I've never been much impressed with some of the exotic (and largely mythical) things people do that they say makes a better cup of coffee. I even enjoyed my "army brew" that probably was bulk processed in a farm stock tank and the "stuff" served on visits to several AF bases.
I can recommend the Folgers "crystals" as a resource for a quick cup.
I can't recommend mix-and-blast in a microwave, however, as that method has never produced anything that even I can swallow - with any kind of coffee.
If you put the Folgers in an appropriate cup, preferably after filling the cup with boiling water and then discarding the water to preheat it. With the "crystals" in the cup add boiling water and stir for a couple of swishes if you think that's necessary, and the coffee has always been indistinguishable from "fresh brewed" or "perked." Getting the "just right" amount of coffee for the cup you use (and the amount of water) is still fairly critical to getting it consistent, but the "right" amount may vary with your taste.
I will agree that most instant coffees don't make an adequate cup. The stuff that looks like dirty talcum power in the jar always seems to me to have a residual "powder" taste, apparently/possibly because the dirty dust never fully dissolves as intended. I've found some brands that left a "powder scum" of unincorporated "crud" floating on top even after you've about finished choking down enough to be "almost polite enough" to whomever it was that forced the stuff at you.