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Does freeze-dried coffee become popular because of "cool techs" or freshness?

Published: 2026-04-07 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/07, In the past, when people mentioned instant coffee, people immediately thought of Nestl é, Maxwell, Old Street Farm, and so on, which are the old brands that promote the popularization of coffee and the bottom members of the "coffee disdain chain." Today, when it comes to "instant coffee", the related words have become three and a half meals, Yongpu, Sumida and other new words.

In the past, when people mentioned instant coffee, people immediately thought of Nestl é, Maxwell, Old Street Farm, and so on, which are the old brands that promote the popularization of coffee and the bottom members of the "coffee disdain chain."

Today, when it comes to "instant coffee", the related words have become three and a half, Yongpu, Sumida and other new brands. Instant coffee with the identity of "freeze-dried coffee", coupled with the description of various flavors in boutique coffee, will position it closer to "high-end" freshly ground coffee. Obviously, it also belongs to the category of instant coffee, but its price is 4-7 times higher than that of traditional instant products. Where is the "fragrance" of freeze-dried coffee?

What's the difference between freeze-dried coffee and traditional instant coffee?

In terms of production process, instant coffee can be divided into two categories: high temperature spray drying (traditional instant coffee) and freeze drying (freeze dried coffee). The former has high efficiency and low cost, while the latter has low efficiency and high cost.

In the production of traditional instant coffee, the roasted coffee beans are first dissolved in water, and then the coffee liquid is sprayed into numerous small water droplets through the spray head and sprayed into a high-temperature drying chamber, and the water evaporates, leaving behind instant coffee powder that forms a powdered solid. Due to high temperature processing, most of the flavor of the coffee will be lost, leaving only the bitter coffee flavor. Therefore, it is generally combined with the end of fat planting into "two-in-one", "three-in-one" and other products.

The principle of freeze-drying is the sublimation of ice crystals. The coffee is first dissolved into a concentrate (coffee pulp) with a concentration of about 65%, then condensed in an environment of-5 degrees Celsius, turned into a paste, and then transferred to a freezer of-40 to-50 degrees Celsius. When the coffee condenses into a lump, it is broken to small particles of 2-3mm. Finally, the particles are sent to the vacuum drying chamber for slow heating and drying. in the vacuum, the water will be sublimated and discharged, and the dried coffee particles will become freeze-dried coffee.

As the whole process is in a low temperature environment, the aromatic substances of coffee can be better retained, and the color and taste of coffee can be better restored after brewing.

Where's the freeze-dried coffee fire?

In 2018, as a "new species", freeze-dried coffee began to enter the eyes of consumers.

In August 2018, freeze-dried coffee leader brand "three and a half" officially launched Tmall, and in just a few months, he had a place in the category dominated by the traditional brand of instant coffee. Data show that sales of double 12 and three half-Tmall flagship stores in 2018 are second only to Nestl é. By Singles Day in 2019, this new coffee brand became the first coffee category in Tmall's double 11 coffee category and the first domestic brand to top the list of coffee sales.

The positioning of three and a half meals is "boutique instant coffee", focusing on coffee facilitation and upgrading for instant coffee. It takes restoring coffee flavor as the selling point, and "quality + convenience + freshness" makes it quick to find the consumer market. The freeze-dried instant coffee billed as "boutique coffee" has not only become the "new favorite" of the capital, but also developed into an important branch of the Chinese coffee market. More and more traditional coffee brands or catering brands have cut into the market segment of "boutique instant coffee".

According to the sales of Tmall coffee category in 2022, the sales of freeze-dried instant coffee exceeded 1 billion yuan, an increase of more than 35% over the previous year, and the number of freeze-dried coffee shops increased by nearly 30% year on year. Obviously, this category is still very popular with consumers.

In fact, the popularity of boutique instant coffee is no accident.

In 2018, with the rise of boutique instant coffee, Rui Xing is spending money to "treat" Chinese people to drink coffee. As a result, users who have developed coffee consumption habits have higher requirements for coffee quality. Based on this, the traditional instant coffee represented by Nestle and Maxwell can no longer meet the needs of consumers, and has been labeled as "unhealthy" because of the additives such as cream and saccharin in the ingredients.

Compared with traditional instant coffee, freeze-dried coffee brands have not only "improved" the coffee flavor in technology, but also improved the choice of raw coffee beans. Freeze-dried coffee, led by three and a half meals, has implanted a new concept for consumers, creating a category different from the "traditional instant" category, coupled with trendy packaging in line with the aesthetic appreciation of young people, which is naturally more in line with the needs of the public.

FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou China, selling freshly roasted beans from its own farm in Yunnan as well as dozens of carefully selected single-origin beans from around the world for both pour-over and espresso. The products deliver consistently excellent quality and great value, with shipping within 24 hours. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers, and the beans are now available online at the Tmall 。