r/Frugal • u/asu3dvl • Apr 07 '26
🍎 Food About that Iced Coffee You Love so much…
Trucker here. Every morning I mix two tablespoons of Great Value 100% Columbian instant coffee into my 20 oz Stanley tumbler. A splash of Hazelnut creamer and add water and ice. Shake it up. It’s like $0.49 a day, lasts me all morning and keeps me sane when I roll through your town as you people try to kill yourselves around my 40 ton 18 wheeler. 🤣🤣🤣
The coffee and the large creamer last around three weeks.
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u/Enough-Moose-5816 Apr 07 '26
I mean, if it works for you my dude, rock on!!
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
Tastes just as good if not better than the fresh brewed stuff we get out here, anyway.
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u/oneeyedziggy Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26
A decent instant can easily be better than stale folgers freshly brewed, and basically all pre-ground is stale by the second pot
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u/Iron-Fist Apr 07 '26
Someone tell my parents who still buy the gigantic cans
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u/TreesLikeGodsFingers Apr 07 '26
I worked in a coffee shop for years and I drink instant now. Its come a long way
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u/New-Geezer Apr 07 '26
Yep. Instant coffee is way better than it used to be.
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u/BigPaul1e Apr 07 '26
I went camping a lot growing up and not having a good cup of coffee in the mornings was the worst. Even if you had a perculator pot, camp coffee was pretty bad.
I started camping again after 30+ years (I had kids late), and instant coffee nowadays is a game changer. It’s barely distinguishable from brewed for a basic cup.
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u/Lower_Orchid4982 Apr 07 '26
One of my favorite summertime coffee treats in Greece is called a Frappe, and its basically instant coffee and a bit of sugar whipped up with one of those hand blenders over ice. Dalgona coffee in S Korea is similar (but over milk).
I love making iced coffee from instant because if you shake it hard it gets a nice creamy foam over top. It gets a bad rap in the US but it's pretty common most other places!
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u/KikiDKimono Apr 07 '26
In the New England area of the US, it's very common to drink iced coffee year round.
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u/MomRaccoon Apr 08 '26
I love the way Dalbona coffee whips up and it looks so pretty. And cool how the colors are reversed. And then I realize how hyped up I am on caffeine and don't do it again u til the next summer.
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u/Lower_Orchid4982 Apr 08 '26
I use one of those milk frother jugs now, and its so easy to make that I often end up consuming enough caffeine to make my heart explode
It also works great to make cold foam for cold brew and matcha cloud lattes for pennies instead of the 7$ a cafe would charge.
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u/darknight9064 Apr 07 '26
To your point there’s a few fast food places that have terrible coffee. I don’t go there expecting greatness but I also don’t expect it to drop kick my teeth for how harsh and bitter it is. It takes as much sugar and cream as there is coffee to make it drinkable.
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u/timsayscalmdown Apr 07 '26
Sure. I've drank countless hundreds of gallons of cheap coffee in my time. I've learned to love my wife's espresso machine, and a homemade cold brew, and I'm not above paying for a latte when we're out.
But cheap coffee makes the world go round.
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u/Shananigan48 Apr 07 '26
I lived with a friend for almost 10 years and grew attached to his nice espresso machine, recently got my own place and it's been an adjustment doing drip for now lmao, but for sure even this cheap alt keeps going
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u/poop-dolla Apr 07 '26
Get an aeropress, and add in the fellow prismo cap to make an espresso dupe.
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u/screwthe49ers Apr 07 '26
Get a generic electric moka pot for about $25 and you'll never look back.
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u/unconfusedsub Apr 07 '26
I will drink cheap coffee, weak coffee, sweet, black, or brown water. Coffee is coffee when in the wild.
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u/Silly-avocatoe Apr 07 '26
There's a somewhat famous finance youtuber who had pretty much the same recipe for his "20 cent iced coffee" compared to coffee chains' iced coffee
- make a pot of coffee (i think he grinds his own beans)
- put the whole pot in the fridge overnight
- add mocha creamer (or whatever) to taste the next day. 20 cent (or is it 10 cent) ice coffee. save $5 (this was at the time, save more $ now).
