When there is neither time, nor conditions, and sometimes even the desire to brew a cup or two of full-fledged natural coffee, bags labeled “three in one” are very helpful: they contain instant coffee, milk or cream, and sugar. At the very least, all these ingredients must be present. What is it really like? Let's figure it out. But first, a little background.
How was the 3-in-1 coffee drink created?
At the beginning of the last century, manufacturers implemented on an industrial scale a very sensible idea that allowed them to save time - they began to produce instant coffee. However, carrying a can of powder with you to work in a handbag, taking it on trips or outings, you will agree, is not entirely convenient.
Thus, in order to satisfy the needs of consumers, portioned coffee bags were developed. But this did not completely solve the problem - lovers of sweetened drinks also had to carry sugar with them. Therefore, the next step was to add it to a portion of instant coffee directly at the production site.
Now, however, fans of coffee with milk feel slighted. This means that it was quite logical to introduce powdered milk or cream into the contents of the bag. This is how three-in-one coffee, popular and in demand today, appeared.
Calorie count and caffeine content
The manufacturer’s desire to reduce the cost of the product and eliminate the unpleasant taste of low-quality raw materials leads to the addition of a huge amount of sugar to the soluble powder. In this regard, the number of calories in a seemingly harmless bag increases significantly, so the energy value of 100 g of dry powder is 358.25 kcal, which is equivalent to a piece of smoked sausage of the same weight.
The calorie content of one sachet is very high due to the large amount of sugar
At the same time, the carbohydrate content is also at a high level of 69.84 g, which is about 26% of the daily requirement required by a person; this figure relative to the “empty” product is amazing, especially in relation to fats (10.35 g) and proteins (2.33 g ).
In instant coffee with sugar and cream, caffeine does not exceed 0.5% of the total mass. And this is in the best case, because a low-quality product may not contain it at all. The invigorating effect of such a drink is questionable, since strong black tea contains caffeine from 2 to 4%.
Composition of packaged coffee with cream: do we know what we are drinking?
Unfortunately, natural milk powder or cream has a limited shelf life. Therefore, to believe that such components are in sticks, the shelf life of which is measured in months, or even years, is at least naive. They are replaced with vegetable cream, which consists of:
- – coconut or palm oil;
- – milk protein;
- – glucose syrup;
- – acidity regulator;
- – emulsifiers, stabilizers, dyes, flavor enhancers.
As you can see, instead of natural cream, the packaged drink uses a component with a rather complex chemical composition.
Now – directly about coffee. It is the most expensive ingredient in the 3-in-1 mixture, so it is not surprising that manufacturers are trying to save money on this component. This means that the packaging may contain a small amount of low-grade coffee, as well as chicory, chopped nuts, chestnuts or barley grains. Such a marketing ploy does not harm the body, but such a drink has nothing to do with coffee, even if the packaging indicates the opposite.
As for sugar, everything is simple: the more there is, the more obvious the manufacturer’s attempt to mask the imperfect taste of coffee and cream looks. Therefore, instant drinks from three-in-one packages often have an overly sweet, even cloying taste.
The remaining additives - caramel, rum, cognac, nutmeg, coconut and others - also have a very indirect relationship to their natural ancestors.
Coffee vs sugar
When buying 3-in-1 coffee, the consumer thinks that they are getting ground beans with added sugar, and not sugar with added coffee. As it turned out, sugar is listed in the first place in the composition of almost all samples (only in Jacobs it is second, right after “glucose syrup,” which does not change the essence). This means that there is more of it in coffee bags. Indeed, there is a lot of sugar in the samples: from 42 to 72%.
Surprisingly, coffee is far from a leader in the composition. For example, in the samples “BonCafe”, “Petrovskaya Sloboda”, MacCoffee The original coffee mix it is generally in last place! This means that there is little of it in the composition, and, accordingly, such a drink is unlikely to invigorate.
“Some samples of the coffee beverage contain sweeteners that are commonly used in reduced-energy and no-added-sugar products, dietary products intended for those advised to limit or eliminate sugar intake, and various specialty foods. The use of sugar along with sweeteners in such products is all the more unjustified. However, the Jacobs, Express coffee mix plus+ and Nescafe Classic samples contain both sweeteners (in the first two - acesulfame potassium, in the latter - sodium cyclamate) and sugar, says the chief expert, Roskontrol Irina Arkatova . — It is worth adding that the labels of all samples do not contain information that the product is intended for dietary nutrition or that it has a reduced energy value or is a specialized food product, so the meaning of using sweeteners remains unclear. Moreover, such use does not comply with the requirements of the technical regulation TR CU 029/2012 “Requirements for the safety of food additives, flavorings and technological aids.”
Due to this discrepancy, Jacobs, Express coffee mix plus+ samples were added to the List of Products with comments.
Article on the topic
Soluble quality. Results of examination of coffee in cans
Harm or benefit: is it worth drinking 3-in-1 coffee drinks?
Here, of course, you should focus on your well-being and listen to your own sense of proportion. You won’t find anything useful that is in natural coffee with fresh cream in “quick” sticks. Instant ersatz does not contain only caffeine - all other components are destroyed during long-term heat treatment of natural coffee. Vegetable cream powders are transgenic fats that negatively affect liver function and cardiovascular health. And an excess of sugar as a fast carbohydrate, although it saturates the body with energy almost instantly, in the long term it becomes the cause of the development of type 2 diabetes.
