How to source coffee powder (100% coffee solids)
What we establish before quoting a coffee powder order. Coffee powder enquiries arrive under several names at once: soluble coffee, spray dried coffee powder, instant coffee powder, and the first thing we settle is that all of them mean the same thing on our sheet: 100% coffee solids, dark brown fine powder, 80 mesh. We then ask which application the powder is going into, because ready-to-drink coffee, café-style beverage mixes, functional energy drinks and baking pull the roast character and the mesh in different directions, and we would rather confirm that with our manufacturing partner before quoting than send a sheet the buyer cannot use. Packing comes next: a 25 kg fibre drum as standard, foil bags for pilots, OEM under the buyer's own brand if needed. Samples are drawn from production lots, so what the buyer tests is the material that would ship; the free quantity depends on the item's value and anything beyond is billed at cost plus courier, quoted up front.
Coffee powder looks like the simplest line on a quotation until you compare three suppliers' sheets and find they are describing different materials. The standard grade is spray-dried pure coffee — 100% coffee solids, a dark brown fine powder at 80 mesh with a full, roasted character — but before prices are comparable a buyer needs to settle the assay line, the mesh, the application, and what the documentation actually covers. This guide covers how to source coffee powder: the grade, the documents, packing and lead time, and what a first order looks like.
What the coffee powder is
The material is made from coffee (Coffea arabica / robusta beans) by roasting, extraction and spray drying, and the assay line states 100% coffee solids. That single line is the most useful filter in the category: a powder that is 100% coffee solids has nothing in it but coffee, which rules out blended and carrier-extended products before you compare a single price. The result is a dark brown fine powder with a full, roasted character and characteristic odour and taste, dissolving readily, supplied at 80 mesh standard with 100 mesh on request. If your process handles a liquid concentrate instead, that is a different product line — tell us before comparing quotations.
The specification, line by line
| Line | Standard grade |
|---|---|
| Source | Coffee (Coffea arabica / robusta beans) |
| Process | Roasting, extraction and spray drying |
| Assay | 100% coffee solids |
| Appearance | Dark brown fine powder |
| Odour & taste | Characteristic, full roasted |
| Particle size | 80 mesh standard, 100 mesh on request |
| Loss on drying / total ash | ≤ 5.0% / ≤ 5.0% |
| Packing / shelf life | 25 kg fibre drum, double PE liner / 24 months unopened |
Loss on drying and total ash are each limited to 5.0% or less, and the sheet is otherwise short: this is a single-grade ingredient, and the specification choices that matter are mesh and packing rather than potency.
Choosing the mesh for your process
Eighty mesh is the standard grade and the right default for most beverage work: it dissolves readily in a mixing step and handles baking and dessert applications without grittiness. Request 100 mesh where the process is sensitive to particle size — fine sachets, stick packs and clear ready-to-drink builds where sediment shows. Settle the mesh before the format is locked, because a mesh change after a trial means re-running the trial.
Documents: what ships with the lot
Every lot ships with a batch COA and full documentation, and the specification sheet states the limits — loss on drying and total ash at or below 5.0% each — while the COA states your batch's actual results. When you compare spray dried coffee powder suppliers, ask each one for a sample COA before the first order; it takes one email and it tells you whether the documentation practice is real. Leave your work email on the product page and we will send the full specification sheet (PDF) and a sample Certificate of Analysis, with a reply within one business day.
Packing, MOQ and lead time
Packing is a 25 kg fibre drum with a double polyethylene liner as standard, with 1 kg and 5 kg foil bags for samples and pilot runs. MOQ starts at 1 kg, and OEM service packs under your own brand with artwork handled under confidentiality. In-stock items are ready in about 2 days; bulk production takes 3 to 5 working days after deposit for standard grades. Transit runs Xi'an to Shenzhen consolidation in about 3 days, then about 6 days by air to major U.S. and EU airports, or 18 to 25 days by sea.
What a first order looks like
Send the application (ready-to-drink coffee, café-style beverage mix, functional energy drink or baking), the mesh you expect to need, the quantity and the destination port. We reply within one business day with pricing, lead time, packing options and the documentation list. Most buyers start with a foil bag from a production lot — the free quantity depends on the item's value, and anything beyond is billed at cost plus courier and quoted up front — then move to a 25 kg drum once the trial passes. Storage is cool and dry, away from direct sunlight, and shelf life is 24 months in unopened original packing.
Frequently asked questions
What is coffee powder standardised to?
The assay is 100% coffee solids: the powder is roasted, extracted and spray-dried coffee from Coffea arabica / robusta beans, supplied as a dark brown fine powder. Loss on drying and total ash are each limited to 5.0% or less, and the powder is 80 mesh standard with 100 mesh on request.
What applications is coffee powder used in?
The product page lists four: ready-to-drink coffee, café-style beverage mixes, functional energy drinks, and baking and desserts. In practice the powder suits any dry process that needs a full roasted coffee character without handling a liquid extract.
What is the MOQ, sample policy and lead time for coffee powder?
MOQ is 1 kg and OEM service is available under your own brand. Samples are always drawn from production lots; the free quantity depends on the item's value, and anything beyond is billed at cost plus courier, quoted up front. In-stock items are ready in about 2 days, bulk production takes 3 to 5 working days after deposit, and transit is about 3 days Xi'an to Shenzhen plus about 6 days by air, or 18 to 25 days by sea.
Related: Coffee Powder — full specification, grades and documentation.