CA1337853C - Coffee glass and process for producing same - Google Patents

Abstract

A coffee glass is disclosed which is prepared by forming a melt containing above 3% to 12% water and about 88% to 97% total coffee derived solids, aromatizing the melt in a confined headspace, shaping the melt, and cooling the melt to entrap and protect the coffee aromas providing less than 20% loss of volatiles.

Description

_ Case 3607 1 COFFEE GLA~S & PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SA~

3 BACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION

S TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vegetable estracts, more 7 specifically estracts of coffee and processes for producing aromatized coffee melts in a confined headspace 9 which on cooling of the melt forms hard coffee glasses which trap the aromas. The coffee melt may also be 11 gasified prior to formation of the desired shaped coffee glass. This invention provides an improved, economical 13 process for aromatizing and preparing shelf-stable coffee products which have not suffered from heat damage and yet 15 may be guickly reconstituted in hot water to yield coffee of escellent flavor and aroma. The process is 17 particularly suitable for producing aromatized stable coffee glass.

PRIOR ART
21 The present invention is concerned with the manufacture of vegetable estracts and, particularly, 23 instant coffee. The manufacture of instant coffee involves estracting roasted and ground coffee beans with 25 water under conditions of high temperature and pressure to form estracts which are dried with or without aromas 27 added by known means such as spray-drying, freeze-drying or the like. *

1 In an early effort to avoid drying of such coffee estracts by Eskew, U.S. Patent 2,989,717, issued 3 March 22, 1960, a fifty-fifty mixture of concentrated coffee estract and an invert sugar solution were 5 concentrated in a thin film evaporator to form a product having four percent or less water which was pumped out of 7 the evaporator and formed on chilling rolls into small flakes which were easily broken into a coarse product 9 before packaging. In this process, the product temperatures esiting the evaporator ranged from 220F to 11 290F and the products produced had moisture contents of about 1 to 4~ and were hydroscopic by reason of the 13 addition of large amounts of the invert suqars. This type of processing was also applied by Turkot et al., 15 U.S. Patent 2,908,630, issued September 29, 1959. While the process of Eskew and Turkot et al. produced coffee 17 products without the need to spray-dry, a filler was employed which is not suitable in today's market.
19 Furthermore, special packaging would be required to reduce the chance of moisture contamination which would 21 be disastrous because of the hygroscopisity of the coffee product produced.
23 In another attempt, Earle Jr., et. al., U.S. 3,419,399 patented December 31, 1968, prepared 25 aromatized soluble coffee doughs having a moisture content of 9.5 to 12.5~ at a temperature below 140F and 27 then dryed the dough to 1-4~. This material was very sticky and difficult to process.
29 Another attempt to produce dehydrated vegetable estracts is disclosed by Risler, et. al., U.S.
31 Patent 4,154,864, issued May 15, 1979. Risler, et. al.
formed a paste or powder which is estruded into a 33 subatmospheric pressure chamber to puff the coffee product. For esample, freeze-dried instant coffee 35 powder, having a moisture content of 2.5%, is estruded ~ 337853 1 into a chamber at 80 mb and cut to form grains about the size of a pea which dissolve in cold water. When 3 compared to these grains estruded into atmospheric pressure in Esample 5 of that patent, the products with 5 cellular internal structure are far more soluble.
In U.S. Patent No. 3,625,704 to Andre, et al, issued 7 December 7, 1971, dense flakes of instant coffee are prepared and aromatized from roll-milled instant coffee.
9 In the field of flavor fixation, particularly of essential oils, a number of patents have issued teaching 11 a carbohydrate glass to protect the flavor. For esample, United States Patent 3,041,180 issued to Swisher 13 discloses a method for fising flavorants in an estruded carbohydrate substrate. The product of the Swisher 15 invention is obtained by emulsifying an essentially water-insoluble essential oil with a molten misture of 17 glycerol and corn syrup solids as the continuous phase, estruding the emulsified mass in the form of filaments 19 into a cold fluid, preferably an organic solvent for the essential oil which is a nonsolvent for the corn syrup 21 solids, followed by impact breaking of the solidified filaments into small particles of usable form and then 23 holding the particles in the solvent, preferably for an estended period, to remove essential oil from the 25 surfaces of the particles together with a substantial portion of the residual moisture contained on and in the 27 particles. This methodology is conducted in escess of 130C.
29 United States Patent 3,704,137 to Beck discloses a method for preparing an essential oil composition. His 31 method involves the cooking of an aqueous solution of sucrose and hydrolyzed cereal solids until it i8 at a 33 boiling point of about 122C, and the water level reaches a desired minimum. At this point, the heating is 35 stopped, the misture is agitated, and an emulsifier is 1 added. The emulsifier is necessary in order for a homogeneous solution to form. While the solution is 3 cooling, the essential oil and an antiosidant are added, and are intimately mixed. The final mis is forced 5 through an estruder under air pressure. At this point, about 0.5% by weight of the final composition of an 7 anticaking agent is added to prevent the particles from stickinq.
9 United States Patent 4,004,039 to Shoaf et al.
discloses a process for the encapsulation of ~Aspartame~
11 in any number of matris forming materials. The product is formed by creating a hot melt which, upon cooling, is 13 capable of forming a relatively amorphous matri~ within which the sweetener is discretely dispersed.
EPO published patent application 0158460 to Pickup et al., teaches a method for fising volatile flavorants 17 in a food-approved substrate, and, more particularly, to a low-temperature methodology for fising volatile 19 flavorants in an extruded "carbohydrate-glass~
substrate. Volatiles or essential oils are dry blended 21 with 10-30% low molecular weight carbohydrate, food acid or the like and at least 70% of a high molecular weight 23 polymeric carbohydrate which contains at least 95%
material above 1000 molecular weight. The dry misture is 25 estruded to form on cooling a hard glass-like substance.
While these methods have enabled workers in the art 27 to produce useful food products, they have not provided a means for producing aromatized coffee glass which is 29 prepared from 100~ coffee derived material.

