Ground coffee is made simply by grinding up whole coffee beans into the desired consistency, but instant coffee is dehydrated after being ground. This forms dehydrated coffee crystals which rehydrate when water is added, creating a fully brewed cup of coffee.

Coffee dates back to ancient Ethiopia, but instant coffee didn’t come around until hundreds of years later, in the 1770s. The very first type of instant coffee was developed in Britain in 1771, and America came out with its version in 1851.

The first versions of instant coffee were served in cake form, and the first soluble coffee powder wasn't patented until 1890. The Japanese perfected this model in 1901, but an American inventor named George Constant Louis Washington was the first to bring instant coffee onto the commercial market in 1910.

The military is where instant coffee took off, especially in World War Two, as the dehydrated coffee alternative allowed them to enjoy a cup of Joe on the front lines. These days, instant coffee is enjoyed by a variety of people, but many believe that instant coffee doesn't taste as good as a fresh cup of brew.