What is the difference between instant and filter coffee?

"Filter" coffee in general, is coffee beans that have been roasted and ground and is for use in coffee making machines. This makes 'fresh' coffee that may have a variety of qualities not found in instant - such as sweeter or more distinct flavours, etc.

"Instant" coffee is normally a coffee that has already been made (they had the fun already!) and is dried (usually through freezing) into a dehydrated state, hence we just add water and get coffee.

I would think that most people who have drunk proper (freshly made) coffee would prefer the flavour, quality and effects from caffeine, over that of instant. For me, instant is a back up, in case the real stuff runs out, but I feel always tastes a little woody and not as satisfying in terms of a caffeine hit. There are several coffees available now - Kenco Millicano is one - that offer both instant and some kind of coffee bean, but all I see is coffee grinds in the bottom of the cup, and not much difference in flavour.

The difference is that instant coffee dissolves in water whereas filter is ready ground that does not and still a filter is needed when making it one way or another. Instant coffee is most convenient since it actually dissolves in a cup and can be stirred in - yet instant coffee and ready ground coffee mixes are more likely to have fillers hidden in them compared to whole bean coffee

When roasting coffee, some of the smaller beans get burnt and others broken up. These are great to use in the cheap ready grind and the Tim Hortons, Starbucks and instant coffee blends. Whole bean coffee is better as any non coffee fillers would not be as easily blended into the containers

So they speak about the dust in teabags - yet with a great big cannister of ready grind coffee at a Costco going for as little as a dollar and fifty cents you would probably wonder what goes in it and instant coffee being even cheaper for the cup than bagged tea one would wonder what goes in it