31 SUMM~RY OF T~F INVENTION
It has been discovered that a stable instant coffee 33 product can be prepared from a process which involves obtaining a misture containing about 3% to 12%
35 (preferably above 4% to 9%) water and about 88% to 97%

1 (preferably 91% about 96%) total coffee derived solids, by either concentrating coffee extract or by 3 reconstituting instant coffee products either spray-dried, freeze-dried or otherwise with water. If 5 desired, these two techniques may be combined. After obtaining the moist coffee, it is subjected to heat and 7 shear to effect a molten liquid phase between 60C to 130C (preferably 70C-110C) within a confined 9 headspace. One or more coffee derived or synthetic coffee aromas are added to the coffee melt and the 11 misture well blended to form a homogeneous misture. The misture is shaped and rapidly cooled to affect a 13 transition from liquid coffee melt to a coffee glass with a retention of at least 50%, preferably 70% and most lS preferably 80% or more of volatiles and, finally, the cooled product can be ground preferably at low 17 temperature or otherwise processed into useful coffee products. We have found volatile retention by this 19 invention to be better than freeze drying or spray drying coffee, particularly aromatized coffee.
21 This process avoids a dehydration or drying step during the fisation process, and the volatile loss 23 associated with such a drying step. It also allows fisation of the aroma under pressure in a confined area 25 which further prevents aroma loss.
In a preferred embodiment, the process for preparing 27 an improved soluble coffee product would be conducted in an estruder and comprises: (a) moisturizing one hundred 29 percent coffee derived powder or concentrating one hundred percent coffee derived estract to 88% to 97% or 31 preferably 91% to about 96~ by weight solids;
(b) subjecting the solids to sufficient heat and shear to 33 give a molten liquid coffee at 60C to 130C, preferably 70-110C, most preferably 80 to 100C under a confined 35 headspace; (c) adding natural or synthetic coffee flavors and aromas to the coffee melt under confined headspace; (d) blending the coffee melt and the aroma stream to form a homogenous mixture; (e) shaping and rapid cooling of the homogenous mixture to affect a phase transition from coffee melt to coffee glass with at least 50% retention of volatiles preferably 70%; most preferably 80% retention of volatiles; (f) grinding, preferably cryogenically, the solidified mixture; and (g) drying the mixture to below 6%
if drying is necessary.
The coffee glass encapsulates and retains coffee aromas and flavors. As the melt leaves the extruder, it is important to rapidly cool the product to solidify the matrix and retain the aromas and flavors.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a gasified coffee glass having a freeze-dried or roasted and ground coffee appearance comprising: (a) forming a mixture of from 88% to 97% total coffee derived solids and 3% to 12% water; (b) adjusting the mixture temperature to 60~C to 130C to form a melt; (c) injecting gas into the melt under pressure in a confined area to form a soft, homogenous, gasified melt; (d) forcing the melt under pressure through an orifice to shape the gasified melt; (e) rapidly cooling the gasified shaped melt leaving the orifice to form a gasified homogeneous coffee glass; and (f) recovering the homogeneous gasified glass.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a product having a freeze-dried or roasted and ground coffee appearance, the product being produced by the above noted process.
