Instant coffee is a great way to get your caffeine fix quickly. It can be made almost anywhere, it requires minimal effort and supplies, and it’s easy to bring with you while you’re on the move. The only problem with instant coffee is that sometimes the flavor leaves something to be desired. 

Instant coffee doesn’t have to be a reluctant substitute for other variations of coffee. Whether you like your coffee brewed and hot or iced and blended, instant coffee can be made in a way that rivals a more traditional coffee drink. If you’re looking for how to make instant coffee taste better, look no further than these five helpful tips!

There are two methods for making instant coffee taste better. The first method for making instant coffee taste better hinges on preparation in all its varieties and possibilities. Preparation largely deals with flavor extraction and benefits the flavor by maximizing the full potential of your instant coffee as a raw ingredient 

The second method for making instant coffee taste better hinges on additives, providing you the ability to customize and shape flavor based on preference. No, we’re not talking about the bad kind of additives like preservatives or GMOs. We’re talking about simple, at-home additives like creamer, sugar, or chocolate! 

Focusing your attention on either of these broader methods of flavor enhancement will do wonders for your instant coffee experience, but doing both will unequivocally amplify the overall flavor of your favorite caffeinated beverage.

However you choose to enjoy your instant coffee, having these flavor-enhancing tools at your disposal will ultimately make for a better beverage experience. 

Let’s start with three simple methods of enhancing the flavor of your instant coffee through preparation:

Shake It Up 

Your instant coffee is never going to taste right if the texture is off. There is not much that is as instantly off-putting as unexpectedly encountering gritty little chunks of undissolved coffee mid-sip. 

There’s a reason most instant coffees, like BuzzFit Protein Coffee, recommend shaking your instant coffee. Shaking your instant coffee, especially while using one of those handy wire shaker balls, helps your instant coffee to completely dissolve due to the tumultuous mixing process. 

Unlike stirring which just sort of swirls the coffee around, shaking actually breaks up the fine clumps of powder creating a smoother, more integrated texture. As Mr. Bond would say “Shaken. Not Stirred.” Don’t be afraid to put a little muscle into it! 

If you absolutely insist on stirring…try using a whisk instead of a fork or spoon!

Blend It

Lots of people break out the blender for their morning smoothie or protein shake…why not do it for your coffee!? Blenders are not what they used to be, which means it's never been easier to make a pro-grade frappuccino in the comfort of your own kitchen. 

Blending your coffee may be the best way to make instant coffee as it is a surefire method of fully incorporating all that gritty instant coffee powder. Plus, a blended beverage has the added benefit of a fun new texture that helps to amplify flavor and add a unique sensational element to your daily dose of caffeine. 

If you’re really feeling adventurous, you could even add a little whipped cream to the top like they do at your favorite local coffee spot…but we’ll touch more on additives in a bit.

Heat It Up (The Right Way) 

When it comes to instant coffee there is a great temptation to just stir it up and throw it in the microwave. After all, shouldn’t instant coffee be ready quickly? Yes, absolutely! However, there really is not much difference in the time it takes to heat a cup of instant coffee in the microwave vs. the time it takes to boil water and pour it over your instant coffee powder.

The fact is, instant coffee just doesn’t dissolve as well in colder water as it does when the water is boiling. When you add lukewarm water first, and then microwave it to get it to the desired temperature, you’re left with instant coffee that isn’t fully dissolved. As we know, instant coffee that isn’t fully dissolved does not allow for maximum flavor potential.  

Remember earlier when we said that instant coffee should be shaken not stirred? Well, every rule has an exception, and making hot instant coffee with boiling water is one of those exceptions. In this scenario, your coffee should be slowly added to the boiling water while whisking vigorously. If you put the instant coffee into the mug and then pour the water on top of it, you’re going to get those nasty, gritty clumps that you inevitably have to chew or spit out…gross!

Add Your Favorite Creamer/Sugar Combo

Typically, we average coffee drinkers add all sorts of flavor enhancers to our normal daily coffee, so why should our instant coffee be any different? Ok…maybe not all of us (looking at you coffee purists) but if you’re a true coffee pursuit are you even here reading an article? Probably not!

Incorporating your favorite creamer/sugar combo is as easy as adding that particular liquid to your base of instant coffee and water. Keep in mind, the more creamer you use instead of water the better your coffee will taste but typically a 75/25 split between water and creamer is a great balance that will be reminiscent of a coffeehouse coffee. 

Oh, we should also point out that unlike water, adding creamer/sugar ups the caloric value of your daily coffee. If you’re looking to add sweet flavors without adding to your waistline, try using sugar substitutes like Monkfruit Sugar or Erythritol.

Try Adding Chocolate For A Homemade Mocha

Do you know how to turn a coffee into a mocha? You just add a little milk and chocolate syrup! Yes, it really is THAT easy. While there are certainly more involved methods of mocha making available to baristas and at-home coffee fanatics, that is the basic way to turn your regular cup of joe into a chocolatey mocha delight. 

To turn your instant coffee into a delicious mocha you simply add chocolate syrup and milk to a small pot along with your serving of instant coffee. Then, rigorously whisk your ingredients over medium heat until smooth, frothy, and warm. 

If going all out and making a home mocha sounds intimidating, you can always just add a little chocolate syrup to your usual instant coffee preparation. At the very worst it will add a delicious chocolate flavor to your coffee and best case scenario, you’ve discovered your new favorite drink in the whole world. 

Wrapping Up

There you have it! Those are five easy ways to enhance the overall flavor of your instant coffee. Not only will these tips help you to extract the ideal flavor from your daily instant coffee by preparing it properly, they also give you a baseline for exploring some creative ways to give your daily instant coffee a personalized kick! 

For those who love a full flavored instant coffee that’s as easy to make as it is to drink, look no further than BuzzFit! BuzzFit instant protein coffee comes in large bags, or single serving pouches, so it’s easy to mix up and take on the go. BuzzFit comes in three delicious flavors and is lightly sweetened with monk fruit so you don’t need any additives! Plus BuzzFit always blends smooth for the perfect blend of texture and flavor. 

Now that you know how to make good instant coffee, try experimenting with new flavors, textures, and preparations to see what tastes you enjoy, and which tastes you prefer to stay away from. You never know, you could be one home frappucino away from never needing to go to another chain coffee restaurant ever again…and wouldn’t that be a nice time/money saver!