<p>Ground coffee is just the roasted coffee beans ground up to a fine powder. In order to make the beverage coffee, you need to combine this with hot water to extract the flavour (there are many different ways to do this). Typically, there is a filter that makes sure that the water can pass through the ground coffee but none of the ground ends up in your drink. </p>

<p>Instant coffee is dried brewed coffee - they grind up the coffee beans, brew the coffee and then remove the water.</p>

<p>A coffee machine or coffee maker is used for brewing coffee from ground coffee, not instant coffee. Instant coffee powder just needs to be rehydrated, so adding hot water is enough. It will completely dissolve in the water, which the ground in a coffee maker will not.</p>

<p>The machine you bought seems to be an espresso machine (it puts the water with high pressure through the ground coffee). This requires a relatively fine ground. Preground espresso will probably work, or you can also buy a grinder and grind the beans yourself. It also seems to have a pressurized filter basket, which means it will be quite forgiving and therefore easy to use.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T09:33:36.707Z
That kind of takes the meaning out of me using instant coffee, right? I guess the drink I'll get out of instant coffee will be inferior to that of ground coffee. Won't the Nescafe that I've been using up until now do the trick? Since I assume it falls under _ground coffee_.
Sampark Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T09:44:50.253Z
@SamparkSharma No, Nescafe is instant coffee, don't use that in the machine.
Niko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T09:49:22.190Z
I get next to nothing when I search for _ground coffee_ on Amazon. Could you hit me with a few brands that I should have a dekko at?
Sampark Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T10:02:53.960Z
@SamparkSharma Lavazza and Illy are popular brands, for example.
Niko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T10:46:47.213Z
Would this be okay as a first buy -- http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Filter-Coffee-250g/dp/B0001GDE1K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441534346&sr=8-2&keywords=Illy+Coffee? Also, would I be able to make cappuccinos and lattes with the help of this machine? Sorry for being such a bother, I just can't get my head around most of this stuff.
Sampark Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T11:16:41.833Z
@SamparkSharma That's coffee for drip brewing, so probably too coarsely ground. This would be the right one: http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Espresso-Medium-Roast/dp/B000VOCQQ6 -- maybe try this one: http://www.amazon.in/DEVI-Classic-Gourmet-Coffee-Grounds/dp/B00QQ3K6XQ -- and yes, you can make cappuccinos etc. with that machine.
Niko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T11:57:41.903Z
And would you believe it? The Illy you linked me to is out of stock and DEVI doesn't seem to have a good reputation. Getting these products at a retailer where I live would be a long-shot, at best. That only leaves me with one alternative. That of buying http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Filter-Coffee-250g/dp/B0001GDE1K/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1441539523&sr=1-2&keywords=illy+coffee. Would it work in my machine? Or would being too coarse automatically rule it out? I don't suppose you came across any other decent candidates.
Sampark Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T12:37:02.020Z
@SamparkSharma It will work, but can't promise that the taste will be decent.
Niko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-06T08:54:30.817Z
2015-09-06T09:13:07.227Z
2015-09-06T09:13:07.227Z
Niko
<p>You have bought a wonderful coffee machine which produces espresso (concentrated coffee) which can be consumed whole or mixed with milk/water to create amazing drinks such as latte's or cappuccinos but not limited to these.</p>

<p>To make it simple for you, I will make a short list of what you need to produce coffee on that machine.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Coffee Beans - I would suggest to step into Starbucks/Costa/Coffee Day or any similar retailer and ask for espresso blend/beans/roast. If you can find the manager, explain the situation and ask for tasting.</p></li>
<li><p>Coffee Bean Grinder - You need something like this <a href="http://www.amazon.in/dp/B003U2V5GS" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.in/dp/B003U2V5GS</a> or similar, but do make sure that the grinder you buy is capable of producing a fine grind, as we want the coffee powder to produce espresso, this is crucial.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>The coffee you produce with this method will be divine, the aroma will fill up your spaces for sure. What is critical is that you store the beans in their original form and grind only what you need, that will produce the freshest and tastiest coffee.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-09T12:08:49.727Z
Welcome to Coffee SE! Please review site policies here: http://coffee.stackexchange.com/help. For instance, product recommendations are generally discouraged.
Ivan Kapitonov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-02T19:24:29.817Z
@IvanKapitonov It looks ok to me. He's recommending a type of product and giving a specific example.
luser droog
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-11T11:23:04.917Z
Thanks for the heads up Ivan, I will keep that in mind in the future. Thank you Droog.
Jeevan Daniel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-09T06:08:40.050Z
2015-09-09T06:08:40.050Z
Jeevan Daniel
<p>Coffee maker usually only process ground coffee. If you put instant coffee in it, it's gonna get messy inside-out. </p>

<p>So, ground coffee can only be processed with coffee maker to produce coffee that is really concentrated, unlike the taste of 3-in-1 and instant coffee.</p>

