When I tell you not to drink instant coffee, I’m not just being a snob. Instant coffee is bad on so many levels, not just in the quality stakes. Yet, it’s all that some offices across the country supply for their employees.
Instant coffee arose during coffee’s first wave, when shrewd marketing gave birth to the mass consumption of coffee in homes and offices. These commercials from the 1950s and 60s prove how misguided, sexist and absurd that marketing was. Instant coffee emerged at a time when there was an appetite for mass, factory-produced coffee. It was fashionable and modern. It’s neither of those things now, so why are 75% of people in the UK still habitually drinking instant coffee?
‘the instant gratification appealed to the coffee buying traditional house-wife. She could reduce her housework load and make coffee for her jerk of a husband as, Folgers put it in their 1950s commercials, “without coffee-making lessons”’
It’s a question I’ve often asked myself. Many people I’ve spoken to drink it because it’s quicker and easier to prepare – just add hot water and you can get back to your desk ASAP. Others because they just want a caffeine hit and have no interest in origin or ritual. Some can’t be bothered to dispose of their used coffee grounds. Then there are those who prefer the taste, or can’t tell the difference from freshly-brewed Arabica…?!
These are all understandable, though not all acceptable, reasons.
My job in this column is to try and show you another way, that #betterofficecoffee is worth it. What’s more, that it has an impact on the bottom line, too. So to all those directors, managers and office administrators who think instant coffee is an acceptable office coffee provision, you are wrong!
Here’s a few good reasons why you shouldn’t drink instant coffee:
Why You Shouldn’t Drink Instant Coffee
- It’s bitter, acidic and has very little real flavor. Instant coffee is made from low-quality, flavourless robusta beans, as opposed to the better Arabica that you can buy from coffee shops and companies like Honest Coffees. Read some of my past columns to share in the joy of high-quality, organic and fair trade Arabica…
- It’s unnatural and factory-produced, using freeze-drying and evaporation techniques, not to mention additives and preservatives, to make the dry crystals you spoon into your cup.
- Carcinogens. Instant coffee can be high in Acrymalide, a chemical compound linked to cancer.
Brewing fresh, high-quality coffee in the office with love and appreciation for the bean and the people who grow is easy, affordable and totally worth it. Sourcing good beans, grinding them fresh and brewing rituals and techniques all make for a better cup of coffee in the office and, let’s face it, a better life!
Do you want to stop drinking instant and start enjoying #betterofficecoffee? Can’t persuade your boss or don’t know where to start? Read my complete, step-by-step guide to #betterofficecoffee. Download your FREE copy below today, and make this the first day of the rest of your coffee life.
Thanks for reading, see you all in a couple of weeks!
Obviously you can’t beat freshly brewed coffee but I do take issue with this post. I agree, there is a lot wrong with a lot of instant coffees but instant coffee doesn’t have to be a lacklustre quick fix for your caffeine cravings. Not all instant coffee is made from low-quality, flavourless robusta beans. You can easily find it made from 100% premium Arabica coffee. And just because it’s been made instant to suit certain people’s lifestyle and preferences this doesn’t always remove the love and appreciation for the bean!