Instant coffee

Instant coffee is a drink made from brewed coffee that has been processed into a powder or crystals, allowing someone to make a cup simply by adding hot water or milk. It was invented in 1890 in Invercargill, New Zealand. The solid form—also called soluble coffee, coffee extract, or coffee powder—is produced commercially by freeze-drying or spray-drying the brewed coffee, and it can also be sold as a concentrated liquid.

Compared to coffee made from ground beans, instant coffee has several practical benefits: it dissolves quickly in hot water, weighs and ships more compactly for the same number of servings, and lasts a long time on the shelf (though it can spoil if it gets damp). Many people consider the taste and quality of brewed coffee to be better, but instant coffee creates less mess since there are no grounds to dispose of. One study found that, when looking at the entire process of making a single cup, instant coffee has a smaller environmental impact than drip filter coffee or capsule espresso, setting aside differences in taste and appeal.

The global instant coffee market was valued at US$4.16 billion in 2026.

**History**

During the American Civil War, a concentrated mix of coffee, milk, and sugar called Essence of Coffee was made for the Union army. A teaspoon of it was added to hot water, but it had the consistency of axle grease and was so unpopular that production stopped. In 1876, Paterson & Sons Ltd in Scotland began producing Camp Coffee, a liquid essence of coffee and chicory.

The invention of powdered soluble instant coffee was filed on January 28, 1889, and patented in 1890 by David Strang of Invercargill, New Zealand, under patent number 3518. He called it "Strang's Soluble Coffee Powder" and used a "Dry Hot-Air" process. Some modern sources credit French writer Alphonse Allais with the invention instead. Earlier, the invention was often attributed to Satori Kato, a Japanese scientist working in Chicago who introduced a powdered version at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Shortly after, George Constant Louis Washington developed his own process and began selling it commercially in 1910, but the product was expensive for its quality and tended to absorb moisture from the air.

In 1938, Nestlé released a more stable, free-flowing instant coffee powder under the Nescafé brand. Spray-drying coffee extract had been difficult because the high levels of sugars and acids made the powder sticky and pasty. Nestlé’s chemist Max Morgenthaler solved this by mixing 50% soluble coffee solids with 50% maltodextrins, which allowed the mixture to be spray-dried into a stable powder. Nescafé became widely known during World War II when it was included in U.S. Army rations. After the war, other companies like Douwe Egberts Moccona began making soluble coffee, and consumption grew quickly.

In the 1950s, General Foods introduced an instant coffee made from 100% coffee solids, without added carbohydrates like maltodextrins. By extracting coffee with water at high temperatures (up to 175°C) and under pressure, larger polysaccharides naturally in the beans were released, making spray-drying possible without additives. This product could be called pure soluble coffee. Early spray-dried powders had very small particles and were dusty. Around 1968, manufacturers began agglomerating the powder into granules.

The first freeze-dried instant coffee was launched in 1963 by General Foods under the Maxwell House brand. Starting in the mid-1960s, manufacturers began capturing aroma compounds from the roasting and extraction process and adding them back to the finished product to improve flavor.

**Use**

A 2009 paper on green coffee stated that nearly 50% of the world’s coffee production (as green coffee) is used to make instant coffee.

**As a beverage**

Instant coffee is sold as a powder or granules in glass or plastic jars, sachets, or tins. Hot water, milk, or even cold water (for iced coffee like the Greek frappé) is added, along with milk and sugar if desired. The strength depends on the ratio of coffee to liquid. In countries like Portugal, Spain, and India, it is often mixed with hot milk instead of water. Instant coffee is also sold pre-mixed with non-dairy creamer and sugar; this is popular in South Korea, where it is called "coffee mix."

**Market**

The global instant coffee market was valued at US$34.16 billion in 2026. In 2025, Asia-Pacific held 39% of the market, Europe 28%, North America 24%, and the Middle East and Africa 9%. A 2014 article reported that instant coffee made up 1% of coffee sales in Italy, 4% in France, 7% in the U.S., and 77% in the UK. The high figure in the UK was attributed to U.S. troops introducing instant coffee there during World War II, as coffee was a novelty to a traditionally tea-drinking nation.

**Non-beverage uses**

Instant coffee is also used as a flavoring in baked goods, candies, ice creams, and savory dishes like stews. It is one of the possible ingredients in Café.