Of course, it is not exactly as just brewed from freshly ground beans espresso. But it comes close and I was surprised even with presence of crema the first few times I prepared it. I also find it better or much better versus a few brands of instant coffee, including Arvea coffee.I use mostly when travelling or on daylong trips to parks, very convenient and close enough to real espresso. The Blonde version is also pretty good, cannot decide yet which one I like more.Caffeine content is comparable to espresso shot, probably a little more even.