What's The Difference Between Instant And Ground Coffee?

With about 400 million cups of coffee consumed every day, it's safe to say that Americans take their daily cup (or three) of Joe pretty seriously. There are countless ways to enjoy coffee, each catering to a different taste, preference, and need for caffeine. In the coffee aisle at the grocery store, you'll find whole beans, ground coffee, instant coffee, coffee drink mixtures, coffee pods, and even coffee concentrates. But for now, let's look at two incredibly popular yet different types — ground and instant.

The journey of both coffee types begins with the plant they come from. Coffee beans are actually the seeds of the plant, found inside the fruit that the plant produces. First, the fruit needs to be harvested, and then the beans need to be removed from it, which is actually quite a lengthy process. Once the coffee beans are removed, it's time to roast them. This is a very important step, as different types of coffee roasts define the final flavor intensity, as well as the caffeine content. After roasting, the beans are finally ready to be sold, either as whole or ground.

Both types of coffee we're looking at here begin as ground coffee beans, but from that point on, the story of the two coffees finally diverges. Ground coffee is instantly ready to be sold to consumers but needs to be brewed before you can drink it. Instant coffee undergoes further processing, but once it's done, you don't need to brew it.

Ground coffee is pre-ground beans — meaning, you don't need to use a coffee grinder as you would with whole beans. This type is understandably popular because it's more convenient than whole-bean coffee, but it does have one limitation: You can't always choose the ideal grind. The grind types range from coarse to fine and play a significant role in your coffee experience, including the brewing methods you can opt for. For example, you'll need a finer grind for an espresso machine and a coarser one for a French press. That said, some specialty coffee sellers do offer the option of choosing your ideal grind, and they will grind the beans to your preference right before sending them to you. At the regular grocery store, though, you'll have to work with the options they have on the shelves.

Before you can enjoy ground coffee, you have to brew it. There are many brewing methods, which come down to your personal preference. Grind type, preferred flavor intensity, and even time all play a role in choosing your brewing method. An espresso machine will take a couple of seconds to brew your cup, while a moka pot could take up to 10 minutes. Choosing ground coffee, therefore, gives you a lot of room for exploration and experimentation with your daily cup.

Instant coffee, also known as soluble coffee, is pre-brewed coffee that dissolves in water. Instant coffee has been around longer than you may think, though the earliest origins of it aren't completely clear. There is little doubt, however, that the kind of instant coffee we know today was invented in 1938 by Nestlé, the company behind the well-known brand Nescafé. The concept of soluble coffee powder gained popularity, and when World War II broke out, the U.S. soldiers received instant coffee inside their emergency rations. Nearly three decades later, in 1969, astronauts took it to the Moon on the Apollo 11 mission. Today, it's estimated that nearly half of all coffee drinkers prefer instant coffee. Europeans are by far the biggest fans of it, followed by Chinese and Americans.

Even though instant coffee doesn't have to be brewed once it's in your hands, the manufacturing process does begin with the brew. The coffee is then heated until it's reduced to a concentrate and dried in one of the two methods: Spray drying or freeze drying. Then, the dried concentrate is broken into tiny pieces, which are packaged and sold as instant coffee. Throughout this process, the coffee can lose its aroma, so some manufacturers spray the dried coffee with caffeol to return the aroma and strengthen the flavor of the final product. With several brands of instant coffee to choose from, the market is certainly competitive, giving consumers a good selection to choose from.

Not everyone is looking to get creative and specific with their coffee — but for those who do, ground coffee is the better pick. With so many blends, grind types, and brewing styles, ground coffee gives you the freedom to experiment; something you won't really have with its instant counterpart. Brewing ground coffee is a creative process. It introduces you to a range of coffee flavor notes, a core experience for any coffee enthusiast. Over time, the ritual of brewing helps you develop a better understanding of coffee itself. It also broadens your horizons by giving you the opportunity to learn about the origins of specific coffee blends, how they're produced, and what flavor notes you can find in them.

In comparison to instant coffee, ground coffee is also stronger — both in flavor intensity and in caffeine content. Broadly speaking, ground coffee can have twice the caffeine content of instant. The type of bean most commonly used in instant coffee is Robusta, which has less flavor complexity than Arabica, which is commonly used in ground. For people with a strong preference for well-caffeinated drinks and the deep, rich taste of pure black java, ground coffee is the way to go.

No matter how much coffee enthusiasts enjoy the ritual of brewing, it's simply not worth it to everyone. Many people simply want the caffeine kick in as little time as possible. For them, instant coffee is a godsend. There's no brewing, no experimenting — all you need to do is dissolve a teaspoon of instant coffee in water or milk, and your drink is ready. It doesn't even need to be in hot water; instant coffee will dissolve in cold water too. It's the fastest way to make both hot and iced coffee, without a doubt. Because it's dried, it's also a lot more shelf-stable than ground coffee, giving you the convenience of benefitting from a longer storage time.

Considering it's already been on the moon, it's safe to say that you can take instant coffee on pretty much any travel adventure. It's often a go-to even for coffee enthusiasts who otherwise like to brew at home. The reality of travel is that you can't always take your preferred brewing methods along, especially if you're flying to the opposite side of the world. Scenic places come with beautiful natural views ... and a significant lack of electricity plugs. The convenience of instant coffee gives us the privilege of enjoying a morning cup in the middle of nowhere inside a tent. The prices are usually lower than those of ground coffee too, making this type of java more budget-friendly. 

Aside from being a delicious drink, coffee can also be used as an ingredient that elevates many recipes, especially desserts. Whether you choose ground or instant coffee for the recipe will ultimately depend on what you're creating in the kitchen and how much moisture it needs. Ground coffee needs to be brewed for the flavor to be extracted, so it comes with a lot of liquid. In some recipes, such as the classic tiramisu, this liquid is welcome — it creates a soft, juicy texture and provides loads of flavor. The brewed coffee can also be used as a replacement for part of the water in a recipe you're modifying, though it might take some trial and error before you get it just right.

Instant coffee is a top choice for people who aren't keen on experimenting with baking, either. There are many ways to use instant coffee in the kitchen, but the easiest one is to simply use it as a coffee flavoring. It's also a safer choice for any recipe that is sensitive to extra moisture. Instant coffee will easily dissolve in your existing wet ingredients and provide a strong aroma without much fuss or the need to recalibrate the entire recipe. It comes in handy when you're making brownies, banana bread, or our caffe mocha crepes.