Production Process
We embed the latest technology and R&D into every step of our instant coffee production process. To find out more, check out our interactive graphic below.
Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to our team.
Green Coffee
Green coffee beans are the only raw material used to produce the perfect instant coffee. We carefully select a suitable blend of beans, which undergo a series of tests to remove any possible foreign matter before manufacturing begins.
Roasting
Green coffee beans are roasted according to precisely controlled heat and duration parameters to achieve the desired level of roasting. During roasting, the beans gradually shift from a light to dark brown color, unleashing the first stage of the coffee flavor we all love.
Grinding
To intensify the flavors, roasted coffee beans are ground into a powder – similar to that used to make filter coffee.
Extraction & Centrifuge
The taste and flavor of the ground coffee is extracted using water at high pressure – a similar process to that of an everyday coffee machine. The liquid coffee is then passed through a centrifuge to remove the remaining non-soluble solids, yielding a particle-free coffee solution.
Coffee Grounds
Once the coffee flavor and aroma have been extracted, the remaining coffee grounds are removed from the process entirely. These coffee grounds can be repurposed – as natural fertilizers for crops, for example.
Aroma Recovery
Certain components of coffee aroma may be lost from the liquid coffee solution at earlier stages. Thanks to the closed-loop manufacturing process, the aroma can be retained and added back in, which preserves the natural flavors and aromas successfully.
Concentration
Either heat or freeze concentration is used to remove the majority of the water from the liquid coffee, resulting in a more concentrated coffee solution.
Liquid Extract
Although the main aim of this process is to produce soluble coffee, we can also turn the concentrated liquid extract into a semi-finished product. The liquid coffee can be packaged in metallic drums or other packaging types for liquids used in food and beverage applications.
Freeze Drying
The concentrated coffee extract is laid flat on a surface as it passes through a freeze-drying tunnel. The tunnel requires a temperature of about -50°C and a high-pressure environment, which allows the liquid to solidify into hard brown plates.
Crushing
At the end of the tunnel, the solid brown plates are carefully crushed into small and regular dried coffee particles.
Spray Drying
The concentrated coffee extract is poured from the top of a spray-drying tower while hot air is blown from the bottom. This causes water to evaporate from the coffee extract, leaving a dried powder with less than 5% moisture. This spray-dried coffee is considered a shelf-stable product and is ready for packing.
Agglomeration
Agglomeration is an optional additional process after spray drying, which is carried out in a high-pressure environment where the powder particles agglomerate into larger clusters without increasing in moisture content. This agglomerated coffee is considered a shelf-stable product and is ready to be packed.
Sublimation
The coffee particles are spread out on trays in a low-pressure chamber at controlled temperatures. This causes the water contained in these solid particles to transform directly into a gas, without passing through a liquid state – a process known as sublimation – which leaves the particles with less than 5% moisture. This freeze-dried coffee is considered a shelf-stable product and is ready for packing.