Learn about the advantages of Buencafé freeze-dried soluble coffee

The history of soluble coffee goes back to 1901, when the Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato invented the first soluble coffee and changed the way of drinking this delicious beverage. When its consumption had become popular during the First World War (it was packed in rations for soldiers), the sophisticated technique of lyophilization or freeze-drying appeared in 1960, enabling to have instant coffee of better quality, flavor and aroma.

In Colombia, the history of freeze-dried soluble coffee begins with the creation of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) in 1927, an entity that made the coffee industry an institution in the country. In 1973, the FNC opened the freeze-dried coffee factory Buencafé, which for 45 years has been producing and exporting 100% Colombian freeze-dried coffee to over 60 countries.

But what is the freeze-drying process, and what makes it so special?

Freeze-drying consists of freezing the coffee extract at very low temperatures (-50 °C), thus preventing the loss of intrinsic aromas and attributes. When subjected to deep vacuum, below one thousandth of the atmospheric pressure, it is possible – with a marginal addition of heat – for water remaining in the frozen extract to pass directly from solid (ice) to gas (vapor), a process known as sublimation.

The fact that the product remains at very low temperatures and without contact with hot air (it is still under vacuum) allows the delicate aromas to remain in the freeze-dried coffee, thus producing a beverage of excellent features and quality, which has earned it international recognition.

Learn about the freeze-drying process in detail here:  https://youtu.be/tvKgz_1oU1Y

Some characteristics of freeze-dried soluble coffee are:

– It is aromatic, smooth and of excellent flavor.
– Thanks to its porosity, it effectively absorbs water or milk, making it an ideal ingredient for preparation of coffee-based beverages and recipes.
– It has a long lifetime, conserving all its quality attributes.
– It has an excellent performance: with 100 gr of freeze-dried coffee, 50 to 90 cups of coffee can be prepared, depending on consumers’ preferences.
– It uses Colombian coffee and pure water as raw materials, thus being 100% natural.
– The purchase of Buencafé freeze-dried coffee directly benefits Colombian coffee growers, since Buencafé’s profits go directly to the National Coffee Fund.

Fund, which finances public goods and services, also contributing and generating social development in the form of infrastructure, healthcare and education works for over 540,000 Colombian coffee-growing families.

Although the freeze-drying process is more expensive and complex than spray drying (a process that dries coffee with hot gas), the consumption share of freeze-dried soluble coffee has been growing steadily as consumers demand better-quality coffee.

Competitive advantages of Buencafé freeze-dried coffee

1. Excellent-quality raw materials. The coffee that Buencafé uses is better because it is Colombian arabica coffee carefully selected. The FNC controls selection of raw materials throughout the country and supplies the best coffee through Almacafé, its logistic operator and another institution that also makes up the FNC large family.

2. Sophisticated and careful processes. At Buencafé, coffee flavor and aroma is developed during the roasting process (high temperature produces physicochemical changes), in a slow and very careful way, unlike others that roast it much faster. To concentrate the coffee essence, Buencafé uses the cold process called cryoconcentration, where ice crystals are formed from water, causing the aroma to remain in coffee, and later sublimated through freeze-drying.

3. Expertise. Buencafé has been producing freeze-dried instant coffee for 45 years, positioning itself as a specialist in this type of product. In addition, its product portfolio, which is quite broad, has an excellent-quality profile and focuses on medium-high to premium levels. “Our processes and raw materials are a bit more expensive, but this enables us to offer products of very high quality,” said Carlos Osorio, the Buencafé Research & Development Director.

4. Logistic expertise. In addition to taking great care of quality, Buencafé also cares for every logistic detail, so that the product arrives in perfect conditions for the customer. Packing lines and ensuring load in transport (so that it reaches the most varied places around the world in perfect conditions), among other aspects, play a key role.

Buencafé has been granted the most important national and international certifications, not only in terms of quality, but also of safety to access European markets. It also has environmental and occupational safety certifications, among others, a guarantee seal for national and international markets.

In 1982, the Buencafé freeze-dried coffee won the most important award at the Leipzig Expo in Germany. In 2001 the factory received the Colombian Quality Award, and in 2003 it was awarded the Ibero-American Quality Award in Bolivia, confirming it as an excellent soluble coffee in terms of quality, flavor and aroma.

Thanks to the enlargements of the Buencafé factory, the production capacity has been increased, guaranteeing availability of products to the international market throughout the year.

In Colombia, Buencafé is the only company producing and exporting freeze-dried coffee with the highest quality standards, positioned on the radar of the most demanding international markets, where the most delicious aroma and flavor of 100% Colombian coffee arrives.

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