Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee made by the Vevey-based company Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee brand in Switzerland on April 1, 1938.
Nescafé
"Any time is coffee time with Nescafé", 1948 advertisement
Old Nescafé tin
"Dolce Gusto" capsules
Instant coffee is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans that enables people to quickly prepare hot coffee by adding hot water or milk to coffee solids in powdered or crystallized form and stirring. The product was first invented in Invercargill, the largest city in Southland, New Zealand, in 1890. Instant coffee solids refers to the dehydrated and packaged solids available at retail used to make instant coffee. Instant coffee solids are commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated. Instant coffee in a concentrated liquid form, as a beverage, is also manufactured.
Instant coffee granules
Close-up view of a granule of Nescafé instant coffee
A cup of instant coffee from Italy
Photograph of David Strang Coffee Mills