A method is provided for producing a soluble coffee extract which, when reconstituted, produces an intensified in-cup brew color without altering the flavor of the cup of coffee. The method includes heating a coffee extract at a temperature and for a time selected to produce an intensified color coffee extract without altering the flavor of the coffee. The intensified color coffee is either immediately dried to form dried intensified color coffee or cooled while in the liquid state. The soluble coffee produced by this method has intensified color while its flavor remains unaltered. As desired, the soluble coffee may be packaged as an instant coffee, combined with traditional soluble coffee, incorporated into a liquid coffee product or combined with sugar, creamer, and flavors to form various soluble coffee products. Alternatively, the coffee exact may be directly incorporated into a ready-to-drink or a concentrated liquid coffee product without undergoing a drying step.