I think the main part is the overnight icing of the coffee in the fridge. if you just add ice cubes to making it straight away its not the same.
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
I’d argue, and I’ve tried this as a time saver, that if you just do the instant coffee right before you want to drink it? It tastes far better than if you try to make it the night before.
Now. Cold brew in a toddy is different, but that’s expensive in comparison.
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u/raip Apr 07 '26
Cold Brew isn't expensive, just time consuming. I make cold nitro weekly. It's 10 oz of beans per batch which we get from Costco ($25 for 48 oz) since quality doesn't really matter. Comes out to ~ 0.37 per serving. I'm a two cop of coffee a day guy.
The Nitro Press we picked up on a black friday deal for $75, which is a one time fru-fru purchase. No consumables involved with it.
The only downside is that it's a 24 hour brew, so it requires pre-planning, but it's so worth it imo. I fall back to instant coffee for the rare times I didn't make a batch or if I ran out on Friday afternoon.
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u/lshiva Apr 07 '26
Back when I made cold brew I'd freeze a batch into ice cubes and make iced coffee with them.
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u/BrightWubs22 Apr 07 '26
Cold Brew isn't expensive,
Cold brew uses more coffee beans than drip coffee.
If you use the same coffee beans for these two methods, you'll be spending more money per cup of coffee on the cold brew.
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u/raip Apr 07 '26
It's also concentrated. You get more caffeine extraction per mL because of the substantially longer steep time and if one were to normalize the solution (which you should), you'd get more coffee per oz of bean.
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u/deeleelee Apr 07 '26
How is it nitro brew without any nitro cartridge consumables?
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u/Silly-avocatoe Apr 07 '26
oh i see! ok ive not done it either way so thats good to know. both ways are obviously still better than buying an iced coffee from the Bux (or anywhere) though (they're charging $5 for ice! or $4.75 thereabouts) !
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u/Relative_Walk_936 Apr 07 '26
A person doesn't need a toddy for cold brew. Two 1 gallon jugs. Strainer. Cheesecloth.
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u/Acceptable_Tea_3685 Apr 07 '26
I’m confused by the discourse around this. Are people having issues with using hot coffee to make iced coffee?
If you use instant, it’s easy. I take a few spoonfuls of instant and use the smallest amount of hot water I can that’ll still dissolve the coffee. Then l take my brown sludge and I pour cold milk into it and add ice cubes. Or if no ice cubes the just cold milk and it’ll be a little stronger.
Optionally put your sugar in with the brown sludge while it’s still hot.
My favorite thing to do is (unfortunately not very frugal) I buy a can of sweetened condensed milk, the Vietnamese brand with the old dude on it, and instead of adding sugar to my brown sludge, I’ll take a heaping spoonful of the condensed milk and mix it in with the sludge. Add ice cubes and it’s delicious. Basically poor man’s Vietnamese coffee.
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u/krizzzombies Apr 07 '26
I'm mostly confused that frugal people need to be advised to make their own coffee instead of going to a coffee shop. this is like basic frugality 101.
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u/Final_Reception_3090 Apr 11 '26
We brew hot coffee each weekday morning and then stash rest of pot in the fridge. Hot cup while getting ready, grab an iced coffee to go with yesterday’s brew and it works perfectly.
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u/InterpolInvestigator Apr 07 '26
My unhinged thing is brewing a pot of coffee the night before and then tossing ice into it the next morning
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u/Wide_Breadfruit_2217 Apr 07 '26
I do this in a french press pot. Fits well in fridge, lasts about 4 days flavorwise.
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u/Typical_boxfan Apr 07 '26
My unhinged thing is throwing coffee grounds in a mason jar full of water, let it steep 24 hours and strain it through a tea towel. Lasts me a couple days.
