INSTANT COFFEE, COFFEE CREAMER & SUGAR SUBSTITUTE

HISTORY OF INSTANT COFFEE

The earliest version of instant coffee is said to have been invented around 1771 in Britain. The first American product was developed in 1853, and an experimental version (in cake form) was field tested during the Civil War. In 1901, the first successful technique for manufacturing a stable powdered product was invented by Japanese Sartori Kato, who used a process he had developed for making instant tea.

The first time it was mass produced was in America around 1910 by George Constant Louis Washington. He accomplished a great feat and acquired a patent, but the instant coffee powder was perceived by most to be a novelty with a disagreeable taste. Around 1938, Nescafe became the most popular brand; by co-drying coffee extract along with an equal amount of soluble carbohydrate, they improved the taste. Currently, the best process for retaining the taste is freeze drying, which came around in the 60's.

Where this novelty found its niche market was in the military. Caffeine consumption on the battlefield provided a much needed boost, and now this was made much easier with instant coffee. In World War I some soldiers nicknamed it a cup of George.

By World War II instant coffee was incredibly popular with the soldiers. G. Washington Coffee, Nescafe, and others had all emerged to meet the demand. One year, the entire production from the U.S. Nescafe plant (in excess of one million cases) went solely to the military.

Today instant coffee still has a force in the market. It is great in recipes like a quick mocha frosting for a cappuccino cookie. In the grocery store you will see it in all of the instant cappuccino drinks and blended ice drink powders, some of which are even used in coffee houses. Even the military still provides instant coffee powder for that much needed caffeine boost. Always in an instant, it is there for you!

Non-dairy creamers

are liquid or granular substances intended to substitute for milk or cream as an additive to coffee or other beverages. They do not contain lactose and are therefore not dairy products according to Wikipedia.

Liquid nondairy creamers are formulated to add body, flavor, and color to coffee.
Want to Know the Ingredients of Non - Dairy Creamer? Find them here

Office Coffee Creamer 101 by Gloria Tsang, RD
Chances are, a tub of Coffee-mate or a carton of half-and-half cream is a staple in your office pantry or fridge. But did you ever consider What's In Your Coffee Creamer?

Powder or liquid commercially-prepared creamer
Example: Coffeemate
Calories per 2 tablespoons: 40 - 90

Table Cream
Calories per 2 tablespoons: 40 - 60

The European Way
The French, Italian, and Spanish all enjoy their coffee with milk.
Calories per 2 tablespoons: 10 (skim) - 20 (whole)

The Asian Way
Asians, especially South-East Asians, love evaporated milk. It is their kitchen staple! Canned evaporated milk comes in full-fat, 2%, and fat-free.
Calories per 2 tablespoons: 25 - 40

The Vegetarian Way
You may like to try Silk Soy Creamer. Better yet, with even less fat, try plain soymilk.
Calories per 2 tablespoons: 13 (soymilk) - 30 (soy creamer)

SUGAR SUBSTITUTE

Sugar is known as one of the most popular and well known sweeteners.

Honey can be considered a great substitute for sugar in preparing tea. Honey itself contains its own natural sugars and can be very sweet. However, it is a lot healthier than sugar and some natural honeys have less calories as well. For Diabetics honey may still not be the best substitute to use, but using just a little honey can be very delightful. Just remember to watch the quantity you use, and you will enjoy this natural sweetener.

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that offer the sweetness of sugar without as many calories. Because the substitutes are much sweeter than sugar, it takes a much smaller quantity to create the same sweetness. Products made with artificial sweeteners have a much lower calorie count than do those made with sugar. Artificial sweeteners are often used as part of a weight-loss plan or as a means to control weight gain.

People with diabetes may use artificial sweeteners because they make food taste sweet without raising blood sugar levels.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following low-calorie sweeteners for use in a variety of foods. The FDA has established an "acceptable daily intake" (ADI) for each sweetener. This is the maximum amount considered safe to eat each day during your lifetime. ADIs are intended to be about 100 times less than the smallest amount that might cause health concerns.

Artificial sweetener	ADI*	Estimated ADI equivalent**	OK for cooking?
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)	50 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg)	18 to 19 cans of diet cola	No
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin)	5 mg per kg	9 to 12 packets of sweetener	Yes
Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One)	15 mg per kg	30 to 32 cans of diet lemon-lime soda***	Yes
Sucralose (Splenda)	5 mg per kg	6 cans of diet cola***	Yes

Source: MayoClinic