Coffee 101: Everything You Need to Know About Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is coffee that has already been brewed and had its water removed, leaving granules or powder that dissolve back into a cup when you add water. It is made from real coffee beans that were roasted, ground, and brewed exactly as they would be for any coffee. The difference is what happens after brewing.
How instant coffee is made
After brewing and filtering, the coffee goes into an evaporation tank heated to around 158°F (70°C), where roughly half the water is driven off, leaving a thick concentrate about the consistency of honey. From there it is dried by one of two methods.
Spray drying
The concentrate is sprayed as a fine mist into a cylinder of hot air at roughly 480°F (248°C). The remaining water evaporates as the droplets fall, and what reaches the bottom is a fine powder. It is fast and cheap, and it is what most supermarket instant coffee uses. The heat drives off aromatic compounds, which is where the flat or burnt taste comes from.
Freeze drying
The concentrate goes into a freezing chamber at around -58°F (-50°C) instead. Once frozen in trays, it is broken into granules and moved into a low-pressure vacuum, where the frozen water sublimates — turning directly from solid to vapor without becoming liquid. Because the coffee never gets hot, far more of the original aroma and flavor survives. It is slower and more expensive, and it is what Waka uses.
Instant coffee vs. ground coffee
Ground coffee is roasted beans that have been milled, nothing more — it still needs brewing, and it will not dissolve. Instant coffee has already been through that step. The practical difference is that instant needs only water, produces no grounds, and lets you set strength by the spoonful rather than by brew time.
Instant coffee vs. instant espresso
There is no such thing as an espresso bean — espresso is a preparation method, not a variety. Instant espresso differs from instant coffee in how it was brewed before drying: roasted darker, ground finer, and extracted at a much higher concentration. That is why it produces crema and why it is the standard choice for baking, where you want intense coffee flavor without adding liquid.
Waka's instant espresso is 100% Colombian Arabica, medium-dark roast, at approximately 45 mg of caffeine per 1 tsp shot. It works as a drinking espresso as well as a baking ingredient.
Instant coffee vs. instant cold brew
Cold brew is not a different bean, it is a different extraction: coarse grounds steeped in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours rather than brewed with heat. Instant cold brew follows the same drying process afterwards. Cold brew concentrate is typically stronger than drip, but it is meant to be diluted, so the caffeine in the finished drink depends entirely on how much water or milk you add.
Caffeine in instant coffee
Instant coffee averages roughly 30 to 90 mg per 8 fl oz cup depending on the brand and how much powder you use. Waka's published figures:
- Medium roast: approximately 55 mg per 2 tsp, or 60 mg per single-serve packet
- Dark roast: approximately 75 mg per 2 tsp, or 80 mg per packet
- Instant espresso: approximately 45 mg per 1 tsp shot
- Decaf: approximately 3 mg per 2 tsp, or 4 mg per packet
Full figures for every product are on the Product FAQ.
How to make instant coffee
The standard is 1.5 to 2 teaspoons per 8 to 10 fl oz of water. Use more for a stronger cup, less for a lighter one — strength is entirely in your control.
Pour the granules into the mug first, then add hot water on top. That order dissolves the coffee faster and more evenly. For iced coffee, dissolve in a small amount of hot water first, then top with cold water, milk, or ice.
The history of instant coffee
The first instant coffee was invented by John Dring in England in 1771 and patented as a "coffee compound," though nothing survives about how it was made. The modern product traces to April 1901, when Dr. Sartori Kato, a Chicago chemist of Japanese descent, applied for US patent No. 735,777 for a coffee concentrate — the first stable soluble coffee powder.
Mass production began around 1910, after Belgian-American businessman George Constant Louis Washington developed the first mass-produced instant coffee in 1909. His company became a significant military supplier during the First World War.
Recipes with instant coffee
Common questions
Is instant coffee real coffee?
Yes. It is brewed coffee with the water removed. Adding water reconstitutes it.
Which is better, freeze-dried or spray-dried?
Freeze-dried preserves more aroma and flavor because it never applies heat. Spray-dried is cheaper and more common.
How much instant coffee per cup?
1.5 to 2 teaspoons per 8 to 10 fl oz, adjusted to taste.
Does instant coffee have less caffeine than brewed?
Somewhat less on average, but it is adjustable — use more powder for more caffeine.
Shop Waka instant coffee.
