If you’re looking to know the difference between ground coffee and instant coffee, then you’ve come to the right place. They are different in a lot of ways than you can imagine. But before we go into the details, let’s just give you a simple answer to start things off.
What’s the difference between instant coffee and ground coffee? You have to brew ground coffee whereas instant coffee is pretty much instant. Ground coffee is expensive and is better than instant coffee in terms of the quality of coffee beans, flavor, and caffeine content. Instant coffee has a much better shelf life and is very quick to make. Most people prefer ground coffee over instant coffee for its taste and high quality.
Now that we’ve seen the high-level differences between ground coffee and instant coffee, let’s take a deep dive in.
Instant Coffee vs Ground Coffee – What Are They?
Before we dive into the best part, let’s brush our basics.
What Is Ground Coffee?
Ground coffee is what you get after grinding roasted coffee beans in a grinder. The ground level can vary from extra coarse to extra fine. You can choose from extra coarse, coarse, medium, fine, and extra-fine depending on the brewing method you use.
There are several brewing methods like French press, cold brew, espresso, pour-over, percolator, and more that make use of ground coffee.
Related Read: Cold Brew vs French Press
Ground coffee is the coffee of choice among coffee drinkers all over the world for its exceptional quality and taste.
What Is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee is just dried and powdered coffee concentrate. It is made using two methods (more on that later).
If you’re someone who wants to make a cup of coffee within a few seconds, then instant might be the answer you’re looking for.
Instant coffee is generally low quality and does not measure up to the quality of brewed coffee. Though it is not as popular as regular coffee, there are certain parts of the world that is absolutely in love with it.
Making Process
Instant coffee and ground coffee have the same process till a certain point.
Once the coffee beans are acquired from the farm, it is dried and roasted. The roast level depends on the brewing method and can change accordingly.
When the roasting process is over, the coffee beans are then ground to the required size. This is what we call ground coffee. These ground coffee beans are used to make regular coffee that we all love so much.
The process of making instant coffee is the same until this point. Once you get ground coffee, you brew coffee and make it into a coffee concentrate.
The coffee concentrate is then allowed to dry using two methods namely spray drying and freeze drying.
Spray drying is the cheaper process of the two and usually results in cheap quality instant coffee. If your instant coffee is in the form of a powder, then it is a result of freeze drying.
The most expensive instant coffee comes with the freeze-drying process. Freeze drying produces higher quality coffee granules that retain the flavor better. Coffee granules are much better in flavor when compared to coffee powder.
As a normal coffee drinker, you might not be able to find the difference between the two instant coffee-making methods, but once you pay enough attention, then small details show up.
The general consensus (and the main difference) is that freshly brewed coffee is always better than instant coffee and that’s not up for debate.
Also Read: Coffee vs Red Bull!
Quality Comparison
If you have only had one kind of coffee all your life, then you might not be aware of the difference in quality between instant coffee and brewed coffee.
The aroma that comes from the ground coffee is no match for what you get from instant coffee. When you brew your coffee, the difference in quality only continues to grow.
With instant coffee, you may have to add milk and sugar to mask the low quality of the coffee powder, but when it comes to brewed coffee, there is no need for anything like that. Many people like the regular coffee black.
Even within the instant coffee world, there is a difference in quality. The freeze drying process yields a much better coffee when compared to what the spray drying process gives.
If you are used to instant coffee powder, then we suggest trying instant coffee granules as the latter is way better in terms of taste and aroma. It is more expensive, but it is worth it.
Caffeine Content
Which coffee has the higher caffeine content?
Ground coffee comes with more caffeine content than instant coffee.
A cup of instant coffee comes with 60 to 80mg of caffeine. A cup of brewed coffee comes with 80 to 120mg of caffeine.
With ground coffee, caffeine is extracted during the brewing process. When the hot water interacts with the coffee grounds, caffeine is let out.
This means that the brewing process is the one that decides the caffeine content in your cup of joe. But whether you’re using the french press, drip coffee maker, or just making a cold brew coffee, you are going to get a strong coffee.
Also, ground coffee comes with more control over caffeine content than instant coffee.
With ground coffee, you can increase or decrease the amount of caffeine you will get in a cup of coffee. But in the case of instant coffee, you have no say in this regard.
Need more caffeine, tweak the coffee to water ratio and enjoy more kick in your cuppa joe. Too much caffeine? You can bring it down a notch with ease.
Unfortunately, you don’t have this flexibility with instant coffee. The amount of caffeine you will get is decided during the manufacturing process and that’s what you’ll get.
So if you are looking to drink coffee for its caffeine content, then regular coffee is the right choice for you.
Beans Selection
With the right coffee bean, you can make an extraordinary cup of coffee.
There are two kinds of coffee beans used predominantly all over the world, Arabica bean and Robusta bean.
Arabica coffee beans are higher quality coffee beans and more expensive. As once would expect, you don’t get this often in the instant coffee world.
