Processes and apparatus for preparing instant coffee are described. In these processes, brewed coffee is fortified by adding coffee liquids separated from the surface of a separately-brewed batch of coffee. This fortification may increase the levels of lipids and other compounds that tend to be lost in greater amounts during lyophilization and other drying processes. The resulting fortified coffee, separated from coffee grounds and chilled to an appropriate temperature, may be held in a tank that has been washed with an acidifier, such as lemon juice or another fruit-derived citric acid, while awaiting lyophilization or another drying process.

The invention provides a method of treating a beverage ingredient extract comprising the steps of: a. filtering a beverage ingredient extract to obtain a beverage ingredient extract retentate and a beverage ingredient extract permeate; b. raising the pH of said beverage ingredient extract retentate to provide a treated beverage ingredient extract retentate; and c. combining said treated beverage ingredient extract retentate with said beverage ingredient extract permeate to generate a recombined ingredient extract.

The invention provides a method of treating a beverage ingredient extract comprising the steps of: a. filtering a beverage ingredient extract to obtain a beverage ingredient extract retentate and a beverage ingredient extract permeate; b. raising the pH of said beverage ingredient extract retentate to provide a treated beverage ingredient extract retentate; and c. combining said treated beverage ingredient extract retentate with said beverage ingredient extract permeate to generate a recombined ingredient extract.

The present invention relates to a soluble beverage powder consisting of dried coffee extract. In particular to a soluble coffee powder having a gold appearance. Further aspects of the invention are a powder mix for preparing a beverage and a process for making a soluble beverage powder.

The present invention relates to a soluble beverage powder comprising dried coffee extract particles having two essentially flat surfaces and a uniform thickness. A further aspect of the invention is a process for making a freeze-dried soluble beverage powder.

The present invention relates to a soluble beverage powder comprising dried coffee extract particles having two essentially flat surfaces and a uniform thickness. A further aspect of the invention is a process for making a freeze-dried soluble beverage powder.

The present invention relates to products from porous materials, generated by foaming with gas hydrates or gas hydrate slurries dosed into matrices of biological, organic or inorganic materials in their liquid to paste-like state. A method of producing a water phase continuous slurry comprising gas hydrates, a method of producing a porous powder or foam as well as the use of gas hydrates for producing a porous powder or foam or for gasifying viscous liquid are also claimed. The porous powder or viscous foam, wherein the powder or foam has a closed porosity of 15% to 100%, or 20% to 50%, or 25% to 35%, or 30 to 35%, or about 30%.

The present invention relates to products from porous materials, generated by foaming with gas hydrates or gas hydrate slurries dosed into matrices of biological, organic or inorganic materials in their liquid to paste-like state. A method of producing a water phase continuous slurry comprising gas hydrates, a method of producing a porous powder or foam as well as the use of gas hydrates for producing a porous powder or foam or for gasifying viscous liquid are also claimed. The porous powder or viscous foam, wherein the powder or foam has a closed porosity of 15% to 100%, or 20% to 50%, or 25% to 35%, or 30 to 35%, or about 30%.

A concentrated coffee extract powder (instant coffee) and a system for producing the same are disclosed which includes: selecting and preparing coffee beans by a predetermined quality guideline; receiving a coffee extract by inputting the coffee beans into a high-volume coffee brewing machine a high-volume coffee brewing machine having a plurality of percolation tanks whose fluid inter-communication is controlled by a a Boolen logic performed by a proportional integral derivative controller (PIDC) after receiving time, temperature, and pressure data from the plurality of percolation tanks so that the coffee extract is qualitatively constant in each of said plurality of percolation tanks; freezing the coffee extract mixed with the probiotics in molds using an individual quick freezer (IQF) to obtain frozen coffee extract blocks; and vacuum freezing the frozen coffee extract blocks using a convection current vacuum freeze drying apparatus.

A concentrated coffee extract powder (instant coffee) and a system for producing the same are disclosed which includes: selecting and preparing coffee beans by a predetermined quality guideline; receiving a coffee extract by inputting the coffee beans into a high-volume coffee brewing machine a high-volume coffee brewing machine having a plurality of percolation tanks whose fluid inter-communication is controlled by a a Boolen logic performed by a proportional integral derivative controller (PIDC) after receiving time, temperature, and pressure data from the plurality of percolation tanks so that the coffee extract is qualitatively constant in each of said plurality of percolation tanks; freezing the coffee extract mixed with the probiotics in molds using an individual quick freezer (IQF) to obtain frozen coffee extract blocks; and vacuum freezing the frozen coffee extract blocks using a convection current vacuum freeze drying apparatus.