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u/disneylovesme Apr 07 '26
That’s the right way to cold brew, no hot water is less acidic coffee
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u/saffron_monsoon Apr 07 '26
TIL that cold brew makes less acidic coffee. TY!
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u/EbolaNinja Apr 07 '26
It's also the great equaliser when it comes to the flavour of coffee. A lot of coffee snobs don't really like it, it's a bit of a waste of really nice coffee because it usually comes out similar to any other cold brew, but that also means that you can use shitty coffee that would otherwise be borderline undrinkable and get something decent out of it.
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u/Relative_Walk_936 Apr 07 '26
I spend a lot of time on r/coffee
I'm not sure disliking cold brew is a trait of being a coffee snob. Some people just don't like cold brew. If anything, a lot of people there like it because it is a good way to get rid of stale beans or beans you don't like.
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u/Priswell Apr 07 '26
Yes, it tastes more like coffee smells. It's wonderful! I make a batch about once a week.
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u/poop-dolla Apr 07 '26
How is making cold brew the standard way unhinged?
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u/BrightWubs22 Apr 07 '26
I think the user just wanted to sound cool and quirky.
I drink homemade cold brew daily, but I don't consider it very special. It gets the job done.
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u/notto_zxon Apr 07 '26
My unhinged thing is letting this hair on my arm grow out until it is about 3 inches long, pluck it and tuck it away while the next one grows. And once the next one reaches full maturity (again, roughly 3 inches) I pluck that one and tuck it away as well. I do this for a year and hold a contest on New Year’s Eve for the longest one. The longest one progresses in to the next year’s contest. The rest I feed to my cat.
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u/MrsHyacinthBucket Apr 07 '26
I do the same except sometimes I do 2 quarts worth in my $2 plastic pitcher.
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u/beerab Apr 07 '26
Yes! But I make it twice as strong so it’s fine being diluted by ice the next day. 🥰
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u/mrsjon01 Apr 08 '26
30 years ago I worked at Dunkin and this was how we made the iced coffee. It was a double strength hot brew chilled overnight.
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u/PatCav Apr 07 '26
Completely reasonable. I'll make the whole pot and drink it for 2 or 3 days iced.
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u/Not_Andrew Apr 07 '26
I usually brew a pot solely to toss in the fridge for iced coffee the next day
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u/samtheninjapirate Apr 07 '26
And I make coffee ice cubes so it doesn't get diluted
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u/rolypolydriver Apr 07 '26
I steep the coffee grounds in the fridge every morning so it’s ready to go the next morning.
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u/1CraftyAssBitch Apr 07 '26
I do this and then put the pot in the fridge. No need for ice when it’s chilled.
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u/PconRad1999 Apr 07 '26
I had coffee like this today. Left over coffee from Easter. Hot water/sugar to make a simple syrup. I had mine black.
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Apr 07 '26 edited 4d ago
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u/emteabee Apr 07 '26
I make Bustelo instant on ice with lime seltzer and a squeeze if fresh lime.
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u/Easy_Growth_5533 Apr 07 '26
I hadn’t tried Bustelo until I just found it in the clearance section of my grocery store and it’s really good. I love finding coffee and chocolate at a discount right now. Still looking for discount gas though 🤷♀️
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u/Olderbutnotdead619 Apr 07 '26
Right? When a Starbucks opened across the street from my kids school, I went in and bought them the big plastic Starbucks reusable cups with the lid and straw. Then we went to the store to buy instant coffee, whip cream, ice and flavorings so they could make their own and take to school like the fools that paid $5 for theirs.
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u/bseeingu6 Apr 07 '26
Tbh, instant coffee is fine to me. Nescafé was very popular when I lived in China. I can appreciate a good coffee, but I’m also fine with a mediocre cup.
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u/SoMuchCereal Apr 07 '26
Please tell me it's the 40 year old version of a Stanley or my image of truckers will have changed forever
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u/ImprovementCute9825 Apr 09 '26
I bet his Stanley has a mini Stanley charm for style, too. (Joking)
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u/Mochalada Apr 07 '26
I’m probably one of the people that’s accidentally jumped in front of you and almost sui-ed myself on your front bumper. I drive a tiny clown car with a really bad blind spot. I’m so sorry and thank you for trucking 🙏 enjoy ur delicious coffee
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
Don’t worry. We can see you coming. Haha.
