Is filter coffee better for you than instant coffee?

Blending, roasting and brewing all contribute to coffee’s complex chemical composition. For example, brewing creates hundreds of different compounds. Each one weighs less than 0.3 per cent of the dry weight of the coffee but may still contribute significantly to coffee’s effects, and may act in tandem to enhance the bean’s health benefits. Most instant coffee is prepared by freeze drying and as a result many of these compounds will be retained. “My sense is that there is no appreciable difference between instant and brewed coffee if they are in similar concentration,” says Martin. However, decaffeinated instant coffee has between 30-50 per cent fewer compounds than filtered or caffeinated instant coffee.

Most studies which focus on the effects of caffeine in coffee give volunteers instant decaffeinated coffee and then add caffeine to create a standard dose. This could, of course, alter the results of psychological tests, as Hindmarch point outs: ”Instant coffee doesn’t have the same taste as brewed coffee and the taste can add a lot to the psychological effect. Drinking instant coffee is not like sitting down and having a latte. “ He adds that some of coffee’s properties can be attributed to psychology. “We wouldn’t say, ‘Let’s go to the bar and have a caffeine pill,’” he says, concluding that coffee’s taste, and it’s preparation all contribute to how we react to our daily brew.