Yes, it is possible for you to use cold water to make instant coffee. Needless to say, this process isn’t as straightforward as using hot water. On this note, here is everything that you need to know about using cold water with instant coffee.
Will Instant Coffee Dissolve in Water?
Although you may have gotten used to the idea of instant coffee granules only dissolving in hot water, they can do so in cold water as well.
To understand why this is, let’s take a closer look at what instant coffee actually is. The main thing to know is that instant coffee starts off as brewed liquid coffee. Then, it can be put through one of two processes.
The first process is where the liquid coffee is sprayed as a fine mist through very hot and dry conditions. This means that they end up dehydrating into small granules in midair. The other process is where the liquid coffee is frozen and then is forced through the process of sublimation.
Either way, despite being solid, the granules are made up of liquid. This makes it a lot easier for the granules to dissolve in another liquid, even cold water.
Why Does Instant Coffee Dissolve Slower in Water?
If you do try to dissolve instant coffee in cold water you will notice that this process takes a lot longer than with hot water. Why is this the case?
Well, it all has to do with energy.
When water molecules are heated, they gain more energy allowing them to move around at a greater speed. As a result, the molecules in hot water will make contact with the coffee granule molecules at a much higher rate, breaking them down more quickly.
This doesn’t happen with colder water so you have to wait longer for the water molecules to break down and dissolve the coffee granules.
How to Make Instant Coffee with Cold Water
Here are the instructions that you need to make instant coffee with cold water. For this process you will require:
- A glass or mug
- Desired quantity of coffee (or follow manufacturer’s instructions)
- Sugar, if adding
- 6 ounces of cold water
- Milk, if adding
- Ice cubes, if adding
Add the coffee granules to the glass or mug. If you are sweetening the coffee with sugar, add the desired amount of sugar at this point as well.
Then, pour in a small quantity of water – no more than a tablespoon or so. Mix the coffee granules and water (and sugar) together until the granules are completely dissolved.
Add the rest of the water to the glass or mug and stir well until the coffee is a nice, even color. You can then add milk or ice cubes if you wish. If you prefer sweetening your coffee with sugar syrup or a liquid sweetener, you can add it in now.
Can You Put Instant Coffee in a Glass of Cold Water?
As it has been established that instant coffee can dissolve in cold water, you may wonder if you can pour a few teaspoons into a glass of cold water. Won’t the coffee granules dissolve either way?
Sure, it will but it would take you a lot longer to achieve your desired result. You’re better off mixing just a little bit of cold water with the granules until they are fully desired. Then, slowly top up with the rest of the cold water and stir well.
What Can Be Done to Dissolve Instant Coffee in Water Faster?
You may not want to make the effort that comes along with mixing instant coffee with cold water. Fortunately, there are a couple of things that you can do to make the process faster.
Use Some Hot Water
You will need:
- Desired quantity of coffee
- Sugar, if adding
- A tablespoon or two of hot water
- 6 ounces of iced water
- Milk, if adding
- Ice cubes, if adding
Add the coffee granules to a mug. If you are using sugar, add it at this point. Then, pour in the hot water. Mix all the ingredients together until they have dissolved in the hot water. This should happen more quickly than with cold water.
Top up with iced water. As you are adding some hot water to your coffee, it’s a good idea to use water that has been chilled for a while. This helps to overcome the temperature difference and your coffee still be nice and cold. Alternatively, you can just add ice cubes.
Add milk and ice cubes as the finishing touch.
Use a Blender
You will need:
- A blender
- Desired quantity of instant coffee
- Cold water
- Milk, if adding
- Sugar, if adding
- Ice cubes, if adding
What’s great about this method is that you can add all the ingredients at the same time. The blender will do all the hard work for you and mix the coffee and water together with sheer force. Not to mention, it will do this with the sugar and water. Therefore, you should be able to enjoy your coffee in just a few minutes.
There are two things that you do need to know about this method.
First, using a blender will result in frothy coffee. If you don’t like the foam, you can spoon it out of your glass. The coffee will taste lighter and frothier than handmade versions as well.
You should also bear in mind that not all blenders are powerful enough to crush ice cubes. If this is true for your machine, make sure to add the ice cubes after it has been poured into your glass.
In case your machine is powerful enough, remember that crushed ice can dilute your drink. Therefore, you may want to add more instant coffee to balance the flavor out.
What Does Instant Coffee Made with Cold Water Taste Like?
You are probably wondering what instant coffee made with cold water tastes like. A lot of people do say that iced coffee made this way does taste a lot better.
One of the reasons is that when you add really hot water to the coffee granules, more of the bitterness is brought out. This isn’t always the case but may be true for some brands. With cold water, this doesn’t happen.
As a result, you are left with a sweeter and smoother brew. Of course, this all does depend on your personal palate. Thus, you may prefer instant coffee being made the traditional way.
Can You Dissolve Instant Coffee in Cold Milk?
If you prefer a creamier iced coffee, then you may be wondering if you can make the drink using only cold milk. While the coffee granules will eventually dissolve in the milk, it is probably going to take a long time and you may find that the flavor isn’t to your taste.
Now, putting milk and instant coffee in a blender will solve this problem, so you can make your iced coffee this way. Otherwise, first add a bit of hot milk to your instant coffee and then stir until it is properly dissolved. Top this up with cold milk, stir, and enjoy.
Tips to Consider When Making Instant Coffee with Cold Water
Here are a few tricks to remember when making your coffee this way:
Use Cold or Iced Water
While you can certainly use room temperature water for this purpose, you can guarantee that your drink isn’t going to taste nice. If you really do want a sweet and smooth drink, it is important to use very cold or iced water.
Now, as with the hot water, you can use room temperature water to mix the coffee granules initially. However, make sure to top it up with much colder water.
Stir Vigorously
Always stir vigorously when mixing the water and the coffee granules. This will allow the granules to dissolve better in the water. Before topping up with cold water, always scoop up some of the mix and lift your spoon, allowing the substance to drip off of your spoon.
If you notice that there are still some granules, mix it together once more. You can add a little more water to allow the granules to dissolve more efficiently.
Give Your Coffee Time
Once you have topped up your coffee with cold water and stirred, don’t drink it immediately. Instead, let your coffee sit for a while. Then, stir again and take a sip. This allows any leftover granules or solid coffee matter to dissolve into the water on its own. This creates a stronger and more cohesive flavor.
Yes, you can use cold water with instant coffee, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind to get this drink just right. Now that you are aware of all the secrets, you will have no trouble making the perfect cup of coffee. All that is left for you to do is to give these various techniques a try. You will be surprised at the results!
