Coffee Freeze Dryer
Coffee is an aromatic black beverage that has been consumed for over 1,000 years. For many of us, it has become an integral part of our lives.
Freeze-drying technology preserves the flavor and quality of coffee, extends the shelf life of the product, adds value and reduces transportation costs. This can be achieved on a large scale with the large coffee freeze dryer, which is the heart of most freeze-dried instant coffee plants.
Large coffee freeze dryers offer tremendous advantages in terms of meeting the high-volume production needs of coffee companies and ease of maintenance, and we offer complete freeze drying solutions to help companies expand the impact, growth and profitability of their business.
How is freeze dried coffee made?
Freeze-drying coffee is a gentle process in which coffee concentrate is frozen to a solid state and the water is then sublimated under vacuum. Freeze-drying allows for optimal product quality in terms of aroma recovery and good solubility, resulting in a freeze-dried coffee extract with a moisture content of <5%.
The coffee beans are first roasted, ground and solubilized to obtain a highly concentrated liquid that is cooled to a consistency of ⁓0°C. The coffee extract is then dried to obtain the final product. At this stage, gas is added to adjust the bulk density and ensure the color of the instant coffee. The product is further cooled to a temperature of -45°C. The rate of cooling affects the size of the ice crystals, i.e. the color of the coffee, and influences the entire freeze-drying process. For example, rapid cooling (30-120 seconds) produces smaller ice crystals and lighter colored frozen coffee, while slow cooling (10-180 minutes) produces larger ice crystals and darker colored frozen coffee. The frozen coffee cubes are crushed and ground into granules, and then the appropriate heat is applied in a vacuum environment so that the solids are converted directly into gases without going through the liquid process.
The entire freeze-drying process is very precise, requiring control of temperature, pressure and time to ensure that the flavor and aroma compounds in the coffee are retained as much as possible. Through the multi-step freeze-drying process, the end result is a strong and unpretentious, highly concentrated freeze-dried coffee extract.
Freeze Dried Coffee vs. Instant Coffee
The aroma of coffee is a complex mixture of volatile compounds, while the non-volatile compounds give rise to acidity, bitterness and astringency. The whole process of making coffee is like alchemy, and attention must be paid to the finest details, as good craftsmanship can lead to high quality products and eliminate negative flavors.
Most traditional instant coffee production methods use spray drying to produce instant coffee granules, which reduces the flavor and aroma of the coffee, has a shorter shelf life and sometimes a “burnt” aftertaste.
Freeze-dried coffee is richer in flavor and aroma than traditional instant coffee and can better preserve the original characteristics of the coffee. Studies have shown that freeze-dried coffee has a marked improvement in quality, with an excellent aroma, full-bodied taste and long aftertaste that is comparable to freshly brewed coffee, making it a popular choice among coffee lovers.
Freeze-drying technology can also be used to produce freeze-dried extracts of raw and roasted coffee for the development of specialty infused instant coffee formulations. Freeze-drying technology preserves heat-stable compounds such as chlorogenic acid and improves sensory quality, resulting in exciting freeze-dried coffee products with antioxidant potential.
Benefits of freeze-dried coffee
- Preservation of flavor and aroma: The coffee freeze dryer’s ability to convert the water in the coffee directly into steam at low temperatures, without passing through a liquid phase, helps preserve the original flavor and aroma of the coffee.
- Extended shelf life: Freeze-drying treatment can effectively remove water from coffee and reduce the water content of the product, thus extending the shelf life of coffee and making it more stable.
- Convenient to transport and store: Freeze-dried coffee becomes light and easy to store after treatment, so consumers can conveniently carry and store it, which is suitable for outdoor activities or traveling.
- Quick preparation: Freeze-dried coffee can be dissolved by adding hot water, which makes the preparation process easy and quick, suitable for people with busy lives.
- Multipurpose: Freeze-dried coffee can not only be brewed directly into hot coffee for drinking, but can also be used as an ingredient to make iced coffee, coffee desserts, etc., with more culinary applications.
Coffee Freeze Dryer Recommendation
Coffee freeze drying usually requires the use of large-scale production of coffee freeze dryer, based on coffee freeze drying, we recommend HUCHUAN® commercial freeze dryer series and HUCHUAN® industrial freeze dryer series for your choice.