No doubt about it: regular brewed coffee offers greater health benefits than instant. But is instant better for you than the former? The answer depends on how and what ingredients are added to it; instant typically comes in individual packets and can be altered through adding milk, sweeteners or other additives that alter its nutritional value. To help you decide whether instant is best suited for you or you would rather sit back and sip from freshly ground beans directly, read up on both options here to gain some perspective of their respective advantages and disadvantages.

How Does Instant Coffee Work? Instant coffee is made by dehydrating liquid coffee into powder or granules through various processes; spray drying is most popular, though vacuum or freeze-drying may also be utilized. Each processing method affects the types and amounts of biologically active ingredients (like chlorogenic acids, polyphenols and antioxidants) present in the final product; some instant brands even fortify with more of these active components post-drying to increase taste while increasing health benefits.

The first form of instant coffee dates back to 1861 when an American inventor named George Constant Louis Washington first created it by blowing hot air over a freshly brewed pot of java until it dried into powder form. By 1900 he had patented his invention and begun mass producing it under the name Red E Coffee; its initial flavor being quite bland and bitter; nevertheless it marked an important step in its eventual creation as instant coffee we know today.

According to the USDA, one cup of instant coffee generally contains no more than five calories and no more than five grams of fat; however, that figure can differ significantly depending on its ingredients; Nescafe’s 3-in-1 instant coffee sachets include sugar, palm oil, milk powder and flavorings that total 65 calories and 1.9 grams of fat per mug!

Roasted coffee beans contain vitamins and minerals, but acrylamide, an industrial chemical linked to cancer and nervous system issues in animal studies, may also form during roasting. While drinking instant coffee could increase your exposure, avoiding other high-acrylamide foods like French fries or potato chips could decrease it significantly.

No matter how you prepare your coffee, moderation should always be your goal. Both brewed and instant can provide a boost to energy and mood but both carry risks; aim to consume no more than four cups daily to reap health benefits without risk. Always consult with a healthcare provider prior to trying any new drinks or supplements in order to ensure safety for you.