Frequently Asked Questions

How is sustainable coffee grown? Is instant coffee “real?” Do coffee beans grow on trees? What is “Arabica,” anyway? People have lots of questions about coffee. Here are a few answers.

Darin Perry - Vice President, Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

How is NESCAFÉ instant coffee made?

We start by mixing the right combination of high-quality beans from Arabica and Robusta green coffee. To build up the taste, roast level, and aromas, the blend is roasted and ground. Water is then flushed through the roast and ground coffee, under 15 bars of pressure, to make coffee extract.

Throughout the roasting, grinding and extraction processes, we collect the coffee aromas to later reintroduce them into the extract or instant coffee. The coffee extract is finally concentrated through vacuum evaporation and dried through spray or freeze drying.

Dora Marquez - Senior Marketing Manager, Nestlé Professional USA

What is the shelf life of NESCAFÉ coffee?

The shelf life of unopened packages of NESCAFÉ coffee ranges from 365 to 720 days, depending on if the format is whole beans, instant coffee, or liquid frozen concentrate.

Barrie Chittenden - Senior Specialist, Field Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

What is The NESCAFÉ Plan?

The NESCAFÉ Plan encompasses all of our sustainability activity. It’s our commitment to respecting the future of coffee by sourcing responsibly and supporting farmers. Plus, respecting the planet by making coffee farming and production carbon neutral. The goal is to ensure that great-quality coffee is available today and in the future.

Matt Smith - Senior Specialist, Field Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

What ingredients are in NESCAFÉ coffee?

NESCAFÉ only has one ingredient: green coffee. During its manufacturing process, only green coffee and water are used. There are no additional ingredients; it’s 100% pure coffee.

What type of coffee beans are used in NESCAFÉ coffee?

NESCAFÉ coffee is made using beans from the two main varieties of coffee plants: Arabica and Robusta. In most cases, we blend a mix of Arabica coffee beans for the sweetness and acidity and Robusta coffee beans for the strength and bitterness. A few NESCAFÉ coffee products are made with 100% Arabica coffee beans, which is labeled on the packaging.

How does coffee get its flavor?

In every cup of coffee, there are three key characteristics that create its overall flavor: aroma, acidity and body.

Aroma

Coffee can have up to 1000 aromatic compounds that contribute to its profile. A coffee aroma can be fruity, caramel, roasted, cereal, rubber, fermented, earthy, spicy, floral, nutty, and even cooked.

Acidity

When it comes to coffee, acidity isn’t what you think it is. It’s a sharp and vibrant taste, a tingling on the tongue. Good acidity tastes bright and crisp, whereas a coffee without enough acidity tastes flat and dull.

Body

The term “body” describes the physical properties and texture of coffee. It’s the weight, fullness, or mouthfeel of the coffee as it settles on your tongue. Common characteristics include oily, grainy, watery, and more.

What is coffee cupping?

Coffee cupping is the practice of tasting coffee. At NESCAFÉ, our professional coffee cuppers make sure we’re delivering consistent quality at the highest standard. Try putting yourself to the test!

Here are a few tips to help you have a coffee cupping session:

1. Nose the aromas while the coffee is still steaming

2. Take a spoonful of coffee with a silver spoon

3. Pucker your lips and slurp the coffee loudly

4. Feel the texture of the coffee on your tongue

5. Sense the weight of the coffee in your mouth

6. Notice if it lingers... and enjoy!

Is there a "right" way to make coffee?

There are so many different ways to make coffee. Whether you go for complex concoctions or instant inventions, each method results in a different brew. For many people, brewing coffee is an art form. Particularly for professional baristas. They pride themselves on their coffee skills and can whip up foamy works of art. Here are just a few different ways to brew a delicious cup:

Drip Coffee - You can make drip coffee by placing fine coffee grounds on top of a coffee filter over your cup. Then slowly pour hot water over it and wait as the coffee drips through to create a smooth cup.

French Press - If you have coarser coffee grounds, you can use a French press. To do this, you mix the grounds with hot water, stir and let it steep. After a few minutes, plunge the plunger and start pouring.

Espresso - If you’re after something a little stronger, a stove-top espresso pot brews coffee by passing boiling water through ground coffee, pressurized by steam. The result? A perfect espresso.

Turkish - Turkish coffee is made with a special pot called a cezve. Extremely fine coffee grounds, sugar, cardamom and water are added to the cezve and brought to the boil, for an intensely rich coffee.

Sean Sagardia - Senior Manager, Field Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

How should I store instant coffee?

Instant coffee has a longer shelf life than most coffees. But whether you like your coffee made from beans or granules, it’s important to store it correctly.

DO store your coffee within a dry, airtight container and place it in a cool, dark, dry environment.

DON’T store your coffee in the fridge or freezer and keep it away from warm, light, moist environment.

Bill DeMaria - Senior Specialist, Field Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

Jim Nolan - Senior Manager, Field Sales, Nestlé Professional USA

Who brewed the first coffee?

Legend has it that a 9th-century Ethiopian goatherd discovered coffee when his goats became unusually energetic after eating what looked like red cherries. He took the fruit to a holy man, who then made the world’s first coffee. And the rest is history.

Did NESCAFÉ invent instant coffee?

In 1930, the Brazilian government asked us to help preserve their huge coffee surpluses. The idea was to produce a quality cup of coffee that could be made by simply adding water. After eight years of research, NESCAFÉ was born, and the coffee industry was revolutionized.

How do coffee beans grow?

Coffee beans are actually the seeds of cherries from a coffee plant. The cherries grow along the stem and take about nine months to mature into bright red coffee cherries. Once ripe and ready, they are hand-picked by coffee farmers, who then extract the beans by either soaking them in water for a few days, or sun drying for a few weeks.

What is the most popular kind of coffee bean?

Arabica is the first coffee to ever be cultivated. It accounts for more than 60% of the world’s coffee production and is also the most popular. It has a soft, sweet taste with ideal acidity.

Kristin Minihan - Senior Associate, Food Marketing, Nestlé Professional USA

How are flavored coffees made?

Flavored coffees have been around for centuries and you can find them in coffee shops and supermarkets all over the world. Flavors can be added to the beans directly, or as flavored syrups mixed in with fresh brews. Some of the most popular tastes are chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, hazelnut and almond, but there are many more exotic combinations.