FOOD NEWS
Avoid Making These 11 Mistakes With Instant Coffee
BY NICOLE QUY
Using Spray-Dried Coffee
Instant coffee can save time in the morning, but if you’re choosing a low-quality, spray-dried coffee, you’re missing out on a robust flavor and aroma.
Spray-dried coffee is made by evaporating liquid coffee into a fine powder. Since this method deteriorates flavor and aroma, you're better off with a freeze-dried option.
Using A Cold Mug
Unless you quickly drink your coffee, you’ll likely want to maximize how long your drink stays hot, and one of the best ways to do this is with a hot mug.
Since a cold porcelain mug can decrease your coffee temperature by 10 degrees, pre-warm it by filling it with hot water and letting it stand until it feels warm to the touch.
Brewing With Tap Water
Instant coffee gets a bad rap for acidity and bitterness, but this may be less the coffee’s fault and more the fault of tap water filled with trace metals.
Trace metals in tap water can give coffee a metallic taste. Instead, use filtered water for a smoother, less acidic flavor while decreasing sediment and unwanted odors.
Forgetting A Cold-Water Paste
Instant coffee can be slightly chalky thanks to amylum, a starchy binding agent. You can avoid them by using cold water to dissolve the granules.
Pour a small amount of cold water over your instant coffee granules and stir until it dissolves to soften the amylum. Then top it with hot water as you normally would.
Improperly Heating Water
Heating water in the microwave is a quick, easy method, but it’s not the best choice for instant coffee since microwaving is unpredictable.
Microwaves heat things unevenly, so using microwaved water can risk either a tepid or scalding cup of coffee. For uniformly heated water, boil it on the stove or use a kettle.