Instant Coffee Options in Australia

[AlaskaJono]

Thanks for the suggestions both of you.

My only concern with the filtering was in regards to bleach or other contaminants but I will give this a try and see how it goes.

I was doing some reading yesterday and apparently companies are allowed up to 10% of the grounds to contain insects etc (which is commonly cockroaches?). I hope this is just a myth, not sure the validity of it.

Hey Omen, which city are you in? or nearby in OZ? I have some contacts .... . Which might help...might not.

But definitely do keep experimenting. Paper filters do some of this filtering as @GTW stated, I totally agree. This method is simple and direct. Ground coffee into paper filter inside some funnel, and Voilà! Try this same coffee with cold brew method - which is more acidity reducing, and you have a great experiment.

Also, I have been buying green beans for almost 20 years and no insects also. Some tiny stones sometimes, but rare.

 

[lilsticky]

Coles organic

 

[Omen]

As I read somewhere, pesticide residues in coffee are denatured by roasting. So much for insects. 10% seems extreme. When I buy green coffee beans I don't see any. Good hyperbolic sales pitch if you want to one-up the competition.
Read the fine print on coffee paper filters. Oxy bleach/hydrogen peroxide or percarbonate generated bleach should not be problematic. Unbleached brown paper gave a flavor I did not like.

Interesting. The filters I was looking at (unbleached) are brown paper so that's unfortunate. I might try them and if I don't like them try another.

Looking at trying these:

If You Care, Coffee Filters, No. 4 , 100 Filters

au.iherb.com

 

[Omen]

Hey Omen, which city are you in? or nearby in OZ? I have some contacts .... . Which might help...might not.

But definitely do keep experimenting. Paper filters do some of this filtering as @GTW stated, I totally agree. This method is simple and direct. Ground coffee into paper filter inside some funnel, and Voilà! Try this same coffee with cold brew method - which is more acidity reducing, and you have a great experiment.

Also, I have been buying green beans for almost 20 years and no insects also. Some tiny stones sometimes, but rare.

I'm in Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula. That would be awesome if you did... despite drinking coffee since I was like 8 years old this is unchartered territory for me. Also doesn't help still being at a low point of health but at least I'm doing better than I was 6 months ago, just want to sort out this coffee issue so I can get out of this 24/7 inflamed state.

Definitely going to be experimenting a lot. I have to put instant coffee behind me as it's just becoming too difficult to find decent stuff now. 6 years on this organic brand and it always tasted amazing and smooth to me and all of a sudden on a new jar/batch it's bitter and bloating me.

 

[Omen]

Coles organic

Tried it. I was hopeful and wished it worked as it's cheap at $4 per 100g but it didn't agree with me.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[AlaskaJono]

@Omen My coffee contact in Melbourne just recently switched jobs from Coffee Sales to Machine Sales. Different company, but.... will try and get a hold of him this week and get some local suggestions for Organic and/or cold brew.

 

[Omen]

@Omen My coffee contact in Melbourne just recently switched jobs from Coffee Sales to Machine Sales. Different company, but.... will try and get a hold of him this week and get some local suggestions for Organic and/or cold brew.

Awesome. I really appreciate it man, thank you.

 

[teds]

As I read somewhere, pesticide residues in coffee are denatured by roasting. So much for insects. 10% seems extreme. When I buy green coffee beans I don't see any. Good hyperbolic sales pitch if you want to one-up the competition.
Read the fine print on coffee paper filters. Oxy bleach/hydrogen peroxide or percarbonate generated bleach should not be problematic. Unbleached brown paper gave a flavor I did not like.

And @Omen I wouldn’t buy a grinder just yet. You’ll get good FRESH ground coffee if you just go to one of the many local roasters to be found Mornington way. There’s no need to get a bag from coles that was ground 15 years ago in some rando location. Really hope you can find something you like and that works for you- once you have fresh coffee you’ll probably never want instant again! :)

 

[Omen]

And @Omen I wouldn’t buy a grinder just yet. You’ll get good FRESH ground coffee if you just go to one of the many local roasters to be found Mornington way. There’s no need to get a bag from coles that was ground 15 years ago in some rando location. Really hope you can find something you like and that works for you- once you have fresh coffee you’ll probably never want instant again! :)

For sure, I've been checking out some local roasters and going to sample as many different kinds as I can to find what I like and what is easy on my stomach. No intention of buying pre-ground from the stores, not after reading some of the stuff I have read...