The advantages of coffee glass processing includes (1) optimizing volatile retention for instant coffees, (2) formation of small chips of concentrated flavor which can be incorporated in coffee products, (3) - 6a -formation of new shapes for soluble coffee, (4) providing increase coffee processing capacity by using concentration and extruding equipment, rather than spray or freeze drying to give final coffee products, (5) eliminating or significantly minimizing dehydration required for stability, (6) incorporation of coffee mannan and coffee cellulosic hydrolysates in the coffee glass without producing unusable hygroscopic products. It is important in seeking these advantages to reduce the potential for thermal degradation by limiting temperature and residence time.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a coffee glass product is prepared by forming a mixture of 88% to 97% coffee solids and 3% to 12% water at a temperature of from 60C to 130C. The mixture is then aromatized using a concentrated coffee aroma, synthetic aroma or mixtures _ _ 7 _ 1 3 3 7 8 5 3 1 thereof. Preferably, pure coffee derived aroma is employed. The mixture is then throughLy mixed in a 3 restricted or confined area under pressure and rapidly cooled to affect a phase transition and form a coffee 5 glass.
The coffee misture can be prepared from coffee 7 estract obtained by normal percolation by subjecting the estract to falling film evaporators or other suitable 9 devices, to obtain a solids content of at least 88%. The solids content, however, cannot esceed 97% since it is 11 important to form a misture which is a liquid at a temperature between 60C to 130C and will form a coffee 13 glass upon cooling. The coffee misture can also be obtained by mising dried coffee solids, spray-dried, 15 freeze-dried or otherwise, with sufficient water to produce a moisture content between 3% and 12~.
17 Obviously, both means of obtaining a coffee concentrate may be combined as by mising concentrated 19 coffee estract with dry soluble coffee to obtain the desired moisture content. Whatever means is employed, a 21 uniform homogeneous coffee melt should be obtained between 60C and 130C. In a preferred embodiment a melt 23 of 91 about 96% solids is prepared at 70C-110C.
This invention, in addition to working well with 25 conventionally estracted roasted and ground coffee estract~, can also be applied to those estracts which are 27 obtained from coffee by heat, acid, enzymatic or base hydrolysis. For esample, a portion of the coffee solids, 29 may be derived from hydrolyzed mannan which forms oligomers having a DP anywhere from 1 to 8 such as 31 disclosed in U.S. 4,544,567. These materials are generally obtained by high pressure, short time, high 33 temperature treatment of residual coffee grounds which cause the mannan to be hydrolyzed to lower molecular 35 weight oligomers, having DP's up to 8. The coffee can 1 also contain cellulosic sugars derived from the cellulosic components of coffee which are produced by the 3 enzymatic, acid or base hydrolysis of such coffee solids.
The dry soluble coffee or concentrated estract used 5 in this invention has a composition dry basis percentage as follows:

% Preferred %
9 Total Carbohydrates 15-50 30-40 11 Reducing Sugars 5-20 5-15 included in total 13 carbohydrates Protein 5-15 6-10 17 Alkyloids 0-6 2-6 19 Chlorogenic Acid 2-35 5-15 21 Other Acids 2-12 4-8 23 Ash 2-16 5-9 We have found that while the composition of roasted coffee has a considerable amount of caramelized sugar the 27 resulting glass is not so hygroscopic that it cannot be stored at high temperatures because of the moisture 29 limitation used in preparing the glass melt.
Once the coffee misture is prepared, it may be 31 gasified by injecting into the misture and uniformly blending various gases, such as nitrogen, air, carbon 33 dioside or other gases and mistures thereof, which will cause a reduction in the density of the coffee misture 35 and allow flesibility and control of the final coffee product density. Such gasification also helps in 37 producing improved solubility and has an efect on lightening the color of the product, both useful when 39 designing new forms of coffee products using the glass as a component.

