I'm new to the miso soup scene and was making possibly the biggest rookie mistake ever. I would just whisk a big spoonful of miso into hot water and call it a day. You can image why I thought I just didn't like miso. This changed my whole viewpoint, of course. A spoon of this, bring it to a good heat (but not boil), turn off the gas, add your miso, add your toppings, done. Delicious. Truly makes a world of difference.