What is freeze-dried coffee?
The freeze-dried coffee is an instant drink that, when it comes into contact with water, recovers its fundamental characteristics in seconds. This coffee is gaining popularity in Spain, where more and more people are consuming it due to its immediacy in preparation and practicality.
Today, we are going to talk about this delicious coffee and learn all the details about how it is made, what its advantages are... and, of course, how to get it.
Is freeze-dried coffee the same as soluble coffee?
The freeze-drying process is the method that best preserves the aroma and taste of instant coffee. Unlike soluble coffee, freeze-drying does not undergo any chemical manipulation and is therefore more environmentally friendly and more complex.
To make soluble coffee, the coffee powder is extracted, concentrated and dried and spray-dried. In this process, the aroma and flavour are lost, so they need to be added artificially at a later stage.
In the freeze-drying process, the coffee is deep-frozen. It is then placed in a chamber that dehydrates it directly. In this way, the coffee retains all its organoleptic properties intact.
How is freeze-dried coffee made?
To make freeze-dried coffee, expert hands are required, as it is a complex process. We explain it step by step:
- ROASTING. First, the coffee is roasted at high temperatures to obtain its unmistakable aroma, flavour and colour.
- GRINDING. The coffee beans are then ground.
- EXTRACTION. It is then placed in closed tanks where it undergoes a solid-liquid extraction process by injecting hot water at high pressure.
- CLARIFICATION. The coffee is then filtered, cooled by lowering the temperature to the point where ice crystals begin to form. Dry air is then added to the extract at a low temperature.
- FREEZING. Finally, the extract is frozen at approximately -50ºC and subjected to a sublimation process. In other words, it evaporates due to the effect of vacuum and temperature.
And... voilà! Finally, we have a freeze-dried coffee.
Now all that remains is to enjoy it by simply adding water, milk or vegetable drink to obtain the infusion again with all the aroma and flavour characteristics perfectly preserved.
Advantages of freeze-dried coffee
The main characteristics of freeze-dried coffee are:
- You can easily prepare your coffee in an instant.
- It dissolves easily in both hot and cold water or milk.
- It can be easily mixed with other products to make more complex drinks (cappuccinos, mochas or coffees with more or less milk).
- It retains aroma and flavour for longer.
Will any freeze-dried coffee do?
As with all coffees, the most important thing is the origin and type of coffee. That is why, at AlterNativa3, our freeze-dried coffee is 100% Arabica, considered to be the highest quality bean.
Plus, our freeze-dried coffee is organic and Fairtrade, so it takes care of you and the planet. Would you like to try it?
- 13-10-20