This is honestly my hope. I feel like this event happened for a reason (my old trusted instant coffee changing their recipe) - to transition to real coffee. I was going to in 2019 inspired by some of Olive's posts on french press but I didn't have the proper motivation back then I guess. Excited to try some cold brew, will probably make my first batch of concentrate over the weekend.

A family member apparently has some of the instant coffee I was drinking in storage and they are going to pick it up today (this will be from the old batch before they made the changes) so hopefully if they find it I will have some coffee for a month or so that won't cause issues while I'm experimenting with brewing my own because it's actually crazy how much my health has declined not having an agreeable source of coffee. Most people would attempt to be logical and say quit coffee in the meantime but I can't digest food without coffee. Along with digestive enzymes it's the only equilibrium preventing me from being fed through a tube.

 

[Omen]

Unfortunately the family member was in a traffic accident on the way back and is now in ICU.

Sometimes when things are low it's funny and cruel how it all happens at the same time. I was doing delivery driving and the vehicle is totalled so also now looking for a new job... but that is the least of my concerns right now.

Probably won't be posting for a few weeks but I will update eventually.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Acrylamide is a potentially harmful chemical formed when coffee beans are roasted. It is found in all coffees and there isn't a way to avoid it. The highest amounts of Acrylamide are found mostly in instant coffee and lighter roasted coffee but the amounts in each greatly vary. “

What's in Your Coffee? How to Avoid Coffee Toxins and Harmful Pesticides - Holly Roser Fitness

Recently, I shared a coffee protein smoothie recipe with you and investigated what is in coffee? Is coffee bad for you? Is coffee a cup of chemicals?

www.hollyroser.com

 

[Omen]

“Acrylamide is a potentially harmful chemical formed when coffee beans are roasted. It is found in all coffees and there isn't a way to avoid it. The highest amounts of Acrylamide are found mostly in instant coffee and lighter roasted coffee but the amounts in each greatly vary. “

What's in Your Coffee? How to Avoid Coffee Toxins and Harmful Pesticides - Holly Roser Fitness

Recently, I shared a coffee protein smoothie recipe with you and investigated what is in coffee? Is coffee bad for you? Is coffee a cup of chemicals?

www.hollyroser.com

I agree. 99% of instant coffee is rubbish. It just caught me off guard that a brand of organic instant I've tolerated for 7 years, even with my health at some very low points, suddenly messing up my gut on a new jar/batch. I was hoping there may have been another brand out there that was good quality and maybe there is but I'm not going to spend more time trying to find it.

I'm drinking the organic cold drip concentrate that Herbie recommended while I experiment (it tastes smooth and fruity but still not sure how it is going to sit as I just finished it). Making my first batch of cold brew today so will have it with breakfast tomorrow

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

.

I agree. 99% of instant coffee is rubbish. It just caught me off guard that a brand of organic instant I've tolerated for 7 years, even with my health at some very low points, suddenly messing up my gut on a new jar/batch. I was hoping there may have been another brand out there that was good quality and maybe there is but I'm not going to spend more time trying to find it.

I'm drinking the organic cold drip concentrate that Herbie recommended while I experiment (it tastes smooth and fruity but still not sure how it is going to sit as I just finished it). Making my first batch of cold brew today so will have it with breakfast tomorrow

That is weird. You are going to like the cold brew.

 

[AlaskaJono]

@Omen Cool you got it going with the Cold Brew style. Obviously you can try other coffees if this one doesn't sit well with you.


Finally , just a few minutes ago I spoke with my rely in the Coffee Biz after some days of trying...... , and he said that he did not know of any instant coffee 'organic' style. He said that much of the specialty coffee, like 90+%, is organic. As in Grown Organic certified or with organic principles but not cert'd. But because of the 'chain of organic-ness doesn't continue after harvest and/or processing of beans- can't be called certified organic, etc.. Also, it just isn't cost effective, as specialty coffee makes more money by its' designation than does 'certified organic'. (Crazy but true.... I know some organic farmers with the same dilemma....both veggie and beasts).

Bon chance on the job search.

