Soluble coffee process

A process for forming a vegetable extract, in the absence of a stripping step prior to extraction, in a system comprising a series of cells containing coffee and coffee substitute, by contacting progressively fresher vegetable material countercurrently with an extraction liquid which enters an inlet cell so that the temperature of the inlet cell is in the range of from about 140.degree. C. to 190.degree. C. and is withdrawn in batches from an outlet cell such that the temperature of the outlet cell is in the range of from about 80.degree. C. to 107.degree. C. wherein during or after each draw-off the pair of cells containing the most exhausted vegetable material is disconnected from the system for discharge and reloading and after each draw-off a pair of cells with fresh loads of coffee and coffee substitute is added to the system so that the outlet cell is the second in series and contains the majority of coffee of the pair and wherein the pair of cells containing fresh loads of coffee and coffee substitute contains from about 40 to 80% by weight of coffee and the outlet cell and each succeeding alternate cell contains the majority of coffee of the pair with 70% to 95% by weight of the total coffee present in the pair of cells.