Is Instant Coffee as Healthy as Regular? Here's What Health Experts Say

It’s more convenient than brewing coffee and boasts a lot of the same health benefits.

Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia

Some coffee connoisseurs may look down on instant coffee, but many people around the world love it and use it as their go-to form of coffee. Even if you just use it for camping trips because of its convenience, you may wonder whether it’s less healthy than brewed coffee. In this article, learn how instant coffee is made, how it differs from brewed coffee, and whether it’s good for you or not.

Related: Why Coffee Tastes Better from a Café, According to an Expert

What’s Instant Coffee?

Instant coffee, also known as soluble coffee, is a convenient alternative to brewed coffee: you simply add it to hot water and stir until it dissolves. Instant coffee is usually produced using one of two methods: spray-drying or freeze-drying, per ScienceDirect.

In freeze-drying, coffee is regularly brewed until it’s condensed into an extract. The extract is then frozen to form a thin layer and is broken down into granules. The frozen granules are then sublimated to remove the liquid while leaving behind the soluble coffee.

In the second method, spray-drying, the brewed coffee is misted into hot and dry air. As the coffee falls, the water evaporates, forming small crystals of instant coffee.

Related: 9 Rules for How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee

Instant Coffee vs. Regular Coffee

There are a few ways in which instant coffee and regular coffee differ and a few in which they are similar. We spoke with dietitians and a cardiologist to explain how they compare when it comes to their health impacts, caffeine content and flavor.

Health Impacts

Instant coffee and regular coffee have similar health benefits and potential risks. Michael Ross MacDonald, M.D., MRCP, senior cardiologist at The Harley Street Heart & Vascular Centre, says, “They are both good sources of antioxidants, and they have been linked to a number of health benefits, including reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancer, Parkinson’s disease and depression.” He also highlights that both forms of coffee can increase alertness, energy and concentration.

While you’ll get antioxidants in both types of coffee, Chrissy Arsenault, M.B.A., RDN, a registered dietitian at Athletic Muscle, says, “Some studies suggest that certain beneficial compounds, such as chlorogenic acid (a potent antioxidant), may be lower in instant coffee due to the processing methods.” So, you’ll get antioxidants from both, but you may get less from instant coffee.

Some people worry about instant coffee’s acrylamide content. “While it has been classified as a potential carcinogen in high doses in animal studies, the link between dietary acrylamide and cancer in humans is not well-established,” says Arsenault. The Food and Drug Administration highlights that the concentrations of acrylamide used in these animal studies were far higher than those found in human food.

Acrylamide is typically formed through high-temperature cooking, like baking, roasting and frying, per the FDA, and is mainly present in plant foods rather than animal products. MacDonald says you can also find acrylamide in fried potatoes and tobacco smoke.

Kelsey Costa, M.S., RDN, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for Consumer Health Digest, says, “All forms of coffee that entail the roasting of beans, including substitutes like cereal and chicory root coffees, inherently possess acrylamide due to the roasting process. The exception is coffee made from unroasted (green) coffee beans, which are devoid of acrylamide.”

Instant coffee contains more acrylamide than regular brewed coffee, per the FDA. However, the three experts we spoke with agree that instant coffee’s acrylamide content is still relatively low and considered safe.

Caffeine Content

If you’re looking to reduce your caffeine intake, you may be happy to learn that instant coffee contains less caffeine than brewed coffee. According to the Department of Agriculture, one 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, while an 8-ounce cup of instant coffee contains 62 mg. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you’ll still want to be careful about how much you drink.

In general, for most healthy people, consuming up to 400 mg caffeine per day (about 3 to 4 cups of coffee) is safe and could even offer health benefits, according to Arsenault. Others may need to limit their coffee consumption more. “Caution is advised during pregnancy due to associations with low birth weight, preterm birth and pregnancy loss, and among women with increased risk of fractures,” says Costa.

Flavor Profile

Instant coffee tends to have a more bitter, acidic flavor than regular brewed coffee because it loses some of its oils during processing. Just like brewed coffee, instant coffee’s quality varies based on the brand and the production method. In general, freeze-dried instant coffee is said to taste better than the spray-dried kind.

So, Is Instant Coffee Bad or Good for You?

Like regular coffee, instant coffee may support your health when consumed in moderation.

In fact, a 2022 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that drinking 2 to 3 cups of instant coffee, ground coffee or decaffeinated coffee daily was associated with reductions in cardiovascular disease and mortality.

While some people may prefer the flavor of brewed coffee, instant coffee is a convenient alternative that’s safe and easy to prepare. Despite some mixed messaging around instant coffee’s acrylamide content, the relatively small amount present is considered safe for human consumption.

Just like with brewed coffee, some people may experience negative symptoms related to caffeine, such as jitters, anxiety or shakiness, when consuming instant coffee if they are sensitive to caffeine. In that case, switching to herbal tea or decaf coffee may help.

Related: Does Coffee Make You Gain Weight? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Frequently Asked Questions

Is instant coffee as good as regular coffee?

Instant coffee has similar health benefits as regular coffee when consumed in moderation. However, some people find that brewed coffee tastes better.

Does instant coffee have the same caffeine content as regular coffee?

Instant coffee has a little less caffeine than regular coffee; one cup contains about 62 mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of regular coffee contains about 95 mg, per the USDA.

Which is healthier, regular coffee or instant?

Both instant and regular coffee may promote your health, mostly because of their antioxidant content. Research shows that that drinking 2 to 3 daily cups of instant or regular coffee is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

How much instant coffee is it safe to drink every day?

For healthy adults, consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine daily is generally safe. Depending on how strongly it’s brewed, you may be able to drink up to 6 cups of instant coffee per day since one 8-ounce cup contains about 62 mg of caffeine. Arsenault recommends that if you’re pregnant or have certain health conditions, you may need to limit your daily caffeine intake to 200 mg or less.

Does all instant coffee have acrylamide?

All instant coffee contains acrylamide, and so do most brewed coffees, albeit in lower amounts. While some may worry about acrylamide as a potential carcinogen, the amounts found in instant coffee are low and considered safe for human consumption.

The Bottom Line

Instant coffee is a convenient alternative to brewing coffee yourself. You simply mix it with hot water, and you’re good to go. While some people don’t like the taste of it, it has similar health benefits as regular coffee and a little less caffeine. So, when choosing between instant and brewed coffee, it’s probably fine to go with whichever you like best. Both may support your heart health and energy levels when consumed in moderation.

Related: The #1 Ingredient to Add to Your Coffee, According to a Gastroenterologist

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