1 In addition, aromas are added, either with the gasification step, or separately, such as by injecting 3 the aromas into the mixture and then homogenously blending the mixture. It is necessary in adding aroma to 5 reduce the temperature effect on aroma by maintaining the aromatized coffee melt at high temperature in a confined 7 space and then cool the mass in no more than three minutes time. Thermal degradation and loss o the aroma 9 is prevented by cooling the melt immediately after it is forced through an orifice or series of orifices when 11 shaping. On esitinq the orifices, the coffee melt quickly solidifies and cools to a hard glass.
13 Alternatively, the mixture may be rapidly cooled within the extruder by known means. It is important to cool and 15 resolidify the melt to form the glass. In either case, we preferred to cool the aromatized coffee within 180 17 seconds, preferably within 120 seconds and, most preferably, within one minute by using a liquid nitro~en 19 bath or other rapid cooling techniques.
The aromas can be stabilized in coffee oil, coffee 21 estract or in other art recognized ways. The aromas are collected in art recognized ways.
23 The coffee glass is particularly valuable for protecting and stabilizing natural and synthetic flavors 2S and aromas which may be added to the coffee. Apparently, the high solids content of the molten liquid phase under 27 pressure allows rapid formation of a homogeneous aromatized misture which can be immediately cooled to 29 affect a transition from coffee melt to coffee glass with less than 50~ loss, more preferably 30~, and preferably 31 less than 20~ loss of volatile aromas. Optionally, inert gas may be incorporated in the aromatized melt to protect 33 the aromas against osidation, to adjust density, and 1 imp~ove solubility cf the final cooled melt or coffee glass. Once cool, the coffee glass can the~ be broken 3 into the desired size.
Suitable flavors and aromas include aromas collected 5 from roasted and ground coffee called grinder gas, aroma from coffee estract sometimes called vent Sas and aromas 7 from coffee oil, steam aromas, vacuum aromas and any other known forms of coffee aroma and flavor. In 9 addition, other known forms of coffee such as colloidal coffee, can be dispersed and incapsula~ed in the melt.
11 The following esamples are intended to illustrate the present invention without limiting it.

EXAMP~E I
Soluble spray-dried and aqglomerated instant *Maxwell House brand coffee having a 0.25 g/cm density at 17 a moisture content of 4.9% was hand fed into a *K-tron volumetric feeder located on barrel 6 of Werner-19 Pfleiderer twin screw e~truder~Model ~o. 1982 ZSK 57 mm50/2. Water was pum~ed into barrel 8 at 3.4 lbs/hr.
21 Liquid coffee aroma made in a manner taught in U.S.
Patent No. 4,574,089 at a density of 0.8S g/cm was 23 metered into the e~truder at 0.55 lbs/hr. The aroma delivery system was pressurized to avoid aroma loss and 25 the aroma temperature was held to a masimum of 2C.
The coffee was processed through 5 barrels of the 27 11 barrel estruder. The 5 temperature zones were controlled to achieve the following conditions:

8arrel No. Actual ~emD. (C) 6 (feed) 31 *Trade Mark ~1 ..

1 The e~truder operated at a rate of 85 lb/hr and 64%
torque with the screws turning at 6~ rpm.
3 The feed streams were homosenized and melted hy mechanical heat into a coffee matri~. The product esited 5 the estruder at 88~C and 8~ moisture through a rope die having two 3/4 diameter opening. The estrudate was quic~
7 cooled by immersion in liqui~ nitrogen and ~ormed a brittle coff~e slass. Once brittle, the co~fee glass was 9 ground.
Aroma retention o~ 93~ was obtained by this process 11 as measured by a gas chromatograph using a purge and trap procedure. Samples of feed powder spiked with the coffee 13 aroma at the stoichiometrically correct level and aromatized estruded product were compared. The procedure 15 involved preparing a solution of the sample coffee and water. The volatiles were driven from the coffee 17 solution onto a sorbant tube by the use of heat and a helium gas sweep. An *Envirochem Unacon concentrator was 19 used to desorb the volatiles and transfer them onto a fused silica column in a gas chromatograph equipped with 21 a FID (carbon) detector.
The aroma retentions obtained compared favorably with 23 those typically found with spray-drying (55%), agglomeration (75% per pass) or freeze drying (65-75%).
The configuration of the twin 1290 mm self-cleaning screws (shown just following) was assembled from elements 27 available through Werner Pfleiderer. It included riqht handed kneading blocks (K) which acted as up and down 29 stream seals reducing the amount of added aroma vaporizing out of the estruder.

