초록 ▼

A process for preparing an instant beverage is provided which includes heating a dried soluble coffee under sufficient pressure thereby forcing gas into internal voids of the dried coffee. The heated dried soluble coffee is cooled and depressurized to produce a dried soluble coffee having internal v

A process for preparing an instant beverage is provided which includes heating a dried soluble coffee under sufficient pressure thereby forcing gas into internal voids of the dried coffee. The heated dried soluble coffee is cooled and depressurized to produce a dried soluble coffee having internal voids filled with pressurized gas. An instant dry beverage comprising soluble coffee having internal voids filled with pressurized gas is also provided, and this product is advantageous in that it produces a beverage with foam on its surface when reconstituted.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of increasing the density and foaming capacity of an instant coffee powder, said method comprising: (a) heating an instant coffee powder, consisting essentially of dried soluble coffee in the form of particles or granules having internal voids, to a temperature at or

What is claimed is: 1. A method of increasing the density and foaming capacity of an instant coffee powder, said method comprising: (a) heating an instant coffee powder, consisting essentially of dried soluble coffee in the form of particles or granules having internal voids, to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules under pressurized gas at a sufficient pressure above atmospheric pressure, thereby forcing gas into internal voids of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules; (b) cooling the heated instant coffee powder to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules; and (c) depressurizing the cooled instant coffee powder, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with entrapped pressurized gas, whereby the instant coffee powder, after subjecting to said method, has increased bulk density and gas content. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) said cooling is conducted while maintaining substantially the same pressure at which said heating occurs. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said (b) cooling cools the dried soluble coffee to around room temperature. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) said heating produces a softened gas-permeable structure. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) said heating is conducted in the range of 20° C. to 150° C. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) said heating is conducted in the range of 40° C. to 130° C. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufficient pressure is in the range of 20 to 3000 psi. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufficient pressure is in the range of 100 to 2000 psi. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufficient pressure is provided by pressurized nitrogen gas. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising (d) drying a liquid coffee extract to form the dried soluble coffee particles or granules for use in said (a) heating. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein said (d) drying the liquid coffee extract comprises injecting gas into the liquid thereby gasifying the liquid coffee prior to drying. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein said (d) drying the liquid coffee comprises drying the liquid coffee which has not been subject to gasification. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with pressurized gas at least at 20 psi. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with pressurized gas in the range of 20 psi to 3000 psi. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with pressurized gas in the range of 100 psi to 2000 psi. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with pressurized gas at least at 100 psi. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has a bulk density in the range of 0.1 to 0.7 g/cc. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has a tap density in the range of 0.1 to 0.7 g/cc. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has a tap density in the range of 0.2 to 0.6 g/cc. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has a skeletal density in the range of 0.3 to 1.4 g/cc. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has a skeletal density in the range of 0.5 to 1.3. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has an internal void volume in the range of 5% to 80%. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the depressurized cooled instant coffee powder has an internal void volume in the range of 10% to 65%. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating instant coffee powder comprises heating the instant coffee powder to a temperature in the range of 60° C. to 110° C. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating the instant coffee powder under sufficient pressure comprising processing at a gas pressure in the range of 500 psi to 1500 psi. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating the instant coffee powder comprises heating the coffee for 10 to 150 minutes at a temperature in the range of 60° C. to 110° C. 27. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating the instant coffee powder comprises heating the coffee powder in the range of 60° C. to 110° C. while the gas pressure is in the range of 500 psi to 1500 psi. 28. The method of claim 1, wherein the dried soluble coffee is selected from the group consisting of spray-dried, gas-injected spray-dried, gas-injected extruded, and freeze-dried coffee. 29. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating the instant coffee powder comprises dried soluble coffee having internal voids prior to said heating. 30. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating is at a temperature which does not produce a melt of the instant coffee powder. 31. The method of claim 5, wherein said (a) heating is conducted in the range of 20° C. to 145° C. 32. The method of claim 1, wherein said (a) heating is conducted below about 150° C. 33. The method of claim 4, wherein said (a) heating produces a softened gas-permeable structure without melting. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the sufficient pressure is generated by a gas. 35. The method of claim 1, wherein the sufficient pressure is at least 500 psi. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the gas is generated by an external source other than the soluble coffee. 37. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant coffee powder consists of dried soluble coffee. 38. A method of increasing the density and foaming capacity of an instant coffee powder, said method consisting essentially of: (a) heating an instant coffee powder, consisting essentially of dried soluble coffee in the form of particles or granules having internal voids, to a temperature at or above the glass transition temperature of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules under pressurized gas at a sufficient pressure above atmospheric pressure, thereby forcing gas into internal voids of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules; (b) cooling the heated instant coffee powder to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the dried soluble coffee particles or granules; and (c) depressurizing the cooled instant coffee powder, wherein the depressurized cooled dried soluble coffee particles or granules have internal voids filled with entrapped pressurized gas, whereby the instant coffee powder, after subjecting to said method, has increased bulk density and gas content. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the instant coffee powder consists of dried soluble coffee. 40. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant coffee powder with entrapped pressurized gas produces foam when dissolved in a liquid due to the release of gas from the dried soluble coffee particles or granules. 41. The method of claim 38, wherein the instant coffee powder with entrapped pressurized gas produces foam when dissolved in a liquid due to the release of gas from the dried soluble coffee particles or granules. 42. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon reconstitution of the instant coffee powder with water, the instant coffee powder with voids filled with entrapped pressurized gas has increased foaming capacity measured by increased foam height produced by release of said increased gas content as compared with the coffee powder prior to said method when dissolved in a liquid due to the release of gas from the dried soluble coffee particles or granules. 43. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant coffee with entrapped pressurized gas does not have increased solubility or dispersibility when contacted with water as compared to the instant coffee powder prior to said method. 44. The method of claim 42, wherein the instant coffee with entrapped pressurized gas does not have increased solubility or dispersibility when contacted with water as compared to the instant coffee powder prior to said method.