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Comparison of instant coffee/freeze-dried coffee/capsule coffee/ear bag/cold extract espresso liquor and freshly ground coffee

Published: 2026-08-21 Author:

Last Updated: 2026/08/21, Nowadays, coffee forms have long been varied. They not only have differences in price, but the processing technology behind them also determines the final taste and health risks. If you ask Qianjie to make an unofficial ranking of mainstream coffee products on the market based on their comprehensive taste and flavor, we will definitely

Nowadays, coffee forms have long been varied. They not only have differences in price, but the processing technology behind them also determines the final taste and health risks.

If you ask Qianjie to make an unofficial ranking of mainstream coffee products on the market based on their comprehensive taste and flavor, we will definitely put freshly ground coffee at the top of the list, with ear bags and capsule coffee ranking second at the top, while cold-extracted espresso liquor is the middle of the list. As for freeze-dried coffee powder and instant coffee, they belong to the bottom "NPC" and "finished" respectively. As for why it is sorted in this way, Qianjie will use an article to explain it clearly to you in one go today.

The first echelon: freshly ground coffee

Freshly ground coffee, as the name suggests, is freshly ground coffee beans and brewed on site. Since it uses complete coffee raw materials for extraction, coffee grounds need to be filtered. At the same time, because it is freshly ground and brewed and no additional ingredients are added, the aroma can be retained in the coffee most completely, which makes it the richest taste and is more in line with our needs for healthy drinks.

There are not only a variety of methods for freshly ground coffee, but also a variety of flavors. Hand-brewed coffee, espresso coffee, French press pot, mocha pot, siphon pot, Aero press... as well as cold extract, ice drop, etc. The most common production methods can all be classified into the category of freshly ground coffee.

As a concept closely linked to boutique coffee, freshly ground coffee is often the first choice for flavor seekers, and it is also the most recommended category for novices when starting, because it can better help everyone accumulate sensory tasting and basic knowledge.

If you want to learn to rush with your hands, you can buy Qianjie Indonesian Mantinin, Qianjie Yega Shefi, Qianjie Colombia Cymbidium, Qianjie Brazilian Hirado... These coffee beans with high recognition can only be experienced by grinding and soaking;

If you are making espresso coffee, you recommend special espresso beans such as Qianjie Black Cocoa Basic Blend, Qianjie Classic Blend, and Qianjie Strawberry Sugar Espresso Blend. Only freshly ground and freshly extracted can the concentrated coffee have the essence. Oil and mellow taste.

The second echelon: ear bags and capsule coffee

If the purpose of the first echelon is to pursue flavor, then this group is more to provide convenience. Ear bags and capsule coffee will be brewed by grinding beans into powder in advance and using filtering tools. The convenient design can make it easier for us to drink a freshly brewed delicious refreshing drink quickly and easily.

Their extraction principle is actually the same as the hand-brewed and Italian style of freshly ground coffee. They both adopt an addition-free processing mode, so the coffee retains its original flavor and nutrition, and is highly selective. The difference is that because the powder is ground in advance, some complex techniques and parameters are eliminated. As long as we have hot water, cups or capsule coffee machines, we can achieve coffee freedom anywhere. The disadvantage is that the aroma will pass over time and accelerate dissipation.

Third echelon: espresso/cold extract coffee liquor

Espresso liquor and cold extract coffee liquor are obtained by high-pressure extraction and low-temperature immersion (filtration) respectively. The entire process requires operation in an aseptic purification workshop, and then lock-filled or sealed in bags. Because it is a prefabricated version of coffee liquor and no other substances are added, it has a short shelf life and the taste will be closer to the original taste of coffee.

It should be noted that some cold-extracted coffee liquids on the market may be added with sugar, preservatives and other ingredients. The price may be cheaper, but it affects health, so be careful to distinguish when purchasing.

The fourth echelon: freeze-dried coffee powder

Judging from the production process, freeze-dried coffee is actually a kind of instant. However, compared with traditional instant instant, freeze-dried coffee has lower production efficiency and higher cost, so the price will be more expensive.

The full name of freeze-drying is "freeze-drying", and its principle is the sublimation of ice crystals. The coffee is first dissolved into a concentrate with a concentration of about 65%, then condensed in an environment at-5 ° C, turned into a paste, and then transferred to the freezer at-40~-50 ° C, where the coffee slurry is condensed into hard pieces. Break into small particles of 2~3 mm. Finally, these particles are sent into a vacuum drying chamber for heating and drying, and finally they can transform into freeze-dried coffee.

Since the entire process is in a low-temperature environment, some of the aroma substances of the coffee can be retained, so some coffee brands use better Arabica beans instead of Robsta to produce flavored freeze-dried products. Of course, costs will also increase due to complex processes and expensive materials.

Level 5: Instant Instant

To produce traditional instant coffee, first ground the roasted coffee beans into powder to dissolve the substances inside. Then the coffee liquid will be transformed into countless small water droplets through the nozzle and sprayed into the high-temperature drying bin. The water will evaporate, and the rest will be the instant coffee powder formed into a powdery solid.

Due to the high-temperature processing, most of the flavors in coffee completely disappear, leaving only the bitter coffee flavor. Therefore, the raw materials for instant production are usually mainly Robusta beans with poor taste, and then a large amount of vegetable fat powder and sugar are added to dilute the bitterness, thus turning into products such as "two-in-one" and "three-in-one". This is why instant became synonymous with "low-end coffee" because early versions of this type of instant were unhealthy.

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