33 P; tch of Fl i ghts ~ Q ~Q K ~Q ~ K~ K 4X40 La~g~h (n~ 30 8040 60 4~ 60 40 20 40 2040 *Trade Mark ~, - 12 - 1 3 3 7 8 5 ~

Soluble coffee, pre-moistured to 8~ moisture in a 3 ribbon blender, was fed at 3.3 #/hr to a Brabender single screw 25/1 L/D ratio extruder with a 0.75~ diameter 5 2/1 compression ratio screw. Liquid aroma coffee made in a manner taught by U.S. Patent 4,574,089 was pumped into 7 the e~truder at 0.05 #/hr. The screw was operated at 50 rpm and exerted 4500-5000 torque (Neutron Meters).
9 The 3 heatinq zones kept the molten coffee at 75, 80 and 80C respectively. The temperature controlled die 11 adaptor section was kept at 85 and coffee melts emerged at 88C after an average retention time of 13 1.75-2 minutes. The coffee melts cooled quickly forming a brittle glass.
The estrudate was ground in a Homoloid mill using 00 to 20 mesh screens, blended with spray-dried coffee 17 powder at 10% glass to 90% spray-dried material and allowed to equilibrate.
19 A four-month accelerated storage study confirmed that the product stored well, aroma remaining trapped in the 21 coffee matris for at least 10 weeks at ambient and 9 weeks at 35C as measured organoleptically.
23 If desired, other products can be prepared with different aroma and coffee derived material.
~X~P!~ III
27 A lower density extruded form different from ropes and sheet~ was prepared by using a gas injected vertical 29 tubing die. In this case, a C.W. 8rabender single screw 15/1 L/D ratio (0.75~ diameter) e~truder was equipped 31 with a 1/1 compression ratio screw. Soluble coffee (9.5%
moisture) was fed to the e~truder. The three heated 33 zones were set at 75C, 80C and 85C and the Brabender vertical tu~ing die (ll/32~0D 9/32~ID) was heated to 85C.

- 13 - 1 33785~

1 The soluble coffee passed through the e~truder at rates of 2.0-34 lbs/hr e~iting the e~truder at 80-86C.
3 The screw was operated at speeds of 22, 33 and 40 rpm and 300-400 psi pressure was built up at the die. The melt 5 was estruded onto a teflon coated belt operated at 40-60 rpm. The extrudate formed tubes with a dark outer 7 surface and a glassy dark inner surface. These tubes could be inflated by pinching the end forminq a thin g walled (0.003~) bubble of coffee. The cooled glass bubbles had fragile/brittle walls that when broken formed 11 light gossamer particles which are estremely soluble in hot water.

E~ MPT.F IV
A C-37 mm corotating twin screw estruder manufactured by Werner and Pfleiderer Corporation was used to esecute 17 these tests.
Beginning at the feed section, one of the screws was 19 fitted with 104S mm of conveying elements gradually reducing in pitch from 60 mm to 26.7 mm, followed by 21 three sets of alternating 10 mm left handed conveying and neutral elements, followed by a handed kneeding block at 23 the estruder discharge. The screw length totaled 1158 mm and the estruder had seven barrel~. A matching profile 25 was constructed for the other screw. A sheet die manufactured by Haake Buchler was attached to the 27 estruder discharge. This die had a 4 inch wide opening and the gap was set at 0.005 inch. The die also 29 contained a pressure transducer which allowed calculation of the die viscosity by standard techniques based on the 31 pressure loss through the die. The estruder operated with barrel 1 (feed) at 70F; barrel 2/3 at 95F; 4/5/6/7 33 (discharge) at 212F; sheet die at 220F.

.

1 A commercially available spray-dried powder at 3%
moisture was fed to the C-37 mm operating at a screw 3 speed of 115 rpm. Water was introduced to the powder in barrel 2 at a rate which produced a mixture at 6%
5 moisture. The wetted powder was mised and heated within the estruder to form a homogeneous melt. The misture 7 esiting the die was at a temperature of 23SF and had a viscosity of 2600 centipoise. The misture was rapidly 9 solidified to a brittle glass.
A second test was run using the same estruder/die set 11 up and conditions. The feed powder in the second test consisted of 50% by weight commercially available 13 spray-dried powder (the same as used previously); 25% by weight commercially available destrose at 0~ moisture and 15 25% by weight commercially available fructose solids at 0.3% moisture. Water was added to the powder blend in 17 barrel 2 at a rate which produced a misture at 6~
moisture. The melt exiting the die was lighter in color 19 and did not solidify to a brittle glass but stayed soft and tacky. This test was continued by gradually reducing 21 the amount of water added to the coffee/monomeric sugar blend. At the point where no water was added to the 23 estruder, the melt esiting the die continued to be light in color. This misture had a moisture of 1.6% (no 25 process water added); a temperature of 235F and a viscosity of 2550 centipoise and was soft and tacky.

