What's the difference between those two codes? Both of them produce the same result.
With caching:
DefaultPicoContainer cachingContainer = new DefaultPicoContainer(new OptInCaching().wrap(new ConstructorInjection()));
cachingContainer.as(Characteristics.CACHE).addComponent(Cookie.class);
Cookie cookie1 = (Cookie)cachingContainer.getComponent(Cookie.class);
Cookie cookie2 = (Cookie)cachingContainer.getComponent(Cookie.class);
assert(cookie1 == cookie2); // Same instance: OK
Adding an instance:
DefaultPicoContainer instanceContainer = new DefaultPicoContainer(new ConstructorInjection());
instanceContainer.addComponent(Cookie.class, new Cookie());
Cookie cookie3 = (Cookie)instanceContainer.getComponent(Cookie.class);
Cookie cookie4 = (Cookie)instanceContainer.getComponent(Cookie.class);
assert(cookie3 == cookie4); // Same instance: OK