You’ve been making instant coffee wrong – and it’s why it tastes horrible
MOST of us start our days with a cup of coffee, whether that’s hot with a drop of frothy milk or over some ice during the warmer months.
But, according to an expert, you’re probably making your instant coffee all wrong – AND it could be making it taste way worse.
The Coffee Guy, known online as @ethanrodecoffee, regularly shares his top tips on how to make your hot beverage that little bit more special.
He claims that we’ve all been missing a vital step – and that’s dissolving the granules in cold water BEFORE adding your boiling water from the kettle.
He said: “I think instant coffee is underrated and not a lot of people know how to make it correctly, so let’s get into it.
“Instant coffee is going to taste bitter if you burn it, so instead we’re going to add some cold water, dissolve the instant coffee, and then add the hot water to it.
“To make sure that your coffee doesn’t taste weak, use one teaspoon of instant coffee for every six ounces (170ml) of water.”
He also revealed two simple ways to level up your morning coffee – the first for those with a sweet tooth.
Ethan continued: “The first drink is a brown sugar-shaken espresso.
“We’ll add one teaspoon of instant coffee, one teaspoon of brown sugar, and two teaspoons of water to a shaker.
“I like to give it a quick mix to make sure it’s all dissolved, then we’ll add some ice, some cinnamon, and then shake it aggressively to get a nice layer of foam.
“Normally you’d need to go buy a Nespresso machine or go to Starbucks and sell your left leg to get one of these drinks, but this gives the exact same texture and all you’ve got to do is top it off with some milk.”
For those who like their coffee cold, he had a blended version to share too.
Ethan added: “The next drink is a blended coffee or a coffee milkshake.”
For this one, coffee fans will need one teaspoon of instant coffee, one teaspoon of sugar, an eighth of a teaspoon of xanthan gum, some milk, and some ice.
“Put it into a blender and blend it together.
“If you wanted to add a flavouring, something like salted caramel, I recommend adding one tablespoon of that syrup to this mixture.
“And you could be a boring person and drink it plain, but I recommend topping it with some caramel drizzle.”
Fans loved his ideas, with the video gaining more than 1.4 million likes and 13 million views.
In the comments, TikTokkers shared their reactions, with one writing: “Not me after 10 years of drinking instant coffee finding out it is not supposed to be bitter.”
“They’ve been making this in Cyprus and Greece for decades, minus the cinnamon. Called frappe,” commented another.
A third added: “The shaken espresso is one way i enjoy my instant coffee and it’s heaven.”
Although not all agreed, with one suggesting: “YOU CAN’T BURN INSTANT COFFEE WITH HOT WATER, THE COFFEE IS ALREADY BURNT DURING THE ROASTING PROCESS MY LORDDDDDDD.”