Complete guide: how to prepare your instant chicory
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Your instant chicory can be prepared in seconds, without a machine, with hot or cold water. This guide applies to the 3 instant products in the range:
- 100% Instant Chicory
- Instant Coffee-Chicory Blend
- Instant Coffee-Chicory-Marine Collagen Blend
The preparation method is the same for all three. The differences between the products are explained at the end of this guide.
Before you start: 2 basic principles
1. Start with a light dose, then adjust
An instant chicory that is too concentrated may seem bitter on the first try. Start with a level teaspoon, then adjust to your taste with subsequent cups.
2. Taste before adding sugar or milk
The product already has a naturally caramelized taste. Adding sugar by reflex, as with coffee, can mask this taste rather than complement it.
Hot water method
How to make
- Boil the water, then wait about 30 seconds before using it—avoid water at a rolling boil.
- First, put the chicory at the bottom of your cup.
- Pour hot water over it—this optimizes dissolution. Putting the chicory after the water can create small lumps.
- Stir well with a spoon.
- Taste plain before adding sugar or milk.
Mistakes to avoid
- Pouring water at a rolling boil directly. This can accentuate bitterness. Always let the water rest for a few seconds after boiling.
- Adding water before the chicory. This promotes lumps. Always put the chicory at the bottom of the cup first.
- Adding sugar before tasting. The product is already balanced; you risk over-sweetening out of habit.
How to adjust based on the result
| Result obtained | Adjustment to make |
|---|---|
| Too bitter | Reduce the dose for the next cup |
| Too bland | Slightly increase the dose |
| Lumps | Make sure to put the chicory before the water, then stir well |
Cold water method
This is one of the advantages of instant chicory: it dissolves equally well cold or hot. Convenient for an iced version, or when you don't have access to hot water.
How to make
- First, put the chicory at the bottom of your cup or glass.
- Pour cold water over it—this optimizes dissolution. Putting the chicory after the water can create small lumps.
- Stir well with a spoon—this takes a little longer than with hot water.
- Top up with the rest of your liquid (water, milk, ice cubes) if needed.
- Taste and adjust.
Mistakes to avoid
- Adding water before the chicory. This promotes lumps, even more so with cold water than hot. Always put the chicory at the bottom first.
- Expecting instant dissolution as with hot water. With cold water, it takes a few extra seconds of stirring. Be patient before concluding that it doesn't dissolve.
How to adjust based on the result
| Result obtained | Adjustment to make |
|---|---|
| Powder not well dissolved | Stir longer with the spoon |
| Too bitter | Reduce the dose |
| Too bland | Slightly increase the dose |
The differences between the 3 instant products
The preparation method is identical, but here's what changes from one product to another.
100% Instant Chicory
- 100% chicory, 0% caffeine naturally.
- Dominant notes: caramel, chocolate, with a slight bitterness reminiscent of coffee.
- No particular adjustment needed—follow the basic method.
Instant Coffee-Chicory Blend
- 20% coffee / 80% chicory.
- Contains a little caffeine—enough for a slight energy boost, deliberately limited to avoid energy spikes and crashes.
- Taste similar to 100% chicory, with a few extra coffee notes.
- If you prefer a more pronounced coffee flavor, you can slightly increase the dose. If you are sensitive to caffeine, start with a lighter dose than usual.
Instant Coffee-Chicory-Marine Collagen Blend
- Same base as the Coffee-Chicory Blend, enriched with marine collagen.
- Marine collagen is tasteless—it does not change the product profile or the preparation method.
- Prepares exactly the same way as the Coffee-Chicory Blend, with hot or cold water.
In summary: the reflex to have
If you don't like your cup, before concluding anything about the product, check in order:
- The dose—too much powder is the most common cause of a too bitter taste.
- The water temperature—water at a rolling boil accentuates bitterness.
- The dissolution—if lumps remain, first dissolve in a small amount of liquid before topping up.
Adjusting the dose fixes the vast majority of disappointing first cups.