Claims (23)

1. A shaped 100% coffee derived glass prepared from a homogeneous coffee melt containing 88% to 97% coffee derived solids and 3%-12% water, said melt having been formed at a temperature of 60°C to 130°C.

2. The glass of claim 1 prepared from a melt containing 91% to about 96% coffee derived solids and about 4%-9% water, said melt having been formed at 70°C-110°C.

3. A glass produced from the melt of claim 1 or 2 gasified with carbon dioxide, nitrogen or air.

4. A process for preparing an improved soluble coffee product which comprises:
(a) concentrating an aqueous coffee extract to a concentration of about 88% to 97% by weight solids or moisturizing a dried coffee powder to a concentration of 88-97% by weight solids;
(b) treating the coffee of step (a) with heat in the range of about 60°C to about 130°C and shear to affect a homogeneous molten liquid phase under confined headspace;
(c) blending coffee aroma or flavor with the coffee prior to, during or after forming the homogeneous molten phase; and (d) rapid cooling of the homogenous phase to affect a transition from coffee melt to coffee glass with retention of at least 50% of the flavors and aromas.

5. The process of claim 4 which further includes injecting a gas into the coffee melt of step (b).

6. The process of claim 4 which further includes injecting a gas into the homogeneous mixture of step (c).

7. The process of claim 4 wherein coffee aromas and/or flavors including colloidal coffee are added to the coffee melt under confined headspace.

8. The process of claim 4 wherein the coffee melt is formed at about 70°C to 110°C and contains 91 about 96% coffee solids.

9. The process of claim 4 wherein the melt and aromatization are effected within an extruder.

10. The process of claim 4 further comprising grinding the coffee glass and blending said ground coffee glass with dry coffee solids having a moisture of less than 4.5% by weight in a weight ratio effective to prepare a coffee product having an average moisture of no more than 5% by weight.

11. An aromatized, homogeneous, hard, coffee glass containing 88% to 97% totally coffee derived solids comprising:

15% - 55% Total Carbohydrates;
5% - 15% Protein;
0% - 6% Alkyloid;
2% - 35% Chlorogenic Acid;
2% - 12% Other Acids;
2% - 16% Ash; and 3% - 12% Water

12. A method of forming a gasified coffee glass having a freeze-dried or roasted and ground coffee appearance comprising:
(a) forming a mixture of from 88% to 97% total coffee derived solids and 3% to 12% water;
(b) adjusting the mixture temperature to 60°C to 130°C to form a melt;
(c) injecting gas into the melt under pressure in a confined area to form a soft, homogeneous, gasified melt;
(d) forcing the melt under pressure through an orifice to shape the gasified melt;
(e) rapidly cooling the gasified shaped melt leaving the orifice to form a gasified homogeneous coffee glass; and (f) recovering the homogeneous gasified glass

13. The method of claim 12, including the further step of (g) grinding the recovered glass to obtain a final freeze-dried or roasted and ground coffee appearing product.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixture contains 91% to about 96% coffee solids and 4% to 9% water in step (a).

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixture is heated to 70°C to 110°C.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the gas is carbon dioxide, nitrogen, air or mixtures thereof.

17 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the mixture of step (a) is obtained by mixing dried coffee solids with water.

18. The method of claim 12, additionally comprising a drying step after the gasified melt leaves the orifice to reduce the moisture to 2.5% to 5% water.

19. The method of claim 12, which further includes adding flavor or aroma or mixtures thereof to the melt prior to shaping the melt.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the aroma or flavor added to the melt is coffee oil.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising stretching the gasified melt leaving the orifice while it is being rapidly cooled.

22. The process as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 21, wherein the melt is effected within an extruder.

23. A product having a freeze-dried or roasted and ground coffee appearance produced by the process of claim 12.