The Best Instant Espresso: 7 Picks Ranked From Real Taste Tests

The best instant espresso is Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso, which scored 9.5 out of 10 in one taste test. Cafe Bustelo is the most versatile pick, and Jacobs gives the best crema. Freeze-dried instant espresso is usually better than spray-dried. Caffe D'Vita and Medaglia D'Oro are the best picks for baking. Instant espresso is stronger than regular instant coffee in flavor, though not always in caffeine. Instant espresso does not taste quite like real espresso. Fresh whole bean coffee in a quick brewer is the step up.

1. Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso

Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso is the closest instant match to a real shot, best with milk. Medaglia D'Oro is sold in 2 oz (57 g) glass jars, with a serving of 1 teaspoon.

Medaglia D'Oro scored 9.5 out of 10 in one taste test, which named Medaglia D'Oro the best of the best. Two other tests ranked Medaglia D'Oro third.

Tasters found Medaglia D'Oro intensely smoky and savory. Notes of toasted nuts, chocolate and agave sat over a full body.

Medaglia D'Oro beans are double-roasted, which one tester linked to an impressive crema and an Italian-style taste. Dark, smoky instant espresso suits milk drinks and mochas better than a black shot. Milk softens the roast bitterness.

2. Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee

Cafe Bustelo Espresso Instant Coffee is the most versatile pick for iced drinks and everyday cups. Cafe Bustelo is a freeze-dried instant espresso that is easy to find.

Cafe Bustelo placed second in two taste tests and scored 8.5 out of 10 as runner up in a third. Tasters called Cafe Bustelo rich, chocolatey and smooth.

Cafe Bustelo is milder and freeze-dried, while Nescafe Gold Espresso is sweeter and spray-dried. One test ranked Nescafe Gold Espresso first.

One tester found the Cafe Bustelo shot thin with almost no crema, closer to a tiny cup of coffee. Gregorio Bustelo founded the company in New York in the 1930s after living in Havana.

3. Jacobs Instant Espresso

Jacobs Instant Espresso is the best instant espresso for crema, worth ordering when crema matters. Jacobs is sold as Jacobs Typ Espresso single-serve sticks.

Jacobs took first place in one ranking of 10 instant espresso brands. The single-serve packet gives a frothy, crema-like top and a velvety taste of dark chocolate and molasses.

Jacobs started as Johann Jacobs' first shop in the port city of Bremen, Germany, in 1895. Jacobs launched its first instant coffee, Mocca Press, in 1957.

Jacobs, a German brand, is harder to find in the United States (US). Jacobs is sold mostly at large supermarkets, international stores and online.

One reviewer found the Jacobs crema inconsistent, with some servings forming a velvety layer and others falling short.

4. Nescafe Gold Espresso

Nescafe Gold Espresso is the best value instant espresso with the widest range. Nescafe Gold Espresso blonde gives a sweet, smooth cup, and Intense gives a darker one.

Nescafe Gold Espresso rankings vary by tester and roast. One test ranked Nescafe Gold first of 12 and preferred the blonde roast, while another placed Nescafe Gold sixth.

Nescafe Gold Espresso Intense earned a best value pick at 7 out of 10 in a third test. The Gold Espresso line comes in blonde, intense, decaf, vanilla and caramel versions.

Nescafe Gold granules are spray-dried, ultra-fine and caramel-scented. One tester found no crema in the Nescafe Gold shot.

5. Mount Hagen Organic Instant Espresso

Mount Hagen Organic Instant Espresso is the best organic and fair trade instant espresso. Mount Hagen makes a smooth black cup more than a true espresso.

Mount Hagen was the only organic and fair trade instant espresso in one test, where Mount Hagen ranked fifth. Tasters found Mount Hagen exceptionally smooth to drink black.

Mount Hagen resembled espresso very little in that test. Another test placed Mount Hagen eighth, saying the big first bite of Mount Hagen tapered off quickly.

6. Whole Foods 365 Instant Espresso

Whole Foods 365 Instant Espresso is the best store brand instant espresso in single-serve packets. 365 by Whole Foods Market is a dark espresso roast Arabica freeze-dried coffee.

365 by Whole Foods Market ranked fourth of 12 in one test. That test called 365 by Whole Foods Market the most middle-of-the-road espresso in the lineup.

365 by Whole Foods Market tasted somewhat nutty and slightly more acidic to one reviewer, with a strong full body.

7. Cafe Caribe Instant Espresso

Cafe Caribe Instant Espresso is the best Latin American style dark roast instant espresso, good with milk but divisive black. Cafe Caribe tastes closer to a medium-dark instant drip coffee than to espresso.

Cafe Caribe ranked fourth in one test for an aroma balanced between smoky and sweet. Tasters noted fruit, nuts and chocolate.

Cafe Caribe placed ninth in another test, which noted a burnt smell and a muddy flavor. That test used a full tablespoon per serving.

How to Choose the Best Instant Espresso?

