Single-serve formed soluble coffee product

Abstract

A method for forming a dissolvable thermally reduced, solidified and dehydrated coffee is disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of freezing a liquid coffee concentrate and thermally reducing, solidifying and dehydrating the frozen liquid coffee concentrate until a hard outer crust is formed which may have a hardness greater than or equal to an interior portion of the thermally reduced, solidified and dehydrated coffee.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dissolvable coffee comprising:
 a hygroscopic and hydrophilic coffee core defining an exterior surface and having a hardness;   a hydrophobic and hydrophilic shell covering the entire exterior surface of the hygroscopic solid coffee core, a hardness of the shell being greater than the hardness of the hygroscopic coffee core, the hydrophobic and hydrophilic shell being a mixture of:
 extracted coffee fines; 
 coffee oil; and 
 less than 5% water. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dissolvable coffee of  claim 1  wherein the coffee fines are about 1 to 5 microns in size. 
     
     
         3 . The dissolvable coffee of  claim 1  wherein the coffee fines are extracted from ground coffee. 
     
     
         3 . The dissolvable coffee of  claim 1  wherein the percentage of oil in the hydrophobic and hydrophilic shell is less than or equal to between 1% and 30%. 
     
     
         4 . A method of making a dissolvable coffee, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a hygroscopic and hydrophilic coffee core;   extracting liquid coffee from coffee grinds wherein the liquid coffee including water, coffee fines and oil;   electrostatically bonding the oil and the coffee fines to a greater level compared to the water and the coffee fines;   heating the liquid coffee to remove the water and the retain the oil;   continuing the heating step until liquid coffee has less than 15% water;   applying the liquid coffee over an entire exterior surface of the hygroscopic and hydrophilic coffee core at ambient temperature;   solidifying the liquid coffee on the coffee core for forming a hydrophobic and hydrophilic shell having a hardness greater than a hardness of the hygroscopic coffee core.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the applying step comprises a step of atomizing the liquid coffee and passing the coffee core through the atomized liquid coffee. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the applying step comprises steps of dipping the coffee core into the liquid coffee and removing the coffee core. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the body step comprises a step of agitating the liquid coffee. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the agitating step comprises a step of stirring the liquid coffee, blending the liquid coffee or shaking a container of the liquid coffee. 
     
     
         9 . A method of making a dissolvable coffee, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a hygroscopic and hydrophilic coffee core;   passing the coffee core through steam to liquefy an entire exterior surface of the coffee core;   maintaining the coffee core in the steam until all pores in the exterior surface of the coffee core are filled with dissolved coffee from the steam;   solidifying the dissolved coffee on the exterior surface of the coffee core for forming a hydrophobic shell having a hardness greater than a hardness of the hygroscopic coffee core.