I like instant. I can't really tell any difference in taste, and there's almost no 'clean-up' (where brewed coffee means you have to throw away the grounds & the filter, clean out the machine & the coffeepot). But my roommate calls the brewed coffee "real coffee," implying that the instant is 'fake.' I suppose that's because the instant coffee is more like 'coffee-flavored Kool-Aid' while brewing the coffee 'changes the water more,' is that right?
I can tell the different pretty fast. While both taste good, there is a difference. Instant coffee's taste and smell is fairly mild. Normally brewed coffee has a sharper taste and the smell is a bit stronger.
If you drink a LOT of coffee, you can generally tell if something is fresh or instant. Think of it this way, would you rather have ice cream or dehydrated and freeze dried ice cream? Because that's what fresh coffee versus instant coffee is. Instant coffee is dehydrated coffee, and is generally just not as good as fresh. Also while instant coffee has less cafestol (a substance that elevates cholesteral) it's also very high in acrylamide, which is a chemical that causes cancer. They only discovered acrylamide in 2002, so the only thing really explicitly known about it is that is does cause cancer. Fresh coffee also has much more caffeine in it then instant. You can have organic fresh coffee, you can't have organic instant coffee, since instant coffee on principal is full of chemicals. Also, fresh coffee generally has a better taste and richer flavor.
I'm not keen on most brands of instant coffee at all. Whilst I like my coffee strong, instant versions usually taste far too bitter. Fresh coffee has a smoother taste and seems to invigorate me more.
That's kinda scary. So I wonder, is it something like where you'd have to drink a thousand cups a day before there's any real risk? Also, it's probably good to eatLog In while you drink the dangerous coffee (foods that help keep you from forming new blood-vessels which feed the cancer inside).
I share your feeling, OP. I am currently drinking a cup of brewed coffee (with grounds mixed in of course because I don't have the machine and the filters) as I type this and I am wondering myself how stupid am I for not buying instant coffee and instead picked up this troublesome ground coffee. I also feel that the taste of instant coffee not too different from ground coffee and I like the convenience of it since I can buy the ones with added sugar or cream so that I don't have to add it myself. Urgh, I definitely regret buying this ground coffee.
I can tell instant from fresh brewed coffee just by the smell, the freshly brewed one has a really strong and distinctive aroma, it's really good. Instant coffee will smell good and that's it. I'm not sure about this whole acrylamide thing, they say everything will give you cancer these days; meat, deodorant, the sun. I'll still keep drinking my coffee though!
I usually go for instant since I don't have the time to brew a cup and a coffee machine at home is too much. For the most part I don't mind the difference since they're basically both the same in terms of the actual result you're going for which is a boost in a way.
Simple answer for me: Ease & taste. I'm not sure what your brewed coffee brand usually is but if there's no differentiation of taste between the two you're either a smoker or it's genuinely as bad as the taste of instant. I'm speaking of the taste sans milk & sugar. Purest form. The ease of use has never outweighed the taste differences.
Oh wow, I actually thought that this was a no brainer lol For me, there's just no contest; filter coffee all the way. I honestly don't really like instant coffee, and can tell the difference in taste. I mean, I will have it if I have no other option, but instant coffee comes nowhere near filter coffee. Instant also doesn't have that delicious aroma that always floats through the house. I think Kitty Reeves summed up nicely. My assessment of the differences are restricted to taste
I think you'll find a huge difference if you brew it properly, from the tantalizing aroma to the richer taste. I can drink instant if there isn't a choice, because I have to have my coffee. I would still much prefer brewed coffee. There are some decent brands of instant, but I still notice a huge difference. I'm with Lushlala. I don't know how others can not tell the difference.
Perhaps using straight grounds shares some ofLog In! The difference between the grounds & the instant is that the instant is actually 'brewed coffee' that is freeze-dried (while the grounds haven't been 'brewed' yet). I suppose the main difference is that the coffee tastes like 'it's supposed to taste like it does' when you're surrounded by the brewing-smell. I guess it's like chocolate vs. vanilla ice-cream. Chocolate is obviously better, but they're both ice-cream
I can definitely tell the difference between instant coffee and brewed fresh coffee. Instant coffee tastes "flat" and lacks the depth of flavor and aroma that fresh brewed coffee has. I believe it has something to do with the tannin's being altered or affected somehow when converting it to instant. Fresh coffee has a fruity and bitter flavor to it, instant coffee just has a bland bitterness to it, like dirt. Our workplace switched over from Bunn coffee makers, and pouches of fresh ground coffee to this stupid instant coffee machine that spit out instant powdered coffee and it was awful. Instant tea is even worse, since they add stuff like dextrose to it, to help keep it more powdery. It has a bland chalky taste to it that is just awful. I suppose if you're drinking instant tea mix with lemon and sugar already added to it, it will cover this up to some extent, but for those of us who like plain tea it's very noticeable.
I don't think instant coffee is technically fake like Kool aid is but there is a significant difference between it and the brewed version. Like everything, though, it all just boils down to taste and practicality. I personally like instant coffee a bit more, though I'm not really that much of a coffee drinker to begin with so that may have something to do with it.
Oh my goodness. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this question. Let's see. Instant coffee tastes horrible. Brewed coffee tastes wonderful. Brewed coffee gives off an enticing aroma that you can't resist. Instant coffee...Doesn't. It is NOT the same. The difference is extremely noticeable (or maybe I'm just a coffee snob). I can tell the difference between Starbucks and Maxwell House.
Instant coffee tastes different even between brands. Brewed coffee is more creamy in their presentation. And this creaminess I associate with better taste and more detailed preparation. Both the instant coffee and the brewed ones can both be capuccino flavor and still they would taste different. I usually don't comment on the taste of my coffee, but I prefer cold drinks than hot coffee cups.
I like iced coffee too "Like my coffee like I like my women: cold & black " Like I said, I don't mind the difference in taste too much; the only difference I perceive is 'the clean-up after'---it's not too "laborious" after you make it a habit, but if I'm doing the clean-up (& it's just me rather than a breakfast-party) then of-course I'll opt for the instant.
I do agree that instant coffee will do if there is no brewed coffee, but I prefer brewed coffee. Yes, there is a difference at least for me there. Brewed coffee has a fresher more robust flavor. Wheras instant well it still has a coffee taste but just not a good at least not in my opinion. But I do keep instant coffee on hand in case I am ever out of brewed coffee or my coffee maker breaks down. Like I said its a good alternative.
