What is “Crema” Coffee? I buy it from Lavazza and love it!

So you’re wondering what is “Crema Coffee”?  It’s is a name used by big companies for marketing purposes only.  In other words, it’s just a made up label and doesn’t really exist.

Crema is a real thing though, it’s the little froth you see on top of Espresso. You can create Crema from any high pressure brewing method like Moka Pot, Espresso, and possibly Prismo.  I’ve also made a quick tutorial on how you can also use a French Press to make your own crema.

Crema is basically the mixture of air and the oils from coffee.  The reason why it is most visible on espresso is because of the high pressure used to make the shot.

That being said, to get a good crema with espresso you need a few things:

• Grind size has to be properly set for whatever brewing method you’ll be using.
• The water temperature and pressure need to be correct.
• The freshness of the coffee is a contributing factor.  The more recent the roast, the more gas you’ll find in the coffee. This is because Coffee releases gases after it’s been Roasted and it’s why you find little air valves on Coffee Bags.
• Robusta is also a contributing factor. The more Robusta there is, the more crema you’ll probably get.

All of the above are factors in the amount of crema you’ll get from an espresso shot.  They’re listed in order of importance.

To make a long story short, Crema Coffee DOES NOT EXIST – it’s just a marketing tool.