Instant vs Ground Coffee Choose One For A Good Morning. No matter what you choose, you know as well as we do that coffee is a part of your early morning ritual and it is not something that can be taken away easily. And why should it be after all? You do deserve a few luxuries in life, don’t you?
Do you know which one is better? Coffee is no doubt, one of the most popular drinks in the world. Coffee is available in nearly every shop around. It offers some benefits, such as building brain alertness, and has a low-calorie level.
It isn’t easy to choose between instant coffee and ground coffee as they both have their fair share of benefits. Instant coffee is derived from brewed coffee beans, while ground coffee is fresh coffee beans. Instant coffee wins when it comes to time and convenience, while ground coffee wins in flavour and aroma, and the cost is almost the same.
Coffee often comes in two kinds, that is instant coffee and ground coffee. When choosing the type of coffee to buy, we often have to choose between whether to buy instant coffee or ground coffee. Although both coffee kinds share similar properties, they also stand out in a few areas. Your preferences will significantly determine your choice of type to buy.
What is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee comes from brewed coffee beans. It is also known as soluble coffee. Instant coffee is what you get as a result of the processing of coffee beans. Instant coffee makes the entire coffee drink making the process easier and faster. With instant coffee, all you do is add the coffee into a cup, add your desired quantity of water, and then stir to your satisfaction.
It is important to note that the thickness of your coffee is dependent on the quantity of instant coffee you put in. Hence, to make a syrup-like coffee drink, you will need to add a large amount of instant coffee to your desired water quantity. Also, instant coffee can be prepared with sugar and other beverages like milk.
It is worth mentioning that instant coffees also go through the process of roasting like ground beans. However, it has been processed into a soluble form that is easily dissolvable in water. More so, it is also made to be more of more concentrated with the help of evaporation processes.
What is Ground Coffee?
Its referred to as a coffee bean that is often ground without having to pass through any industrial processes. Generally, most coffee enthusiasts prefer ground coffee to instant since coffee tends to lose its freshness and aroma when exposed to air for a prolonged period.
Unlike instant coffee where you add the coffee, water, and then stir, ground coffee requires more time and processes in terms of its preparation. To make fresh ground coffee, you will need the necessary skills and machines for brewing your coffee drink.
In recent times, there have been many coffee brewing machines that have been introduced to the market to help make the brewing process easier and faster. However, it is not capable of matching that of instant coffee. It is worth mentioning that ground coffee has a higher caffeine concentration than instant coffee. It is so because its essential oils are intact and not lost due to industrial processes hence providing you are a more flavorful drink. Also, ground coffee comes at a little higher price than instant coffee.
Instant Coffee Vs Ground Coffee – Which is a better choice?
It is relatively difficult to select the coffee between instant and ground coffee, and this is because the coffee for you is dependent on your preference and taste. However, certain factors should be considered to help you in determining the for you.
Time and Convenience
When it comes to brewing time and ease of making coffee, instant coffee stands out as you can prepare a cup of coffee in just a few simple steps. Instant coffee can be prepared by putting your coffee powder in a glass, adding hot or cold water, and then stirring. This coffee-making process can be achieved in a few seconds and does not require any form of skill.
On the other hand, preparing ground coffee requires a lot of time and brewing machines to make the coffee. Instant coffee is more convenient to use and suitable for use by busy persons who are often in a hurry to prepare their coffee drinks.
Flavor and Aroma
In terms of aroma and flavour, ground coffee boasts of having better flavour variety than instant coffee. This is because instant coffee loses most of its essential oils and chemical compositions during its industrial processing.
Generally, with the addition of hot water to freshly ground coffee, the most potent flavours are drawn out. Besides, instant coffees often have similar aromas and flavours irrespective of the variety you choose.
Cost
Ground coffee is often slightly higher in price than instant coffee. However, most coffee addicts still prefer to go for the costlier ground coffee since it offers more quality.
Caffeine Concentration
Ground coffee offers more caffeine concentration than instant coffee. During the industrial processing of instant coffee, it loses some of its caffeine content.
Besides, ground coffee provides you with the option of tweaking and adjusting the caffeine content in your coffee. Unlike instant coffee, where the manufacturer determines the caffeine concentration of the coffee. Adding more instant coffee to water might help to increase the caffeine concentration level. It only produces a very bitter coffee drink.
Environmental Waste and Health Implications
The preparation of instant coffee comes with less environmental waste effect. It does not produce waste by-products, unlike ground coffee, whose preparation will leave you with coffee fibres that will need disposal after use.
More so, contrary to the belief that instant coffee causes cancer, no proof justifies that belief. Both instant coffee and ground coffee haven’t been proven to have any health implications for users. However, the use of other beverages like milk and sugar in your coffee might have a health effect.
Coffee shelf life
Instant coffee has a shelf life that is longer than ground coffee. Instant coffee is easy to store as it requires less storage space. It can often be stored in a clean and dry place. However, ground coffee needs to be stored in airtight containers for the coffee not to react with air and in turn, lose its potency.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, both instant coffee and ground coffee offer various advantages over the other. Choosing between the two might be a difficult task. As it depends on a couple of factors like cost, flavour, durability, time, and convenience, among others.
However, it is essential to note that instant coffee is cheaper and requires less time to prepare a cup of coffee. On the other hand, ground coffee provides you with better flavour and aroma and comes with more caffeine concentration.
Instant coffee on the other hand, as its name suggests gives you the liberty of enjoying a coffee at any time at your convenience. The taste however is something that can be slightly altered. That does not mean that instant coffee is in any way less tasty than coffee made of coffee grounds. You also have the flexibility of adding your own flavours if you use instant coffee powder.
