I think it is the poorly sealed cover.

I agree with Nita. Poor seal and high humidity.

I don't like powdered coffee, decaf or not. I used to keep it in the house for when my MIL visited. She was on a lot of medications and couldn't drink "regular" coffee. I hated the stuff. After she died, I threw out three jars of the stuff.

It's probably the poorly sealed container. Although we always brew regular coffee in the morning we still keep a small container of instant for those odd occasions when one of the kids wants 1 cup quickly.

We buy Taster's Choice but they stopped using glass jars with a screw on lid a few years ago. I don't care for the new plastic container with the pop up lid because it doesn't seem to seal as well and since we don't use it that often it seemed to lose it's flavor. So we now keep the instant coffee in a glass jar with a screw on lid and that does the trick.

I rather suspected that would likely be the problem.

I have some glass jam jars with plastic insert in the metal lid to seal it, 500 ml. (about a pound) that would hold just about the full 150 gm. Taster's Choice pop-up lidded plastic jar's contents, if it were freshly opened.

But only about 1/8 of the "powder" is left. Part of it was in sort of crumbs, and there was a large chunk - but it pulled away from the bottom of the plastic jar leaving no residue.

I put it into the jam jar and gave it some jabbing with a table kife to break the chunk up some, then gave the stuff in the jam jar a few seconds in the miocrowave - bad move. Congealed the whole thing into a lump in the bottom of the jar.

Next question ... since the auto-defrost fridge tends to dry things out, will it dry the former powder, now a lump in the bottom, if I put it into the fridge for a day or so? Or just add more moisture (lifted from the other stuff in the fridge)?

Maybe I should just add water, then put a spoon or two of the "coffee liqueur" into the cup when I want a cuppa. Would it deteriorate? (That last not addressed to the person who threw the three jars out).

It's usually about $6.00 - 7.00 and I got it on special (last year?) for only $2.74 or something like that, but it's the first decaf that I've had in the house for ages (if ever). And one bottle of regular coffee powder lasted me for several years, a few years ago. The youngies gave me a bottle and a part when they were breaking up their Mom's household - nearly 4 years ago, and I bought a new bottle of regular powder just a few months ago.

Usally brew regular coffee.

ole joyful

Boy - I'm stumped on that one. I guess it's so hard you couldn't even break a piece off. I wonder if you just might perk up someone's day at Nescafe if you asked them? Or you might stump them too. Good luck.

Oh I forgto to mention - when they first came out with these new containers they received a lot of complaints. Many people said it was too hard to open. I complained that it was difficult to know if the lid was shut properly. They sent me 2 coupons and said they were redesigning them to make them easier to open.

Ed,
Try adding some cold water to the jar of "powder." After it disolves, keep it in the refrigerator. When you want a cup of coffee, just squirt a small amount into the cup and add hot water. "New invention - instant liquid!"

It should keep in the fridg. for a few weeks. Just watch for signs of molding. I suppose it could mold.

Yesterday was the first time I saw "Coffee Powder" listed as such on a product.

we keep instant coffee in the fridge for months, and don't have a problem...in fact, a smaller jar can last us a year...(we're green tea drinkers...)

Ed,

I concur with hayjud's solution except that I would put a small amount of your liquid "expresso" in a seperate container to be used in the short term and the rest in a freezer bag to be broken off, thawed and used later. This solves the mold problem as you indicated you don't use the instant coffee often.

I would think the poor seal caused the problem. We have a lot of dampness related problems here, too.

The sugar in my bowl is always clumped. Wes knows when I've been sneaking it when it's loose and granular! LOL

Caroline,

Keep a separate bowl ... well hidden ... or in an old jam jar'd do.

Maybe if I add the water, and add some sugar, it'd reduce the possibility of mould, like jam ... but I find that, unless I eat jam rather quickly, it does mould.

So much for that proposal!

Maybe I could just put it into a well-rinsed soap dispenser??

Hey! I just had an idea.

I think that I should send my original post (plus the later addition) to Nescafe, telling them of my serious concern about what to do with the congealed mess (i.e. "mass") ... being too frugal to throw it out ... and of my suspicion as to the cause of the problem ...

... (and, after having had to deal with a problem like that, of being disinclined to buy more of *that* product)

... and of the confirmation from several others - hey, just send them a link to the whole thread!

Who knows ... maybe they'd send me some coupons!

(Retirees, especially silly old farts up near their dotage, have time for such frugal schemes).

ole joyful

Maybe you could add just enough water to melt it all and then freeze it into little ice cubes that you can add to fresh water later to make into coffee. Can't taste much worse than regular instant coffee and freezing it would keep it fresh longer than making a liquid and refrigerating it. It won't last years that way either though.

I think making it into little coffee potent ice cubes is the way to go too. And I just remembered - when I complained to them about how hard it was to close the original container (before they redesigned it) they didn't send me a coupon - they actually mailed me an entire jar! A newly redesigned one. I still don't like the design and we keep it one of their old Taster Choice glass jars with a screw on lid.

I'm frugal and retired too Ed, and I do take time to look up e-addresses of companies to write about producr problems...and they'fe responded to my satisfaction with either coupon for free item or postage paid replacements

Unless customers tell them they may never know of problems.

BTW, Use Distilled water to keep from getting mold.

Suzi

I couldn't keep track of which coffees are which and how long you've had them and which one is yucky. The contents of jars open for months and years aren't going to be very palatable. But, complain to Nescafe and I'm sure they'll send you your coupons.

Thank you all for your useful (and sometimes mirthful) suggestions. It seems to be the general concensus that loose lids cause congealed coffee powder.

That's better than the slogan in World War II that was peddled everywhere, when the convoys were assembling in Halifax and heading across the North Atlantic (at speed necessarily dictated by the slowest ship in the procession ... and sustaining heavy losses due to the U-boats' depradations) to sustain the war effort in Europe.

The oft-repeated slogan, often seen on posters, etc. was, "Loose lips ... sink ships".

I hope that you all avoid having problems with foodstuffs going awry, especially unexpectedly ... and have a lovely late-summer weekend ... looking forward to autumn.

ole joyful

paula_pa beat me to my suggestion as I was reading this! I think the coffee-cubes would be better than refrigerated.

Bad sealing is my opinion on your problem But also keep in mind that many plastic containers are not air-tight. They actually leak air through the plastic. Glass is far superior for longer term storage.

Also, it's a myth that coffee keeps better in the frig or freezer. Actually, most experts agree it is detrimental to the coffee (powder, grounds and beans) to keep in frig or freezer. A tightly sealed container is best.

I buy the "larger" (what used to be a 3# size) "can" (now I get plastic on my favorite Maxwell House) coffee and transfer as I use to a 1# size can because it's so much easier to work with. I buy the "Lite", lower caffeine version because Maxwell house is (or at least was) so high in caffeine and I would drink a lot of coffee at a time. This could be moot now though because they changed the beans from Robusto to Arabica so I don't know if it makes a difference or not.