I think the brand I use is medallio d'oro? I haven't bought any recently but never found it difficult to find. Right in the coffee aisle - small jar with red and green label. Lasts a long time. I would think instant coffee would be closer than grounds... I use it in darker breads as well as with sweets... Mocha truffles - yummmm....

I've searched for it here too, no where to be found. I've asked store clerks & they don't seem to know what I'm talking about. I use instant coffee in anything that calls for it. I'm happy with it, but espresso probably has a stronger coffee flavor.

I have used the same thing as amgss and kept the jar in my freezer. However, if it is difficult to find, you could use regular instant coffee. Just pick a bold or dark blend. Another option is to stop by a Starbucks and get a package of their instant "VIA." It comes in little stick packets that keep the instant coffee fresher. They've got an Italian Roast variety that would certainly be a good substitute for espresso. The Starbucks VIA is rather expensive, but if you just use it for baking, it would last a long time. The individual packets keep it from getting stale. That's what I use now for brownies.

Wherever you are, you might want to search for Cafe Bustello, even at Wal-Mart. It has a bright yellow label. When I lived in Puerto Rico it was the taste that I remembered when back in the States, to have a cup of cafe con leche. It started out in the Bronx in 1931 - such a surprise! - but believe me - it has the rich Caribbean espresso cafe taste. I put it in all my chocolate treats - totally complementary to the chocolate.
If you can't find the instant, make a strong cup of it from grounds then let it mellow for an hour. I keep some refrigerated for up to a week to use in baking.
Nancy

I get espresso powder from King Arthur Flour (see link below). Purchase the least amount possible because it gets hard as a brick once opened if not used quickly.

Add a moisture absorbing pillow to the top of the container to help keep it free-flowing during storage, and store it in the refrigerator - which is a low-humidity environment due to the frost-free feature of the refrigerator. If it clumps, grate it with a microplane or box grater.

As a pretty good alternative, check out Pure Coffee Extract (I get it from The Spice House). "It delivers a rich, smooth dose of coffee flavor without the grit of grounds or the waste of a full pot. Perfect for cakes, cookies, whipped toppings, frostings, brownies; not to mention BBQ sauces and moles."

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: King Arthur Flour - Espresso Powder

Go figure. I go shopping tonight to buy some instant coffee and I find instant espresso! I think my luck is changing as I get older. I remade my macarons and I can tell the results are much better. If I saw the responses before I went shopping I think I would have gone the Starbucks route to maintain freshness as I will use it mostly for baking. I will store in the freezer as suggested. Thanks.

Mine is Nescafe Espresso Powder. I got it at the Mediterranean grocery after another poster here sent me some. I'd never even heard of it before then.

I can tell you that I don't drink it in place of coffee, though, I did try a single cup and it was awful!

I put just a bit in brownies and frosting, when I want that coffee flavor. I'm glad you found yours.

Annie

I too have been looking for Espresso Power everywhere, thank you for the link to King Arthur Flour.

Is Espresso Power and Instant Espresso same thing?

Holy Moly, is the price at KA high, then add the shipping. Like the others here, I buy the green/red/white jars for about $4.00 each. If I am out, a good instant coffee works well too.

If your grocery store does not have it, check Walmart and Target

pkramer-

You may want to check to be certain, but I believe the shipping is free on a 2-oz. container of Instant Espresso Powder from KAF.

:( Found my powder but reacted to it. Bright red cheeks after sampling. I tolerate coffee fine, hmmm, wonder what is added. I'm not so disappointed that my macarons didn't turn out (underbaked and deflated). I posted my last message after sampling the batter while they were setting to be baked.

i have always just used instant coffee in recipes calling for Espresso powder...no complaints so far.

Grainlady, see the top of the page. Shipping is $3.95, no minimum order required. If you saw the post for "the kitchn", it is from 2008. Shipping may have been free back then.

I have a small arsenal of Medaglia D'oro instant espresso, because, once upon a time, you couldn't swing a dead cat without running into this great product.

Nowadays, they're harder to find. Whole Foods still carries Medaglia D'oro, and World Market carries a generic version.

Sol

Brain fart. If you happen to have a Kroger in your area, their MD is also available and reasonably so.

Sol

Last Christmas my wife was making a yule log cake that called for instant expresso powder, and mistakenly bought expresso-grind coffee. She discovered it too late to return to the store, and since the recipe didn't call for liquid substituting a cup of expresso for a cup of the liquid wouldn't have worked. Our solution was to take the expresso-grind coffee, and use a morter and pestle to grind it really fine, and use that in the recipe. It worked fairly well, although there was a bit of a grit to the texture.

In the end it turned out that recipe did call for a cup of water, it just didn't list it in the ingredients at the top. So we could have just made a cup of expresso and used that.

I used to use the MD brand, but ran out one day while in the middle of baking. I googled for a sub and found that instant espresso powder is just dried espresso grounds. I pulled the dump bin from my Gaggia espresso machine, poured some grounds on a plate to dry, and used those. It worked very well. And so much cheaper!

Next time you head to Starbucks or the like (sorry...I live in Starbucks capital), ask the barista for a cup of spent grounds. They love to get rid of them for free! Btw, grounds are also great for many garden plants as a soil additive. Starbucks around here have giant bags by their front door free for the taking in the spring and summer.

I just got a new jar of the MD at Albertsons for $3.79. Then I saw an organic version of the same brand at Central Market for over $4.00. I was glad I picked it up at Albertsons.

I'm looking at the jar right now. It says, "A blend of imported espresso coffee, double-roasted â¦" . So, it doesn't list any other ingredients besides coffee. It would kill me if I developed an allergy to coffee.

Sally