After arriving in New Zealand in 1863 with experience in a Glasgow coffee warehouse, Strang established a coffee and spice factory. In 1889, he developed a “soluble coffee powder” using a patented “Dry Hot-Air” method, which transformed brewed coffee into a stable, dissolvable form. His invention—patented under number 3518—marked the commercial birth of instant coffee and was marketed as “Strang’s Coffee.”
Strang's process provided critical advantages: the granules were lightweight, shelf-stable, and ideal for long-distance transport, aligning perfectly with the global trade needs of the era. His foresight in packaging the powder in durable tins mirrored his success with spices and ensured product longevity. Strang’s innovations extended to coffee roasting and novel flavor combinations, including a mocha blend of coffee and cocoa. He also designed and patented the “Eclipse Hot Air Grain Dryer,” demonstrating a wide-ranging industrial acumen.
Though George Constant Louis Washington later popularized instant coffee in the U.S. around 1910 by improving mass production methods, Strang’s groundwork was indispensable. His products earned recognition at regional exhibitions and were distributed widely across New Zealand and Australia, establishing a commercial framework that others would build upon.
Today, the instant coffee market is a multi-billion-dollar global industry, with rising demand in Asia and expanding innovations such as freeze-drying and specialty blends. Strang’s early contributions—technological, entrepreneurial, and marketing—remain fundamental to this growth.
David Strang’s legacy is not just that of an inventor but of a visionary whose techniques and strategies redefined how coffee could be produced, preserved, and consumed. His pioneering efforts helped shape the evolution of a product that continues to offer convenience and global reach over a century later.
David Strang and the Origins of Commercial Instant Coffee
