For some reason I think of it as an older concept. Now Starbucks and coffee chains are popular.
Seinfeld on instant coffee https://youtu.be/uDrh5pujB9I?si=VdlVEREjMTNd2Bs7
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Anyone that uses a Keurig is basically drinking instant coffee
Ha, true in essence. But in practice that’s a big machine. So does it taste different?Actually now that I think about it, those still have grinds. Instant coffee is supposed to dissolve completely, right?
It still brews hot water through coffee grinds unlike instant which is mixed in and dissolved.
Some do but the Emeril brand among others do dissolve.
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I get the worst nausea whenever I drink something from a k cup machine. Nobody ever cleans their machine and the ingredients are questionable.
Yum, hot infected plastic
Starbucks tried to modernize it with these little packets a few years back, under the name “Via”. The older brands still exist too, such as Nescafé, which, as a Nestle product, I assume is made from the blood of indigenous people.
The production actually is pretty cool really. They basically brew giant vats of coffee and then freeze dry it into a powder that can be easily rehydrated.
I imagine there are tons of office workers, mechanics, construction workers, etc. who are drinking instant because it’s impractical or impossible to have a coffee machine at work or in the field. I believe the vast majority of coffee vending machines also use instant coffee behind the scenes, so everyone who’s ever gotten a cup of highway rest stop coffee was most likely drinking instant at least once. Ditto with the “cappuccino” machines at every convenience store and gas station on earth.
I carry instant coffee with me when I’m camping, because I can’t be bothered to have to carry and more importantly clean any kind of coffee gadget.
Look into an Aeropress.
It’d work comfortably in camping or office situations. Not as easy as instant coffee but much, much better.
I’ve seen 'em and I’ve used them in the past. They’re a fine solution, but they still require cleaning and a couple of satchels of Taster’s Choice or whatever is easier on the KP and also much smaller than a giant coffee syringe. Showing up at the pay-for-pitch in the station wagon is one thing, but usually all my stuff needs to either fit in my panniers or my backback.
There are guys I’ve hiked with who have them, though. To each their own.
you don’t want to spend 10 of your 15 minute break making coffee with the aeropress. I have one and it makes fantastic espresso but it’s a giant pain in the ass to get one cup out of (to be fair I have never tried pre-ground beans I use a hand grinder with it so that might change this calculus).
I haven’t used it in years when I go camping I buy instant espresso instead. Only tastes 80% as good but it’s 90% less effort, mess, space used up etc.
I interpret your mention of pre-ground beans as an item that is bought, but if you need fresh coffee on the go you can just pre-grind them for yourself and take them with you.
I personally have an electric coffee grinder so my pour over is done in about five minutes, then I let it cool and take it with me in a thermos. Though I also only drink 1, max 2 coffees a day.
It’s all I drink. But I only drink coffee for the caffeine, it all tastes like shit. If I want to enjoy it I have a cup of tea.
Instant coffee is still popular and common in Asia. Coffee vending machines, which are technically instant, are also common in waiting areas of businesses (i.e. dealership, leasing offices, clinics, etc.)
Not me, but it’s great for baking (a bit of coffee makes chocolate taste more chocolatey) and making nutrition shakes palatable.
I do. Juan Valdez tastes amazing.
I used to because I am single and it didn’t seem economical to brew a pot for one cup. Then I found out about the “4 cup” machines like the ones they put in hotel rooms.
Mr Coffee single cup machine, makes hot or iced, 1 cup at a time, its awesome! no more stupid pods
https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-IcedTM-Hot-Maker/dp/B093XTHCZL/
I grind enough for a big cup, pour water in it, and decant it to another cup using a fork as a filter. Seems to work fine.
I still do. Most of my coffee consumption is instant, but I am not particular about coffee so long it doesn’t taste bad.
It’s a bit more common in the UK. Everybody’s got 230v electric kettles practically in every room (/s) so having coffee that just takes hot water has extra appeal. I’m also lead to believe that their instant coffee is a bit better quality than what is common in the US.
Only when I’m backpacking in the wilderness, otherwise, it’s fresh ground for me!
If I’m going camping and want to keep things light I’ll buy instant coffee and transfer it into a freezer bag.
Still seems like the default in much of Europe and Asia
I had a British coworker that said she thought instant coffee was the only kind until her twenties. Then I remembered British drink tea.
I think that instant Chai is actually quite popular worldwide. I assume it’s pretty similar to instant coffee.
My husband does. Nescafe. Though I make coffee each morning in a moka pot, fresh ground. He likes the instant coffee (and likes it much earlier than I make coffee).
I like coffee but not enough to like bad coffee.
I think it still represents something like 5-10% of the US coffee market.
Better doesn’t always drive out cheaper.
It’s not always about cost but convenience.
Got hot water? Add instant coffee and you’re done.
And you can make hot water with just about anything. Most people use a microwave, I’m sure. But you could use a stovetop or hot plate, a camp fire, or even a tin cup over a Zippo if you really had to.
I’m pretty sure every other country in the world just uses an electric kettle. That will just emphasise the convenience of instant over ground coffee.
