Why You Should Start With Cold Water When Making Instant Coffee

For many of us a good morning starts with a cup of coffee, whether that's in the form of a cortado, iced latte, or one of the million other ways you can drink it. But with coffee prices increasing, you might find yourself choosing instant coffee over buying out, more and more — which is why this exclusive tip from coffee expert, Matt Woodburn-Simmonds, is super important. Always start with cold water when making instant coffee.

A key point to keep in mind is that instant coffee is already brewed. Woodburn-Simmonds explained, "The temperature of the water doesn't make a huge difference. What does make a big difference is using a small amount of cold water to begin with to start dissolving the granules before adding hot water."

Adding cold water first allows the coffee flavors to release slowly and help you avoid the burnt taste that we've all experienced with instant coffee. Woodburn-Simmonds also assured us that this is the answer to a smoother cup of joe: "This helps a complex carbohydrate called 'amylum' dissolve better in the instant coffee, giving a much smoother mouthfeel and removing the gritty texture."

Matt Woodburn-Simmonds cautioned, "It will take longer to dissolve your instant coffee in cold water so just keep stirring with your spoon for around 5 minutes until [it's] all dissolved fully." Under-mixing is one of the instant coffee mistakes to avoid, unless you want grainy coffee — so don't skip this step.

If you're unsure how much cold water to use, one teaspoon of water for every teaspoon of instant coffee is a good ratio. Then, you can add as much hot or warm water as you want. The key is to do so gradually, so that you don't undo all of your hard work. If you have access to filtered water, it's also a good idea to use it here, since tap water sometimes has an acidic or metallic taste that can overpower your coffee. Once you've added your water, feel free to add milk, sugar, or whatever else you love in your cuppa. And of course, enjoy it knowing you'll never have burnt or gritty instant coffee again.