How To Make Instant Coffee Taste Like… Not Instant Coffee!

If you’re a true coffee lover, someone who likes to discuss the depth of your roast or the silkiness of your spun milk, it’s time for you to leave. This one is for the instant coffee lovers.

Coffee snobs might turn up their noses, but there’s something about that granular goodness that makes some of us feel so… comforted. We aren’t spending a fortune, we get so much more bang for our buck, and instant doesn’t taste that bad right?

If you’re a fan, it’s definitely not a taste you’ll avoid, but even the most hard-core instant coffee lovers among us will admit that after a few years chugging it down, we’re a little bored. So we’ve come up with a few ways to spice up your life, or at least the instant part of it.

1. Cold Water First

A common complaint about instant coffee is that it has a tendency to be bitter and acidic. Some people are fans of this flavour, but if you aren’t and you don’t know this hack, you’ll be kicking yourself when you realise how easy it is to smoothen the taste out.

Just add a little bit of cold water to the granules and stir it before the hot water foes in. It really cuts down that sharp flavour, and makes for a smoother taste.

2. Cream It Up

Another common complaint about instant coffee is that it’s more watery than traditional or cafe-made coffee. The good news is this is a super easy thing to fix. Just add a small amount of thickened cream to your next cup of instant. The cream thickens the brew, and makes it taste much creamier and even like a higher quality cuppa.

3. Chocolate Improver

Is there ever an instance where chocolate doesn’t improve a situation? We don’t think so! That’s why one of our favourite ways to improve a cup of instant coffee is to add some chocolate to it. You can add unsweetened cocoa if you want, or a spoonful of hot chocolate mix instead of sugar. Milo also makes for an instant improver, as does a spoonful of Nutella!

4. Liquor Me Up

Obviously, we don’t recommend this one for the days when you’re heading into the office with your cuppa, but if you’re having a little early evening pick-me-up, consider adding a little liquor. The taste of instant coffee can be made more interesting, with more depth of flavour, by adding a small amount of Kahlua, Baileys or whiskey. Plus, you get the buzz.

5. Spicy Life

Adding various spices to your coffee, along with any of our other tips, might be the way to get yourself loving instant coffee all over again. A bit of cinnamon or cinnamon sugar makes the brew more like a chai, while mint gives it a peppermint vibe. If you’ve added a little chocolate, we’ll also suggest a hint of chilli to spice things up, or some vanilla essence for a smooth flavour.

6. Sweetly Different

Sugar is instant coffee’s best friend in many ways, making a massive difference in the bitterness of the coffee. But in terms of flavour, sugar doesn’t have much going for it, which is why alternative sweeteners can make such a difference. Consider adding honey, maple syrup, golden syrup of even sweetened condensed milk to your next brew. You might just be surprised!

7. Chilled Is Cool

On the days when your piping hot cup of instant just isn’t doing you any favour, consider adding some ice. Brew the coffee as a strong syrup using a very small amount of water, then throw it over ice and top with milk. You can add your sweetener, and even blend it for a true DIY frappuccino. Simple, cheap and oh so tasty!

Wake up to lively mornings by following these easy tips on how to make instant coffee taste like not your instant coffee. Taste your own brand of flavour.

How do you improve your instant coffee?