just this question thanks

I have used regular instant coffee in place of instant ground espresso in my mocha/chocolate cheesecake and it turned out great.

I always thought they were the same. . . I always used instant ground coffee. . . Maybe I'm wrong; I don't drink coffee anyway. I'd like to get a sure answer too. BUMP.

Espresso is coffee. It is just the way the coffee is made that makes it espresso. There is a lot of misconception that there is a real espresso bean but there isn't. It is all coffee beans. In some areas they consider a certain coffee bean to be true espresso beans due to its high richness and very bold flavor. So once it is pressure brewed correctly it makes a very strong thick coffee...or espresso.

I always thought they were too different things too until my best friend opened her coffee shop....the things you learn

Here is a great little article.
http://www.espressopeople.com/guides/espresso/whatis

not they are not the same, espresso is darker, richer stronger and there fore you use less in your formula I use this for my mocha cakes or my coffee flavored cakes

Instant coffee has a more mellow flavor, I use it ALWAYS in my chocolate cake as it enhances the chocolate flavor..just a dash in addition to a little red food color when I do my chocolate cake from scratch.

It makes the cake more "chocolatety" looking..

go figure!

( it has to do with the chemical reactions to the leavening agents, sometimes they lose their omph not enough to affect the texture..just the color)

Everyone's right- espresso powder is a little different (much stronger in flavor), but you can use regular instant coffee and still get good results!

Amber

Also, the difference between the beans used for espresso and those used for regular coffee is the way they're roasted. But like patticakesnc said- the grind and brewing process are what makes it truly espresso.

Amber

yep the bean is the bean for every single coffee..the flavor comes from the climate, region and roasting process!

I have been drinking espresso since I was 8 so..if you need an expert lay opinion..I'm here for ya! lol

In a word... Yes. They are interchangeable. Hope that helps!

Espresso is often confusing to many people. Is it a strong bitter jolt of caffeine? Is it a trendy yuppie drink that some major coffee chain invented? It is supposed to make you purse you lips? Does it use sugar? What is this frothy stuff on top?

Espresso is confusing because more often than not, it isn't prepared correctly. True espresso, brewed with a pump or piston driven espresso machine is very demanding on the poor coffee bean grinds. But before we get into the relative 'torture' that ground coffee is put through to produce a superior espresso, let us take a step back and discuss a bit more the misconceptions about the beverage.

Espresso is not a type of bean: This is a common misconception, and inaccurate marketing by coffee chains, grocery stores, and even word of mouth give the impression that espresso is a type of bean. Any coffee bean can be used for espresso, from the most common Brazils to the most exotic Konas and Ethiopian Harar coffees.

Espresso is not a type of blend: This one is also a common misconception, but with some truth to the claim in that there are specific blends designed for espresso. The problem is, many people believe there is only one type of blend that is suited for espresso. Many high quality micro roasters would disagree with this - Roaster Craftsmen the world over work diligently on their own version of "the perfect espresso blend".

Espresso is not a Roast Type: Another popular misconception is that espresso can only be roasted one way (and usually the thought is that espresso must be super dark and glistening with oils). This is not the case. In fact, the Northern Italian way of roasting for espresso is producing a medium roast, or more commonly known as a "Full City" roast if you like on the west coast of the USA. In California, the typical "espresso roast" is a dark, or "French" roast, and in parts of the eastern US, a very light or "cinnamon" roast style is preferred. The bottom line here is this: you can make good espresso from almost any roast type; the decision is purely up to your own tastebuds.

ok, I guess we've all been "RE-EDUCATED!!!"..

LOL. That is off that website link that I posted earlier. I thought it was pretty interesting. I want to open a coffee shop one day so that is why I have tried to educate myself on it recently.

Well I will go for the instant coffee I don't want such a strong coffee flavor on a cake. I used the same on ganache and and did a half a teaspoon and people even my kid! could tell there was coffee in there so i would like a more mellow taste thanks to all for your input hope this helped more than one person

I can't find ANY instant espresso in ANY store around here. Of course I live in the boonies and only have Kroger, Randalls and Walmart, but still,it seems to not exist here. After all of the discussion I'm a bit confused. If my cake recipe calls for instant espresso, should I use the same amount of instant coffee as a substitute or because it is weaker should I use more to compensate for the fact that it is just coffee and not espresso?

I searched high and low (and I mean ALL stores) around here and almost gave up finding instant espresso powder. I found everything but that!

Then, when I wasn't looking, I found it somewhere, and b'gosh if I didn't forget where--but I remember, I found it in the Mexican food section!! The label is all yellow and red and green and has spanish writing on it. Of all the places! It was up on a top shelf right there with the refried beans and salsa...go figure.

I use it for my espresso meringue rounds, but not much else, since I don't know if I can find it again, but before that I was just using the coffee I make for DH, since he drinks it veryveryvery strong (like a quad). Blech.

Here are some sites that sells the instant espresso.

http://www.cafedorocappuccino.com/espresso.htm

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/pDetail.asp?p=230