Method of making an improved instant coffee

A method for preparing a soluble instant coffee composition from roast and ground coffee comprising the steps of:

• (a) uniformly wetting a semi-bed of roast and ground coffee while the coffee is in a state of mechanical fluidization, with from about 0.1 to about 0.9 parts water per part of roast and ground coffee, said water being at a temperature of from about 32.degree. F. to about 110.degree. F., said roast and ground coffee having a particle size of from about 5 to about 800 microns;
• (b) contacting the mechanically fluidized roast and ground coffee with from about 0.005 to about 0.05 parts steam, per part of roast and ground coffee, thereby to provide volatiles-laden steam and devolatilized roast and ground coffee, said contact being conducted under an absolute pressure of from about 5 to about 100 mm of mercury, the steam having a temperature of from about 32.degree. F. to about 110.degree. F., said roast and ground coffee making contact with said steam for about 0.1 to about 45 minutes;
• (c) collecting the volatiles-laden steam as a frost by condensation at a temperature of from about -100.degree. F. to about -320.degree. F. and at an absolute pressure of from about 4 to about 80 mm of mercury;
• (d) melting the frost to form a volatiles-laden extract by contacting the frost with at least an equal weight of an aqueous coffee extract having a solids content of from about 25% to about 65%;
• (e) forming an aqueous slurry of the devolatilized roast and ground coffee and from about 2 parts to about 10 parts of water by dry weight of coffee, said slurry having a temperature of from about 80.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F., and gently agitating the slurry with a low shear agitation system so as to provide a substantially uniform suspension and an extract having a soluble coffee solids content of about 4% to about 15%, and wherein said soluble coffee solids are about 18% to about 27% of said roast and ground coffee on a dry weight basis, said low shear agitation system maintaining a substantially emulsion-free slurry, separating the aqueous extract from released coffee oil and extracted coffee grounds;
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• (f) drying the aqueous extracts of steps (d) and (e) to dry and soluble coffee powders;
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• (g) combining said powders to provide said instant coffee composition.