<p>While 3-in-1 or instant coffee, only need a cup with hot water to produce coffee. </p>

<p>If you are serious about coffee drinking, you should invest to learn more about ground coffee. Instant coffee is just for casual coffee drinker</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-01T03:31:53.760Z
2015-10-01T03:31:53.760Z
Koo
<p>That is instant coffee(you only need hot water to make it). Like Niko said ground coffee are coffee beans ground to small bits.</p>

<p>Looks like you've bought a good espresso coffee maker. You need to find espresso coffee for that machine. My favorites are Lavazza <a href="http://www.lavazza.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.lavazza.com/</a> and <a href="http://shop.meinl.com/default" rel="nofollow">http://shop.meinl.com/default</a> .
I usualy buy whole grain coffee and grind it at my home. 
You can also make espresso coffee using espresso coffee pods (E.S.E. easy serving espresso). Pods are basicaly grounded espresso coffee put in small pods, so you don't have to ground it at home.</p>

<p>If you want to make good coffee with that machine <strong>buy some good quality espresso coffee</strong>. Read the manual for your machine to make good coffee. </p>

<p>Edit: <strong>Don't make espresso</strong> with Grandos Espresso Instant Coffee(<em>don't ever make espresso with that machine if you don't have espresso coffee!</em>), until you buy real espresso coffee you can make instant (put one or two tea spoons in your mug and sip boiled or near boiled water over it)/</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-08T01:15:54.910Z
I can't find it on the website of any retailer here in India. Which means that I'll have to import it from Amazon US or Amazon UK. I wanted the ground-coffee to be able to make good cups of latte, cappuccino, espresso and everything that it is capable of making. If, as you suggest, I buy this--> http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007MAMFC2/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me= would I be able to make all of them with the help of it?
Sampark Sharma
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-08T01:20:46.117Z
Yes that one is excelent.

Look, if you can't find lavazza or julius never mind any other **espresso** coffee will do.
AR93
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-07T21:14:54.437Z
2015-09-07T21:14:54.437Z
AR93
<p>I come from a land of tea-drinkers and have only recently taken a fancy to coffee. I just ordered <a href="http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00H34OA7U?psc=1&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00" rel="noreferrer">this</a> coffee-maker for myself, which is the first that I'll ever own. </p>

<p>I am a bit perplexed as to what <em>type</em> of coffee is used in a coffee-maker. It gets all the more confusing since I couldn't get my hands on all the types on the internet.</p>

<p>Until now, I had been making coffee with the help of this Nescafe.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IFWNE.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IFWNE.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Is this instant or ground coffee? What is the difference between the two? Can they be used in my coffee-maker?</p>

<p>Along with the coffee-maker, I also ordered myself a bottle of <strong>Grandos Espresso Instant Coffee</strong>. Would I be able to make it with the help of my coffee-maker?</p>

<ground-coffee><coffee-machines>
What Type of Coffee Is Used In a Coffee-Maker?
Sampark Sharma
# What Type of Coffee Is Used In a Coffee-Maker?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-09-06)

I come from a land of tea-drinkers and have only recently taken a fancy to coffee. I just ordered [this](http://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B00H34OA7U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) coffee-maker for myself, which is the first that I'll ever own.

I am a bit perplexed as to what *type* of coffee is used in a coffee-maker. It gets all the more confusing since I couldn't get my hands on all the types on the internet.

Until now, I had been making coffee with the help of this Nescafe.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/IFWNE.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/IFWNE.jpg)

Is this instant or ground coffee? What is the difference between the two? Can they be used in my coffee-maker?

Along with the coffee-maker, I also ordered myself a bottle of **Grandos Espresso Instant Coffee**. Would I be able to make it with the help of my coffee-maker?

**Tags:** ground-coffee, coffee-machines


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-09-06. Score: 5

Ground coffee is just the roasted coffee beans ground up to a fine powder. In order to make the beverage coffee, you need to combine this with hot water to extract the flavour (there are many different ways to do this). Typically, there is a filter that makes sure that the water can pass through the ground coffee but none of the ground ends up in your drink.

Instant coffee is dried brewed coffee - they grind up the coffee beans, brew the coffee and then remove the water.

A coffee machine or coffee maker is used for brewing coffee from ground coffee, not instant coffee. Instant coffee powder just needs to be rehydrated, so adding hot water is enough. It will completely dissolve in the water, which the ground in a coffee maker will not.

