Instant coffee is great when you need a quick pick-me-up but don’t have a coffee maker. Unlike ground coffee, instant coffee granules are made from dehydrated brewed coffee. While this means that you can’t make the actual granules at home, instant coffee is still a quick, tasty way to get your caffeine fix. Instant coffee is also cheaper, easier, and faster to make than regular coffee. 

What is Instant Coffee? 

Instant coffee is a type of coffee made from dried coffee extract. Similar to how regular coffee is brewed, the extract is made by brewing ground coffee beans, though it’s more concentrated. After brewing, the water is removed from the extract to produce powder or dry fragments, both of which dissolve when added to water. There are two main ways to make instant coffee:

• Spray-drying. Coffee extract is sprayed into hot air. This quickly dries the droplets and turns them into small pieces or fine powder. 
• Freeze-drying. Coffee extract is frozen then cut into small fragments. Then, the fragments are dried at low temperatures under vacuum conditions. 

Both methods preserve the flavor, aroma, and quality of the coffee. 

How Do You Prepare Instant Coffee? 

There are various ways that you can prepare instant coffee – you can prepare it hot, iced, or you can add other ingredients to make it taste better. Below, we discuss the different ways that you can prepare instant coffee. 

• Basic Instant Coffee
  Here’s how you can prepare a basic cup of instant coffee:

1. Heat a cup of water. You can easily heat water on a microwave or on the stovetop using a kettle or pot. For 1 coffee serving, heat 1 cup (240mL) of water – use more if you want to make additional servings. 
2. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee to a mug. Read your instant coffee container’s label to check how much you should use to get the best taste. Most companies suggest using 1 to 2 tablespoons for every 240mL of water. Bonus Tip: If you like stronger coffee, add more; on the other hand, add less if you like weaker coffee. 
3. Dissolve the coffee with a small amount of cold water. Mixing the coffee with a small amount of cold water dissolves it gently. Gently dissolving the instant coffee instead of shocking it with hot water will improve its flavor.
4. Pour the hot water into the mug. Carefully add the water, especially if you’re not using a pot or kettle. Also, remember to leave some room for creamer or milk if you don’t like your coffee black.
5. Mix spices or sugar (if desired). If you’d like to have a richer coffee flavor, add spices or sugar after mixing the coffee with hot water. If you’d like, you can add a teaspoon of cinnamon, sugar, cocoa powder, or allspice.
6. Add cream or milk if you don’t like black coffee. Don’t like black coffee? You can add flavored creamer, almond milk, dairy milk, or another non-dairy option into your coffee. The right amount depends on how dark or light you like your coffee.
7. Stir thoroughly. Give your coffee a good stir before serving it. Mix it until its uniform in color to evenly blend the sugar and milk (if you’re using them). 

• Instant Iced Coffee
  Want to enjoy a cold cup of iced coffee? Here’s how you can make instant iced coffee:

1. Mix 2 teaspoons of instant coffee with 120mL of hot water. You can heat the water in the microwave or on the stovetop using a kettle or pot. Stir the coffee and hot water together until the instant coffee granules are dissolved. 
2. Stir spices or sugar into the warm mixture (if desired). If you’re using cinnamon, sugar, cocoa powder, or allspice, make sure to add them before adding ice and cold water (or milk). Sugar, spices, and other ingredients will dissolve better in the warm mixture. Bonus Tip: You can also add syrup or flavored coffee creamer instead of spices and sugar. 
3. Add 120mL of cold water to the warm mixture. If you’d like to have a creamier iced coffee, you can use cold milk instead of water. Make sure to stir everything thoroughly to ensure that everything is evenly distributed and combined.
4. Pour your cold mixture over some ice. Fill a glass with ice cubes and pour your cold coffee over the ice. Or, if you made the coffee in the glass that you want to drink from, just add ice to it.
5. Serve immediately. Drink your iced coffee straight from the glass or add a straw to it. Make sure to drink it before all the ice melts and waters it down.

• Instant Coffee Shake
  Want to enjoy an instant coffee shake? Here’s how you can do it:

1. Prepare your blender. Set up your blender – double check that you have the lid and that it fits tightly. Then, make sure it’s off and plug it in. 
2. Add the ingredients. Add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, 6 ice cubes, 180 mL of milk, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the blender. If you want, you can also add 2 teaspoons of chocolate syrup.
3. Blend the mixture. After adding in the ingredients, put the lid on, and turn on your blender. Blend everything on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the ice is completely crushed. The final product should be thick and smooth with a smoothie-like consistency. Bonus Tip: If the consistency is too thick, add a little more milk. If the consistency is too thin, add an ice cube. 
4. Pour into a glass. Once you’re satisfied with the consistency, turn the blender off and remove the lid. Then, slowly pour the shake into a glass. You may have to use a spatula or spoon to scrape the sides of the blender.
5. Garnish. If you’d like, you can garnish your instant coffee shake with whipped cream, shaved chocolate pieces, or chocolate syrup. Try topping the shake with whipped cream, then dust it with cinnamon or drizzle chocolate over it.
6. Serve immediately. Drink your instant coffee shake before it has a chance to melt. You can drink it straight from the glass or using a straw. You might have to use a spoon, especially if you’ve garnished it with whipped cream or chocolate shavings. 

The Bottom Line

There are various ways to make instant coffee – you can either prepare it hot, cold, or turn it into an instant coffee shake! To add more flavor to your instant coffee, you can also garnish it with cinnamon, chocolate shavings, whipped cream, and other ingredients that you desire.