The golden, syrupy texture on top of the espresso is known as crema. It not only makes the look of espresso but also plays a vital role in the overall flavor of an espresso. However, making a perfect crema not only depends on precision and practice, but also depends on the freshness of coffee beans, extraction timing, grind size, coffee dose, water temperature, and pressure.
In this blog post, we will give you tips on how to get more crema on espresso and the factors that affect the crema quality.
9 Tips To Get More Crema On Espresso
Getting more crema on espresso is an art that requires precision, practice, and attention to detail. Here are the nine tips to get golden and syrupy texture crema in more quantity.
Tamping Pressure
Tamping evenly and with a pressure of 30 pounds. You can also use a level-tamping tool to ensure the coffee bed is flat. Avoid applying too much pressure as it can lead to over-extraction.
Even tamps help in better water flow resulting in a rich and full-bodied espresso whereas inconsistent tamps can lead to uneven water flow resulting in poor crema.
Machine Maintenance
Over time coffee compounds such as oil and other residues can build up in the group head, portafilter, and shower screen. These compounds affect the extraction process and can lead to a bitter and inconsistent crema. Therefore regular cleaning and maintenance of an espresso machine is crucial for better water flow through the coffee ground, resulting in a rich crema.
Use Freshly Ground Coffee
Grind your coffee just before you are brewing it. This is because pre-grounded coffee loses all of its CO2 and oil quickly. But coffee beans can hold these elements for a long time because the protective shell around the bean prevents these elements from losing.
Freshly grounded coffee retains most of the CO2 and oil. These compounds are essential for creating crema. Coffee beans can also lose these elements over time but you can delay that process by placing your coffee beans in an airtight container in a dark, cool, and dry place away from sunlight, air, moisture, and heat.
Optimize The Coffee Dose
Too little coffee dose can lead to under-extraction and weaker crema whereas too much can cause over-extraction and bitter crema. The ideal coffee dose for a double espresso shot is typically 18 to 20 grams.
You can find the weight of the dose by using a digital scale. You can also experiment with coffee doses based on your machine performance and bean type to find the best spot that produces the perfect crema for your taste.
Adjust Brewing Pressure
Low pressure can cause under-extraction that results in a thinner crema whereas high pressure can increase the risk of over-extraction. The ideal brewing pressure is 9 bars but if your machine allows pressure adjustment. Try adjusting it within a range of 8 to 10 bars of pressure and note the pressure gauge during extraction to ensure consistency. You can experiment with the pressure to find the ideal pressure for your setup.
Water Temperature
The perfect water temperature for an espresso is 90°C to 95°C or 195°F to 205°F. If the water temperature is too cold it will result in under-extraction but if the water is boiling or too hot it will lead to over-extraction.
If your espresso machine has a water gauge you can check the water temperature but if not then boil the water first and then let it cool down for a minute or half.
Use Filter Water
Hard water with high mineral content can lead to bitter-tasting espresso and poor crema whereas overly soft water might not extract enough oil to produce crema.
Use filter water with a balanced mineral content and with a total dissolved solids level between 75 to 220 ppm. Avoid using distal water as it lacks all the necessary mineral content needed for proper extraction and crema formation.
Use Mix Beans
Use a mixture of arabica and robusta coffee beans. Arabica coffee beans offer a sweet taste to the espresso whereas robusta makes thicker crema due to higher oil and CO2 presence. That is why most Italian espresso has a blend of 25% robusta coffee beans.
The common blend of arabica and robusta coffee beans is 80% to 20% but you can also experiment and adjust it based on your preference.
Roast Type
Roast type also affects the amount of crema in an espresso. Light roast produces less crema compared to medium and dark roast. This is because it has a low level of CO2. The crema produced from light roast is also less stable.
The medium roast has a balanced CO2 level and oil content that produces a good amount of crema with a balanced texture and stability.
Whereas the dark roast generally produces the most amount of crema this is because the roasting process breaks the oil component and creates more CO2, contributing to a thicker and more stable crema.
Factors Affecting Crema Quality
Making perfect crema on your espresso requires practice and attention to several key factors. Each of the features plays an important role in achieving the perfect crema on your espresso. Here is the breakdown of the key factors.
The Freshness of Coffee Beans
Fresh coffee beans are an important factor in achieving a perfect crema. Freshly roasted coffee beans are packed with carbon dioxide, oil, and other compound that are essential for creating crema.
As beans age the oil in the beans oxidizes and carbon dioxide dissipates. This leads to a weaker and thinner crema.
Grind Size
Grind size directly determines the thickness and quality of crema. If the grind size is too coarse, water flows through the coffee grounds quickly leading to under-extraction and a weak crema.
However, if the grind size is too fine, water passes through the coffee ground slowly resulting in over-extraction and uneven crema.
To achieve the best crema, aim for a medium grind size and adjust it from there. If the extraction is fast make a fine grind but if slow make a coarse grind.
Water Temperature
The ideal water temperature for an espresso is 90°C to 96°C. Within this range, water blends effectively with the coffee oil and extracts the CO2 leading to a quality crema.
If the water temperature is boiling or higher than the ideal range it can cause over-extraction which leads to a bitter crema. However, if the water is cold it can cause under-extraction, resulting in a pale and weak crema.
Pressure and Extraction Time
The extraction time to achieve perfect crema is between 25 to 30 seconds. A shot pulled before 20 seconds can lead to under-extraction and insufficient crema. Whereas a shot pulled after 30 seconds can lead to over-extraction, resulting in burnt crema.
The standard pressure for pulling an espresso shot is 9 bars. This pressure is perfect for extracting the oil and gases from the coffee.
Types of Coffee Beans Used
The type of coffee beans you use also affects crema production. Robusta beans produce more crema compared to arabice. This is because robusta beans have high caffeine and CO2 content.
However, the Robusta crema is thicker and darker but has a more bitter taste whereas the arabica crema is less in quantity but has a more complex and nuanced taste.
Conclusion
Achieving more crema in an espresso not only requires accurate precision but also a lot of practice. Crema not only enhances the visual appeal of the espresso but also plays a crucial role in its flavor and texture.
To get more and perfect crema you have to understand factors that influence crema quality. Such as the freshness of coffee beans, the types of beans you are using, tamping pressure, extraction pressure, grind size, water temperature, and extraction time.
These all factors are interconnected. For example, a finer grind may require a light tamp whereas a coarse grind requires a firm tamp. These are small adjustments that can make a big difference in the overall quality of the shot.
