Taste

• The taste of fresh espresso is stronger and more aromatic than instant espresso. While instant espresso amounts can be increased to obtain a strong flavor, it still cannot measure to the aroma of fresh brewed. Since aroma is linked to taste, the resulting baked good will always have a fresher coffee taste if it contains fresh espresso. This is because the fragrant oils in fresh beans are more powerful than the oils in the granules.

Texture

• Instant espresso can have a grainy quality if not properly stirred into a hot liquid. This grainy texture means large nuggets of undissolved granules, which result in uneven flavor distribution when stirred into other baking ingredients. Espresso is smooth and pure liquid, so it mixes easily into other ingredients.

Color

• Espresso and instant espresso are very close in color and both offer a rich hue for baked goods. The only difference comes down to what beans you use to brew the espresso. Dark-roasted beans will offer a bolder hue than light-roasted beans. The same is true for instant espresso -- the color depends on the beans from which it was brewed.

Convenience

• Instant espresso is far more convenient than fresh brewed. Instant espresso requires mixing granules into hot water, which takes a few seconds. Fresh-brewed espresso requires adding the grounds to the basket, packing the grounds, pouring the water and brewing the espresso, which takes a few minutes. While the difference is only a matter of a few minutes, those can be precious minutes when you’re in the middle of baking something.

Tips

• Only use water to mix instant espresso before use in baking. Mixing the granules into other liquids, such as oil or eggs, will coat them and keep them from dissolving properly. Substitute strongly brewed coffee if you’re out of espresso and instant espresso. However, know that the coffee will provide a slightly different flavor and color than the espresso products.

  Do not substitute brewed espresso if dry instant espresso powder is called for in the recipe, as the brewed coffee may add unwanted moisture. Instead, use finely ground espresso beans. Use about 1/2 the amount espresso beans as instant espresso called for in the recipe, as the fresh grounds have a stronger flavor.