How to Make Hot and Iced Instant Coffee
There is nothing more relaxing than enjoying your coffee break on a busy day. With instant coffee you get more time to enjoy the break rather than spending it on making the coffee...
Enjoy a delicious cup of instant coffee at home, in the office or on the go. This coffee method is so versatile and easy to make. All you need is hot water and a cup. Here are some simple instructions for making hot or iced instant coffee, whenever you need it.
Make hot & iced instant coffee
Ingredients:
- Mug
- Hot water
- Instant coffee
- Ice
Optional:
- Cold water
- Milk / Cream
- Sugar
Instructions:
1. Choose quality instant coffee
Instant coffee has a bad reputation. But, like with any other type of coffee not all options are born equal. Choose an instant coffee that is made from 100% Arabica beans and freeze dried. Some brands use Robusta coffee beans. which are more bitter. Some brands also make their instant coffee using the spray drying method. The spray drying method uses heat and hence the burnt taste associated with some options. Choosing Arabica beans and freeze dried options will create a more balanced cup.
2. Pour instant coffee into a mug
For hot instant coffee: pour about 0.1 oz of coffee granules into a mug that can hold up to 12 fl oz. The best water to instant coffee ratio is 0.1 oz of coffee (~2 tsp) to 8 oz of fl oz. Using a standard 12 oz mug will ensure you pour just the right amount of water as you usually won’t fill the mug all the way up (especially if you use milk).
For iced instant coffee: the size of the cup will be determined based on the amount of milk, ice, and water you use. You still want to ensure the same liquid to instant coffee ratio, however, ice will take more room in the mug so make sure to account for it when making your iced coffee.
3. Add hot water
While some instant coffees can dissolve with cold water as well (Waka Coffee, for example), it is usually recommended to stir it with a little bit of hot water first even for making an iced coffee. This will ensure that the granules are quickly and fully dissolved. When making the instant coffee base for the iced coffee (a little bit of hot water + instant coffee granules) use about 1 tbsp of hot water. For hot coffee, simply pour hot water based on your preferred strength and liquid amount. Adding more than 8 fl oz of liquid will make your cup less strong and vice versa.
4. Stir for 3 seconds
Quickly stir the instant coffee and water mixture to ensure all granules are dissolved, both for the iced version and the hot version.
5. Optional - add ice and froth milk
For the iced instant coffee: add ice as you wish to the cup, but make sure to keep room for milk if you drink your coffee with milk.
For both the iced and hot instant coffees: using a hand frother, froth your milk in a mason jar or a separate cup. Add the milk on top of the hot coffee or iced coffee and ice. If you'd like your iced coffee to include more water and less milk, add more cold water on top of the ice prior to adding your milk.
