It’s not the first time we’ve opened the instant coffee drawer and realized we’ve run out. On those occasions we think if it is a good idea to use ground coffee as a substitute or if we should use it in a coffee maker.
In a technical sense, you can use ground coffee as a substitute for instant. When we add water to ground coffee, the extraction process begins instantly, and that extraction process is what results in a cup of coffee.
Instant coffee is dehydrated brewed coffee. When hot water is added to dehydrated coffee crystals, they instantly rehydrate, making for an easy brewing experience. In contrast, ground coffee still needs to undergo the brewing process to extract the flavors, aromas, mouthfeel, and caffeine from the coffee beans.
Contains more caffeine
The main advantage of drinking ground coffee like instant coffee is that it is an easy solution if you don’t have a coffee maker or instant coffee. Also, this technique tends to create a different coffee texture that can be tantalizing to the taste buds.
Coffee beans contain two natural oils called cafestol and kahweol. Also known as diterpenes, these oily substances, which are usually filtered out when we use a filter, stick to the cup when we make such a coffee. Each cup of unfiltered beer contains between 3 and 6 milligrams of diterpenes. This could be a good thing because some research shows that cafestol and kahweol may have anti- inflammatory and anti-cancer properties by blocking the activation of carcinogens.
Additionally, drinking ground coffee brewed as instant coffee will increase the amount of caffeine consumed. Although this is not a bad thing, some people are more sensitive to caffeine, and it can cause insomnia, nervousness, heart palpitations, and jitters. So if we are susceptible to these caffeine-related side effects, this preparation method may not be for us.
How to use ground coffee as instant coffee
Whether we don’t have instant coffee and are in a pinch, or just don’t want to use a coffee maker, we can follow these tips:
- Boil 1 cup of water.
- Let cool for a minute.
- Pour it over a tablespoon or two of ground coffee (depending on how strong you like your coffee).
- Stir well and let stand for a minute before drinking.
Although this unfiltered process is quick, simple, and convenient, it is not without its drawbacks. Unfortunately, there will always be some grounds floating around with this method because the grounds don’t dissolve like instant coffee. To reduce this we can strain the coffee after having mixed it with water or pour it into another cup when it is ready.
