Cold Water, Instant Coffee?
As a coffee lover, the thought of a steaming cup of instant coffee can trigger your thirst buds at any time. But can you make instant coffee with cold water? Yes, you can.
Instant cold coffee is for coffee lovers who do not have time to brew coffee and let it cool. It is a solution for those operating under a tight schedule.
Read on to start making instant coffee in cold water like a pro.
What is Instant Coffee?
Instant coffee is an extract from dried coffee.
How is it made? After brewing ground coffee beans, the extract undergoes evaporation or removal of water, resulting in dry powder or fragments that can dissolve in water. This extract is more concentrated than ground coffee beans.
There are two processes you can use when manufacturing instant coffee:
- Freeze-drying: This process entails getting extract from dried coffee beans, freezing it, cutting it into tiny bits, and drying it under a low temperature. Notably, the drying exercise must be under vacuum conditions.
- Spray-drying: During the spray-drying process, coffee extract from ground-dried coffee beans gets sprayed in hot air. This exercise dries the extract droplets quickly, turning them into powder or tiny bits.
Notably, coffee’s quality, aroma, and flavor are preserved during the two processes.
Can You Make Instant Coffee With Cold Water?
There is a popular misconception that making instant coffee using cold water is impossible. To debunk this myth, you can make cold water instant coffee whenever you want it.
Does Instant Coffee Dissolve in Cold Water?
If you are used to making instant coffee using hot or warm water, you may wonder whether it can dissolve in cold water.
To answer your doubt, instant coffee can dissolve in cold water. However, you must wait a little longer for instant coffee to dissolve in cold water.
When mixing instant coffee and cold water, do it similarly to making hot instant coffee. After a few minutes of stirring, instant coffee completely dissolves in cold water.
How to Make Coffee With Cold Water
If you want the best results after making cold water coffee, the following recipes can help you:
Cold Black Instant Coffee Recipe
Total time: 5 minutes
Service size: 1 serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Nutritional content per serving
- Calories: 75 kcal
Equipment Needed
- A cup
- A tablespoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup of cold water
- 1 ½ tablespoons of instant coffee
- Sweetener (optional)
Directions
- Mix one and a half tablespoons of instant coffee with two tablespoons of hot water until it becomes well-mixed. If you have cold water only, you can still use it, even though the process will take longer.
- Mix one cup of cold water with one or two tablespoons of your favorite sweetener or syrup. Afterward, add your instant coffee mixture and stir until combined.
- Serve and enjoy.
- If you leave your cold instant coffee to sit overnight, add an extra teaspoon of instant coffee, put the mixture in a container, and cover to avoid any loss of flavor.
Cold Instant Coffee With Milk Recipe
Total time: 5 minutes
Service size: 1 serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
Nutritional content per serving
- Calories: 75 kcal
Equipment Needed
- A cup
- A tablespoon
Ingredients
- One cup of cold water
- One tablespoon of instant coffee
- Milk of creamer (to taste)
- Sweetener (optional)
Directions
- Mix your instant coffee with two tablespoons of hot water until it becomes well-mixed. If you have cold water only, you can still use it, even though the process will take longer.
- Mix one cup of cold water with one or two tablespoons of your favorite sweetener or syrup. Afterward, add your instant coffee mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Add milk or creamer to taste.
- Serve and enjoy.
One difference between instant hot and cold coffee is that coffee granules take a long before dissolving in cold water. The length of the time taken also depends on the coffee brand you use.
Remember, instant coffee is not similar to coffee grounds. It is a coffee extract brewed from regular, dried, and ground coffee. Instant coffee is also in crystal form.
Why does instant coffee dissolve quickly in hot water? It is because of the hot water’s molecular energy. If you think the fast results come from the preparation process, you are wrong.
Overall, if you want to know how to make coffee with cold water, knowing how to make hot instant coffee makes the process easy.
Which Instant Coffee is Best Used for Iced Coffee?
Are you at a loss, wondering about the best coffee for iced coffee? Well, the following are some coffee brands to try:
- Cafe Bustelo (Cuban style)
- Supreme by Bustelo (Cuban style)
- Starbucks
- Nescafé
- Folgers
- Mount Hagen
- Yaucono (Puerto Rican-style)
- Café Rico (Puerto Rican-style)
- Community (chicory coffee)
- Medaglia D’Oro (New Orleans flair instant espresso)
Remember, most instant coffee brands are not expensive. So, you can afford and enjoy one without denting your budget.
What Does it Taste Like?
Some hot instant coffee lovers say cold water instant coffee does not taste well. However, there is no reason to say that the taste of instant coffee can change because of the differences in water temperature.
