Help! Greasy Instant Coffee Vileness

Cafe Society
1

Hi everyone. I’m here on a trial account. Love the dope :slight_smile:

Something happened last night that totally puzzled and worried me, and I’m hoping some of you could share experience/advise/opinion whatever.

I opened a new jar of instant coffee last night. I made my cup the way I like it. A tablespoon of the instant coffee, a tablespoon of sugar, evaporated milk. (Hold the “Eww, that’s gross comments” hehe… I just LIKE it this way) So, I microwaved it, as usual.

As I pulled the cup from the microwave, I noticed a greasy smell - which I thought was from the microwave. (Being the slob that I am might have been spilled food from a few days ago - but no, it wasn’t) It was then I noticed the coffee. The smell was uhm… kinda like fishy petroleum - or old food grease with some gasoline. It’s really difficult to describe because I have never encountered it before. I have been using instant coffee since I was a kid and this particular brand for 4-5 years now.

On the top of the mixture, floated the spots of grease. It was dark amber and very thin, thinner in consistency than say, baby oil. Not enough to cover the entire top but plenty enough that you’d stop yourself from drinking it even if you did not notice the funny smell.

Ok. Ugh. So just to be sure it wasn’t me who messed that up somehow, I made a fresh cup; careful to check the cup, water, spoon, sugar, coffee, milk I was using did not have that vile stuff. After heating the second carefully made batch, there it was again. It was the coffee I’m sure. You would notice that stuff it it was in the water, sugar or the milk. Nasty. NASTY stuff.

Anyone have any idea what that was? Does instant coffee turn greasy if it’s old? Did I perhaps leave it in the microwave too long? Water too hot? I looked online and could not find anything that describes what happened. I’m thinking of calling the manufacturing company but not before I’m sure it wasn’t just my own ignorance.

2

Not a clue.

Since it was a new jar of coffee, try making a cup sans milk and sugar, just to rule out the possibility that the coffee itself is bad.

Were you drinking tuna juice from the cup just prior to making coffee? :dubious:

3

I don’t have an answer, but your use of the word “vileness” in the thread title reminds me of a Seinfeld bit:

“I mean, Bozo the Clown-- does he really need “the clown” in his title… Are we going to confuse him with Bozo the district attorney? Bozo the pope?”

Welcome, stick around, and hopefully you’ll find the answers you yearn for. :slight_smile:

4

There’s your mistake. If you’re going to drink coffee, get the good stuff, from online roasters, and use a French press.

5

Weird. Never had that happen.

But then, I drink Eight O’Clock.

6

I’d test it plain as suggested, if the vile greasiness is still there look for a phone number on the jar and call and complain. They may send you some free or your money back.
Real coffee does have a slight oiliness from the coffee beans but it is not vile and there shouldn’t be a lot of it. If you drink instant for the convenience, might I suggest trying the cold brewed coffee method, make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge and heat up a cup at a time. It does require using real coffee with a coarse grind so if you get whole beans you’ll need a grinder. You’ll also need a filter and it can get messy but it’s worth it and it’s great for iced coffee. The initial making is definitely not instant, it takes time but if you mix up enough in one batch it should last several days.

Info here. There was also a thread here about it which put me on to this. I mostly use it for iced coffee.

7

One thing I’m wondering is how it looked greasy. Was the grease in droplets, or was there just a rainbow-like sheen on the top?

Is it possible for evaporated milk to go rancid?

8

Yes. Here’s one source.

Did you check the expiration date on the can?

9

It was in droplets. I’ve seen rainbow sheen before and that could come from anything - from the water to the sloppily washed spooon or the coffee itself. I do notice that more on fresh brewed though, and never nasty like that. No, it was floating droplets, like you would get on top of grandma’s chicken soup. Only darker. Dark amber.

I did check out the milk too. It was fine. I popped open the top of the lid to make sure and tasted it. I’ve had some milk go bad on me a few times and it curdles and the little curd things float on top like candy sprinkles hehe. Evap milk does go rancid. Does Instant coffee go rancid?