What is Freeze-Dried Coffee? Freeze-dried coffee is essentially instant coffee that's made through the freeze drying process. If you are not yet familiar with what freeze drying is, it is a three-step method that preserves food by removing a significant amount of moisture. Instant coffee is made from real coffee beans. The soluble and volatile contents of the beans are extracted. Then the water is removed so powder or concentrated soluble coffee powder are left over. It's essentially been dehydrated for our convenience – just add water and you have yourself a brew! Stash extra coffee beans in the freezer if you're not planning on using them immediately (within a month of purchase) to preserve the flavor and prevent beans from going stale. Avoid opening and closing the bag of coffee beans while still frozen. This introduces moisture to the bag and can impact the flavor.