From the Pages of Bloomberg BusinessweekDespite the slow-food recipes that make the rounds on social media, most people are craving food and drinks that can be made in an instant. Ritual Coffee Roasters is one of the many food and beverage brands taking note of changing consumer behavior during the pandemic. Its instant coffee sales have almost tripled last year's, an indication that consumers are brewing more coffee themselves with a keen eye for a premium product that's quick and easy to make. Others include Steep't Cocktail Co., which promises an Old-Fashioned that takes only two minutes to prepare, and Balmuda, which makes a smart oven that uses steam technology to quickly heat frozen foods.  Instant green goodness from Cuzen Matcha. Photographer: Hannah Whitaker for Bloomberg Businessweek " 'Instant' doesn't mean low-quality," says Christoph Bertsch, who introduced his mini, pod-based electric blender, Vejo, a year ago. The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company offers strawberry-lime-flavored Collagen Glow smoothies and a green juice from freeze-dried, powdered fruits and vegetables that can be prepared in less than a minute. Matcha expert Eijiro Tsukada sees I-want-it-now potential in the trendy green tea, too. "I'm very excited about how technology and innovation can lower barriers so more people can experience higher-quality foods," he says. He unveiled the world's first instant matcha maker, Cuzen Matcha, in October. The corporate giants are taking notice, too. In October, Nestlé SA acquired Freshly Inc., a subscription-based outfit delivering prepacked healthy meals that heat up in three minutes or less. The $950 million bet assumes that Americans still want everything, like, now. | 
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