If there is any difference between the two types of coffee, it can only be that cold instant coffee tastes fresher than its hot version.
Did you know that hot water reduces the flavor of instant coffee? When hot instant coffee evaporates, it becomes mild. On the other hand, the taste of cold instant coffee remains intact and evenly dispersed in water. Thus, cold instant coffee has a rich flavor than its hot counterpart.
Differences Between Cold Instant Coffee and Cold Brew
What makes cold instant coffee different from cold brew? The answer is the time taken to prepare each of the two coffee types.
Interesting Facts About Instant Coffee
Some of the interesting facts about coffee are as follows:
It Contains Antioxidants and Nutrients
Coffee is vital in being the biggest source of antioxidants in our diet. In return, it has several health benefits. Like regular coffee, instant coffee has a high level of powerful antioxidants.
Studies show instant coffee has more antioxidants than any other coffee brew type. This aspect comes from its processing method.
The other notable benefit of instant coffee is that it contains around seven calories and a low level of potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B3.
It has Several Health Benefits
Instant coffee has several health benefits similar to regular coffee. Some benefits are as follows:
- Promotes longer life: You can live longer when you take instant coffee regularly. Researchers found that taking one and a half to three cups of coffee can prevent cardiovascular and cancer-related mortality.
- Improves brain functionality: Instant coffee’s caffeine content can enhance your brain’s functions. It blocks adenosine receptors in your brain, thus preventing you from falling asleep. In return, you remain alert and awake.
- Improves mental health: Instant coffee can potentially reduce the risk of suicide and depression. The antioxidants in instant coffee can prevent cell damage that free radicals cause in your body. Notably, free radicals cause oxidative stress. In return, your body becomes vulnerable to various mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety.
- Boosts your metabolism: The caffeine stimulant in instant coffee increases your respiration and heart rate, thus boosting your metabolism and helping you to burn body fat. So, it is a perfect weight-loss aid.
- Improves liver health: The caffeine in your instant coffee can potentially prevent liver cancer and cirrhosis, among other liver diseases.
- Reduces the risk of some diseases: Instant coffee contains nutrients and minerals that reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Also, the instant coffee aroma can stimulate your central nervous system.
- Reduces the risk of diabetes: Instant coffee can reduce the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes.
- Boosts physical performance: Caffeine is a performance enhancer. It can mobilize body tissues and fatty acids and convert them into fuel necessary for exercise. Also, caffeine increases alertness and mental performance during workouts. In return, you can exercise for a long time without losing momentum. So, athletes, those who exercise regularly, and bodybuilders often take coffee as their preferred pre-exercise beverage. You can also start taking instant coffee to get an extra kick when studying or working.
Note: How much instant coffee should you take to achieve the highest risk reductions? Studies show three to five cups of coffee can help you achieve this objective. It is also the recommended optimal coffee intake in a day.
It has Less Caffeine
Do you know that caffeine is the most consumed stimulant in the world? Also, did you know that coffee is the most significant dietary source of caffeine? However, instant coffee has a low amount of caffeine compared to other coffee types.
For example, one teaspoon of instant coffee contains 0.001 to 0.003 ounces (30 to 90 milligrams) of caffeine. On the other hand, a cup of regular coffee contains 0.002 to 0.005 ounces (70 to 140 milligrams) of caffeine.
Notably, caffeine affects people differently. If you are sensitive to caffeine or want to reduce caffeine intake, instant coffee is a viable solution. Also, the decaf variety of instant coffee has even a lower caffeine level than standard instant coffee.
Regarding the effects of caffeine, too much caffeine can cause disrupted sleep, tremors, fast heartbeats, anxiety, an upset stomach, and restlessness.
Notably, some coffee lovers depend on caffeine for a little working boost. They need caffeine to get to work or work out in a gym. So, taking instant coffee is the ideal option because it does not have the level of caffeine that can result in adverse effects.
Instant Coffee Consumption Makes up a Third of the Total Coffee Consumption in the World
The global instant coffee market’s value is around $28 billion. This market size represents a third of the worldwide coffee consumption market. So, instant coffee is a popular beverage in the world.
What makes instant coffee so popular? It is its ease and convenience. Instant coffee is easy to prepare. Mixing instant coffee with water can get a decent cup of coffee in a few minutes.
The Origin of Instant Coffee is in England
John Dring made the first cup of instant coffee in England in 1771. After the invention of instant coffee, the government of England patented it under the name coffee compound. However, it is difficult to identify how popular instant coffee became after its invention because there is little literature about it. Also, it is unclear how Dring made his instant coffee.