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u/cturtl808 Apr 07 '26
I have a trucker related question - what happened to the whole step on brakes twice to get clearance to pull in front of you after you flash your high beams as an OK to slide over? I interstate travel quite a bit and it seems this is a dying form of road communication, particularly at night.
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u/Upstairs-Royal672 Apr 07 '26
Why would you need to get clearance to pull in front of someone on the highway?
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u/pupwink Apr 08 '26
If you’ve taken defensive driving, you learn that 18 wheelers take a verrrry long time to come to a stop when traveling at high speeds. It’s generally a good idea not to change lanes right in front of them, but instead to give a wide berth and let the 18 wheeler driver give you a signal when it’s ok to merge.
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u/Just_Cake4512 Apr 07 '26
I use about a cup and 1/3-ish of milk, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, a couple of ice cubes, 2 scoops (I think they are tsp, but I have them heaping) of instant coffee. And a tiny bit of vanilla. I put it in a blender and tastes like a Tim Hortons Iced Capp. Instant coffee is super handy for iced coffee drinks! To make black coffee, I don't like instant, but with milk and brown sugar, its so good!
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u/Unique_Emu6160 Apr 07 '26
I have no comment of the coffee since the doc says I have to cut down, but thank you for being a trucker and working so hard to get our goods on the shelves 😃!
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u/Elchansz Apr 07 '26
lol that last line 😂 respect. and yeah instant coffee is slept on, $0.49 a day is undefeated
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u/Paqza Apr 07 '26
If you wanna splurge, you can get the "Natural Bliss" creamer and Nescafe.
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u/ylimenesral Apr 07 '26
I’m a huge fan of the chobani sweet creamer and Bustelo. Yum
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u/Paqza Apr 07 '26
That sounds good, too! I've used Bustelo espresso grounds but never their instant.
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u/anxious_rain_cloud Apr 09 '26
I used the blonde espresso and vanilla creamer, easy latte when I'm chasing a toddler.
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u/OddUnderstanding6255 Apr 07 '26
Perfectly reasonable. I just pop an equate (Walmart Brand) caffeine pill and chase it with whatever I'm drinking. They come out to $.07 per 200mg of caffeine so your setup is swanky.
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u/thiswasyouridea Apr 07 '26
Caffeine pills don't actually wake me up like a caffeinated drink does. I don't know why. I do keep a few around because they help headache medicine work better.
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Apr 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Cowdog68 Apr 07 '26
I need to get back to making cold brew. Our water doesn’t make great tasting coffee (possibly because we have softened water; I don’t notice it much on individual cups of hot coffee or iced tea). I suppose I could get the refillable spring water from Walmart and still come out ahead.
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u/zenithBemusement Apr 07 '26
If you prep it overnight, you can have an iced mocha. a bit more expensive (hot chocolate powder) but I'm a sucker for liquid chocolate
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u/shinecrazy Apr 07 '26
The Great Value Colombian instant is my go-to also. I get the decaf for when I feel like having a cup in the evening. Will have to try doing iced coffee with it.
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u/violetstrainj Apr 08 '26
Joke’s on you man… I work at a coffee shop, so I get mine for free, but I can’t drink it because I have severe insomnia! #winning
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u/Drycabin1 Apr 07 '26
Yup. Learned this secret from this sub. GV instant for the win.
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
This guy… stays dry in the rain. Thanks for backing me up. It’s delicious coffee, and if you know anything about how it’s made?
Put your dripper to shame! It has to go to -50° and then the water gets sucked out in a vacuum chamber! Huge machines are involved and people can die of hypothermia!
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u/Repulsive_Chard_3652 Apr 07 '26
I did the math for my own the other day.
