it’s fine. and I can have it hot or cold, and using it as an ingredient in anything else is a cinch.
Europe has instant coffee from vending machines that have their own chemical heat source. They are actually not bad.
Don’t vending machines require electricity? Why do they need a consumable chem heat source?
Press on the Bottom and a membrane will break, activating a chemical source to heat it up
There is (was) also a cold version for the summer
Flavor wise, it’s terrible
Now that I think about, I don’t see this stuff on the shelves from decades ago. I wonder if they went out of business or if recent laws don’t allow those chemicals on disposable items anymore
Edit: it’s also disappointing, the first and last time I tried this product, I was initially excited as the container is just a little smaller than a coke can, but due to the double insulation to let you hold it without getting burned, the actual liquid content is like 10ml. And expensive, 3 euro which at the time was 4x a espresso coffee at a bar counter, properly prepared
Could perhaps mean the cans are individually self-heating? Just a guess though.
This is exactly it, theyll have a chemical that runs an exothermic reaction when exposed to water in the base of the cup, which heats the contents the same way a flameless ration heater in an MRE works.
thats not anti-elitism… thats sadomasochism
I grind some beans, put them in water, and stick them in the fridge for a while.
Not exactly fancy.
I don’t have a coffee machine so I’m a connoisseur of instant coffees available in my region. I’ve tried a bunch of brands but still get a coffee at a cafe sometimes. There are definitely good ones out there so don’t be put off if you come across one that’s absolute shit.
Have you tried pour-over coffee? It requires ground beans, a kettle, and a sort of funnel with a coffee filter in it. Grounds go in the funnel, boiling water is poured through the funnel into a cup. Cheap and minimal space required (if you already own a kettle.) Mine is a $20 plastic oxo one because I’m a klutz.
Yeah, I have an ikea metal one that works pretty well which I haven’t used in a while. My kettle broke a week ago so now I have one with temperature setting so things are becoming interesting.
If things go well I might upgrade to a funnel, hand grinder, pour-over setup which in theory should be a complete coffee setup.
In the UK, instant coffee is still pretty much standard. Of course, many, many people buy ‘real’ coffee, but in most hotels and places of work there will be tea bags, and little packets of freeze-dried coffee. It’s by far the most common option. Most cheap, independent ‘greasy spoon’ cafes will still serve it. Personally I think of them as different beverages. It’s like a packet of ramen Vs an authentic Chinese meal. Both have their place.
Instant is the way to go when making φραπέ
The trick to making good instant when you actually have good instant, is to NOT BURN IT.
Coffee is super easy to burn, and that includes instant coffee. I don’t know the temperature cutoff, but just mix it at like 140F or even lower.
pro tip: don’t heat the water in a kettle. just use the hottest that your tap will give you
You don’t need the temp to maximize extraction, so I’ll normally do instant on my lowest setting on the kettle (60°C or so) then mix it with milk and protein powder for my breakfast.
The espresso machine and burr grinder are on the counter, and I have a coffee shrine shelf with moka pot, an old school percolator, pour-over gear, a french press, a stovetop steamer, and hand grinder for power outages. I am not a snob, though, really! Just prepared.
So when my live-in adult children started buying instant, I was a bit dismissive, but sure, whatever, eh. Then I realized they were getting Italissimo instant espresso, and I smelled it and a flood of childhood memories came back, it was the brand all my relatives and their friends had on standby when the moka pot would be too fussy… and it’s actually good.
Whoa thank you for this core memory - they little snap lids came right back to me reading this comment
ive had a variety of instant coffees but wouldn’t say i could recommend any. i would try the commeteers if i ever saw them for sale. the instant coffee from the coffee machine at the county hospital when i was a little kid is a deep nostalgia memory for me…
ive always wanted to try the “bonus cup” of descendents fame. maximally-saturated instant coffee.
Instant coffee is the bees jittery knees. There’s a natural/organic bulk store near me that sells, well natural and organic (fair trade) instant coffee and it’s AWESOME. As long as it’s not stale (borked seal on the container) it tastes amazing e’ry tiem while also using a lot less energy to prepare. Like I only have to heat water to the temperature I want to drink it at instead of bringing it to a boil.
It’s a bit ironic to describe a walmart product as anti-elite but I get what you’re saying haha. Not like there’s much choice most places.
Hey, if you like it, drink it!
It’s not what I like. But who am I to tell you what to drink?
Instant coffee is the only kind that really works in a Keurig, which is all I have. You try and fill the refillable pod with regular ground coffee, you’ll just get water with the vague memory of coffee in it.
I’ve tried a number of instant coffees, and none were good. The only two options seem to be either tasting like the burnt sole of a decades old boot, or the most watered down Americano (or is it Canadiano now?) you’ve ever had.
I swear by Cafe Bustelo, one of maybe 3 brands I would shill for, alongside Costco and Darn Tough Socks
I feel the same Starbucks has an instant coffee that was surprisingly good. Nothing like the real thing imo
like the burnt sole of a decades old boot
They already said that instant tastes like starbucks
😂
Looks more like punishment
I’m a bit of a coffee snob, but instant coffee is a great backup for when you can’t brew. I roast and grind my own beans for brewing, but sometimes you don’t have time, or it’s just not possible. Recently I had to evacuate home for a natural disaster and stay in a hotel for 10 days and for obvious reasons, didn’t have my coffee making stuff.
In situations like this, I swear by Juan Valdez Classic, you can get it in small jars at Walmart or online, haven’t seen it in other stores. The stuff is actually pretty great, and nothing like the Nescafe swill. I always keep a jar of instant handy. Sure I’d rather have my pour-over or french press most days, but it’s good and you can’t beat the convenience of just pouring in some hot water and stirring.
Have your coffee how you want without fear. People who gatekeep over something someone else drinks/eats need to get lives
I once dumped instant coffee and powdered creamer into a paper towel and stuck it under my lip. I wasn’t proud of it but it wasn’t the worst thing and it got the job done.
Sure, but will you say the same when someone lauds their ketchup-covered well-done steak?
Indeed, if I don’t have to eat it, they can drop a perfectly reversed seared marbled ribeye into koolaid for all I care