The machine you bought seems to be an espresso machine (it puts the water with high pressure through the ground coffee). This requires a relatively fine ground. Preground espresso will probably work, or you can also buy a grinder and grind the beans yourself. It also seems to have a pressurized filter basket, which means it will be quite forgiving and therefore easy to use.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: That kind of takes the meaning out of me using instant coffee, right? I guess the drink I'll get out of instant coffee will be inferior to that of ground coffee. Won't the Nescafe that I've been using up until now do the trick? Since I assume it falls under _ground coffee_.  
> **username_1**: @SamparkSharma No, Nescafe is instant coffee, don't use that in the machine.  
> **username_0**: I get next to nothing when I search for _ground coffee_ on Amazon. Could you hit me with a few brands that I should have a dekko at?  
> **username_1**: @SamparkSharma Lavazza and Illy are popular brands, for example.  
> **username_0**: Would this be okay as a first buy -- http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Filter-Coffee-250g/dp/B0001GDE1K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441534346&sr=8-2&keywords=Illy+Coffee? Also, would I be able to make cappuccinos and lattes with the help of this machine? Sorry for being such a bother, I just can't get my head around most of this stuff.  
> **username_1**: @SamparkSharma That's coffee for drip brewing, so probably too coarsely ground. This would be the right one: http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Espresso-Medium-Roast/dp/B000VOCQQ6 -- maybe try this one: http://www.amazon.in/DEVI-Classic-Gourmet-Coffee-Grounds/dp/B00QQ3K6XQ -- and yes, you can make cappuccinos etc. with that machine.  
> **username_0**: And would you believe it? The Illy you linked me to is out of stock and DEVI doesn't seem to have a good reputation. Getting these products at a retailer where I live would be a long-shot, at best. That only leaves me with one alternative. That of buying http://www.amazon.in/Illy-Ground-Filter-Coffee-250g/dp/B0001GDE1K/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1441539523&sr=1-2&keywords=illy+coffee. Would it work in my machine? Or would being too coarse automatically rule it out? I don't suppose you came across any other decent candidates.  
> **username_1**: @SamparkSharma It will work, but can't promise that the taste will be decent.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-09-09. Score: 1

You have bought a wonderful coffee machine which produces espresso (concentrated coffee) which can be consumed whole or mixed with milk/water to create amazing drinks such as latte's or cappuccinos but not limited to these.

To make it simple for you, I will make a short list of what you need to produce coffee on that machine.

1. Coffee Beans - I would suggest to step into Starbucks/Costa/Coffee Day or any similar retailer and ask for espresso blend/beans/roast. If you can find the manager, explain the situation and ask for tasting.
2. Coffee Bean Grinder - You need something like this <http://www.amazon.in/dp/B003U2V5GS> or similar, but do make sure that the grinder you buy is capable of producing a fine grind, as we want the coffee powder to produce espresso, this is crucial.

The coffee you produce with this method will be divine, the aroma will fill up your spaces for sure. What is critical is that you store the beans in their original form and grind only what you need, that will produce the freshest and tastiest coffee.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Welcome to Coffee SE! Please review site policies here: http://coffee.stackexchange.com/help. For instance, product recommendations are generally discouraged.  
> **username_4**: @IvanKapitonov It looks ok to me. He's recommending a type of product and giving a specific example.  
> **username_2**: Thanks for the heads up Ivan, I will keep that in mind in the future. Thank you Droog.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-10-01. Score: 0

Coffee maker usually only process ground coffee. If you put instant coffee in it, it's gonna get messy inside-out.

So, ground coffee can only be processed with coffee maker to produce coffee that is really concentrated, unlike the taste of 3-in-1 and instant coffee.

While 3-in-1 or instant coffee, only need a cup with hot water to produce coffee.

If you are serious about coffee drinking, you should invest to learn more about ground coffee. Instant coffee is just for casual coffee drinker


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-09-07. Score: 0

That is instant coffee(you only need hot water to make it). Like username_1 said ground coffee are coffee beans ground to small bits.

Looks like you've bought a good espresso coffee maker. You need to find espresso coffee for that machine. My favorites are Lavazza <http://www.lavazza.com/> and <http://shop.meinl.com/default> .
I usualy buy whole grain coffee and grind it at my home.
You can also make espresso coffee using espresso coffee pods (E.S.E. easy serving espresso). Pods are basicaly grounded espresso coffee put in small pods, so you don't have to ground it at home.

If you want to make good coffee with that machine **buy some good quality espresso coffee**. Read the manual for your machine to make good coffee.

Edit: **Don't make espresso** with Grandos Espresso Instant Coffee(*don't ever make espresso with that machine if you don't have espresso coffee!*), until you buy real espresso coffee you can make instant (put one or two tea spoons in your mug and sip boiled or near boiled water over it)/

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I can't find it on the website of any retailer here in India. Which means that I'll have to import it from Amazon US or Amazon UK. I wanted the ground-coffee to be able to make good cups of latte, cappuccino, espresso and everything that it is capable of making. If, as you suggest, I buy this--> http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007MAMFC2/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me= would I be able to make all of them with the help of it?  
> **username_6**: Yes that one is excelent.  Look, if you can't find lavazza or julius never mind any other **espresso** coffee will do.  

---