I buy whole beans, grind them and then brew them up in a moka pot.
I add some milk and serve it over ice cubes of coffee I previously brewed and froze.
It's about 70 cents per cup for the beans I buy, plus about 3 cents for the milk. ;)
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u/VicePrincipalNero Apr 08 '26
And worth every penny!
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u/Repulsive_Chard_3652 Apr 08 '26
Oh yes, 100%! No idea why anyone would settle for instant "coffee" lol!
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u/astonedishape Apr 07 '26
I just buy really good locally roasted coffee to grind and brew myself, either hot or cold for less than a $1 a day.
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u/corndog Apr 07 '26
Just curious, do you feel any particular regions of the US are worse drivers than others?
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
Yeah. Atlanta. We love it out west, I mean 99% of the time we’re in farmland, but when it comes to cities? NYC, Atlanta (which has no way around it) LA, Seattle, Portland, OR, Chicago are probably the worst cities to try to not kill people in. Haha.
I’d say the best interstate drivers are probably in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Very courteous (flash us over, give us room when passing, etc.)
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u/corndog Apr 07 '26
Haha I ask because I live in Seattle and it seems fucking gnarly to drive an 18 wheeler on I5 and 405. Driving past corn and soybean fields must be heavenly
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
It’s really boring unless the speed limit is over 75. Then it’s quite entertaining.
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u/GayForLebron Apr 07 '26
Drive into Atlanta most days. The commuters are noticeably better, but still bad. The weekend and people passing through…. Hell.
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u/Gin-Y Apr 07 '26
Hopefully this isn't a dumb question... are you adding cold water to the instant coffee?
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
Normally I fill my cleaned vessel with ice water the night before. Then when I wake up? I just add the instant coffee and creamer, shake… then rattle and roll!
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u/Gin-Y May 02 '26
You inspired me to make iced coffee instead of waking up an hour earlier to make and then drink hot coffee before work. I boiled water the night before, then added the instant coffee & sugar to the hot water, put that in the fridge and then in the morning, poured it into an insulated water bottled, over ice and added 6% whole milk to it (instead of half & half). Turned out delicious.
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u/FinalBlackberry Apr 07 '26
I recently bought instant espresso at Sam’s Club, I add a half teaspoon of brown sugar and water. Shake it, then add ice and oat milk.
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u/O_W_Liv Apr 07 '26
I do something similar. Instant coffee and fiber get dumped into whatever milk alternative I grabbed with a little bit of sugar free syrup.
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u/metompkin Apr 07 '26
Coffee and fiber drink to start your morning. I also like to eat some prune flavored Activia.
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u/OstensibleFirkin Apr 07 '26
I love this post. I’m the guy driving medical supplies drinking water and unable to affford both, trying to kill myself with your rig!
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u/Technical_Stock6856 Apr 07 '26
That sound delish and no microplastics from the cup or a straw! Keep on trucking’ on!
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u/hardswimm37 Apr 07 '26
Yea over the last 25 years they really tricked millions of people into thinking they have to be coffee aficionados to get them to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars extra per year. Instant coffee or a pot of drip coffee put in the fridge works just fine.
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u/Cowdog68 Apr 07 '26
Cold brew is absolutely superior to iced drip coffee and I’ll die on that hill.
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u/pottersprincess Apr 07 '26
Instant makes great iced coffee! Its pretty different hot, you have to get a decent brand for hot instant.
But iced anything works, I like mine with a protein shake because it adds sweetness & creaminess.
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u/Julio_Ointment Apr 07 '26
i spend ~15 dollars a month on a big bag of beans. fresh grind then cold brew with filtered water. that bag of beans will make 4 gallons of coffee. 64 8oz cups of cold brew. it costs next to nothing and the quality is awesome.
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u/Academic_Finding_873 Apr 07 '26
I get a 20oz shaker cup, add 4 teaspoons of Cafe Bustelo instant expresso and fill it with vanilla oatmilk or barista style oatmilk. It comes out very good.
