Question: 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.stack.imgur.com/IFWNE.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/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?

Answer: 
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.
That is instant coffee(you only need hot water to make it). Like Niko 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)/