Abstract: Soluble coffee is produced by steaming an elongated bed of roasted and ground coffee at atmospheric pressure or above and collecting an aromatic flavor condensate. Thereafter the steamed bed is swept for at least 15 minutes with a gaseous stream having a superficial velocity through the bed in excess of 3 meters/min. in order to entrain and remove liquid acid components. The coffee is next subjected to aqueous extraction, the extract is then combined with at least a portion of the condensate and dried. The resulting soluble coffee is much reduced in undesirable acid content compared to soluble coffee obtained from steamed coffee which had not been swept with gas.

Abstract: Roasted and ground coffee is contacted with steam and the evolved vapors are condensed and partitioned in two separate and successive operations with liquid glyceride material such as a vegetable oil. By the use of appropriate partitioning parameters both the second glyceride and water phases have been found to have a smooth, buttery flavor useful for enhancing soluble coffee. The second glyceride phase may be combined with natural grinder gas, added to liquid coffee extract and then dried to produce an aromatized soluble coffee product.