresh coffee beans are the first and most crucial ingredient in brewing an excellent coffee cup. After being planted, harvested, processed, dried, and milled, the beans travel to us from the original country of making. Once roasted, the beans are immediately cooled either by air or water. Roasting is generally performed in the importing countries because freshly roasted beans must reach the consumer as quickly as possible.
Buy coffee as soon as possible after it’s roasted. Fresh-roasted coffee is imperative to a quality cup, so purchase coffee in small amounts (ideally every one to two weeks). Never reuse your coffee grounds to make coffee.
The problem with finding fresh coffee is that after the beans are roasted, allowed to cool, ground, and put in cans or packages, it takes a lot of time for the boxes to reach their customers. It may be weeks or even months since the beans roasting took place when you take them home. Coffee beans begin to lose their flavor the moment they come out of the roaster.
If you buy packaged coffee beans from a supermarket shelf, look for bags with small, round valves on the front.
It is not advisable to buy ground coffee in cans. Cans don’t have valves, which means the roasters have to wait for the coffee beans to cool to room temperature before grinding them and putting the ground coffee into cans. Coffee loses a lot of flavor in the process.
The water you use is vital to the quality of your coffee. Use filtered or bottled water if your tap water has chlorine.
If you’re using tap water, let it run a few moments before filling your coffee pot, and be sure to use cold water. Don’t use distilled or softened water.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating coffee as a drink you pour down your throat in infinite, crazy quantities. Instead, love it by giving it attention. Treat it like the beautiful beverage it is and learn how to make a perfect cup of coffee.
Try to enjoy your coffee as thoughtfully as you prepared it. Enjoy the aroma, and pay attention to the flavors. Many people worked to bring you this pleasurable experience.
Where to buy the best fresh roasted coffee beans?
If you are wondering where to buy the best fresh roasted coffee beans, here is the answer: 205 degrees is an expert when it comes to excellent, organic micro-roasted, fresh coffee. We offer micro-roasted premium organic beans that are roasted fresh and shipped out fast, so you can brew a perfect batch of micro-roasted coffee in the comfort of your home and enjoy its full taste.
Good coffee is all about premium quality beans, and although sometimes they may be challenging to find and you may face a lack of freshly roasted coffee for home brewing, don’t worry! We roast and ship organic gourmet coffee to your door, so you don’t have to spend time searching for freshly roasted coffee, which is so difficult to find nowadays.
Our coffee is micro-roasted in small batches to bring out the rich flavor unmatched by roasting in large quantities. When you order a bag of 205 coffee, we can assure you that we bag our beans within a couple of hours after we roasted the beans in most cases. What’s more, you don’t have to pay high fresh roasted coffee prices at cafes because our coffee is entirely affordable and pays off significantly in the long run.
Get some fresh coffee beans now!
