The Brazilian Coffee Institute approached Nestlé’s chairman in 1930 to develop a coffee that was soluble in hot water and that retained its flavour. The product that was developed was called Nescafé, which was a combination of the Nestlé brand name and the word ‘café’. The popularity of Nescafé continued to grow, and by the 1950s teenagers made Nescafé their beverage of choice. A powder version was introduced in 1955 that had a strong, distinctive and continental taste. The famous brown Nescafé tin was sold in 1961 and the clear glass jar was introduced in 1970. The product is still spray dried but is now further processed into granules.  

A new, milder Nescafé Fine Blend was introduced in 1972. Then, in 1984, the first premium, freeze-dried coffee was launched, called Gold Blend. This blend had a rich, smooth flavour. In 1986, Nestlé launched Alta Rica and Cap Colombie. Alta Rica is a full-bodied, rich, after-dinner coffee made from a combination of A-grade beans from Latin America. Cap Colombie is characterised by a mild and smooth flavour and an aroma of Colombian beans. A light-roasted variety called Nescafé Kenjara was introduced in 1996 with a delicate but lively flavour.

The Nescafé Original Coffee Granules should always be prepared with a dry measure of one teaspoon of Nescafé Original coffee, added to a seven-fluid-ounce cup, or one tablespoon of Nescafé Original coffee per pint. Boiling water should never be used; only use hot water off the boil.