The Best Easy Instant Coffee Recipe (2024)

Published: Jul 29, 2020 · Updated: Mar 14, 2024 by Laura Fuentes · This post may contain affiliate links

Seems foolproof, right? It -almost- is. You’re going to need good instant coffee, however. Not all instant coffees taste the same, and, according to my husband, some have an “after-taste,” and that’s no bueno.

In case you’re wondering, I grew up with instant coffee in Spain. In our house, there were two types of cafecitos: one that came out of the cafetera (a Moka Pot) and the other dissolved instantly in a mug or glass.

And while I have a cup ofBulletproof Coffee in the morning,when it comes to my second cup or afternoon cafecito, I prefer it iced.

The Best Instant Coffee Crystals

When I travel, I bring instant coffee crystals (in single-serve packs) in case I can’t find good coffee or my Airbnb doesn’t have a pot or filters. And of course, you probably already know that hotel room coffee pots are brewing grounds for bacteria. But I digress.

At home, my go-to instant coffee crystals are:

• Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee
• Medalglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee

When I travel, my go-to single-serve packs are:

• Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee Packs
• Starbucks Via Instant Coffee Veranda Blend Light Roast

Now that you know what type of instant coffee crystals I like to keep on hand, we can move on to the process of making the best tasting, instant iced coffee.

How to Make Iced Coffee with Instant Coffee

1. Measure out the instant coffee crystals
2. Dissolve the coffee granules in water or milk
3. Add any sweeteners you plan to use
4. Pour over ice

It’s really that easy!

How to Make Instant Coffee Without Hot Water

In the label of most instant coffees you’ll read: 1 teaspoon + 8oz of hot water. And that’s great IF you want hot coffee. But can you make instant coffee without hot water?

Yes, you can. Just mix cold water + instant coffee grounds + your creamer of choice (or drink it black), and you have instant iced coffee.

Like you saw in the video, I prefer to use milk + instant coffee grounds and then pour the dissolved mixture over ice.

Will Instant Coffee Dissolve in Iced Milk or Water?

You know it! Instant coffee crystals will dissolve in iced milk or water; you just have to stir for about a minute, and you’re good to go.

Did I not mention that making instant iced coffee will take about a minute? 😉

Iced Coffee Without Milk

The beauty of iced coffee is that you can make it black without milk. As a matter of fact, my aunt is a “cafe con hielo sin leche” aficionado. In other words, she takes her iced coffee without milk.

All you need to do is dissolve the coffee crystals in cold water, and once dissolved, pour over ice.

How much Instant Coffee per Cup of Water?

The recommended ratio is usually 1 teaspoon of instant coffee per 8 ounces of water.

However, if you need an extra jolt of caffeine or are using milk to dissolve your instant coffee, you might want to do 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons per cup of liquid.

In the end, the coffee to liquid ratio is a personal preference.

And if you’re wondering, is it really good to have coffee in ONE MINUTE available to me at all times? Then be sure to check out this post on the health benefits of coffee & how to drink it well.