 

[GTW]

The article How To Avoid Coffee Toxins does a misleading dance to avoid addressing the possibility that most of the toxins are denatured at roasting temperatures.

 

[Ynot]

I have a few options
grind roasted beans with a hand grinder and do a pour over using a cheap stainless steel type chemex like device (Coffee Culture 400mL Pour Over Coffee Jug w/ Filter) - just buy fancy beans from places like Single Origin or Roastville Coffee Roasters. I tend to have Colombian beans as they aren't so strong or acidic.
or I use Robert Timms coffee bags! (Colombian) In summer I do a cold brew and just put a bag in a 500mL jug in the fridge. I just drink it (don't dilute it or heat it). Yum!
Then ... if I'm really feeling the heat I will have a vietnamese coffee with "100% soluble" Vietnamese instant coffee with skim condensed milk and ice. I managed to score boxes of the coffee for $1 per box as they were about to expire.

 

[Omen]

@Omen Cool you got it going with the Cold Brew style. Obviously you can try other coffees if this one doesn't sit well with you.


Finally , just a few minutes ago I spoke with my rely in the Coffee Biz after some days of trying...... , and he said that he did not know of any instant coffee 'organic' style. He said that much of the specialty coffee, like 90+%, is organic. As in Grown Organic certified or with organic principles but not cert'd. But because of the 'chain of organic-ness doesn't continue after harvest and/or processing of beans- can't be called certified organic, etc.. Also, it just isn't cost effective, as specialty coffee makes more money by its' designation than does 'certified organic'. (Crazy but true.... I know some organic farmers with the same dilemma....both veggie and beasts).

Bon chance on the job search.

Thanks for all you have contributed here, I appreciate it.

So I did try the cold brew and it definitely was smoother, I didn't do it long enough to know if it would be better on my stomach as for me personally I didn't enjoy it. I've been drinking coffee since I was like 8 years old and I'm very accustomed to the earthy, cocoa(ish) profile of coffee and I find this brew to be completely different (fruity instead of earthy). I almost feel like I'm drinking an alcoholic beverage (taste wise) which I didn't particularly like. Funny thing is since my old instant has been messing with my stomach I actually added an extra 2 cups of coffee a day (up to 5 now) and things have kind of reached an equilibrium - I've actually had some good improvements recently despite sticking with the old stuff. Not sure what is going on but I'm just going to persist and see where I end up, if I am forced to I will go cold brew if it means stopping my health from declining obviously. Easy to transition now I have everything.

Hoping to have a job in the next week or so, just had a couple of interviews. Thanks man.

 

[AlaskaJono]

Thanks for all you have contributed here, I appreciate it.

So I did try the cold brew and it definitely was smoother, I didn't do it long enough to know if it would be better on my stomach as for me personally I didn't enjoy it. I've been drinking coffee since I was like 8 years old and I'm very accustomed to the earthy, cocoa(ish) profile of coffee and I find this brew to be completely different (fruity instead of earthy). I almost feel like I'm drinking an alcoholic beverage (taste wise) which I didn't particularly like. Funny thing is since my old instant has been messing with my stomach I actually added an extra 2 cups of coffee a day (up to 5 now) and things have kind of reached an equilibrium - I've actually had some good improvements recently despite sticking with the old stuff. Not sure what is going on but I'm just going to persist and see where I end up, if I am forced to I will go cold brew if it means stopping my health from declining obviously. Easy to transition now I have everything.

Hoping to have a job in the next week or so, just had a couple of interviews. Thanks man.

No worries Omen. I am drinking a Brazilian coffee now as I write - a yellow bourbon variety. Delish...... I roasted to just 2nd crack, so it is dark but not black and greasy. (City+ or City++ , not French Roast or More...)

For me roasting my own is more important than getting a fancy machine. There are so many varieties, plus the roast makes the coffee's final taste profile, and so many of the 'New Roasters' go for very light and floral roasts. This makes a huge difference in taste/body/caffeine amount, along with the actual coffee bean crop health, and the way to process coffee (Dry/Natural/Wet processing) all contribute to the final product.

One day you may want to roast your own to produce what you like the best! Anyhow, a mate of mine just moved away rom Melbourne, and he had a coffee roasting system - quite lowcost. Hmmmm. Anyhow you are experimenting and finding out what works... so have fun with it!
Cheers, J