What Is Instant coffee and How Can I Use It?
Instant coffee rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 298 recipes to cook with it.
What is instant coffee?
Instant coffee, also called soluble coffee, and coffee powder, is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans.
Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated. At least one brand of instant coffee is also available in concentrated liquid form.
Advantages of instant coffee include speed of preparation (instant coffee dissolves instantly in hot water), lower shipping weight and volume than beans or ground coffee (to prepare the same amount of beverage), and long shelf life—though instant coffee can also spoil if not kept dry.
Instant coffee is available in powder or granulated form contained in glass jars, sachets or tins. The user controls the strength of the resulting product, by adding more or less water (for a weaker or stronger brew).
Instant coffee is also convenient for preparing iced coffee like the Greek frappé, which is popular in warmer climates and hot seasons.
In some European countries such as Spain, instant coffee is commonly mixed with hot milk instead of boiling water.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (1 round tsp) (1g)Where found
Instant coffee is usually found in the coffee & tea section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Instant coffee is a member of the Beverages US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does instant coffee weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp dry | 0 grams |
| 1 tsp, rounded | 1 grams |
| 1 serving (1 round tsp) | 1 grams |
Related
Beverages
| In Chinese: | 速溶咖啡 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | le café instantané | |
| en español: | el café instantáneo |
Recipes using instant coffee
There are 298 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Chocolate Ice Cream With Chocolate Chunks & Pistachios
The chocolate chunks and pistachios added extra yumminess. I couldn't stop eating it. So good!
Chocolate Coffee
Chocolate coffee melts unsweetened chocolate into strong instant coffee with milk and sugar for a frothy stovetop mocha. Old-fashioned cafe au lait meets chocolate, finished with whipped cream and cocoa.
Mayan Truffles
Mayan truffles roll dark chocolate ganache spiked with Kahlua and instant coffee into rich cocoa-dusted bites. The coffee deepens the chocolate, the liqueur warms it, and the double dip in melted chocolate gives each truffle a snap.
Natural Easter Egg Dyes
Learn how to make natural Easter egg dyes such as Spring Chicken Yellow and Easter bunny brown natural Easter egg dyes. Quick and easy egg coloring.
Hot Mocha Milk
Hot mocha milk made in the microwave with chocolate syrup, instant coffee, a dash of cinnamon, and steamy milk. A cozy 5-minute coffeehouse drink at home.
Best Chocolate Bar Fondue
Very, very good. I used 1/2 semi sweet and 1/2 bittersweet - more of a sophisticated flavor. It was yummy. Stick to the milk chocolate or semi-sweet for the kids though. Besides a variety of fruit, I bought those little creme puffs in the freezer section - they were delicious dipped in the chocolate!
Cappuccino Truffles
No-bake cappuccino truffles rolled in cocoa-sugar or coconut, made with instant coffee, marshmallow cream, chocolate wafer crumbs, and pecans. Makes 60 bite-sized treats in 30 minutes.
Mocha-Walnut Cookies
Mocha walnut cookies bake coffee-spiked, cinnamon-warmed butter cookies and finish each warm cookie with melted chocolate chips smeared on top. Coffee-shop cookies with a frosted finish.
Kahlua Mousse Brownies
Kahlua mousse brownies, a thin sheet brownie spiked with coffee liqueur and instant coffee for deep chocolate-mocha flavor. Bake in a jelly roll pan and sandwich with ice cream for a fancy dessert.
Mocha Chip Muffins
Low-fat mocha chip muffins with cocoa, instant coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Applesauce replaces most of the oil for a tender, fudgy crumb under 100 calories per muffin.
Mocha Brownies
Fudgy chocolate brownies amped with instant coffee for deep mocha flavor, studded with walnuts, and finished with optional creamy coffee-cream-cheese frosting.
Mocha Brownies
Fudgy chocolate brownies amped with instant coffee for deep mocha flavor, studded with walnuts, and finished with optional creamy coffee-cream-cheese frosting.
Frozen Tiramisu
Frozen tiramisu made with coffee ice cream, ladyfingers, and whipped topping. Easy make-ahead Italian dessert that's lighter than traditional tiramisu, perfect for summer.
Chili Ala Capt. James Mcdonnell
Beef and Italian sausage chili with a tablespoon of instant coffee for depth, two kinds of beans (kidney and refried), and a Monterey Jack topping. Captain's recipe.
Family Favorite Fudge Brownies
Dense fudge brownies with a half pound of unsweetened chocolate, chocolate chip top, and a hit of instant coffee crystals to deepen the chocolate flavor. Baked low and slow.
Viennese Spiced Coffee
Viennese spiced coffee steeped with whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. A cozy holiday coffee drink with old-world cafe charm.
Kahlua Cheesecake Bars (Healthier Version)
Super moist, chocolaty and rich. These delicious kaulua cheesecake bars will for sure satisfy your sweet tooth but without letting you feel too guilty.
Mocha Pecan Pie
Mocha pecan pie layers semi-sweet chocolate, Kahlua and espresso into the classic Southern filling, topped with decorative pecan halves. A coffeehouse twist on Thanksgiving dessert.
Wake - Up - Smell Coffee Cheesecake
Love this lower-fat cheesecake. It well satisfied my cheesecake cravings but without giving me too much guilt afterwards. LOL.
Coffee Brickle Ice Cream *
Coffee brickle ice cream churns sweetened condensed milk and half-and-half with strong instant coffee, toasted almonds, and almond brickle chips. No-cook custard for the home ice cream maker.
Mocha Truffles
Mocha truffles: melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache balls infused with instant coffee and Kahlua, rolled in cookie crumbs or chopped nuts. Five ingredients, no candy thermometer.
Chocolate-Fudge Bundt Cake
Chocolate fudge bundt cake with both melted unsweetened chocolate and cocoa, brightened with a hint of coffee. Yogurt and canola oil keep the crumb tender for a deep, dark cake without heaviness.
Chocolate Marbled Angel Food Cake with Coffee Cream & Raspberry Jam
A deliciously light chocolate marbled angel food cake is filled with raspberry jam, and topped with coffee cream. It's sweet and rich enough to please your sweet tooth, but without too much guilt.
Coffee Chocolate-Chip Cookies
Coffee chocolate chip cookies with toasted almonds, made with concentrated instant coffee dissolved in hot water for deep mocha flavor in every bite. The grown-up cookie jar staple.
Mocha Frosting
Mocha frosting: cocoa, instant coffee, butter, and powdered sugar whipped into a silky chocolate-coffee glaze. Pipes, spreads, and stays put on cakes, brownies, and cupcakes.