Robusta coffee beans, on the other hand, are low quality when compared to Arabica. These are cheaper and most instant coffee powder you get on the marker is made from Robusta beans.
Right now, even instant coffee makers are offering high-end coffee that is made from high-quality Arabica coffee beans.
So if you’re looking for the best possible coffee, it is important to go with the best quality beans. Unless you get Arabica beans instant coffee, you will not taste the better coffee out there.
So even if you choose the instant way of things, pick Arabica-based instant coffee for the best caffeinating experience.
Brewing Method
The way you make your coffee a.k.a. the brewing method is the next big differentiator between instant and ground coffee.
When it comes to instant coffee, there is no brewing method involved. All you need to do is add some hot water or milk and serve. Instant is the keyword here and it works like a charm.
But in the case of brewed coffee, there are many brewing methods to choose from. Some of the popular brewing methods are
- French press
- Percolator
- Drip
- Aeropress
- Espresso
- Cold brew
Each brewing method is different in its own way and will give you a unique cup of coffee.
For example, if you’re looking for a concentrated cup of coffee, then an espresso shot is an excellent choice. If you’re looking for a strong cup of coffee, then a french press would do the trick. Stick with drip coffee if you just want a simple black coffee.
Now, certain brewing methods will require specialized equipment and that might cost some money (or a lot depending on the method). If you don’t have the budget for all that, stick with the cold brew brewing method.
If you don’t want to learn and master a brewing technique or if you don’t want to spend money on brewing equipment, then instant coffee is the right pick for you.
Dissolving Ability In Water
The ability to completely dissolve in water is one of the most defining aspects of instant coffee.
Ground coffee simply doesn’t dissolve in water, whether hot or cold.
Why is this important, you ask?
For coffee lovers, this is not that big of a deal.
But instant coffee folks want an instant solution. If your coffee is not going to dissolve in water quickly and if you have to work on it, then it defeats the purpose of instant coffee.
This also means that you can brew a cup of coffee with instant coffee, but you can make instant coffee from ground coffee. Drink a cup of coffee to that!
Which Coffee Is Healthier?
So you want to drink coffee for its health benefits but can’t decide between instant or ground coffee? We got you.
Regular coffee has an advantage over instant coffee when it comes to health benefits, but the difference is very little.
Whether it is the antioxidants, vitamins, or minerals, ground coffee comes with slightly more. But when it comes to potassium content, ground coffee does much better than instant coffee.
If you’re going to drink 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day, then you will get the same health benefits from both instant and ground coffee.
But we do prefer ground coffee as you get slightly better health benefits with an excellent flavor profile.
Instant Coffee Wins
Instant coffee wins in some areas too.
Wondering how on earth does instant coffee manage to beat ground coffee? Read on.
Shelf Life
Instant coffee can maintain its state of usability for a much longer period than ground coffee.
Once you grind your coffee beans, you have to store them properly and should use them within a period to make the best coffee possible. The older ground coffee gets, the staler it becomes.
If you’re like us, then you will not enjoy a cup made from stale coffee grounds.
With instant coffee, you don’t have this problem. Instant coffee is processed and it will last much longer on your shelves.
Cost
Instant coffee is a lot less expensive when compared to regular coffee.
Buying high-quality coffee grounds is probably the most expense most coffee lovers endure.
After that, you might have to invest some money in specialized equipment if you need them. A French press is not that expensive but an espresso machine will break your bank.
With instant coffee, the coffee powder is cheap and you’re not going to need anything special to make your cup of coffee.
If you’re going after high-end instant coffee with flavor-locked coffee granules, then you might have to shell some more money.
No Waste
Instant coffee also doesn’t leave any waste behind.
As instant coffee completely dissolves in water and milk, you don’t have to worry about cleaning the leftover waste.
With ground coffee, you will have to deal with the leftover coffee grounds. You can reuse it to make a weaker cup of coffee or simply use them in your garden.
If you use coffee pods, then you will gather a lot of waste. So instant coffee definitely takes the win here.
Ease of Making Coffee
Instant coffee is easy to make. Period.
All you need to do is boil some water or milk and add it to your instant coffee powder or granules. That’s it.
When it comes to regular coffee, you will have to brew it and it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to a lot longer.
If you’re looking to get up and fill your body with some coffee before you run off work, then instant coffee is a much better choice when compared to regular coffee.
Having said that, coffee lovers do enjoy the process of brewing their coffee. They see it as an art form that can be improved upon over time. Most even have their own morning ritual that involves brewing their coffee.
Closing Thoughts
Coffee aficionados are known to look down on people who like instant coffee. But honestly, there is no need for that.
Instant coffee brings coffee to the people who are busy and don’t want to get busy brewing coffee. Yes, it is not the same as ground coffee in terms of quality, taste, and wholesomeness but it cheers up a good percentage of the world population.
If you’re looking for the absolute best coffee, then ground coffee is the way to go. If you’re on a tight schedule but want a quick boost of caffeine, then instant coffee is your friend.
