Can You Use Any Coffee For Tiramisu? [ANSWERED]

Whipping up an authentic, irresistibly tasty Tiramisu ain’t that easy.

There, I said it.

In my defense, I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to making desserts.

And this one, in particular, is hard to get right (for me, at least).

I mean, it has so many elements to it that you can easily get confused.

You also need to have the right ingredients and the right tools as well as know the right techniques to make it.

And one of the techniques that can be pretty confusing is adding coffee to the Tiramisu.

After all, it’s a key component of this dessert.

And for the end result to be amazing, you’ve gotta know the right temperature, the right flavor profiles, and the right type of coffee to use.

This brings us to the question:

How do you know exactly what coffee to use?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

I spent hours in the kitchen experimenting (so you don’t have to)…

…and I’m now going to share with you the best methods of brewing coffee for Tiramisu and which type of coffee is best for it.

Let’s dive right in…

Can You Use Any Coffee For Tiramisu?

In general, yes. Any form of brewed coffee can be used for tiramisu, but the results vary greatly. What this means is that you can use any brewing method, from pulling a lot of shots and chilling them, to using cold brew and even instant coffee.

However, depending on the quality of the coffee, the chilling method, and the timing, the taste might be too mild, or too strong.

After all, you need to have the right flavor profiles to complement the alcohol in the tiramisu.

Can You Use Nescafe For Tiramisu?

You can use Nescafe coffee for tiramisu. In all honesty, despite their reluctance, the best baristas, and the best pâtissiers would recommend using instant coffee for Tiramisus.

This is mainly because freshly brewed coffee goes stale or bitter very quickly as the heat escapes, and the acid in the brew oxidizes quickly, so the flavors you’d get with hot coffee are lost once it’s cooled.

So, using instant coffee for Tiramisu is the best option, only because the preservatives that make up instant coffee are there to help keep the flavors active even if it goes cold.

Can You Use Cold Brew For Tiramisu?

Yes, another recommended coffee to use in Tiramisu is cold brew. But unlike pulled shots or instant coffee, you don’t get the acidity of the coffee to add that kick the tiramisu needs, against the alcohol.

However, because it’s a concentrated form of coffee, it can be strong.

So, if you don’t mind the flavor overpowering the rest of the Tiramisu, use cold brew, however you please.

The only thing to keep in mind is to not water it down, otherwise, you won’t get the strong flavor that the tiramisu might need.

What Can You Substitute For Espresso In Tiramisu?

If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, or you don’t have access to making espresso, try using espresso powder.

This is a great alternative to using freshly made espresso in baking and dessert recipes because they’re made specifically for baking.

The only downside is that you can’t make it stronger by using more as it’ll make the coffee very bitter.

Apart from espresso powder, you can use cold brew, because it’s a very concentrated and stronger version of espresso.

Do You Use Hot Or Cold Coffee For Tiramisu?

Room-temperature coffee or even tepid coffee is the best to use, since, unlike hot coffee, it won’t curdle the other ingredients you use (like the eggs or cheese that make up the mascarpone portion of the tiramisu).

However, there are methods where you’re able to use warm or hot coffee – just be sure to follow the instructions correctly. Else, you’ll end up with curdled mascarpone or deflated ladyfingers.

I’d recommend sticking with lukewarm coffee though.

How Do You Make Strong Coffee For Tiramisu?

If you want very strong coffee, you could try using a Moka Pot to brew your coffee. It is, after all, another espresso maker, but it’s less expensive than actually using an espresso machine.

Having said that, the brewing method is completely up to you, depending on how sensitive your tastebuds are, or how strong you want the coffee to be.

If you’re keen on impressing aficionados of both coffee and desserts, you may want to use the standard practice of pulling shots and chilling them or using the Moka Pot method.

However, in many other cases, using high-quality instant coffee will do no harm. Not only are the flavor profiles there, but in general, people won’t notice either.

In Conclusion – What’s The Best Coffee For Tiramisu?

Even if it’s pretty unconventional, instant coffee or espresso powder is the best coffee to use for Tiramisu.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with pulling lots of shots and chilling them. Even the best restaurants use this method as a standard practice, in order to avoid using instant coffee.

However, if you’re really curious, and you don’t mind using hours of your day experimenting, try using a multi-level approach.

What this means is, to opt for different methods of brewing at each stage of the process.

Eg: you could use instant coffee when mixing it in the mascarpone and maybe switch to the cold brew method to soak the ladyfingers.

And on that note, we conclude this article. I hope you found it helpful and interesting. I certainly enjoyed writing it up!