Is Instant Coffee “Real” Coffee?

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Elitism is something that creeps its way into almost every corner of our culture, and hot beverages are no exception. Coffee, in particular, is a very testy subject when it comes to what’s considered “real” coffee and what’s considered “fake”. If you ask a coffee purist, they’ll tell you that instant coffee isn’t real coffee by any stretch of the imagination. But does this opinion really hold water?

The Purist Take

The process of making coffee with roasted coffee beans is considerably different than with instant coffee. With the former, you’re literally filtering hot water through roasted coffee beans and delicious coffee drips out as a result. Instant coffee does nothing remotely close to this. So yes, to a certain extent, these purists are correct. However, something else needs to be said as well.

Enjoy Your Instant Coffee

Although instant coffee might not be the most authentic version of the drink, that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed. In fact, instant coffee can be delicious in the right context. Not only that, but it does taste like its own version of coffee, albeit not the most legitimate one. So if you love your instant coffee, drink it proudly!