Is Blue Bottle’s instant coffee as good as brewed coffee or espresso? You may have already tried it without knowing
- Coffee brand Blue Bottle, founded in San Francisco, launched its instant espresso in 2022, and claims it is more consistent than regular espresso
- Hong Kong International Airport was chosen as the launch pad for its first instant coffee kiosk, and there’s not an espresso machine in sight
Think of instant coffee and it’s unlikely you’d associate the product with anything artisanal. More likely, it’s a term that brings to mind dusty jars, destined to become rocket fuel for the cash-strapped and time poor.
In addition, research in recent years has also pointed towards the health risk from drinking instant coffee thanks to high levels of the potentially cancer-causing substance acrylamide; while also present in freshly brewed coffee, instant coffee can have more than double the amount in comparison.
Instant coffee got a quick boost at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it was the star item in the viral drink known as dalgona coffee – a recipe that whips instant coffee together with sugar and a bit of water to create a silky, thick, caramelised foam that would sit proudly on top of a glass of iced milk.
But instant coffee might get a new lease of life and a revarnished reputation if the innovations of California-based coffee giant Blue Bottle Coffee trickle into the mainstream.
Two years ago, the brand entered the realm of instant espresso granules, which was billed as the next big thing in coffee.
