Is instant coffee inferior?
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It’s difficult to compare instant coffee with a cappuccino served up by an expert barista – some might say it’s like comparing apples with oranges. Not only are the beverages vastly different in their preparation methods, but the origin of the ingredients often varies, as well. There are plenty of excellent quality instant products on the market today, as the coffee industry wises up to the increasingly discerning consumer palate – but will it ever be considered an equal rival to that of its more time-consuming counterparts?
The naysayers
Specialty coffee devotees often refuse to acknowledge instant coffee as a serious contender in the coffee industry, with many preferring to view it simply as a generic hot beverage, rather than ‘real’ coffee. This is because the drink requires no real skill to prepare, and the person making it has little to no influence over the final, finished product - whereas traditional coffee requires skill, intuition, and practice to perfect – and there are many factors that the preparer can ‘tweak’ to influence the finished product.
What’s the difference?
Instant coffee is typically either a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans, or entirely made up of Robusta. Robusta is a resilient bean, has a more generic taste that can be quite harsh, and generally doesn’t have a lot of variety in its flavour. It also has higher levels of caffeine than in Arabica. Traditional specialty coffee uses high-quality Arabica beans, which are far more delicate and have a wide variety of tastes and flavours – from fruity, to nutty, acidic, smooth and even tangy.
Is one better than the other?
Robusta is generally considered a lower quality than Arabica, but it has a strong flavour that is essential for many instant coffee blends. It is also important to note that just because Arabica is used in cafes – it doesn’t ensure its quality. The key is being an educated consumer, and understanding what types of coffee are palatable for each individual.
Sometimes it comes down to managing expectations. An instant coffee is just that – instant. It is coffee in its most convenient form, and as such will never taste the same as a coffee prepared lovingly by a professional barista. In choosing instant coffee, a person may be choosing to make a sacrifice: a small amount of quality, for the time saved in preparation. |
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Author Resource:-
Don’t have time to line up at a café? Instant coffee is a cost-effective and convenient solution for people with an ‘on the go’ lifestyle.
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By :
Gareth Hoyle
Submitted
2011-07-06 09:01:17 |
Article From Article Mayhem
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