How does production technology of coffee shape Blue Bottle's instant espresso?
Blue Bottle Coffee announced it will launch specialty instant espresso in mainland China for the first time, going on sale August 17 through e-commerce platforms. The formula was developed over three years for domestic taste preferences and is described with notes of dark chocolate, molasses and roasted malt. Domestic packs hold 3 grams each; Tmall presale is 75 yuan for five packets and 208 yuan for fifteen, plus a 9.9 yuan single-packet trial.
The overseas version, a 48-gram jar sold for about US$25, roughly 183 yuan, and blends beans from Colombia, Brazil and Ethiopia. Production technology of coffee matters here: precise temperature and pressure control gives a gentle extraction, then slow freeze-drying forms flake-style crystals that dissolve in hot or cold water without a machine or grinder. Nestlé's 2017 stake in Blue Bottle accelerated expansion; mainland presence includes five Shanghai stores and a Shenzhen pop-up.
Blue Bottle Coffee has announced that on August 17 it will launch specialty instant coffee (espresso) in mainland China for the first time. This product was developed over three years specifically for domestic consumers' taste preferences, presenting flavor layers of dark chocolate, molasses, and roasted malt. The domestic version uses 3-gram individual packets; the Tmall presale price is 75 yuan for 5 packets and 208 yuan for 15 packets, with an additional 9.9 yuan single-packet trial pack. Previously, Blue Bottle had launched a 48g jarred instant product overseas, priced at about 183 yuan. Since Nestlé acquired a 68% stake in 2017, Blue Bottle has accelerated its global expansion; it currently has 5 Shanghai stores and a Shenzhen pop-up store in mainland China. Whether the instant product can continue its specialty reputation is worth watching.
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On August 5, Blue Bottle Coffee officially announced that the brand will bring specialty instant coffee (espresso) to mainland China for the first time, and confirmed that it will go on sale on e-commerce platforms on the 17th of this month. The promotional copy emphasizes that consumers can experience a flavor close to Blue Bottle store offerings without leaving home.
In fact, Blue Bottle Coffee had already launched an espresso instant coffee called "Craft Instant Coffee, Espresso" in overseas markets as early as last year. The product is made from a blend of coffee beans from Colombia, Brazil, and Ethiopia, and highlights freeze-drying technology that requires no coffee machine, no grinding, and dissolves quickly in both hot and cold water. In terms of pricing, it also continues Blue Bottle's consistent high-end approach—a 48-gram pack sells for US$25, equivalent to about 183 yuan.
As for this new instant product aimed at the Chinese market, the brand revealed that the Blue Bottle team spent three years polishing it specifically for domestic consumers' taste preferences before finalizing the formula. The advertisement describes this instant espresso as having flavor notes of dark chocolate, molasses, and roasted malt. In terms of production, it has been carefully designed, using precise temperature and pressure control to achieve gentle extraction, then processing it through slow freeze-drying, ultimately forming delicate and full flake-like crystal granules, thereby preserving the rich layering of espresso.
As can be seen from the official poster, the domestic version of the instant espresso does not use the overseas small-jar format, but instead switched to 3-gram individual packets. In terms of price, the author checked Blue Bottle Coffee's Tmall flagship store and found that the presale price for the 5-packet pack is 75 yuan, and the presale price for the 15-packet pack is 208 yuan.
In addition, during the presale period Blue Bottle Coffee also offered a single-packet trial pack priced at 9.9 yuan. However, judging from feedback from consumers who have already purchased it, most people think the pricing is too high, and the taste did not bring much surprise either; many said they would not buy it again.
As an iconic brand in the third wave of specialty coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee has always upheld the principles of fresh roasting, high-quality output, and professional service. It has textbook-like influence in the specialty coffee industry and has profoundly influenced a generation of coffee professionals.
Since 2015, Blue Bottle Coffee has launched a plan to expand into overseas markets. After Nestlé acquired a 68% stake for US$480 million in 2017, the brand's overseas expansion further accelerated, and it also won the favor of coffee lovers in various places. As of now, Blue Bottle Coffee has opened a total of 5 official stores in mainland China, all located in Shanghai, and also has a limited-time pop-up store in Shenzhen.
Blue Bottle Coffee's CEO previously revealed plans to add instant coffee products to store menus within one to two years. This approach has already been tried in the Japanese market, where local consumers are not resistant to it and quite a few even say they like it. But as of now, no Blue Bottle branch has officially launched such instant drinks on its menu.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