To choose the best instant espresso, prefer freeze-dried, check the roast and taste notes, and start with the label dose. Then match the pick to black, milk drinks or baking.

Instant espresso testers judged freeze-dried beans, a robust flavor that holds up with milk and a clean finish. Good picks have no metallic, burnt or chalky notes.

Most instant espresso labels call for 1 teaspoon per serving, but testers often needed more powder to reach espresso strength. Each tester uses different amounts of powder, water and milk. The same instant espresso can rank near the top in one test and near the bottom in another.

Is Freeze-Dried Instant Espresso Better Than Spray-Dried?

Yes, freeze-dried instant espresso is usually better than spray-dried, although some spray-dried brands still taste good. Freeze-drying keeps a fuller flavor than spray drying. Cafe Bustelo is freeze-dried, while Nescafe Gold Espresso is spray-dried.

Spray drying sprays liquid coffee extract into hot air to form a fine powder. Freeze-drying freezes the extract and removes the ice under vacuum, which is gentler on aroma.

Is Instant Espresso the Same as Espresso Powder?

It depends, instant espresso and espresso powder are mostly the same product, though baking powders are finer and more concentrated. Ground espresso coffee is a different, unbrewed product.

King Arthur Baking describes espresso powder as darkly roasted beans that are ground, brewed, dried and ground again. Espresso powder is darker and more intense than instant coffee and is sold mainly for baking.

DeLallo notes that some companies call the same product instant espresso powder and others just espresso powder. Instant coffee is dried coffee extract meant for drinking.

What Is the Best Instant Espresso for Baking?

The best instant espresso for baking is Caffe D'Vita or Medaglia D'Oro, with Ferrara as a budget pick. King Arthur Baking espresso powder is the dedicated option.

Cook's Illustrated tested three instant espressos in brownies in 2010. Caffe D'Vita won, and testers liked Cafe Bustelo and Medaglia D'Oro too.

Ferrara, a cheaper spray-dried instant espresso, suits brownies or tiramisu, where delicate flavor would be lost.

Instant espresso highlights the dark chocolate notes in baked goods. King Arthur Baking says a pinch of espresso powder intensifies the chocolate flavor in brownies and cakes. King Arthur Baking advises using about 50% more instant coffee when it replaces espresso powder.

What Is the Best Instant Espresso for an Iced Latte?

The best instant espresso for an iced latte is Nescafe Gold Espresso Blond or Cafe Bustelo. Whole Foods 365 Instant Espresso packets work too.

Nescafe Gold Espresso Blond tasted rich and full-flavored over ice, standing up to milk and sugar. Cafe Bustelo dissolved easily in hot water and gave a smooth, not bitter iced coffee.

Instant espresso iced coffee uses 2 packets in 1 cup (240 ml) of water. An iced latte adds 8 to 10 fl oz (240 to 300 ml) of milk. Instant coffee dissolves faster in hot water than in cold, so a little hot water first avoids clumps.

Is Instant Espresso Stronger Than Regular Instant Coffee?

Yes, instant espresso is stronger than regular instant coffee in flavor, though not always in caffeine. Instant espresso mixes with less water, so instant espresso tastes more intense.

Mayo Clinic lists about 62 mg of caffeine in 8 fl oz (237 ml) of instant coffee. Mayo Clinic lists about 63 mg in a 1 fl oz (30 ml) espresso.

Drip coffee has about 95 mg per 8 fl oz (240 ml). An espresso shot has 63 to 75 mg per 1 fl oz (30 ml). Mayo Clinic notes that how coffee is grown and how long it brews change its caffeine level.

Cafe Bustelo instant espresso should taste stronger and more concentrated than traditional coffee. Instant espresso usually has a more complex flavor than regular instant coffee.

Does Instant Espresso Taste Like Real Espresso?

No, instant espresso does not taste quite like real espresso, although the best picks come close in milk drinks. None of the tested instant espressos replicated a freshly pulled shot, though Jacobs came close.

Most instant espressos made little or no crema compared with an espresso machine shot. A machine forces hot water through fresh grounds under pressure, which emulsifies oils and carbon dioxide into crema.

Instant espresso powder has lost most of that gas and oil.

What Is the Best Alternative to Instant Coffee and Instant Espresso?

The best alternative to instant coffee and instant espresso is fresh whole bean coffee brewed in a quick brewer. Colipse Coffee sells no instant coffee but sells fresh beans such as Italian Espresso whole beans.

Whole bean coffee from Colipse is roasted after each order and ships free in the US. Beans cost $22.99 for 12 oz (340 g) and $49.99 for 2 lb (907 g).

Instant coffee is often bitter and low in the oils that make a good cup worth it. A moka pot, AeroPress or French press makes strong, espresso-like coffee from fresh grounds in a few minutes.

Whole bean coffee from a local roaster can become homemade instant coffee with a grinder set super fine. The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) says the first three weeks after roasting are when coffee changes most.