Can NESCAFÉ Be Used for Espresso?

January 6, 2026 •

4 min read

Over 50% of the U.S. population drinks coffee daily, and many are curious if they can replicate a café experience at home. The question, 'Can NESCAFÉ be used for espresso?', is often asked by those seeking a quick and affordable alternative to using expensive machinery. While instant coffee can't produce a true, pressure-brewed espresso shot, it can be used to create a strong, concentrated coffee base that works perfectly for espresso-style drinks.

Quick Summary

An instant coffee cannot produce a genuine espresso, which requires high pressure. However, you can create a strong, concentrated coffee that serves as an excellent base for espresso-based drinks like lattes and Americanos. Specialized products like NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso are designed for this purpose, offering rich flavor and a crema-like foam. For the best results, use the right instant coffee, hot water, and a proper technique.

Key Points

Authentic Espresso Requires Pressure: True espresso is made using a specialized machine that forces high-pressure water through finely ground coffee, a process instant coffee cannot replicate.
Instant Coffee is Dehydrated Brew: NESCAFÉ is pre-brewed coffee that has been dehydrated, so it lacks the oils and grounds necessary for proper high-pressure extraction and crema formation.
Instant Espresso Products Exist: Products like NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso are specifically formulated to produce a rich, concentrated instant coffee with a velvety foam, designed to mimic the espresso experience.
Easy to Make Espresso-Style Drinks: You can easily create a strong instant coffee concentrate by dissolving the powder in a small amount of hot water, which can then be used as a base for lattes, Americanos, and more.
Don't Use Instant Coffee in Espresso Machines: Putting instant coffee powder in an espresso machine is a bad idea, as it will yield disappointing results and may damage the equipment.
Quality of Instant Matters: For a more flavorful result, opt for a high-quality instant espresso powder over regular instant coffee, as it is more concentrated and potent.

Understanding True Espresso vs. Instant Coffee

To understand why you can't make a true espresso with NESCAFÉ, you must first know what defines an authentic espresso. An authentic espresso is a highly concentrated coffee beverage produced by forcing near-boiling water through a tightly packed cake of finely-ground coffee at high pressure (typically 9 bars). This process, requiring a specialized espresso machine, extracts the coffee's rich flavors, oils, and gases, resulting in a robust shot topped with a reddish-brown foam called 'crema'.

Instant coffee, on the other hand, is coffee that has already been brewed and then dehydrated into soluble crystals or powder. It is not a fresh coffee ground but a processed and pre-brewed product. Therefore, no matter how strong the instant coffee is, it lacks the oils and grounds necessary for high-pressure extraction and cannot produce the true crema and depth of flavor of a real espresso. Attempting to put instant coffee powder into an espresso machine's portafilter would not only produce disappointing results but could also damage the machine.

The NESCAFÉ Solution: Instant Espresso Products

While you can't use regular instant coffee for espresso, NESCAFÉ offers a line of products specifically designed to mimic the espresso experience. Products like NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso Intense are crafted from golden-roasted Arabica beans and formulated to produce a rich, strong coffee with a velvety foam on top when prepared with hot water. This is not true crema, but rather a foam created by the formulation itself to enhance the mouthfeel and aroma, providing a café-like impression without the need for expensive equipment.

How to Make an Espresso-Style Drink with Instant Coffee

Creating a satisfying espresso-style base with instant coffee is simple and requires only a few steps. It is a perfect solution for those who want a quick, strong coffee for lattes, cappuccinos, or Americanos without the fuss.

Choose the Right Product: For the best results, use a product like NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso or another high-quality instant espresso powder, which is more concentrated and formulated for stronger flavor.
Measure Accurately: Use a ratio of about 1-2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder for every 2 ounces of hot water, depending on your desired strength.
Create the Concentrate: Put the instant coffee powder into your mug. Add a small amount of hot (not boiling) water and stir vigorously until the powder is fully dissolved and a rich, dark concentrate is formed.
Froth for Flavor: For an even richer taste and texture, use a handheld milk frother on the concentrate. This can help create a thicker, more luscious texture before adding milk or water.
Build Your Drink: From this concentrated base, you can add hot water for an Americano, steamed milk for a latte, or foamed milk for a cappuccino.

