Decaffeinated Instant Espresso Powder

Asked by Missy1. Answered on 6th May 2016

Full question

I love Nigella's recipes. Many of them require instant espresso powder but I would like to use decaffeinated instant espresso powder. Please could you tell me where I can source decaffeinated instant espresso powder in the UK? Could you also tell me her favoured brand of espresso powder because some of them are a mix of ground coffee beans and instant coffee. Thank you.

Our answer

Nigella uses instant espresso powder in some recipes, most popular of which is the One-Step No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream (from NIGELLISSIMA). Unfortunately we have not been able to find a decaffeinated version of the powder, though if it is available then it is most likely to be found on-line. If you want to use decaffeinated coffee and buy the granulated instant version then you should use 1 1/4 tablespoons of decaffeinated espresso or 1 1/2 tablespoons of decaffeinated coffee for each tablespoon of espresso powder. The granules should be dissolved in as little hot water as possible, so start with 1 tablespoon and add a few drops extra if it is required.

Percol Intense Espresso Instant Coffee tends to be the most widely available in the UK for some reason, and is one Nigella often uses.