There are several ways to make a nice cup of coffee with instant coffee. 1. Start with good quality water and use water that you would drink. So, if your tap water tastes awful and you drink bottled or filtered water, use bottled or filtered water to make your coffee. 2. Use the right amount of instant coffee for your taste. You could use a level teaspoon of instant coffee for a mild taste or a rounded teaspoon or more for a strong flavor. 3. Experiment with water temperature because it does affect the taste of instant coffee, as a general rule, instant coffee tastes better when made with water between 87 – 96°C (190 – 205°F). 4. Try adding milk and sugar.