NESCAFÉ Instant Espresso vs. True Espresso: A Comparison


Feature	Instant Espresso (e.g., NESCAFÉ)	True Espresso (Machine-Brewed)
Brewing Method	Stirred or whisked into hot water	High-pressure water forced through grounds
Equipment	Mug and spoon; optional handheld frother	Expensive espresso machine
Pressure	None	Typically 9 bars
Brew Time	Seconds	25-30 seconds per shot
Grounds Used	Pre-brewed, dehydrated soluble powder	Freshly ground, fine coffee beans
Crema	Velvety foam created by formulation	Natural foam of coffee oils and gases
Flavor Profile	Rich and aromatic, but less complex	Intense, full-bodied, complex
Convenience	Extremely quick and easy	Time-consuming setup and cleanup
Cost	Low	High initial investment and ongoing cost

Recipes for Instant Espresso-Style Drinks

Instant Latte:

Create a concentrated instant espresso base with 1-2 teaspoons of NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso and 2 ounces of hot water.
Heat your milk of choice. For best results, steam it with a machine's wand or use a handheld frother until it's warm and frothy.
Pour the frothed milk over the espresso concentrate. Add sweetener if desired.

Instant Americano:

Dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder in a mug with a small amount of hot water.
Top off the mug with 4-6 ounces of hot water and stir.

Iced Shaken Espresso:

Combine 1 tbsp instant coffee and 25ml hot water in a cup and stir to dissolve.
Pour the mixture into a cocktail shaker with ice, milk, and any desired syrup.
Shake vigorously until cold and frothy.

Conclusion: A Realistic Approach to Instant Espresso

In short, while you cannot use NESCAFÉ to create a genuine, pressure-extracted espresso shot, you can absolutely use it to make a strong, delicious espresso-style coffee concentrate. For everyday convenience and a quick coffee fix, specialized products like NESCAFÉ Gold Espresso provide an excellent alternative, offering rich flavor and a velvety texture without the investment of a traditional espresso machine. Just be aware of the difference between a high-pressure brew and a concentrated instant mix, and enjoy the rich possibilities instant coffee offers.

Origin Coffee's guide to what real espresso is offers a detailed explanation of the brewing method and crema.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, you cannot make a genuine espresso with regular NESCAFÉ instant coffee. Authentic espresso requires high pressure brewing with finely ground coffee beans, which is impossible with instant powder. You can, however, make a strong coffee concentrate that works in espresso-based drinks.

NESCAFÉ instant espresso products, like Gold Espresso, are formulated to be more concentrated and produce a velvety foam (not true crema) when prepared, delivering a richer, more intense flavor designed to mimic a traditional espresso shot.

You should not put instant coffee into a traditional espresso machine. The dehydrated coffee powder will not behave like fine espresso grounds under pressure and could clog or damage the machine.

To make a concentrated coffee with NESCAFÉ, simply dissolve 1-2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder in just 2 ounces of hot water. Stir it vigorously until completely dissolved, creating a strong liquid base for your drink.

While it can be rich and flavorful, a concentrated instant coffee will not have the same complex flavor profile, depth, or authentic crema as a real, pressure-brewed espresso. It is a convenient and tasty alternative, not a perfect replacement.

You can use an instant espresso concentrate to create a variety of popular café drinks. It serves as a base for easy instant lattes, Americanos, cappuccinos, and iced shaken espressos.

The key is using a high-quality instant espresso product, a proper ratio of powder to a small amount of hot water to create a concentrate, and a vigorous stir or whisk to dissolve it completely and add texture.