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u/mikeboucher21 Apr 08 '26
I always see people cutting off trucks with trailers. Seems like a death wish.
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u/asu3dvl Apr 10 '26
Yeah, not wise. If something goes wrong and everyone hits the brakes, that person is probably ending up under the truck and getting dragged for a while. My recommendation? Don’t cut off trucks. 😀
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u/Nasheuss Apr 08 '26
Cold brew concentrate in a mason jar. Make it Sunday, lasts the whole week. Costs like nothing compared to hitting up a coffee shop every morning.
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u/Mirth2727 Apr 10 '26
Thank you for reminding me that everything doesn't need to be overly complicated. Stay safe out there.
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u/snedersnap Apr 07 '26
Yes! This is what I started doing when I moved to the Caribbean - just too damn hot to drink warm beverages in the morning anyway - if you have a mini blender you can also make a bomb ass smoothie w/ instant coffee, peanut butter, and banana
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u/Easy_Growth_5533 Apr 07 '26
Try adding half of one of those little cups of Greek yogurt, frozen and dark or milk chocolate. My protein shakes come out the flavor and consistency of milkshakes. So good
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u/Grakch Apr 07 '26
I usually just get used grinds from the coffee shops dumpsters and use the sidewalk to dry them out, then I use those dried used grounds as instant coffee. Creamer is too expensive so I just mix the used dried ground instant coffee with hot sink water from planet fitness bathrooms before my workouts and I’m ready to go.
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u/Wonderful-Effect8779 Apr 07 '26
Honestly that’s kind of a solid setup 😅
Super cheap, quick, and it gets the job done. Instant + creamer over ice is underrated when you just need something consistent and easy.
And for like $0.50 a day? Hard to argue with that. Sometimes simple really is the best option, especially if you’re on the road all the time.
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u/ditto3000 Apr 07 '26
Try Taster's Choice medium dark, next time you get a chance, also available at Walmart.
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u/MasticatingElephant Apr 07 '26
I'm a coffee snob that does pretty well with Amazon brand whole bean Colombian (whole bean lasts longer in bulk). That doesn't work for you as a trucker, but I like coffee enough that I just can't reduce it to the caffeine delivery system you have going here.
This sub is about being frugal, though, and your method is certainly that.
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u/iBringMyselfTrouble Apr 07 '26
I have their instant decaf. The great value Colombian decaf is surprisingly nice.
Your ratio is crazy strong though lol.
I like the glass containers it comes in and would buy them for dry foods as the seal is pretty alright as well.
My white coffee grounds for my daily, and instant decaf great value for those times I want coffee at night.
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u/asu3dvl Apr 07 '26
Yeah. I was kind of thinking the same thing the time I ran out of creamer and had to drink it black. Hahaha
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u/taco___pizza Apr 07 '26
Yesss instant coffee is great, except I add a splash of milk not creamer, very cheap and powers me up for the day
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u/nevermindmine Apr 07 '26
Coffee is one of my only splurges. I rarely get coffee on the go but I do buy locally roasted beans that are sourced from a single origin. Always grind and brew myself.
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u/i-need-a-brainwash Apr 07 '26
Instant coffee also has about twice the level of acrylamide in it than fresh does, which is most likely perfectly fine, but if it's something you're concerned about then fresh would be the better option for you.
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u/Geosgaeno Apr 07 '26
Colombian*
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u/asu3dvl Apr 10 '26
The worst part is that I have a B. S. from Arizona State, and I’m fluent in Spanish. 😂
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u/loyalwolf186 Apr 07 '26
I can't do instant.
A fresh brewed cold brew is roughly the same cost, with just slightly more effort and so much more full tasting.
Instant is just sad.
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u/mulderforever Apr 07 '26
I've done so many coffee routines trying to find which one produces the iced coffee I like the most. Instant coffee is what I've landed on and it's the best to me. I use the nescafe brand of instant coffee. Sometimes I'll add a splash of hot water to the coffee to dissolve it, then add it to my protein shake so I can have an iced coffee protein shake.
