Espresso Crema: Recognizing Successful Ones and Preparing Them Perfectly

Espresso Crema is a tasty highlight of the popular coffee drink. However, as a coffee layman, it is not always easy to prepare them like in a café. So read here what you need to watch out for.

How to recognize a successful espresso crema

You can recognize a perfect espresso crema by its optimum consistency. The crema is often proof that the espresso was brewed correctly.

• The golden-brown foam on the surface of the freshly brewed espresso must be stable and dense in the foam.
• Put a small spoonful of sugar on the foam and if it stays on the crema for a while, this is a sign that the crema has worked.
• The sugar only runs very slowly through the foam and sweetens the espresso particularly gently.
• However, it is advisable to mix the drink with the foam before actually enjoying the espresso. In fact, the crema has a rather bitter taste.

This is how you succeed in espresso crema

In order for the crema to be successful for you, you should take a few important precautions before preparing it. The degree of grinding of the espresso must be right for this. It must be neither too fine nor too coarse. Freshly roasted espresso also guarantees a better crema.

• In order for the crema to succeed, you need a high water temperature of 90 to 95 degrees Celsius and a high brewing pressure of nine to ten bars. The brewing process for the two large espresso quantities takes around 15 to 20 seconds.
• The espresso crema is created thanks to the particularly high pressure during preparation. It is formed from carbon dioxide, water vapor bubbles, oils, sugar, and the suspended matter in the bean wall. The latter ensures the typical tiger pattern of the crema.
• Robusta beans are particularly good for the espresso crema. They contain less fat than Arabica beans.
• If your crema is barely visible or has turned too dark, it’s probably because the grind is too fine, or the brewing temperature or pressure of the espresso machine is set too high. The coffee dose may also be too high.
• If the crema appears too light, watery and dissolves quickly, this is probably due to the grinding degree being too coarse or the brewing temperature and mechanical pressure being too low. It is also possible that the coffee is simply too old or the dose of coffee is too low.