Coffee facts

Tiger-stripe crema.

A really beautiful espresso has a really beautiful crema. The secret? Tiger stripes. No, really. A good crema never changes its (sumptuously golden-brown) stripes.

Babette Lichtenford

foto: sebastian banasiewcz on unsplash

That dense froth that is created when coffee-bean oil, protein, sugars and carbon dioxide unite to perform their magic. More crema forms on Robusta espressos than on pure Arabicas. This is why blends are frequently made from both varieties. Inexpensive espresso machines, fully automated coffee machines and machines with pads produce an artificial crema by frothing the coffee through an air valve. You can recognize this through its relatively coarse bubble structure.

So how does a crema earn its stripes?

1. With the right – fine – grind size.
However, if the coffee grounds are too fine, the crema will be dark. If they are too coarse, it will quickly dissolve.

2. Fresh roast.
If the beans are too “old”, the crema will be weaker.

3. The right pressure during preparation.
Which means that no moka pot will be capable of conjuring a proper espresso with a gorgeous crema. But they still make tasty coffee.

Sugar-test your espresso:

Sprinkle a spoonful of sugar over the top. If it stays on the surface for a while and only seeps through slowly, you’ve got yourself a credible crema.

By the way, it does not form immediately after the espresso has been poured, but rather rises from the espresso a few seconds afterwards.

Tiger-stripe crema.

Babette Lichtenford

So how does a crema earn its stripes?

Sugar-test your espresso:

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