But it's not all that bad. In moderate quantities, none of the components of the 3-in-1 drink will harm your body. This means that sometimes you can treat yourself to quick, easy-to-prepare and, of course, pleasant-tasting creamy coffee. By the way, this mixture also makes amazingly delicious original desserts.
What kind of coffee is better to drink?
Whatever coffee you choose, the main thing is to know when to stop. The drink will only bring benefits and pleasure if you drink 2-3 cups a day. People are divided into those who love natural coffee, brewed in a Turkish coffee pot or using a coffee machine, and those who prefer instant coffee. It is more difficult to prepare a drink from grains than from granules or powder, but the taste is much richer.
Instant coffee contains less caffeine, which is why it is recommended for pregnant women to drink. In general, during pregnancy you should drink coffee with caution and preferably with milk to reduce the risk of calcium deficiency.
- Do not drink coffee in the evening, set a limit on the number of cups - 1-2 per day, monitor your blood pressure.
- If you have a high sensitivity to caffeine and really want coffee, you can drink weak coffee with milk. Milk softens the stimulating effect of the drink on the nervous system.
- You should not give coffee to children under 14 years of age; the danger is that it is difficult to calculate the optimal dose of caffeine for the child’s still unformed body.
How to choose the right 3-in-1 coffee? Buying Tips
When you stop at a display case with coffee sticks, don’t rush to grab the cheapest one, don’t be fooled by the bright packaging and provocative inscriptions “Promotion! +20% free." Spend a few minutes looking closely at each variety.
- Inspect the packaging. It should be intact, not frayed, and the paint should not remain on your fingers.
- It is advisable to choose bags with notches - they are easier to open without the use of cutting devices.
- Classic sticks that open in the center when broken are also convenient.
- Pay attention to the composition: whether there is coffee among the ingredients, where it is placed (if it is in the last place, it means there is a minimum amount of coffee powder in the serving). Choose products with the least amount of additives - stabilizers, emulsifiers, dyes, sweeteners, flavor enhancers. The minimal amount of sugar is another plus of this drink.
Benefit or harm?
No one doubts the convenience of 3-in-1 bags. Fill it with hot water and you're done. At work, on a hike, and finally in the army—portioned bags of coffee with sugar and cream have found their place and their fans everywhere.
According to experts, it won’t be a big problem if you sometimes drink packaged coffee instead of natural coffee. Of course, it contains a lot of sugar, contains trans-isomer fatty acids (in vegetable cream) and other substances that are not very useful for humans.
But a high-quality semi-finished product, consumed in small quantities, will not harm your health. And you can find good quality portioned coffee in stores, there is no doubt about it. It is enough to get acquainted with the materials of specialized magazines or websites to be convinced: there are manufacturers whose products receive high marks from experts.
“3 in 1” coffee test: trying different brands and determining the leader
At one time, the television program “Test Purchase” conducted a fairly in-depth study of several well-known brands of this controversial drink. The brands participating in the experiment were Nescafé, Maxwell House, Coffee Club, Eagle Premium and Fes Aroma. The second and third samples were rejected by ordinary consumers at the tasting stage - they simply had neither the taste nor the smell of coffee.
The remaining three were sent to the laboratory for testing. At the same time, an artificial sweetener was discovered in the trendy Nescafe brand. But the much lesser-known Fes Aroma demonstrated not only a pleasant taste and aroma, but also pleased researchers with an impressive mass fraction of coffee in the composition.
You can be guided by this result, or you can conduct your own test by trying several varieties and choosing the one that is most suitable for you. After all, the most delicious, healthy, pleasant and invigorating coffee is the one that will give you the most pleasure!
Is it possible to drink coffee with salt?
Africans love to add salt to coffee; they believe that in this form the drink quenches thirst. But this is some kind of false opinion. It’s unlikely to quench your thirst, but it will fill you with the minerals you’re missing. It is better not to use table salt, but sea or Himalayan salt with a high iodine content. So a coffee drink with salt will be beneficial!
Of course, there is harm from salt - you add it everywhere. Excess salt also harms the body and causes dehydration. You should not abuse this drink!
But be sure to try it - when brewing coffee in a Turk, you need to add a pinch of salt and that’s it. Connoisseurs believe that the taste becomes softer, more elegant, and the natural bitterness of coffee is eliminated. Try it, it really is! But still not for everyone.
A brief excursion into history
Coffee appeared on our tables quite a long time ago, and today this drink is considered one of the most popular in the world. There are many different varieties, but mocha and arabica are still in great demand.
Doctors keep talking about the dangers of coffee for the human body. This is especially true for instant drinks. But not each of us has the opportunity to make coffee in a Turk or a coffee machine.
As they say, demand creates supply. At the dawn of the last century, manufacturers came up with instant coffee. It’s inconvenient to carry the jar everywhere, and you need to take care of the sugar. The next step was the production of a portioned drink combined with granulated sugar.
And here, lovers of an invigorating drink with the addition of cream or milk were left deprived. Agree, it’s inconvenient to take all the ingredients with you on a trip or on a picnic, but a bag with the inviting inscription “3 in 1” is just what you need.
It is not known for certain when exactly such a drink appeared, but immediately the miracle sachets began to enjoy resounding success.
