Crema is the lovely, frothy foam that appears naturally on top of your espresso. It appears when hot water is forced through the coffee grounds at high pressure, emulsifying the coffee bean oils and forming tiny, smooth bubbles and is considered the mark of an authentic espresso.
Reasons why your espresso machine is not producing crema
- Coffee is ground too coarsely. Use slightly finer grind.
- Coffee tamped too softly. Use slightly firmer tamp, between 15-20 kg or 30-40 lb of force
- Single wall filter basket might have been used with pre-ground coffee. Please see our chart below:
| Basket type | Shot | Dose (grams) | Use for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single wall | 1 shot | 10-12 | Freshly ground whole bean coffee |
| Single wall | 2 shot | 18-20 | Freshly ground whole bean coffee |
| Double wall | 1 shot | 10-12 | Pre-ground coffee |
| Double wall | 2 shot | 18-20 | Pre-ground coffee |