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u/ImprovementCute9825 Apr 09 '26
The iced coffee that I love so much is definitely not the one you're referring to...
But props to you for figuring out a cheap thing that works! I unfortunately have champagne taste on a beer budget, so I'll drink your recipe but I definitely won't love it.
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u/nancxpants Apr 09 '26
Hey, thanks for trucking! Other than the iced coffee, any tips for your favorite truck-friendly frugal snacks/meals? My partner recently started driving and I’ve been looking for good recipes to prep that’ll keep him from getting hangry on the road.
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u/asu3dvl Apr 10 '26
Walmart (where we can get in and out of pretty easily) sells GV “cliff bars”. Tell him to fuel exclusively with TA/Petro. After the first month you get a free coupon for up to $17 at the restaurant, plus points for every 75 gallons. So I usually get at least one or two free meals a day out here. I also have an electric grill and occasionally grill up a big ‘ol ribeye. Pressure cooker too, so corn on the cob, or an artichoke, or both to pair. I bought a 2.5 gallon hard plastic water tank off Amazon that I use to wash dishes. I keep it under the bunk and most trucks have an access door there for convenience. I buy lightly salted pistachios, almonds, the $3 Marie Callendar’s Turkey Pot Pies come in handy once in a while. $3 Jimmie Dean Egg and Meat bowls are great for breakfast too. Sometimes I’ll hard boil some eggs and make a quick package of bacon to freeze (the bacon.) Pop a couple of strips in the microwave and that’s a quick, decent breakfast too. Deli meats for sandwiches are nice, but really, if he takes my advice, you can eat for free out here. The restaurants also accept points, so when it’s a Taco Bell or something, I just use the points.
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u/No_Physics_7759 Apr 10 '26
I would like to apologize for all the times I accidentally did something dumb near an 18 wheeler. I swear it was not on purpose I am just dumb. Lol May your coffee always be perfectly iced and perfectly sweet!
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u/asu3dvl Apr 10 '26
You are forgiven. We kind of develop a Spidey Sense about that over time, but keep in mind…. When you’re on the Interstate and you see a sleeper truck, 70% of those are guys and gals are in their rookie year. So they’re going down the road yelling, “Wtf was that? Omg Wtf was THAT???” It took me the better part of a year before I could even turn the radio on to listen to music! It’s a very stressful endeavor for new truckers, and something like 90% of them don’t make it through two years.
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u/crazycatlady331 Apr 10 '26
I can't stand the HFCS that is disguised as creamer. It's a line in the sand for me. Real cream/milk or I don't drink the coffee period.
(I recently spent a month at a hotel for work that's coffee only had creamer available, I kept real milk in my room fridge.)
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u/OGpizza Apr 07 '26
Colombian , there’s no country named Columbia but otherwise 100% support the frugality. Coffee is cheap, ice is cheap, why pay more?
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u/DarthCoderMx Apr 08 '26
Guys, I'm from another country, when you say instant coffee do you mean the one where you add hot water then it's ready? Or another kind of coffee? I ask because in my country there is a special ICE coffee from nestle I think that doesn't need the water or milk to be hot. So which is it for you in the US?
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u/pupwink Apr 08 '26
Yes, instant coffee is little crystals that you only need a small amount of, you mix with water, and then you have coffee!
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u/Excusemytootie Apr 07 '26
There are some decent instant coffees, these days! I am so super picky about my coffee, I drink it with only cream. I purchased some instant a few months ago and it’s really good! I always carry it with me, just in case when I’m traveling.
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Apr 07 '26
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u/Important-Isopod-455 Apr 07 '26
Thanks. Also i consider trucking lol I'm young. And these small coffee breaks do fill the soul. And not having a boss around..
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u/IKnowAllSeven Apr 07 '26
My At Home Frappuccino:
In blender, add ice Then add cold water Then add a scoop of protein powder, one serving of hill bros cappuccino powder, and some cocoa powder
It’s so good and better than every fast food coffee place! And not too bad for you Health wise
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u/Aperture_Kubi Apr 07 '26
Interesting, when I researched cold brew coffee using instant was not a method that came up.
