STiR coffee and tea magazine

34 STiR coffee and tea | 2025 Quarter 3 Autumn (Sep/Oct/Nov) T By Diana Jendoubi he habits of Millennial and Gen Z consumers are rapidly altering global coffee consumption patterns. Motivated by the growing demand for premiumization and customization, instant coffee manufacturers are reimagining what soluble coffee is capable of. Opportunities are opening up for small and medium-sized enter- prises (SMEs) to enter the soluble landscape and provide specialized, hyper-regional products directly to their audiences. Consumers Prioritize Quality and Convenience Estimated to be worth $36.73 billion in 2025, Mordor Intelligence predicts the glob- al instant coffee market will reach $48.17 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.57%. Mordor correlates instant coffee's market expansion to "the transformation in consumer preferences, specifically the increased demand for convenient, premium coffee products that accommodate contemporary lifestyles." As younger demographics consume higher levels of coffee, there's an emphasis on single-origin products that combine the elevated flavors of specialty coffee with the convenience of instant and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. While the mass-produced segment still commands the lion's share of the soluble market (84.92%), Mordor ex- pects the premium tier to expand by 9.19% between 2025 and 2030, surpassing the overall market growth rate. Fueled by the proliferation of e-commerce platforms that offer direct-to-consumer local distribution, shoppers now have more access to — and an increasing desire for — a diverse range of products. Suddenly, there's a demand for creativity and experimenta- tion in an industry that has essentially been producing the same product for the last 70 years. Echoing beer's evolution, instant coffee is ready to enter its microbrew era. Introducing Scalable Soluble Processing There's a reason giant multinational corporations dominate the instant coffee mar- ket. Manufacturing soluble coffee is a complex, highly technical, and costly process. Reimagining Instant Coffee for SMEs DEVEX's new SOLAR Gold multi-extractor processing system makes it possible for small and medium-sized businesses to enter the soluble coffee market. Photo credit: DEVEX GmbH SOLAR Gold combines cold brew extraction with instant processing methods to produce a soluble coffee that dissolves in cold liquids and tastes fantastic. Photo credit: DEVEX GmbH Setting up a traditional instant processing plant requires an initial investment of at least $100 million and a plot of land large enough to house a five-story-tall building that's roughly the size of a football field. Such significant investments demand returns and force companies to solely fo- cus on producing high yields that gener- ate profits, leaving little room for creativ- ity and experimentation. However, one market leader specializing in instant cof- fee processing solutions believes SMEs have the potential to create successful soluble product lines using smaller, more flexible setups that offer innovation and customization. DEVEX Verfahrenstechnik GmbH is a global provider of process engineer- ing solutions in the fields of extraction, evaporation, and drying. In an interview with STiR Coffee and Tea Media, Nicolai Wickert, senior sales manager at DE- VEX, discusses developing artisanal in- stant coffee production for SMEs. "We're experiencing a growing de- mand from small and medium-sized companies that want to enlarge their portfolios and create their own instant coffee products, while remaining inde- pendent," explains Wickert. "They want to create something unlike anything else on the market. Their customers crave unique flavors and pronounced aromas." Consumers are calling for an elevat- ed instant coffee experience; they want gourmet artisanal products that don't compromise on quality. Companies such as Starbucks and Nescafé are responding by launching new soluble product lines

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