Instant Coffee Nutrients
Are you wondering about the nutrients that instant coffee contains? Well, instant coffee is a source of vitamins and antioxidants. Also, studies show that instant coffee has a higher amount of antioxidants than other types of coffee. This aspect is a result of the process used for making it.
Regarding the vitamins that instant coffee contains, it is an excellent source of B vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin). It also has several minerals, including zinc, potassium, and magnesium.
Notably, these nutrients remain intact regardless of the instant coffee-making process.
What are the Downsides of Instant Coffee?
We have addressed the benefits of instant coffee, and you may wonder whether it has a downside. The truth is that instant coffee contains acrylamide, a harmful chemical that forms when food gets heated at high temperatures. Frying, baking, and roasting are some of the food-making processes that form acrylamide.
So, when you roast coffee beans, they contain acrylamide at the end of the process. Other foods, personal care items, and household products also contain acrylamide.
Surprisingly, acrylamide in instant coffee is twice the level in freshly-ground coffee. This aspect results from the high temperatures used when manufacturing instant coffee.
So, is instant coffee bad for you because it contains acrylamide?
Notably, acrylamide is not carcinogenic. However, it can cause several detrimental health effects, including increased cancer risk, nerve damage, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity.
On a positive note, the level of acrylamide found in instant coffee is lower than in other food. Also, the acrylamide level in instant coffee is lower than harmful.
So, instant coffee is not bad for you, even if it contains acrylamide. Also, the benefits of taking instant coffee outweigh its downside. For these reasons, always enjoy your cup of instant coffee without worrying about any harmful effects from taking the beverage.
Can Instant Coffee Sit Overnight?
If you find waiting for instant coffee to dissolve in cold water a long wait, you may wonder whether you can leave it to sit overnight. The answer is yes.
However, preparing instant coffee and leaving it overnight makes it lose some of its bold flavors. Remember, instant coffee tastes slightly milder than regular coffee because of its processing methods. The freeze-drying process helps to retain much of the instant coffee aroma and flavor more than the spray-drying method.
You can stir your instant coffee after mixing it with cold water, cover it, and leave it in a fridge overnight. This move helps save the time you could have spent preparing your instant coffee in the morning. You can also carry this ready-made instant coffee to the office or anywhere else you want to go.
To keep your coffee strong after storing it overnight, always keep it covered. If you leave it uncovered, it can absorb other aromas that your fridge may contain, thus affecting the taste quality of your instant coffee. You can also add an extra spoonful of instant coffee to keep it strong after staying overnight.
Cold Instant Coffee Variations
Now that you know how to make cold instant coffee, you can experiment using the products below to create variations of the beverage:
- Espresso powder: You can swap coffee granules with instant espresso powder for a more robust flavor.
- Milk: You can make cold instant coffee with or without milk. Vegan/plant-based or regular milk can work perfectly if you make cold instant coffee with milk.
- Flavored syrup: To make your cold instant coffee more delicious. You can use store-bought flavored syrup to make your salted caramel delights or vanilla lattes, among other favorite cold instant coffee beverages.
- Flavored creamer: To change the taste of your instant cold coffee, use flavored creamer. French vanilla and peppermint are some of the flavors you can look out for when selecting a flavored creamer.
- Iced Latte: If you add your favorite milk to your instant cold coffee, you will have a delicious latte. You can also shake your milk carton before adding the milk to your cold instant coffee to make it extra creamy.
- Iced Americano: To make iced Americano, do not add milk or sugar.
- Iced Mocha: If you can use chocolate syrup instead of sugar to sweeten your instant coffee, you will make an iced mocha.
- Instant cold brew: To make instant cold brew, do not add milk and sugar to your cold instant coffee. Also, if you want to enjoy your instant cold brew for a little longer, multiply the recipe. Four servings of instant cold brew require a quarter cup of instant coffee, a half cup of hot water, and three cups of cold water. After the mixture becomes fully dissolved, refrigerate it. Also, you can opt to add milk and sugar when serving it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use Ground Coffee to Make Cold Instant Coffee?
No. Instant coffee and coffee grounds are different. If you use coffee grounds, they cannot dissolve in cold water. So, you can end up with a gritty, unpleasant drink.
What Makes Coffee Instant?
Coffee becomes instant when it dissolves in water quickly. So, you do not need to brew instant coffee.
Key Takeaways
If you are only used to taking hot instant coffee, it is time to try making cold coffee and change your coffee-drinking experience. Also, become a frequent taker of instant coffee given the resultant health benefits and convenience.
Remember, cold instant coffee never becomes boring. You can tweak your recipe using several additions to make your coffee-taking experience unique daily.
So, it is time to go to your kitchen and make a cold instant coffee. You can add ice cubes to make it more refreshing.