Granulated Sugar vs Caster Sugar

Granulated and caster sugar are both forms of white sucrose sugar that can be made from sugar cane or sugar beet.

They offer the same level of sweetness for various foods and drinks.

However, they also serve different purposes and many find it difficult to differentiate between the two.

Food and drink producers choose between these sugars based on how quickly they dissolve and the texture they create in cold vs hot processes.

So today we are going to break down the main differences between granulated sugar and caster sugar and how they are commonly used in the food and drink industries. We’ll begin with an introduction to both.

What is Granulated Sugar?

Granulated sugar is the standard option that you see in supermarkets, which is typically used as table sugar.

Due to its larger and coarser crystals, it can take a while to dissolve.

It is good for bakers as well as soft drinks’ manufacturers, ice cream makers, confectioners, brewers and more.

What is Caster Sugar?

Caster sugar is a type of granulated sugar that is ground to a much finer texture.

It dissolves quickly, providing a smooth texture removing the grainy texture that granulated sugar can, occasionally, leave depending on the application.

Like granulated sugar, it can also be used by bakers, soft drinks’ manufacturers, ice cream makers, confectioners, brewers and more.

What are the Differences Between Granulated Sugar and Caster Sugar?

Texture

●      Granulated Sugar: Coarser, made up of larger crystals.

●      Caster Sugar: Ground to a finer texture.

 Dissolving Speed

●      Granulated Sugar: Dissolves at a slower rate.

●      Caster Sugar: Dissolves much quicker, making it a more efficient option.

Shelf Life

●      Granulated Sugar: If stored properly, it has an indefinite shelf life

●      Caster Sugar: The same applies to caster sugar

How food & drink producers use granulated and caster sugar

Different industries use sugar for more than sweetness, here’s an overview on the most popular type by sector:

Ice cream & gelato makers

Caster sugar dissolves fast in cold or chilled bases and helps prevent graininess. Use it for mixes and ripples; granulated works once heated but takes longer to go into solution.

Brewers & cider makers

For priming solutions and small gravity adjustments, either will do once dissolved in hot water; finer caster sugar goes into solution quicker, which is handy at small scales.

Back sweetening is when you add sugar to a finished alcoholic drink, like cider, wine, or mead, to make it taste sweeter after fermentation has removed most of the natural sugars. It helps balance sharp or dry flavours and gives a smoother, rounder taste. You can use regular cane or beet sugar for this, as both dissolve easily and have a neutral flavour that won’t change the character of the drink.

Soft drinks & cordials/syrups producers

Caster sugar is the easy choice for cold or ambient blends and clear syrups because it dissolves quickly and keeps sediment down.

Confectionery & meringue makers

Caster sugar is preferred where a fine, smooth structure matters (meringues, macarons). Granulated can be used for boiled sweets, amongst other confectionery, once fully dissolved.

Preserves & jam makers

Granulated is cost-effective and reliable for high-heat boils; caster is useful for quick-dissolving low-volume batches. 

What is the Best Sugar to Use?

This comes down purely to your own personal preferences and what you need your sugar for.

If you are looking for the quickest speed of dissolving and small grain size is important in the process, then caster sugar would be your best option

If your process is not dependent on grain size and it is not a problem that it may take a little longer to dissolve, go for granulated as it tends to be a little more cost effective.

At Kent Foods Direct, we stock a wide range of sugar to meet the needs of a huge variety of food and drink producers. Our sugar is high-quality and is offered in bulk options for maximum cost-efficiency.

Top products include British Sugar 25kg Granulated Sugar and British Sugar 25kg Caster Sugar. Both are available to buy in bulk from Kent Foods Direct.