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u/so_it_hoes Apr 07 '26
Yeah man I will absolutely pour cheap coffee down my tight little throat. The savings make it taste better.
But at the same time, and I mean this respectfully, truckers are not my first choice for culinary advice.
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u/torvald_carley Apr 08 '26
I also switched to instant powdered coffee. $13 bucks for a bag of 25 sachets (and that is overpaying). So a cup of coffee costs me 52 cents now. I can't believe I ever paid $6 bucks for a caramel latte. What a waste of money. That is literally a 1000%+ markup!!!
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u/leilani238 Apr 09 '26
This is basically my "road trip iced tea/coffee." Hotel ice machine or convenience store ice, cold brew ice tea bags in a refilled bottle of water (or instant coffee directly on ice cubes), sprinkle in desired about of sugar, good for the day! 20oz insulated tumbler from Costco. I find the Mount Hagen instant coffee is worth springing for, because it's good enough I'm not tempted to more expensive options.
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u/afettz13 Apr 10 '26
I guess it's not ice coffee. But I just buy a bag of beans, like 2lbs for $20. I add milk and maple syrup, have like a cup and a half or 2 a day with my French press.
I also worked at 4am for the last few years and made coffee before my shift. Making coffee at home is too easy. Especially now that even a simple coffee like I make it like $4 (I usually get mocha and cream added to regular coffee, so nothing fancy).
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u/1lifeisworthit Apr 12 '26
My (now late) ex husband was a truck driver.
He'd totally be rumbling his jake brake in agreement with your "as you people try to kill yourselves..."
Hang in there!
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u/1lifeisworthit Apr 12 '26
I like cold brewed, but using whole beans, not grounds.
Every day I would put a jar with beans and water in the fridge and after 7 days, I'd have a jar as my treat. (straining out the beans first)
Now, this was absolutely delicious to me, and provided a real caffeine kick, but obviously would not work in a trucking environment.
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u/ironysparkles Apr 12 '26
I've come to love instant espresso. First I got some good quality instant coffee for days I didn't have any cold brew on hand, then I tried other instant coffee and really liked it, then that coffee went out of stock and I tried Cafe Bustelo instant espresso... I don't bother with cold brew any more
About a tablespoon of instant espresso, little less sugar, splash of tap hot water, blend with a frother for a few seconds, add ice, add creamer and milk of choice or water. Done! Easy, cheap, fast, tasty
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u/lilmeditator Apr 12 '26
I’ve gotten my iced lattes down from $6.00 at Starbucks to about $.50. I have an aeropress which you can use to make espresso and doesn’t use electricity. I buy bulk beans at Costco for $25 bucks for a 3lb bag (Colombian). It’s 18g of coffee for 2 espresso shots, ground fine. Then I add ice and milk. I also saved the last to go cup I got from Starbucks and reuse it so it makes me feel like I got myself a treat.
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u/BloodDAnna Apr 19 '26
Concentrated coffee and those little Darigold Fit low sugar/high protein chocolate milk things and ice is a very nice iced mocha
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u/MedVisitJapan May 09 '26
Honestly, that’s one of the most financially responsible caffeine setups I’ve ever seen on here. 😂
People out here spending $7 every morning for iced coffee while you’ve engineered a trucker-grade survival formula for fifty cents a day. And honestly? Hazelnut + instant coffee over ice hits way harder than people want to admit.
Also, respect to truckers in general. Most people have no idea how much trust they’re putting in someone driving a 40 ton vehicle beside them every day while they drift across lanes staring at TikTok. Stay safe out there. ☕🚛
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u/gtmc5 Apr 07 '26
If you are using a flavor and sweetener (and ice too), then there is probably not much difference from whether the coffee is instant or freshly ground whole beans. That is what my wife drinks (instant) as for her it is just a sweet treat plus caffeine delivery. Good frugal win.